ROWAN & MARTIN’S LAUGH-IN ![]()
Jim Sullivan’s manager was Bob Ginter, who also managed Judy Carne, the “Sock it to Me” girl on the hit TV show Laugh-In. Ginter began getting him better gigs, such as the Lindy Opera House on Wilshire Boulevard and the Lighthouse in Redondo Beach. (October 2011) * * * Tiny Tim (real name: Herbert Khaury) was introduced to the world on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, an immensely popular comedic variety show in the 1960’s that (among other things) also introduced Goldie Hawn as a bikini-clad dancer decorated with painted graffiti. Tim was hardly tiny (he was both large and tall); and though he had long stringy hair, he really didn’t look like a hippie either.
As described in Wikipedia: “Co-host Dan Rowan announced that Laugh-In believed in showcasing new talent, and introduced Tiny Tim. The singer entered carrying a shopping bag, pulled his soprano ukulele from it, and sang a medley of ‘A Tisket A Tasket’ and ‘On the Good Ship Lollipop’ as an apparently dumbfounded co-host Dick Martin watched.” One of the show’s running gags from then on was Martin asking Rowan in consternation whenever he was about to introduce something new: “You’re not gonna bring back Tiny Tim, are you?”
Most people think that Tiny Tim played “Tiptoe through the Tulips” the first time he was on Laugh-In; but that was actually at his third, more elaborate presentation on the show, where he also used another of his trademark moves: throwing kisses at the audience. Tiny Tim continued to make periodic appearances on Laugh-In and later on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show, where he became known for endearingly addressing the host as “Mr. Carson”. (March 2013) |