One more Meltzer lift that won't fit in the YT description: "At the end of each caller's phone call, Meltzer would say, 'Two t-shirts, Charlotte.' Charlotte was his radio producer, and he was telling her to send two t-shirts to the caller." Update: “The phrasing was often ‘Charlotte, give this caller two t-shirts,’ which is what Calvert more or less used for Bob Rooney.” Update #2: From Meltzer’s New York Times obituary, March 27, 1998: “‘Remember,’ the announcer intones, ‘Dr. Meltzer is not an attorney.’” Also: “...hundreds of thousands of callers hung onto his every word as he advised on mortgages,...or, as Dr. Meltzer put it, ‘everything from affairs of the heart...’”
Thank you Don, for that great background information on Meltzer, never knew all that. So he was the origin for Larry Bud Melman, wow! Funniest character in many years, always loved him, still do!
This... is... FABULOUS. I'd guess I've heard maybe 70-80% of the behind the scenes stories associated with David Letterman's television programs, but didn't know there was a direct inspiration for "Ask Mr. Melman" material. I'd always presumed it was an off-shoot of Ernie Kovacs' famed "Question Man" segments. Again Don, this... is... FABULOUS. Well done, as always!
Don, thank you so much for uploading these. A HUGE part of late-nite U.S. television preserved that would otherwise be lost forever. Larry Bud Is/Was a National Treasure.
I love these obscure origin stories. Great collection! (Incidentally, I looked it up on Amazon, and you can still buy the book that one of the participants in the second episode mentions that he wrote. It was published only two months before that episode.)
Amazing! I had no idea they did so many of these, and for so long. The backstory is pretty cool, too. Someone commented on one of these Ask Mr. Melman videos that there needs to be a documentary about the 12:30 LN show. Don, I think your descriptions along are a documentary about the show! Also cool to look back on 1984... when college students still recognized a Johnny Mercer reference
And I always mean to write this... many people may not realize that the Donz is a musician, which explains his masterful editing of the bumper music when joining segments on either side of a commercial break. Seamless!
Matt Killeen Sometimes his ad-libs were more cogent than his card-reading. The biggest problem is that Calvert tended to ad-lib about four words at a time.
I was in high school in South Dakota in the spring of 1984. Five inches of snow fell on April 29 that year, six weeks after Calvert's jibe. But it was a great place to grow up.
Interesting to see Calvert being himself. Only other time I saw him this way was in his interview with Tom Snyder. So cool too see him smiling and cracking jokes, instead of being the bumbling fool that. Either way, he's comedy gold! Thanks for all the laughs Calvert/Larry/Bud.
I never saw the original appearance of Dr. Meltzer and have never heard of him, so these were just strange segments with no real context to me...but they were still hilarious!!
I've only seen the Dr Meltzer interviews just recently. Dave announced in a later show that they were being sued by him. I think that was because of the Melman character? I think Larry's changing hairstyle was them mocking Meltzer for his bad hair piece.
Interesting how even Dave (at 22:40) was unaware of how funny this was, and how much fans of the show loved it. At this point, Dave was really just a mouthpiece of the writers.
Hey, what's that on the April 17 '84 show about border collies herding ducks on the set on the April 18 '84 show? Did that happen? Animal bits are fun.
Speaking of lawsuits, a fun (likely short) compilation might be the dust up with Martha Raye. There was an ad with her that began "Martha Raye: actress, denture wearer." At the time, there was a big deal that condoms started to be advertised on TV. One night, Dave said "I saw the most frightening commercial last night. It began 'Martha Raye: actress, condom user." Raye caught wind of it and threatened to sue. Dave then issued a sarcastic on air apology. "Ok, Martha Raye doesn't use condoms." I believe Martha filed suit, and it went no where. I could be wrong on the details here, but that's what I recall.
Someone asked me a few years ago to put this together. I found some news clipping to complement the very few bits of video, but I put it aside, not yet figuring out how to present it in a way that’ll hold any interest.
P McGill Thanks! But this one I’m not so sure. I’ll play with it once I finish Parts 2 and 3 of the Ask Mr. Melman collection, and there’s another compilation I said I’d do after this one.
@@dongiller yeah, I guess the he didn't spend too much time on it. There was the initial joke, and the sarcastic apology. Doing some reading, she filed a ten million dollar lawsuit, claiming that Dave portrayed her as promiscuous, and of loose morals. Of course, the judge threw it out post haste.
John Dalton Dave would occasionally mention that he didn’t have $10 million dollars, or whatever the dollar number was. Just out of the blue, apropos of nothing.
8:40 - The very different reaction in the culture of the time to workplace sexual harassment is interesting and disturbing - it's just "a personal problem."
