Comments on: Bill vs. Dave 1982

Bill vs. Dave 1982

vronsky — Fri, 16 May 2008 20:56:12 -0800

A very, very funny Bill Murray guest stars on the first episode of Late Night with David Letterman -- 1982

By: turgid dahlia

turgid dahlia — Fri, 16 May 2008 21:25:14 -0800

:-D

By: davebush

davebush — Fri, 16 May 2008 21:33:23 -0800

"Hey, you guys know the new Newton-John thing?" I was watching that night. I still enjoy Dave, but I do miss the vibe of those early years.

By: stbalbach

stbalbach — Fri, 16 May 2008 21:38:25 -0800

Dave was 35 and Murray 32.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Fri, 16 May 2008 21:47:40 -0800

They were thinner then, that's for sure.

By: ZachsMind

ZachsMind — Fri, 16 May 2008 21:49:57 -0800

Yep. That was Bill Murray. Yep. That was David Letterman. ...Yep. That was a panda.

By: scody

scody — Fri, 16 May 2008 22:07:53 -0800

I'm so old (or perhaps was just tuned in to pop culture at an early age) that I remember when Letterman briefly had a morning show. Dave was 35 and Murray 32. *weeps quietly in the corner*

By: KokuRyu

KokuRyu — Fri, 16 May 2008 22:08:09 -0800

I miss Chris Elliott the most. The guy was the second coming of Andy Kaufman, but better. Chris Elliott as Marlon Brando. Chris Elliott's Action Family.

By: stbalbach

stbalbach — Fri, 16 May 2008 22:10:59 -0800

They were thinner then On average, everyone was thinner then, and not for lack of food. Early 80s was the start of the anti-cholesterol crusade, average caloric intake remained the same or went up, but shifted from animals fats to grains and sugars, which tends to make one fatter.

By: SmileyChewtrain

SmileyChewtrain — Fri, 16 May 2008 22:14:38 -0800

Heyyyyy.... it cuts off right as his dancing gets REALLY good...

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Fri, 16 May 2008 22:15:55 -0800

Early 80s was the start of the anti-cholesterol crusade... And the start of the pro-cocaine crusade. And we all know that's what was keeping 'em thin!

By: ZachsMind

ZachsMind — Fri, 16 May 2008 22:48:19 -0800

With all due respect, KokuRyu, comparing Chris Elliot to Andy Kaufman is like comparing a lollipop to a T-bone steak. Chris Elliot was on occasion witty and perhaps even daring. However, he never could fill Kaufman's shoes.

By: vronsky

vronsky — Fri, 16 May 2008 23:26:42 -0800

Chris Elliot most definitely had his moments of genius. His "man under the stairs" bit always killed me.

By: vronsky

vronsky — Fri, 16 May 2008 23:35:54 -0800

Which KokoRyu linked above:) Chris Elliot in "The Fugitive"

By: spiderwire

spiderwire — Fri, 16 May 2008 23:38:47 -0800

How strange. I was watching this the other day and just about losing my mind laughing. Here's the one after the golf cart incident. The tuxedo is great too. Hell, they're all great.

By: spiderwire

spiderwire — Fri, 16 May 2008 23:53:17 -0800

Anniversary Appearance: Dave: "You are the party, really." Bill: "Yeah, well, that's how I roll--"

By: vronsky

vronsky — Sat, 17 May 2008 00:06:21 -0800

That is the Star Wars theme playing him out. From the skit he and Paul used to do on SNL.

By: Turtles all the way down

Turtles all the way down — Sat, 17 May 2008 00:47:16 -0800

That's very funny. I've never seen that before--thanks Vronsky.

By: vronsky

vronsky — Sat, 17 May 2008 01:06:55 -0800

And a special treat for all who clicked the link -- the Greatest Music you have ever heard.

By: The Light Fantastic

The Light Fantastic — Sat, 17 May 2008 01:24:05 -0800

By: The Light Fantastic

The Light Fantastic — Sat, 17 May 2008 01:24:38 -0800

Oh wait...he's not dead yet? nevermind.

By: wigglin

wigglin — Sat, 17 May 2008 03:16:27 -0800

Bill Murray looks more healthy today than he did 26 years ago

By: Dizzy

Dizzy — Sat, 17 May 2008 03:32:02 -0800

Now I feel old again. Why do you guys keep doing this?

By: waraw

waraw — Sat, 17 May 2008 03:43:19 -0800

I love this stuff because it allows me to play one of my favorite games, "What Were They On?" I've got $3.50 on marijuana.

By: cgc373

cgc373 — Sat, 17 May 2008 03:44:36 -0800

They won't rest until they see you in the ground, Dizzy. vronsky's mission is to bury us all. IN AWESOME.

By: cyclopticgaze

cyclopticgaze — Sat, 17 May 2008 05:40:35 -0800

And he wasn't on the show pimping a new movie or anything. Well, besides his panda documentary.

