In Part 1 of Presidential Humor, Bob Smith, Earl Dowd, and Rich Little discussed the history of presidential humor, sharing stories and clips from comedy albums. Dowd and Little provided insights into their creative process, while Bob Smith offered a broader perspective on the cultural context of the time. They also discussed the impact of political satire on comedy careers, with Earl Dowd sharing his experience of creating albums with political satire. The speakers later engaged in a lively discussion about the use of humor and satire in politics, and Earl Dowd shared an anecdote about President John F. Kennedy’s preference for “The First Family” comedy album. They also discussed the making of the hit comedy album ‘The First Family Rides Again,’ twenty years later, focusing on the presidential humor of Ronald Reagan, with comedic impressions of notable figures. Dowd and Smith explored the creation of the album, sharing insights into the decision-making process and experiences working with Rich Little.
Outline
Presidential humor from the 1960s and 1980s, featuring comedy albums produced by Earl Dowd.
- Bob Smith explores presidential humor with cuts from JFK and Reagan-focused comedy albums.
- Earl Dowd created the first record album that placed the President of the United States and his family in everyday situations and gave them funny resolutions.
- The 1962 album centered on the talents of JFK impressionist Vaughn Meader.
- The album was “The First Family,” the fastest selling comedy disc in the history of American records, 20 years later Earl Dowd produced a similar album with impressionist Rich Little.
JFK’s humor and White House tours.
- Earl Dowd shares a story about a JFK coloring book and a talent show appearance, with Bob Smith adding context on the use of humor in politics.
- Dowd discusses his experiences with President Kennedy, including an unfulfilled inaugural appearance and a cancelled radio spot.
- In a comedy cut Lyndon Johnson advises on decision, urges immediate action (0:08:46)
- Earl Dowd shares anecdote about Jack Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy (0:09:22)
Political satire and impressions of US presidents.
- On one album, Earl Dowd impersonated Jackie Kennedy’s French dress designer.
- Actors in one comedy sketch suggest delivering a pizza to the White House.
- Dowd as Jackie’s French Dress designer orders a top button removed from a gown.
Political satire and comedy albums in the 1960s, including the success of “The First Family Album” and its impact on the
- Discussion on the influence of comedian Dick Gregory’s success in political satire.
- Earl Dowd and Bob Smith discuss the popularity of the First Family Album, with Dowd estimating 9 million records were sold.
- The 1963 release of a second Vaughn Meader-focused album was disrupted by John F. Kennedy’s assassination, with only 350,000 albums sold.
Politics, comedy, and the First Family Rides Again album.
- Earl Dowd discusses his comedy recordings after the Kennedy assassination, including the new First Family recordings and the album “The Second Coming.”
- Vaughn Meader, who played John F. Kennedy in the First Family recordings, appears on the album “The Second Coming” and was originally intended to play Teddy Kennedy in a potential “Family Feud” episode.
- In one skit, actors portraying Reagan and advisors discuss race and money.
- In another skit Rich Little, portraying Ronald Reagan receives urgent calls announcing a flood in Florida, Spain attacking France, and the Navy going missing.
Creating a satirical album about politicians, including challenges in finding the right impersonators and avoiding offensive content.
- Earl Dowd discusses his successful political comedy albums, emphasizing the importance of timeliness, tastefulness, and subject matter relevance.
- Dowd and Smith discuss the challenges of creating a satirical album, including finding a talent who can credibly impersonate a public figure.
- Dowd hired a large cast for his 1982 First Family Rides Again album, the Reagan-focused disc, including well-known actors.
- The “Rides Again” disc wasn’t a blue album and wasn’t offensive, which made it more appealing to DJs and listeners.
- Its success was due to its lack of offensive content and DJs playing it frequently on air.
Poker game with Ronald Reagan impersonator and comedy writer Earl Dowd.
- In one skit in the 1982 album Ronald Reagan and others engage in draw poker, with Reagan expressing frustration and disappointment.
- When Reagan raises the stakes one player accuses another of cheating.
- Rich Little explains how he recreated Ronald Reagan’s voice and humor.
Reagan impersonation, recording sessions, and career beginnings.
- Little describes Ronald Reagan’s voice as breathy and hesitant, with unique mannerisms and expressions such as flip flopping and waffling.
- In one skit Reagan recalls a movie he made with Barbara Stanwyck, but can’t remember the title, only that it was a Western.
- In another skit Reagan calls Kermit the Frog to Washington to solve the Mediterranean fruit fly problem, which is spreading to other states.
- Earl Dowd, producer, shares behind-the-scenes details of the first family recording sessions, including using a live audience performance, while Rich Little discusses his early years imitating his school teachers.
Ronald Reagan’s psychiatry session and recording session for the First Family Rides album.
- In one 1982 skit, Ronald Reagan’s inner thoughts are revealed through a word association game with a psychiatrist.
- Earl Dowd recounts the making of the First Family Rides album, including challenges and changes during recording.
Comedy album “First Family Rides Again” with Earl Dowd and Bob Smith.
- Earl Dowd discusses the decision to exclude sketches about Ronald Reagan’s children.
- Dowd shares a humorous anecdote about the Reagans that he considered including in the album, despite not finding it particularly funny.
- Dowd and Bob Smith discuss the cover art for the 1982 album “First Family Rides Again,” which features Dowd in a tutu and ballet shoes.
- Dowd explains that the idea for the 1962 cover came from Jackie Kennedy’s love of water skiing.
- In yet another 1982 album skit, Ronald Reagan humorously interacts with an unexpected visitor, the Saturday Night Live Claymation character, Mr. Bill.
Bob Smith 0:00
Believe it or not, there was a time when Americans could laugh at and with their presidents.
Unknown Speaker 0:06
Let’s call it for pizza.
Speaker 1 0:08
I can’t do that. I can’t call up and say this is the President of the United States end up a sausage pizza.
Unknown Speaker 0:17
We’ve noticed you always looked down at your feet when you speak. Why is that?
Ronald Reagan voice 0:22
Well, you’d look down to if you owned a horse ranch.
Bob Smith 0:29
Coming up presidential humor with cuts from two of the most successful comedy albums of all time, the First Family and the First Family Rides Again here on the off ramp with Bob Smith.
