This is a short pilot of uncle andys funhouse that i made for abc in 1980 with me and knuckles and tony clifton and my grandma lillie and. Bob zmuda born december 12, 1949 is an american writer, comedian, producer, and director best known for his friendship with cult personality andy kaufman. Jim carrey explains how he pranked hugh hefner at the. I loved andy kaufman, i hated tony clifton but got the joke, i think, most of the time. In 1984, some say he died while others believe he performed the ultimate vanishing act. Thank the entertainment gods that someone as erudite and articulate as bob zmuda crossed andy kaufmans path so that he could document the course of the kaufman tornado and all of the carnage left in its wake. Andy kaufmans posthumous reputation has grown in tandem with the rise of a cult that venerates him as a comedic god, and believes he is still alive.
Cocredited as the authors of this book are zmuda kaufmans former writing partner and margulies kaufmans old girlfriend. Team zmuda lifetime member family surname long sleeve hooded tshirt for families with the zmuda last name. Also, if you want the whole andy kaufman story, as told by bob. Read andy kaufman the truth, finally by bob zmuda available from rakuten kobo. In 1980, legendary comedian andy kaufman and his writing partner, bob zmuda, wrote a script for a film called the tony clifton story, based on a character of kaufman s. Tony clifton interview, bob zmuda, comic relief, katrina kiss my ass orchestra, andy kaufmann. The truth, finally by bob zmuda and lynne margulies is a sometimes silly look at the comedian who, according to zmuda and others, faked his death in 1984. An emmy and ace award recipient for producing and writing, bob is also a bestselling author. Many, many years ago, i was doing a poorly rated, extremely disreputable basic cable television nostalgia tv show with jimmie j.
A grammy nominee and emmy award winner, bob is also a bestselling author. American comedian andy kaufman 19491984 was a performer like no othera rulebreaking iconoclast who blurred the line between performance art and comedy, at. In 2014, i spent a very fun weekend in new orleans with tony clifton. However, the plan was sidelined after the box office failure of kaufmans first major motion picture heartbeeps, in which he costarred with bernadette peters as a robot who falls in love. Tony clifton shouts nigger whenever, and spends half of every year as a sex tourist in thailand when hes not at home in nevada in a house conveniently located near the famed bunny ranch. The truth, finally book online at best prices in india on. Bob also wrote briefly for rodney dangerfield and was the late great sam kinisons producer, another gifted provocateur, said zmuda. A screenplay by andy kaufman and bob zmuda, about the venemous conflict between andy and his brash alter ego, the uncouth tony clifton. If clifton was the shy and selfconsciousness kaufmans id and alterego, on some level zmuda clearly is tony clifton. His alterego tony clifton, the sleazy vegas lounge singer, sometimes performed by zmuda or andys brother michael was escorted out of taxi rehearsal by studio security. When carrey nixes a tony cliftoncentric publicity campaign.
Comedian and taxi star andy kaufman, known for his crazy antics on screen and off, was the ultimate prankster, delighting audiences with his elvis and mighty mouse impressions while also antagonizing them with his wrestling and loungelizard alter ego, tony. For nearly 30 years, bob zmuda has been the driving force behind one of americas most beloved charities, comic relief, probably best recognized for their telethons on hbo hosted by robin williams. Comic relief founder bob zmuda, regularly traded duties portraying the leisuresuited clifton, baffling talk. Bob zmuda bio net worth, book, wiki, partner, family. I secretly hope that andy and bob cooked this all up before he died. Twotime academy award winning director milos forman said, i was so fascinated by the melding of zmuda and kaufmans minds that i spent two years of my life making a movie about them.
As kaufmans writer and fellow provocateur, zmuda was involved in all of his best known outrages. Kaufman and zmuda wrote a screenplay for a tony clifton biography. Check the comedy stores website for tony clifton revue show times and tickets. For nearly 30 years, bob has been the president and founder of the charity, comic relief. Hilarious and poignant, this book separates fact from fiction, and includes a candid inside look at the milos forman film man on the moon, which zmuda coexecutive produced and featured jim carrey as andy, paul giamatti as zmuda, courtney love as margulies, and danny devito as andys manager, george shapiro. Comedian and taxi star andy kaufman, known for his crazy antics on screen and off, was the ultimate prankster, delighting audiences with his elvis and mighty mouse impressions while also antagonizing them with his wrestling and loungelizard alter ego. The truth, finally, bob zmuda, andys writer and best friend, and lynn margulies, the love of andys life, reveal all including surprising secrets that andy made lynne and bob promise never to tell until both of his parents had died.
Twotime academy award winning director milos forman said, i was so fascinated by the melding of zmuda and kaufmans minds that i spent two years. Andy kaufman and his writing partner, bob zmuda, changed the worlds of comedy and performance in the 1970s, showing fans and friends alike a determination to follow putons into territory no one had ever even considered comic before. Their fervor was so intense that when kaufman passed away suddenly in 1984, it seemed as if his death had been staged, with the reveal soon to come. Hed be leading clifton around proudly, feeling like he was getting away with an outrageous prank when he was actually its. Bob zmudas other book, real andy kaufman revealed, is the best book. Bob zmuda as tony clifton on letterman, february 18, 1982. Zmuda and kaufmans longtime girlfriend, lynne margulies, have written andy kaufman.