By: turgid dahlia

turgid dahlia — Sat, 17 May 2008 06:07:03 -0800

So that guy Chris Elliot isn't very funny and putting him in the same thread as Bill Murray is pretty much blasphemy.

By: WCityMike

WCityMike — Sat, 17 May 2008 06:20:43 -0800

Wonderful, but let's not ignore Dave v. Drew. Love the look on his face. :)

By: languagehat

languagehat — Sat, 17 May 2008 06:36:01 -0800

I'm so old (or perhaps was just tuned in to pop culture at an early age) that I remember when Letterman briefly had a morning show. Well, technically, scody, this is a morning show. Anything after midnight is generally considered the morning. *cues band*

By: Eekacat

Eekacat — Sat, 17 May 2008 08:00:18 -0800

Damn, and to think I saw that episode when it came out... Dave was a lot edgier back then. He's lost it over the years. I don't think he ever recovered from not being moved up into Johnny Carson's slot which Jay Leno poorly filled.

By: patr1ck

patr1ck — Sat, 17 May 2008 08:04:06 -0800

Awesome. Also see "Bill Murray in FCU: Fact Checkers Unit", one of my favourite Bill Murray shorts.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Sat, 17 May 2008 08:12:59 -0800

*cues band* *band plays "Touch Me In The Morning", camera crew walks off in disgust*

By: KokuRyu

KokuRyu — Sat, 17 May 2008 09:48:41 -0800

So that guy Chris Elliot isn't very funny and putting him in the same thread as Bill Murray is pretty much blasphemy. Then it seems there is a schism in the church of comedy, because Bill Murray ain't particularly funny. But Elliott is a genius.

By: Dave Faris

Dave Faris — Sat, 17 May 2008 10:16:27 -0800

I was watching that night. I apologize if this is utterly pedantic, but wasn't Dave originally on in the afternoon?

By: Dave Faris

Dave Faris — Sat, 17 May 2008 10:17:59 -0800

And I guess I'm as old or older than scody. That's what I get for not reading the rest of the comments.

By: Mikey-San

Mikey-San — Sat, 17 May 2008 10:25:25 -0800

"You just can't use science for your own ends, Dave."

By: Burhanistan

Burhanistan — Sat, 17 May 2008 11:10:49 -0800

It's been almost a decade since I've been passed a bong so I really couldn't follow along much here. I was, however, excited to see the 1/2 second of the A-Team commercial between show segments.

By: miss lynnster

miss lynnster — Sat, 17 May 2008 11:30:51 -0800

"Welcome to New York. Would you like a hot towel?"

By: Elsa

Elsa — Sat, 17 May 2008 11:43:27 -0800

I'm so old (or perhaps was just tuned in to pop culture at an early age) that I remember when Letterman briefly had a morning show. Scody, I remember that show. Mom kept me home from school for the sniffles, and (nerd that I was) I pouted at missing class. The pouting ended when, flipping through three channels of game shows and soaps from my sickbed, I happened upon that show. I was so taken with Letterman that *gasp* I faked sick the next day hoping to watch it again. But Mom took away the TV.

By: kalimotxero

kalimotxero — Sat, 17 May 2008 12:10:56 -0800

Thanks for the link, vronsky, if for no other reason than it led me to a video of Bill Murray broadcasting a Chicago Cubs game.

By: msalt

msalt — Sat, 17 May 2008 13:20:43 -0800

one of my favorite games, "What Were They On?" I've got $3.50 on marijuana. Seems a bit manic. Coke is trite but seems likely. 1/2 gram of mushrooms? Is 1982 too early for Ecstasy?

By: Dizzy

Dizzy — Sat, 17 May 2008 13:36:39 -0800

I read years ago (in Rolling Stone, I think-- I'm too lazy to go up to the DizzyArchive in my DizzyAttic) that Bill was actually pounding shots of Cuervo in the green Room and messing with the production assistants-- he had all the fluorescent lights removed backstage because they "were leaching all of the precious vitamin A out of his system", or words to that effect...

By: timsteil

timsteil — Sat, 17 May 2008 22:17:24 -0800

Didn't he also do the last NBC of Letterman?

By: ZachsMind

ZachsMind — Sun, 18 May 2008 05:42:43 -0800

If memory serves, Murray has never admitted to more than cursory drug usage during his SNL days. However his vice of the time was alcohol, so I'd wager he was drunk in that clip with Dave, but not high. The scale of funny between these three works like this: Murray is (consistently) funny. Kaufman was daring, abrasive, eccentric, wonderful and more than occasionally funny Chris Elliot is meh. I honestly can't decide where Letterman fits inside those three. There have been times when he was funnier than Murray and there have been times when he actually made Chris Elliot look good by being bad. So I don't know where he goes.