Hi, I’m Bob Smith and welcome to the off ramp a place to slow down steered clear of crazy and take a side road to sanity. We’re doing something special for this edition. This is part one of presidential humor. Now, there was a time when presidential humor meant something entirely different than it does today. It wasn’t late night comedians telling snarky jokes about people they hate. It was humor, real humor that was even handed bipartisan and hilarious for people of all ages. Yes, it can be done. And it was when men with great senses of humor occupied the White House. I’m talking about presidents John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan. These were media savvy politicians who told funny stories, could ad lib at the drop of a hat and had no problem poking fun at themselves. And Americans love them for it. So did TV comedy writer Earl Dowd watching nearby, he built two of the greatest comedy albums of all time around these men, the first family in 1962. And the first family Rides Again 20 years later. Coming up, we’ll hear comedy cuts from both albums plus stories behind the funny stuff with comedian rich little and producer Earl doubt, get ready for fun. This is part one, our one of our presidential humor special from 1982. The first family Rides Again.
The time was the early 1960s. That’s when this man Earl Dowd produced an album about the President of the United States with a young impressionist named von meter
Earl Dowd 3:01
on a talent scout show, and he did the President of course during the press conference, and then the JFK coloring book had come out around that time as a coloring book with all the family and I thought, Gee, what a great family and it must be a way to do them. And then I thought record, please, that would be really exciting, sir,
Speaker 2 3:22
as head of this average family, what was this new experience undergone by you and the members of your household?
Speaker 1 3:29
Laughter two years, you’re brushing with the Crest toothpaste to our group. Our group had 21% fewer cavities with craft.
Bob Smith 3:41
The album was the first family the fastest selling comedy disc in the history of American records. 20 years later, in 1982, there was another president and Earl Dowd produced another album, the First Family Rides Again with this man, impressionist rich little.
Speaker 3 3:57
Well, that’s true. That’s true. What happened with the Reagan impression was that it was very thin at the beginning. And oral dad kept saying to me, do you do Reagan? And I said, Well, I do. And I’m still working on it. said, well, we should do an album and I said, Well, I’d like to do an outro. Let’s learn a little more about him. And let me work on the impression you know, when a year was up, I was fairly happy the impression neural said he was ready to do the album.
Ronald Reagan voice 4:24
We’ll get by Nancy.
Speaker 4 4:27
Ronnie, wait. Now don’t forget who you are.
Ronald Reagan voice 4:32
Oh, I won’t. That’s why I always carry my American Express card.
Bob Smith 4:39
Coming up, we’ll hear more comedy and we’ll check with Earl doubt and rich little and learn the story behind the making of the First Family Rides Again.
Speaker 5 5:00
I’m guessing filler up please. Just this guy
Speaker 1 5:14
know all 70 of them and the and the motorcycle Yes, sir. By the way, do you give a green stamps?
Unknown Speaker 5:27
No, no, sir Wait,
Unknown Speaker 5:29
don’t forget it.
Bob Smith 5:33
In retrospect 1962 seems like an innocent refreshing time in America. The country had a young president who liked to laugh who even poked fun at himself in public, and the public loved it. Even those who didn’t like John Kennedy admired his style, and they laughed at his jokes. And a young comedy writer named Earl Dowd sends to potential goldmine of humor in that atmosphere. Using the talents of Impressionist Vaughn meter, Earl Dowd created a record album that placed the President of the United States and his family in everyday situations and gave them funny resolutions. The result was the first family actually,
Earl Dowd 6:07
I saw run on a talent scout show. I thought it had been the Godfrey show, but he corrected me a couple of weeks ago, it was another talent show on one of the networks. And he did the President, of course, during the press conference, and then the JFK coloring book had come out around that time. Do you remember that? JFK came?
Bob Smith 6:26
But no, I don’t think so.
Earl Dowd 6:27
I well, it was a coloring book with all the family and I thought, gee, you know, what a great family and how come? There must be a way to do them, you know, and then I thought record out, that would be really exciting. So it was a JFK, Tony Brooks and Vons appearance, and he did a remarkable Kennedy, if you remember. And it was a combination of those two things. It’s really, that
Bob Smith 6:50
was sort of the first time that this type of humor had been used. We’ve always had political jokes and that type of thing. But getting into the President’s personal family and poking fun at certain eccentricities, that was pretty unusual.
Earl Dowd 7:01
No, I never really worried too much about that. I didn’t think about where would we be in trouble. What I did think about while I was doing it was is someone someone else must be doing? Because it’s such an obvious idea to do it. But luckily, no one was not before I did it. After I did it. Everyone was I have heard about Merriman Smith, the AP correspondent who used to say thank you, Mr. President, at the end of the press conferences. He told me that President Kennedy kept the record player in his desk drawer. And he called people into the room and he pull out the desk drawer and he’d say, listen to this, and then he played them. So we know that he liked the album very much the
Bob Smith 7:44
first person, I take it, you never got to talk with him about the album. Now.
Earl Dowd 7:48
I, we were supposed to go to the inaugural and appear there. And one meter, cut some radio spots down there. And saying that I listened to it. And then he gives a call letters. Everybody thought it was Kennedy. Because he didn’t identify himself. We didn’t know he’d done this. And Cassandra got a little miffed about it. We were cancelled out. So I never did get to meet him.
Kennedy voice 8:10
Well, what do you say? dexon? Will you make up your mind? Well, sir,
Speaker 6 8:14
I think that 2 million is much too much. However, I do think that the result you will benefits to be derived from this project would more than compensates or for the original outlay of funds.
Kennedy 1 8:29
I see. Mr. Rajghat. What do you think the
Legislator voice 8:33
residual benefits are beside the point? It’s a dangerous move.
Unknown Speaker 8:36
I’d like to say something in my mind.
Unknown Speaker 8:39
Must you Lyndon?
Speaker 6 8:43
I don’t think that either Mr. Rusk or Mr. Johnson here, have the right sir, to advise in this particular matter. I do believe her that the decision is up to you. And if I may say so. You are holding things up. I think this truly calls for an immediate decision. on your part, sir.
Speaker 1 9:06
Have you drive a hard bargain? But okay, here’s what I’ll do. I’ll show you a Boardwalk and Park Place.
Bob Smith 9:22
As Earl Dowd said he heard that Jack Kennedy liked the album,
Earl Dowd 9:25
right? And we know that Jackie didn’t like it. Was that right? How do you know that I went to the Paris Theater in New York to see divorce Italian style. Three nights before I recorded the first time. And Jackie Kennedy was sitting three rows in front of me surrounded by Secret Service. And she said that she didn’t laugh at all during that picture, which was a pretty funny picture. I thought, Well, I’m not gonna show her this script. Right? Like I wanted to say here, this is all about you, and we’re gonna record it but I want to take that. You know, I was a little rough on her in the White House tour.
