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Andy Griffith bombed on The Ed Sullivan Show
Even the famous Andy Griffith had a few stumbles along the way.
Every loyal Andy Griffith fan knows about his breakout standup routine, "What It Was, Was Football". The recording of his act as a bumbling southern preacher discovering this fancy newfangled game hit No. 9 on the Billboard pop charts in 1954. Heck, he was discovered when his agent heard the routine on the radio.
But did you know that the routine was not a hit everywhere?
In 1954, Andy Griffith appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show. This was the same year that "What It Was, Was Football" topped the charts. It should have been a hit, right? Well, it didn't quite work out like that.
"I don’t really remember the appearance," Griffith later said about his time on Sullivan. "All I remember is I walked out and I never got a laugh, not one.”
The lackluster response led to his three further scheduled appearances on the show to be cancelled. "[Sullivan] asked out of the other three [performances] and I was only too glad to let him out," Griffith said.
If you watch the clip, you can see that maybe Andy was his own harshest critic. It might not have been the laugh riot Andy expected, but there weren't zero laughs. In fact, you can hear quite a few.
Nevertheless, you can't keep a good Griffith down. Six years later, The Andy Griffith Show hit TV screens, and the rest is history.
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23 Comments
While I don't think Andy necessarily "bombed" with his performance on Ed Sullivan, I do recall one individual who bombed in an embarrassingly epic fashion performing the same routine.... ME, in a high-school speech contest in high school in the mid-'70's....
I switched to debate the next year
Debate was much more suited for my comic chops....
I switched to debate the next year
Debate was much more suited for my comic chops....
Love the Andy Griffith show and I enjoy Matlock also just not as much as TAGS. Having said that, I don't find this bit funny at all.
Oh, stop it. That routine was about as funny as a migraine. No doubt that Capitol Records enclosed a $50 or $100 bill with each promotional copy of the record sent to radio stations -- payola is the only logical explanation for its unexpected ascension on the charts. Even the least successful chart single issued by the late, great Allan Sherman could run laps around "Football."
I don't think Andy Griffith bombed. Ed Sullivan was a "showman" and their were many other performers that appeared or had their appearances reduced at Sullivan's decision. And a lot of performers went on to be great performers. Their appearance on his show was only part of their success.
Andy Griffith thought he had bombed. He did get plenty of laughs, but comedians craft their act to get the biggest laughs in certain places, and maybe that didn't happen. That would cause him to question his own performance.
It's very likely that a northern audience didn't fully appreciate the southern style at that time. And it's common knowledge that Americans don't appreciate subtle satire as much as others do elsewhere ... and that's what this was. Subtle satire.
Perhaps and thank you. I enjoy reading others viewpoint and opinions. IMO- Sullivan had the do it my way or.... you know the saying. He did have a way of attracting talent on his terms and maybe attributed for some added visibility- but there were others that disagreed with "his way" and went on to great success.
Man, I'm way too insecure to even try to attempt show biz. If I thought I had "bombed" I would never be able to show my face in public again. But Andy didn't "bomb." at all. This was his "bit" and he was very successful with it.
As people in the South know that Andy was "testifying" like he was at church. I doubt that anyone in the audience understood that.
Us Southerners found this routine to be absolutely hilarious. He recorded this routine for an album and it's much funnier on the album. I think he rushed his routine on this show to fit the time allotted... And it wasn't as good.
Us Southerners found this routine to be absolutely hilarious. He recorded this routine for an album and it's much funnier on the album. I think he rushed his routine on this show to fit the time allotted... And it wasn't as good.
Sounds like the audience was giggling, not huge laughter, but I think they are used to jewish comediences.
They never showed the audience...perhaps it was canned laughter that was added later ?
In 1954 it would have been a 1-camera production.
Sometimes the most talented performers are their own harshest critics. They are constantly striving for perfection.
I don’t remember it. But I love the Andy
Griffin show
Griffin show
Maybe he was gesturing with his hands, and Ed misinterpreted it. I recall a recent story like that.
Something occurred to me while watching this. I wonder, was it possible that the laughter picked up by the recording equipment wasn't nearly as audible to Andy as it was to viewers? Because one of the difficulties in his routine is that he didn't pause much for laughter when it came. If you talk over the laughs, the audience eventually laughs less because they are missing what you are saying. But if you can't hear them laughing, you don't know when to pause.
I agree. I think Andy is better at being a comic actor than doing stand-up comedy. They skills needed to succeed at each are different and few comedians can do both equally well.
You are right, Dunsel...I am a singer, and many times my friends in the audience would say, " didn't you hear me cheering and yelling bravo ? " and I didn't !
I had heard this skit before and thought it was awesome. I was hesitant to watch the Ed Sullivan clip but I didn’t think he bombed either. I heard plenty of people laughing.
How sad that Andy bombed on the Ed Sullivan show. Well he went on to do shows that he was in like TAGS and Matlock.
Nothing to write home about!! I've seen or heard plenty worse!! Beginning with that Stephen guy! Oh the good old days JOHNNIE...
I though it was a good routine. Seemed like there was plenty of laughs. Of course, Andy Griffith was just starting out at this point and looking back, maybe he expected a "Sheriff Taylor" reaction.
I've just watched the video clip. If that was a "bomb", then I don't know what litmus test Griffith, Sullivan or MeTV used for a "hit" performance. There were *many* laughs during the routine, and it seemed it went over well. I think time clouded Andy's memory of his appearance. It was fine - and enjoyable...