The truth, finally, bob zmuda, andys writer and best friend, and lynn margulies, the love of andys life, reveal allincluding surprising secrets that andy made lynne and bob promise never to tell until both of his parents had died. Andy kaufman ebook by bob zmuda 9781940363066 rakuten. For the first time ever, the two people who knew andy kaufman best open up about the most enigmatic artist of. Silly little showbiz book club is nathan rabins ongoing. There seems to be far more tony clifton in bob zmuda. Andy kaufman for the first time ever, the two people who knew andy kaufman best open up about the most enigmatic artist of our generation.
Zmuda helped kaufman develop the controversial character of tony clifton, an offensive lounge singer, and even played clifton in an elaborate hoax that kaufman hoped to pull on the media. For the first time ever, the two people who knew andy kaufman best open up about the most enigmatic artist of our generation. Tony clifton interview, bob zmuda, comic relief, katrina. Andy kaufman is dead, but tony clifton still wants your. His book andy kaufman revealed made top 10 lists nationwide. The truth, finally by bob zmuda and lynne margulies benbella books 2014 biography. Andy kaufman was the funniest standup performance artist who ever lived. Books jim carrey andy kaufman bob zmuda silly little show. Andy kaufman uncle andys funhouse pilot episode youtube. Privy to many of kaufmans most notorious pranks, zmuda was considered well qualified to pen his friends biography, andy kaufman revealed. Instead of being a hedonistic, tony cliftonlike mr. Prediction, zmuda has someone perform as tony clifton, people assume it is zmuda in the makeup, but zmuda himself then comes onstage. The current incarnation of tony clifton tells us much more than we need to know.
Born out of the tales that kaufmans writing partner bob zmuda told him about a former employer, tony clifton was the. The truth, finally, bob zmuda, andys writer and best friend, and lynn margulies, the love of andys life, reveal all, including surprising secrets that andy made lynne and bob promise never to tell until both of his parents had died. In 1999, zmuda wrote a book about kaufmans life, titled andy kaufman. Tony clifton, a lounge act from hell who is a perfect mix of robert goulet at his schlockiest and vegasera elvis at his least lucid. Bob zmuda met andy kaufman in 1974, when bob was a struggling comic himself. Bob zmuda on gilbert gottfrieds podcast provided a. Several speculations had also arisen after andys death, saying that he was still alive and had faked his death. In a 2006 interview, zmuda told the opie and anthony show that he was masquerading as tony clifton with david letterman, and that letterman did not find out until years later. Bob zmuda occasionally portrayed kaufmans tony clifton character on.
In age of drumpf, tony clifton claims foul escondido. Tony clifton news newspapers books scholar jstor april 2018 learn how and when to remove this template message. Bob zmuda was andys writing partner and also played tony clifton, which was created and originally played by andy kaufman himself. But instead of carrey wearing the axe body spray, whiskey and human miseryscented tony clifton suit, it would be sleazy, desperate, unfuckable old bob zmuda playing clifton. Tony clifton is a character created by performance artist andy kaufman, who also portrayed. In the new book, the aids theory belongs to lynne margulies, whom. Andy kaufmans brother blasts new book claiming comic died. In fact, bob zmuda and lynne margulies have a new book, andy kaufman. Soon he began writing for andy until his supposed death in 84.
He played homeless outside his carnegie hall show holding andy kaufmanantichrist sign. Andy kaufman revealed best friend tells all by bob zmuda. A truly offensive performance hosted by maccarone gallery. As bob zmuda, kaufmans close pal and collaborator, has written in a. Andy kaufman and his writing partner, bob zmuda, changed the worlds of comedy and. When carrey nixes a tony clifton centric publicity campaign. Others, mainly longtime kaufman friend bob zmuda, also performed the role. Andy kaufman is a genius, and he lived his life in such a unique way. Tony clifton, of course, is a fictional character that was portrayed by comedian andy kaufman. Zmuda, who often played kaufmans alter ego tony clifton when his friend was alive, has continued to perform as clifton since kaufmans death, while blurring the line between preserving and extending kaufmans legacy and capitalizing on his memory.
And of all of kaufmans bits and characters that could be described as interactive none were more so than lounge singer tony clifton. Zmuda does an excellent job of documenting andys rise to reluctant sitcom star and the subsequent metamorphasis to tony clifton and. The screenplay also contains many of andys classic standup routines, and several moments that will cause you to literally laugh out loud, which i did while transcribing the hunchback premiere, the jerry lewisinspired white. Bob zmuda occasionally portrayed kaufmans tony clifton character on stage and for television appearances.
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