Speaker 7 9:57
Now we’re entering The President Grant drying room, which I think you’ll find rather interesting. We decided to leave this room just the way it was when President Grant left office.
Speaker 2 10:12
I do notice a lot of dust on the furniture in here. Yes.
Speaker 7 10:15
And that dust was a gift for Mrs. Of Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania. If you’d care to follow me down this hall to the next room, as we go, I should like to point out the various paintings on the wall.
Speaker 2 10:36
Yes, I wish you would point them out. Well, there’s this
Speaker 7 10:39
one. And this one
Speaker 7 10:49
and that great big one over there. And this little teeny one down here. And finally this one over here,
Unknown Speaker 10:59
thank you for pointing them out. What’s in this room over here? This
Speaker 7 11:04
is the Blue Room. We decided to leave it just the way President blue had it originally. Now we are in the east wing. This is the section we are having completely remodeled. All the rooms have been changed round. Yes. The
Unknown Speaker 11:25
carpenters certainly are busy, aren’t they?
Speaker 7 11:29
And those carpenters were a gift from Mr. And Mrs. B on King of Hayworth New Jersey. I find it quite easy to get lost in this section.
Unknown Speaker 11:43
Yes, I imagine one could get lost in here.
Speaker 1 11:45
Pardon me I seem to have made the wrong turn somewhere. Now I’m trying to find the bedroom I just came out of the John Hancock bathroom where I was taking a shower in the Alexander Hamilton bathtub. And I think
Speaker 7 11:59
I’ve been painted been just working like
Unknown Speaker 12:09
the bedroom the bedroom was were
Unknown Speaker 12:11
actually the original
Unknown Speaker 12:18
but the work has gone
Speaker 1 12:19
I would like to point out that I am I am I am standing here in my shorts are dripping wet. I’ve got an important conference in 15 minutes. So I must be dressed in 10 minutes, which means I shall have to move ahead toward our bedroom with great vigor.
Speaker 7 12:43
US me Charles, go down this how to the Andrew Jackson smoking room and turn right into the president rumpus room, crossover through the Woodrow Wilson ping pong room. Then left it the Dolly Madison pinup President Grant drinking as the Richard Nixon dumbwaiter that’s our room. Let’s
Speaker 1 13:13
see No I go past the Dolly Madison ping pong room across the your recognition that drinking world and then I go left at the end of Jackson.
Speaker 2 13:22
Wasn’t that your husband? Yes, it was is a magnificent looking man.
Speaker 7 13:26
Yes. And we decided to leave him just the way
Earl Dowd 13:34
she and her book Jackie Oh, no. That cut where? Jack Kennedy says good night. Jackie. Good night, Bobby. Good nights. I describe Caroline they’re all in bed there. That was Jack Kennedy favorite. That was her unfavorite and she said that I exploited her children by mentioning them in that on the album. That’s in the book, Jackie Orion. She said that she came after me. But I never heard from her. Maybe
Bob Smith 14:04
some of the humor he had just a little too close to home for Jackie Kennedy. As in this sketch where Earl doubt himself plays Jackie Kennedy’s French dress designer.
Speaker 8 14:13
I worked three months on the creation of this dress I believe a how you say my damn it. Is you a jockey original for you.
Speaker 7 14:24
IBM, I believe you’re right. I like it. It has a very distinctive air about it. And yet it is conservative. I like how you
Speaker 8 14:34
make me so happy. I have thought and thought that I have decided to name this after you the first lady
Speaker 7 14:41
sees like, I don’t like to tell an artist what to do. But I wouldn’t do it. Would you mind? If I made one small change? Could you remove the top button?
Speaker 8 14:52
That’s a wonderful idea of curls. That is the touch you’d need to
Speaker 7 14:57
see. I think we’re tonight to the See
Speaker 8 15:04
me make me so happy Mrs. J. Rip the top button off those 5,001st Ladies and put them on a rack
Bob Smith 15:15
we’ll have more of the story behind the making up the first family albums in just a moment. This is Bob Smith and you’re listening to a 1982 feature I did on presidential humor with comedian rich little and comedy writer Earl doubt. Girl dads first family albums so their success to a number of things. One of them is putting the President and his family into everyday situation situations like you and I get into let’s call it for pizza.
Speaker 1 15:44
I can’t do that. I can’t call up and say this is the President of the United States end up a sausage pizza. Just
Speaker 7 15:51
tell them who you are. Just tell them to send it just 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Unknown Speaker 15:57
I don’t know if I can do that.
Speaker 7 15:58
Well, let’s do something. I don’t want to stay home. I’m sick and tired of staying home and staring at the same 100 walls
Speaker 1 16:12
Hello. Oh, hello Elsa. Salsa Maxwell Jackie. Well, you’re having a party and you wonder if by any remote chance we happen to be free. Free. Jackie and I on a Saturday night with no Elsa sometimes I wonder about you. Were having our own party. Can’t you hear it? Jackie laugh at you that? That ad lie. He’s just such a cutie. He always makes Jackie laugh. Just Just a minute. Yeah, sure. Thank you. I will have some more champagne and Philly Maharaja of Baroda is blind. Don’t forget the MaHA Rini o alto Raya have to hang up other Humphries and Goldwater’s are added again. Goodbye also, and thanks for thinking of us. With his
Bob Smith 17:01
first family record the career of young Vaughn meter then in his 20 skyrocketed. He appeared on Ed Sullivan, the tonight show his record performances and nightclub appearances put him in the center of the entertainment spotlight. At the same time, up north in Canada, another young impressionist was doing political satire on his country’s leaders, his name, rich little, most people associate you with impersonations of showbusiness people. But you were making a name for yourself with the politicians in Canada at the same time, Vaughn meter was doing that with President Kennedy in the early 60s. Yeah, I
Speaker 3 17:32
did all the Canadian politicians in Canada. Before I came to the States, they were great. In many ways, they were better than the ones they had in the States. We had Diefenbaker, Lester Pearson, and Luis Celeron. All these names that probably mean nothing to your listeners, but they were great characters. And I was always sorry, they weren’t known in the States, because there was some of my better ones. And of course, what I did was take all those political ones in Canada, and do an album, counterpart to von meters album called my fellow Canadians with John Diefenbaker. And it became a big seller in Canada. That was
Bob Smith 18:07
one of the biggest or maybe the best selling comedy lp in Canadian history wasn’t.
Speaker 3 18:12
I don’t know whether it still is, but it was at the time. It outsold every other Canadian album, I think it’s so must have some 20,000.
Earl Dowd 18:25
drop in the bucket.
Bob Smith 18:27
Divine meter success in those days influence you to do that type of boat. Yeah.
Speaker 3 18:30
Yeah, it sure did. I was a big fan. He has I’m sorry, I never got a chance to talk to him really much when we when we did the first family rites again, because he opened the door really to political satire in the States. You know, I mean, like having the President President Kennedy, acknowledge the album and say that it was funny, took all the pressure off doing politicians, because before then, people were imitating presidents and so forth. But there was always a hesitation like, maybe this isn’t right, maybe this is sacrilegious. Maybe, you know, maybe we’ll get a reaction from the White House. This is unAmerican. And when he react, President Kennedy reacts, so favorably laughed and mentioned it during a press conference. Then from then on, the door was open. And everybody said, Wow, I guess if you object now, if you’re a president, you gotta have a pretty poor sense of humor. So and I think all the other presidents that came along remembered that too. So now they’re kind of quite aware that you know, you better you better, say something more, or, hopefully favorably, otherwise, you’re going to be kind of a stuffed shirt, but you can’t laugh at
Bob Smith 19:44
yourself. Americans laughed and laughed and laughed at the First Family Album. So much. So it became one of the biggest selling albums in history. But how many copies were sold? Earl Dowd says he really doesn’t know. We
Earl Dowd 19:56
know that. It’s so 5,000,004 and a half million to 5 million legitimately and see one of the problems we ran into with that album, we pressed only 40,000 originally and sold that the first day in New York. Now, we had to put albums out fast. People were going crazy. They wanted this album so they released albums without covers, which allows the pirate tears to have a field day. So when we put albums out without any covers on them, so does everybody else. So it’s quite possible as another 5 million that was sold there that we have no counting. We get paid for that you
Bob Smith 20:37
would Yes, exactly. I
Earl Dowd 20:38
would guess. Let’s say it’s so 9 million records. It was ours. Everything that we Preston was ship was solid. He can’t find a copy today. It’s hard to
Bob Smith 20:47
you 1963 are all down produced a second first family album, but the laughing stopped on November 22. When John Kennedy was shot in Dallas, President Kennedy died, and so did von meters comedy career, and the first family albums were pulled from the record racks. The timing of the recent release of the second Vaughn meter album was kind of was disastrous. In a way it wasn’t it wasn’t really feel that it
Earl Dowd 21:10
ran its course. It was out for quite a few months before he was assassinated. We took it off the market after the assassination in respect to President Kennedy. But it sold about 350,000 albums. And I really feel that’s what it was going to do. Having it out there any longer I probably would not have made any difference. Meanwhile,
Bob Smith 21:32
in Canada, impressionists, rich Little’s career was also disrupted by the Kennedy killing with just like one meters a second first family album your second big album was that Scrooge in the stars. I believe that had to be pulled from the rocks after Kennedy’s assassination, too, because you did a JFK impersonation. Yeah, well, that
Speaker 3 21:49
was the first time I ever did the Christmas carol story as as a record with Jack Benny, a scrooge. I had a line in there. As John F. Kennedy. He played the spirit of Christmas Yet To Come. And he actually had a line in there that said that my my life upon the globe is very short. As a matter of fact, it ends tonight. It ends as quickly as you can say, and I forget the word. But you know, that was really spooky because right after that he was assassinated and to hear him on a record, say my my life is short. Well, the record company said, We better go back in and replace them, you know, because that really jars you. And I went back in and put Lloyd Bridges of all people back in place of John F. Kennedy. But then the interesting thing happened was all the people wanted the original copy because it was kind of like a collector’s item. There are a few of those original copies with Kennedy still floating around. Now,
Bob Smith 22:49
after the Kennedy assassination, Earl Dowd went on to do other comedy recordings. But until the first family Rides Again, none was anywhere near as successful as the First Family recordings. Vaughn meter did star in another URL doubt production,
Earl Dowd 23:03
I did the second coming, which was about Christ, and Vaughn meter with price. And it’s a very warm, marvelous album, but we didn’t get any airplay. You think it was because of the content? Just the fact that it was religious in nature, and you have to be very careful.
Bob Smith 23:19
And notice he has a part in this album, not alleged one but a part. I brought Vaughn
Earl Dowd 23:23
meter all the way from Maine. Because number one, I certainly thought he should be a part of this. But my original intent was to use him more. We had an idea to do the family feud with the Democrats against the Republicans, he would have played Teddy Kennedy, but wouldn’t get Richard Dawson. And I just felt I didn’t want to do the Family Feud without Richard because it’s his show. And we really needed him. So I didn’t do it. And Vaughn was here. So we used him on that one time was foggy integration is the second voice on that’s
Unknown Speaker 23:58
no answer. We’ve
Speaker 9 24:00
tried all these things. Forget it. Forget missing all the important points. Oh, yeah.
Ronald Reagan voice 24:04
Gentlemen, gentlemen, please. All right. Now this emergency session has been going on for almost an hour. As President, I’m going to have to make a decision here. So I want the bottom line, each of your final recommendations. Now let’s start with the Secretary of State. Mr. President, I
Speaker 10 24:22
repeat, this isn’t simply a question of not enough blacks, nor is it to too many whites. It’s a question of distribution. Well,
Ronald Reagan voice 24:31
all right. Bill as attorney general, how do you see it?
Speaker 11 24:35
Well, I’ll go along with Jim regardless of the numbers, let’s face it, blacks have always wound up at the bottom, and whites at the top. Now,
Speaker 12 24:43
you’re putting the Secretary of State on the spot. In my opinion, this problem is not just blacks and whites are for that matter, yellow or red. It’s all the way across the board. Well,
Ronald Reagan voice 24:53
I guess the whole thing comes back to the question of money. Now, Bob, your Secretary of the Treasury So what’s this kind of redistribution gonna cost us?
Unknown Speaker 25:03
Okay, in terms of current dollars. Let’s
Speaker 9 25:05
face it, black jelly beans are 79 cents a pound.
Speaker 13 25:11
The white and the reds are 69 cents the browns and yellows and blues not to mention the Maroons.
Bob Smith 25:17
Next we’ll have more comedy and Earl Dowd and rich little talking about the making of the First Family Rides Again.
Ronald Reagan voice 25:28
Yes, down in front of the
Earl Dowd 25:30
president. May I ask a question concerning Cuba. anytime in the future? Is there any chance that you might recognize Fidel Castro? We’ll
Ronald Reagan voice 25:39
certainly I’d recognize him anytime. He’s got a big beard smokes a cigar and was one of those sissy caps. comedy
Bob Smith 25:47
writer Earl doubt,
Earl Dowd 25:49
I felt that Reagan had the same charisma almost as the candidate. That’s magic aura about what makes
Bob Smith 25:55
Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan?
Speaker 3 25:58
Well, it’s a combination of things. Rich little. It’s that hesitation and the humming and hawing that he does in a moment.
Bob Smith 26:11
Earl Dowd and rich little will tell us more about the making of the hit comedy album The first family Rides Again
we hope you’re enjoying part one of the first family Rides Again presidential humor with comedian rich little and comedy writer Earl Dowd. Here on the off ramp.
Ronald Reagan voice 26:37
I set the alarm Nancy. Good night.
Unknown Speaker 26:42
I’m terribly tired. Ronnie. I hope we can get a good night’s sleep.
Ronald Reagan voice 26:46
Oh, I forgot. There has been a lot of confusion as to when they’re supposed to wake me up and when they are not. So I told them for a while if they were in doubt, they should call me anyway. And I’d let them know if they did right or wrong.
Unknown Speaker 27:05
MDS sounds like it’s going to be quite a night.
Ronald Reagan voice 27:08
Well, don’t worry, dear. Good night.
Unknown Speaker 27:12
Good night running
Ronald Reagan voice 27:23
Hello,
Speaker 14 27:23
I didn’t know whether to call you or not sir but Florida’s totally flooded and under 10 feet of water
Ronald Reagan voice 27:30
well take pictures in the morning
Speaker 9 27:43
Yeah, yes. Excuse me, Mr. President, but Spain has just attacked France and fighting us broken out all over Europe. Called Dan Rather
Unknown Speaker 27:59
red,
Ronald Reagan voice 28:01
yellow. Hello, Mr. President,
Unknown Speaker 28:02
the Navy is missing.
Ronald Reagan voice 28:06
Well, don’t call me send the army out to look for it.
Speaker 15 28:17
Yes, sorry to bother you, Mr. President. But one of your old movies is on the Late Show everybody out.
Bob Smith 28:28
Albums come and albums go and comedy albums die very quiet death on the record ranks every day, particularly albums that satirize contemporary politics or contemporary issues. So what is successful? We ask Earl down.
Earl Dowd 28:43
I think first of all that people buy record albums about politicians who they like, it’s very difficult to sell an album about an unpopular politician, or one who’s just sort of middle of the road in popularity. I felt that Reagan had the same charisma almost as the Kennedy that magic aura about him and a lot of people like him and he looks great. He’s a former movie star. There’s a lot of glamour there. And that’s why I felt it’s right to do this. And, and also, there hasn’t been anything in two or three years like it. So it seemed like good timing to me. But also I do know you can’t fool the public. You’ve got to give them funny material. If the album was not funny, it wouldn’t sell I don’t care who was about and welcome to the LBJ ranch. We took the actual voices of politicians and put new questions to their old answers. Sneaky premise, but it worked well. I did do other albums that were I had the families of the Presidents more or less the honest to God we really mean it very last mix of albums. which I did on Brunswick had the Nixon some of his family. Henry the first was about Kissinger. Okay. Right his family, a Spiro T Agnew is a riot was Danny Meyer and handling that, of course was about Spiro T. Agnew, if you will, I’ve done in about 12 hours. All told, not all of them. Well, practically all of them are of a political nature, I think you have to be funny. I think you have to be timely, I think you have to be tasteful. And you have to be about somebody that they care about. Nobody’s going to spend eight or nine bucks to buy an album about somebody who they don’t like. You would think maybe because you’re mean to them, or nasty to them, and they’re unpopular that everybody would buy it. But I didn’t find that to be the case. With the Nixon album, for instance, the Nixon album didn’t do well in
Bob Smith 30:54
writing material for a satirical album is one thing, but finding someone who could do a credible imitation of a public figure is something else again, sometimes people just can’t focus in on anything they can work with and imitating someone. Very few people imitated Jimmy Carter viewer still did Gerald Ford, or Dwight Eisenhower. And some people thought that rich little would have the same problem with Ronald Reagan, I understand a lot of your close friends didn’t even think anyone could do a good impersonation of him because they thought there wasn’t enough material. Well,
Speaker 3 31:26
that’s true. That’s true. What happened with the Reagan impression was that it was very thin at the beginning. And neural Dowd kept saying to me, do you do Reagan? And I said, Well, I do. And I’m still working on it. said, well, we should do an album. And I said, Well, I’d like to do an album, let’s learn a little more about him. Let me work on the impression, you know, because I think you need to let a little time go by when you first get an office so that we know about the person you know, we we see the problems are getting into we see how they move and the little expressions and stuff. And then you have things to do satire on. So when a year was up, I was fairly happy the impression and neural said he was ready to do the album. And he’d hired like 15 writers, which I never understood why but and then this cast another thing he did was he hired a huge cast. And I said to him, Well, Earl, I don’t know whether we need a big cast, you know? He said, Well, I want to have a lot of stars in the film. I said, Fine, but what are they gonna do? You know? And that was a little bit embarrassing, because we didn’t need as many impersonators to do the album, because there were a lot of things that we didn’t need them for. And became a little embarrassing, and we had some well known people who are just sort of standing waiting to do a line like Vaughn meter, you know, and Roger and Roger who are excellent at what they do. I felt sort of bad for them and said to them, Hey, listen, you guys do Nixon do Jimmy Carter and they used to say, but those are yours and I said, hey, they don’t belong to me, you know? So it’s almost like we got to we got to give some of these people something to do so. I mean, I ended up certainly doing an awful lot on the album but you know what people have asked me why I didn’t do Nixon on the album that that is primarily the reason is that Roger roger to them fairly well and give them a chance to step up I don’t know Nixon anyway. worked out very well because you know, they they do kind of a caricature of Nixon and Jimmy Carter and it was quite funny. It isn’t the way I would have done it but you know, this little phrase I fold is kind of kind of cute and the kind of caught on and if you remember the album in the in the poker game when he says Jimmy Rob Charlton Heston came up to me at the AFI salute to Frank Capra and said, I love your album. I mean, I play it all the time. Really? It Oh, it’s funny, and then turn hasn’t said I fold. And I I nearly folded when that’s funny to hear Charlton Heston do Jimmy Carter in our shows, the impact of that album has a lot of people that you wouldn’t think that would be into a comedy album of that kind, we’re buying it and playing it and playing it for their friends and, and the exciting thing was to go around the country and go on the record stores and see people buying five and 10 copies a piece, you know, boy, that was great. They buy you know, right down to Uncle Charlie 20 Mini and found out that they were buying them for friends, you know, or for birthdays or whatever. And that was great. And that’s that’s really probably why the record took off. I think the record took off for two reasons that it first of all, it wasn’t a blue album and one It wasn’t an offensive album. And the second and the second reason which probably ties in for the first is that because it wasn’t a blue album. I used to play it on the air. And the DJs just took it and played the heck out of it because they they knew there wasn’t anything on it there was blue or offensive and I had more disc jockey saying to me Gee, I’m glad you did an album like this you know, because so many albums we get at the station there Mark do not play in common play, but don’t play on the air. Right? And you know, being in radio that if you have an algorithm that says, play the first cut one half of the second don’t play the third and fourth. You will eventually just say I can’t be bothered
Ronald Reagan voice 35:38
Well, it’s good old Jerry Ford. Come on in Jerry. We’ve been waiting for you. A dick and Jimmy are already here. Sorry. I’m
Unknown Speaker 35:47
late Ronnie. I I couldn’t find the house
Ronald Reagan voice 35:58
well, this is the White House. 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. I want to 1500 Well, that’s all right. Oh, listen, watch out for the
China
Unknown Speaker 36:27
Oh, hi deck. Hi, Jimmy. Gera. How are y’all? Y’all? dingbat?
Speaker 16 36:33
Shut down, Jerry. Let’s get this show on the road.
Ronald Reagan voice 36:38
Well, all right. Now the name of the game is draw poker. I fold I didn’t do all the cards yet. Jimmy. I fold anyway. Nothing ever goes right for me. After
Speaker 16 36:54
there’s one thing I can’t stand to to cry baby.
Ronald Reagan voice 36:58
Oh, all right. I’ll take a chance. Now let’s and here we go. Oh, wait a minute. The parts of nickel Shawn. Wow,
Unknown Speaker 37:12
what’s everyone looking at me?
Speaker 16 37:20
Oh, for goodness sakes, and must have got stuck in my coin changer. Lm out. I feel really lucky.
Ronald Reagan voice 37:32
All right. Who wants to start it off? I know I’m gonna lose.
Unknown Speaker 37:39
Alright, man.
Ronald Reagan voice 37:41
Well, it’s up to you, Jerry.
Unknown Speaker 37:43
Give me all your eights
Ronald Reagan voice 37:52
No, Jerry. We’re not playing fish.
Speaker 16 37:58
Don’t explain anything to him on your dime Jerry.
Ronald Reagan voice 38:05
All right, boys. How see that diamond raise you a quarter just to keep you honest. It’s too late for Dick. Fellas, please. We’re here to play cards. I just raised you a quarter. Okay,
Unknown Speaker 38:19
I’ll see you. All right, man. Who?
Ronald Reagan voice 38:24
What do you say Jerry?
Unknown Speaker 38:25
I knock with five.
Speaker 16 38:31
Jerry, we’re not playing Jen. We’re playing poker you LM bustle.
Ronald Reagan voice 38:38
Dick, please. You’re speaking to a former president of the United States. You’re
Unknown Speaker 38:43
right. Pardon me, Jerry.
Unknown Speaker 38:45
I already did.
Ronald Reagan voice 38:56
Listen, are you guys gonna play cards or not?
Speaker 5 39:00
Well, that’s not fair. Oh, why do I only have five cards when Dick has? 1010?
Speaker 16 39:06
What are you talking about?
Speaker 5 39:10
Five in your hand and five up your sleeve?
Unknown Speaker 39:14
I see him. I see him.
Speaker 16 39:17
Oh, just a minute. I want to make one thing perfectly clear. I am not a crook. Ronnie, Jerry. Jimmy. Jerry. Fellas, back. Come back. I want to play. I’ve got five aces. Won’t anybody play with me? Pardon me, lady. Little boy. Baby. Are you looking terrifying? Oh, come here, boy. Come on.
Bob Smith 39:50
Earl Dowd wrote and produced the album The first family Rides Again. That means he not only wrote most of the material, but he also directed it and he chose talent I
Earl Dowd 40:00
chose rich little because in my in my opinion he is the most brilliant impressionist on the scene today and perhaps of all time when you hear him do George Burns and Johnny Carson on the album it’s phenomenal and I think he’s Reagan is excellent. And I didn’t put rich I didn’t take risks because I thought we sell a lot more albums with a known person. Vaughn meter certainly was an unknown I picked rich because I felt he was the best Reagan voice around and could do the job better than anyone else.
Ronald Reagan voice 40:36
Now I lay me down to sleep I pray the Lord my soul to keep If I should die before I Regan who’s that oh well you’re just talking to God Wow, that’s who I am. Oh, God. Now it’s been done already big hit. What do you want God? I just wanted to let you know that I intend to see to it the direct amount my plans blow up in your face, that you won’t be reelected and your daughter marine won’t make it to the Senate. But But why God? Nobody cuts off my Social Security.
Bob Smith 41:28
Coming up next rich little explains what makes Ronald Reagan sound like Ronald Reagan. Presidential humor is our topic today on the off ramp. This is Bob Smith. And for this episode, we’ve gone back to my vaults for a 1982 interview I did with comedian rich little and comedy writer Earl Dowd.
Speaker 17 41:48
Harry Hogan along Long Island Sound. Resident we’ve noticed you always look down at your feet when you speak. Why
Ronald Reagan voice 41:58
is that? Will you look down to if you owned a horse ranch.
Bob Smith 42:05
Not only was the humor spontaneous for the studio audience at the recording session for the First Family Rides Again, it was spontaneous for the performers to even for rich little now you did that before a live audience and I read one place where you didn’t get your script until an hour before the
Speaker 3 42:21
show. Well, not an hour. Every time I talk to somebody, it becomes less but wasn’t an hour. But it was like to be realistic, it was probably I say six hours before. It was enough time to actually go through everything and make changes and take out putting new stuff and make it in time for the taping. But there were moments even during the taping of the album front of a live audience where I was still leaping ahead and changing things. And it’s not the best way to do a record because you should have the material a couple of weeks ahead or a month ahead so that you can discuss it, change things and feel comfortable. But Earl is not the greatest organizer in the world. He’s a wonderful man. And he CC’s great at putting out albums. And he’s a good writer. But unfortunately, you know, just didn’t get organized. And here we were the the the audience arriving in a few hours. We didn’t even have scripts because they weren’t even printed yet. Lord.
Bob Smith 43:27
The Reagan impersonation what makes Regan Regan as far as the voice is concerned, I’ve read where you have to get the mannerisms down to really feel that you do a person but on the record, of course all it is the voice. Is it the breathy quality primarily.
Speaker 3 43:39
Well, it’s a combination of things. It’s that hesitation and the humming and hawing that he does it what does he call it? He calls it flip flopping or waffling. No, no, I don’t waffle. I pancake more than waffle. And the little things of course, at the beginning help like while the word whale. And there he goes again. And it’s kind of a soft, breathy kind of a voice. It’s becoming better really all the time as they say because When pressures come along, and you have to speak so much and you’re under so much fire you. You’re you exaggerate and your real mannerisms and idiosyncrasies come through more, you know, so I think he’s, he’s getting to be a better subject because every day goes by. Alright, why don’t you ask Ronald Reagan a trivia question.
Bob Smith 44:38
Okay. Mr. President, could you tell me what was the movie you made with Barbara Stanwyck?
Speaker 3 44:46
Well, that’s a tough question. Other than Bonzo? I don’t remember any picture. Wait a minute. Barbara Stanwyck, right? I do remember it was a Western. And one of my best it was called cattle queen of Montana, where I play both parts. Of course, the part I’m playing right now is President of the United States is my most difficult rule. And
Ronald Reagan voice 45:20
it’s a good script, but I don’t think it’s going to have a good ending. All right, please have a seat. Now, I’ve called you to Washington because I personally believe you can solve the Mediterranean fruit fly problem. Jerry Brown did not have the success with it that he had hoped in California. And now those mid flies are spreading to other states. Now this is serious in top secret. Do you think you can rid us of these pesty fruit flies? Kermit?
Unknown Speaker 45:53
Oh, yes, Mr. President. It’ll take a while. Oh, there’s just so many of those little buggers like
Bob Smith 46:04
next, what’s it like behind the scenes to be in the audience in one of those first family recording sessions we’ll hear from Earl Dowd enrich little.
Ronald Reagan voice 46:21
Well, it’s another day. Another day, Nancy. It’s a wonderful day. And then the birth.
Bob Smith 46:28
The first family Rides Again with rich little producer Earl dad recorded it’d be for a live audience when you do an album like that. Is it sort of like the old days of radio with the performer stand up with script in hand and the audience there has to use their imagination.
Earl Dowd 46:42
And we stand right at the mic. It’s like a radio and read one piece at a time and then pause for like a minute. Coming
Bob Smith 46:51
up. We’ll talk with Earl doubt about the making of the album. And we’ll also learn how rich little began his career imitating his school teachers. Yeah, well,
Speaker 3 46:59
before the teacher arrived in the morning for classes he I’d get up and do what they were going to do when they got there. And of course, the kids would fall about, you know, and then of course, we’d have a look at it the door and a real teacher would come along and he would do exactly what I just did a few minutes ago and kids last summer and four teachers could never figure out why walking in the door and talking and saying good morning. Got such laughs
Bob Smith 47:22
It’s all coming up.
Speaker 14 47:32
Excuse me, Mr. President. There’s a doctor Bly stuff outside and he has an appointment
Ronald Reagan voice 47:42
please sit down, doctor.
Speaker 18 47:43
Thank you. As you know, the CIA does require a psychiatric profile and all government employees.
Ronald Reagan voice 47:52
Well, I’ve never seen a psychiatrist before. Do I have to get undressed?
Speaker 18 47:57
No, no, that is not necessary, Mr. President. Now first, I I’d like you to try and recall any terribly traumatic incidents in your childhood which have hideously scarred your life. Well,
Ronald Reagan voice 48:10
I remember one day when I was 10 years old. I was walking down Main Street with my dog spot. And on the way I waved to Tony the barber. And I said hello to Sam the tailor and Schultz The butcher. What a great guy Schultz worse. I mean, I like Sam and Tony too, but I think I like Schultz better. You know, spotlight Schultz, too. It’s possible that spotlight Tony better than Schultz. Because Tony was always telling Schultz to give meat to spa
Speaker 18 48:45
excuse me they that’s not exactly what I want. That now Mr. President, do you have recurring dreams which upset you?
Ronald Reagan voice 48:53
recurring dream? Yes. You mean like I’m walking down a busy street without any clothes on? A gigantic naked woman with long red matted hair comes crawling out of a dusty spider’s web carrying long kosher Salamis. Is that what you mean doctor is
Speaker 18 49:12
is now what about those dreams?
Ronald Reagan voice 49:16
I never have them.
Speaker 18 49:22
Mr. President, you must be hiding something deep within your subconscious now. Let’s try and get at it by means of word association shall wait. I will say a word and you will say whatever comes to mind. All right, fine. This won’t take long now then. Is Summer.
Ronald Reagan voice 49:40
Summer, these are tough. I’m thinking.
Speaker 4 49:43
winter day. Night black
Ronald Reagan voice 49:47
welfare.
Down cold day bedtime for Bonzo Well, when I made that picture, it killed my career. Well, that’s about all the time we have right now. And I want to thank you know,
Speaker 18 50:11
Mr. President, please just 10 more minutes. I need 10 more minutes to probe the inner workings of your mind,
Ronald Reagan voice 50:18
please. Well, I’m sorry, but I simply can’t afford the time. No,
Speaker 18 50:21
no, no, you don’t know what this means to me. Mr. President, I must have just 10 more minutes of your time. I must. I must.
Ronald Reagan voice 50:27
Well, alright, one more word association game. Good. Yes. Thank you, Mr. President. But listen, for variation. Let me start this time. Yeah, it’s good. Table. It’s very good. Sit, stand. hello,
Unknown Speaker 50:47
goodbye. Goodbye.
Bob Smith 50:54
What’s it like behind the scenes that recording session for something like the First Family rides? Again, we ask producer Earl down that question, when you do an album like that? Is it sort of like the old days of radio with the performer stand up with script in hand and the audience and the audience there has to use their imagination back.
Earl Dowd 51:13
And we stand right at the mic. It’s like a radio show and read resistance. We do one piece at a time and then pause for like a minute between. And nobody in the middle of nobody’s script fell out. I remember going to a United States Steel hour radio show and an actor was up there. And he pulled the staples out of His Spirit. And the middle of it fell out and went on the floor. All over the place, right? During the broadcast, Nightmare,
Bob Smith 51:42
how many nights or how many sessions did it take to do this one was
Earl Dowd 51:46
300 people in our audience. And there are no change laughs But you hear on that record? There’s no canned laughter That’s exactly the way it was. And I brought 50 kids from palace 30 properties into Asha. And they’re on the back of the cover, as you can see, the different stars. I’m trying to make them all famous. And we had a buffet dinner afterwards. Not cold cuts, Bob, we had salmon. Good thing. And we ran that right through from top to bottom. And we made maybe two little changes. We had some people who were supposed to be on the album who didn’t get on and who were they? John Ritter was sent by ABC to Canada at the last minute to do a promotion. He was supposed to be with us. And Jamie Lee Curtis. But we had nothing for her to do.
Bob Smith 52:41
That’s a Tony Curtis his daughter, isn’t it? Yes, it
Earl Dowd 52:43
is Johnny Carson. And Brookfield,
Bob Smith 52:47
Brooke Shields, what was Brooke Shields going to do?
Earl Dowd 52:50
look great.
Bob Smith 52:51
But that doesn’t show on the album. Oh,
Earl Dowd 52:53
I don’t care.
Bob Smith 52:56
Who are the people you invite to a recording session like this or you
Earl Dowd 53:00
invite your friends and people in the business and some lawyers and a nice cross section of people and maybe a few stars? If you know any just sit in the audience.
Bob Smith 53:11
Some lawyers you say some lawyers? Not
Earl Dowd 53:14
sure you have to have lawyers to make a record.
Bob Smith 53:18
So you invite them to come along? Let them know what they’re getting. Is there a lot of material that’s performed before that live audience that just doesn’t work that might get thrown out?
Earl Dowd 53:27
Well, not a lot. Sometimes. We did one piece that didn’t make the record album. I would like to hear. Okay, it’s a hairdresser to hairdressers in Beverly Hills. And one of the things he’s very nervous that he’s never done that President Reagan said before, what does he do? And the other one says, Well, you Marcel is a little bit and you come with an absolute pompadour here and they do this and that. And he says, Oh, my gosh, and then what am I doing? Because then you put it in the box and ship it back. We thought that’s a little cruel. Not true. So we didn’t do it. And we had another piece where they were. Nancy was preparing the president to go out. And they put in his heart and his shoulders and rebuilt him every day. And we thought we didn’t like that. But the beginning of that. He’s saying that Mr. Rogers. It’s a lovely day. And at the end of that, she said, I don’t forget who you are. And he said, No, I wrote that’s why I always carry my American Express, express. And so we took the beginning and the end and put them together and through all the middle.
Bob Smith 54:38
Unlike the vine meter albums, the First Family Rides Again album does not include any sketches concerning Ronald Reagan’s children,
Earl Dowd 54:46
because we just didn’t think of anything with the kids that we could use. There’s one exception to that. We had a little sketch that we wanted to do and Rich and I talked about just before we recorded and we It’s not maybe it’s not funny. But every time I tell it to somebody, they laugh, so I’m going to take a chance with you. Now, it’s President Reagan talking to his son, Ron, who Michael Richards on the cover is run in the ballet suit with a tutu. Right. And you know, Ron is a practicing ballet. Okay, so the President’s talking to his son about how great it is for father and son to do things together, which it is, and we get the feeling they’re gonna go to a baseball game, or they’re gonna go fishing, but they’re actually practicing ballet. And at the end, when the President says turns to his son and says, next time, you’ll be the hunter, I’ll be the swan. And everyone likes that, because why didn’t you record it? And there it goes. I one shot at the kids.
Bob Smith 55:51
But you did put them on the cover because of the physical association with a ballet dancer.
Earl Dowd 55:55
We shot the cover of course before we recorded the album, the cover takes more time than the pressing of a record. Is that right? takes about three to four weeks to get the color and the cover down and records they can press overnight on
Bob Smith 56:10
now, Earl, you’re the only person who was on the cover of the original album. And that’s the one with one meter and the cover of this one and you got holding skis over in the left hand corner bearded as you were 20 odd years ago.
Earl Dowd 56:23
Well, you see that started with Jackie Kennedy liking the water ski. Everybody said why are you wearing? Why are you holding a ski jacket? Kelly likes to water ski and they often well, we didn’t know that.
Bob Smith 56:34
When we asked it all down to name one of his favorite routines from the First Family Rides Again album with rich little he cited the one where the President meets Mr. Bill, the character from Saturday Night Live television.
Earl Dowd 56:47
I liked that, Mr. Bill, because I think the kids are really big on that. And I’m a fan of Mr. Bills anyway. And I just we went up to arrowhead this year. I took 10 kids up there, some of whom are on that back of the album cover like David Powell. They had this cassette player and we kept looking at this movie of Mr. Bill. It’s a president met Mr. Bill, wouldn’t that be rejected? And that’s what’s so great about this because you can take the president the United States and put him in situations that wouldn’t be funny if you and I were doing. He eats, he goes to bed. He does think we do but suddenly what’s the President doing this? That’s why it’s kind of easy sometimes to write these things.
Unknown Speaker 57:32
Excuse me, Mr. President. There’s someone very important here to see you
Ronald Reagan voice 57:36
at Brezhnev. Bacon at Prince Charles.
Unknown Speaker 57:40
No, sir. It’s Mr. Bill.
Ronald Reagan voice 57:41
Mr. Who?
Speaker 14 57:46
Mr. Bill, sir, you know, the little man who always gets stepped on and smashed on Saturday Night Live. Shame the man.
Unknown Speaker 57:55
Just wanted to tell you that I think you’re doing a great job.
Ronald Reagan voice 58:02
Which movies do you like the best?
Unknown Speaker 58:05
Those Westerns where you do all those dangerous stunts?
Ronald Reagan voice 58:09
We’ll Mr. Bill I had highly trained stunt men to do those. But tell me I mean, who does your stunts
Unknown Speaker 58:21
I wanted to get into something a little safer. Could you give me some pointers about how you
Ronald Reagan voice 58:29
will add be glad to Mr. Bill? Listen, why don’t we discuss this out in the Rose Garden? Hop up here on the windowsill and I’ll show it to you could you get me sure Mr. Bill Well, there’s the Rose Garden down there and
owe that Secretary of State Sluggo and his new b1 Bomber
the poor little fella should have stuck to show business.
Bob Smith 59:15
Coming up next rich little tells us how you can spot a future impressionist on your local school grounds. And you’ll hear that in part two of the First Family Rides Again precedential humor next time on the off ramp. This is Bob Smith. Thanks for listening.
The off ramp with Bob Smith is produced in association with CPL radio and the Cedarbrook Public Library Cedarburg, Wisconsin.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