Not to sound too pretentious in 2021, but does anyone else think in 1983-84 they wrote this running sketch knowing these stale twats in THEIR present, would not appreciate it like those of us in OUR present? It was written FAR before it's time. I'm dying from the genius.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with a holder of a PhD wanting to be addressed as "doctor". It is customary. The title "doctor" is not only used to address medical doctors. The mocking of that practice in this video's description is completely unwarranted.
@@dongiller I know. It's pretty bad (the toupee). I am reading all the stuff that has happened since he was on show like the lawsuit. I could tell Dave was bored of him. I didn't realize this is how Larry "Bud" Melman got started. I only knew Bud as a walk on personality. Thanks for upload.
One more Meltzer lift that won't fit in the YT description: "At the end of each caller's phone call, Meltzer would say, 'Two t-shirts, Charlotte.' Charlotte was his radio producer, and he was telling her to send two t-shirts to the caller."
Update: “The phrasing was often ‘Charlotte, give this caller two t-shirts,’ which is what Calvert more or less used for Bob Rooney.”
Update #2: From Meltzer’s New York Times obituary, March 27, 1998:
“‘Remember,’ the announcer intones, ‘Dr. Meltzer is not an attorney.’”
Also: “...hundreds of thousands of callers hung onto his every word as he advised on mortgages,...or, as Dr. Meltzer put it, ‘everything from affairs of the heart...’”
These are hysterical. Don, please give yourself two t-shirts!
Thank you Don, for that great background information on Meltzer, never knew all that. So he was the origin for Larry Bud Melman, wow! Funniest character in many years, always loved him, still do!
This... is... FABULOUS. I'd guess I've heard maybe 70-80% of the behind the scenes stories associated with David Letterman's television programs, but didn't know there was a direct inspiration for "Ask Mr. Melman" material. I'd always presumed it was an off-shoot of Ernie Kovacs' famed "Question Man" segments. Again Don, this... is... FABULOUS. Well done, as always!
Don, thank you so much for uploading these. A HUGE part of late-nite U.S. television preserved that would otherwise be lost forever.
Larry Bud Is/Was a National Treasure.
I love these obscure origin stories. Great collection! (Incidentally, I looked it up on Amazon, and you can still buy the book that one of the participants in the second episode mentions that he wrote. It was published only two months before that episode.)
Melmans laugh always brings a smile to my face
I wish someone would do a documentary on the old 12:30 show. I love hearing these behind-the-scenes stories.
Until we do, we've always got Don Giller & his tremendous collections....
😎🇺🇸❤
One of my favorite Letterman segments! Thanks for posting
This is so cool. Thanks for the background information.
This will be another fantastic collection!!!!! Great job!!
Amazing! I had no idea they did so many of these, and for so long. The backstory is pretty cool, too. Someone commented on one of these Ask Mr. Melman videos that there needs to be a documentary about the 12:30 LN show. Don, I think your descriptions along are a documentary about the show! Also cool to look back on 1984... when college students still recognized a Johnny Mercer reference
And I always mean to write this... many people may not realize that the Donz is a musician, which explains his masterful editing of the bumper music when joining segments on either side of a commercial break. Seamless!
Don. You're amazing! Absolutely amazing. Your sourcing of clips to make a video then the information in the description.
This is gold. Thanks Don!
Gillerama !! 😎🇺🇸
Thanks Don this is my most awaited collection.
Another great, scholarly work, Don. Thank you!
Thanks!!
Don, you are bringing such good memories back. Thank you.
I'm surprised they originally let Calvert improvise - he did OK.
Matt Killeen Sometimes his ad-libs were more cogent than his card-reading. The biggest problem is that Calvert tended to ad-lib about four words at a time.
love these! Great context too, thanks!
"Hello, Mr. Letterman...HA, HA, HA, HA !!!!!", Mr. Larry "Bud" Melman aka Calvin DeForest. Owner of Melman Bus Lines.
😎🇺🇸
"This is going better than even *I* had hoped"
Watched these live in my early twenties!
David and company were hilarious
40 years ago… Wow
Needed the laugh - merci DG.
Greatness. Nothing better than early Letterman.
I was in high school in South Dakota in the spring of 1984. Five inches of snow fell on April 29 that year, six weeks after Calvert's jibe. But it was a great place to grow up.
Interesting to see Calvert being himself. Only other time I saw him this way was in his interview with Tom Snyder. So cool too see him smiling and cracking jokes, instead of being the bumbling fool that. Either way, he's comedy gold! Thanks for all the laughs Calvert/Larry/Bud.
I never saw the original appearance of Dr. Meltzer and have never heard of him, so these were just strange segments with no real context to me...but they were still hilarious!!
I've only seen the Dr Meltzer interviews just recently. Dave announced in a later show that they were being sued by him. I think that was because of the Melman character? I think Larry's changing hairstyle was them mocking Meltzer for his bad hair piece.
@@davidsthubbins176 Nobody reads my descriptions.
@@dongiller I do!. Thanks for the time you put into this channel. Its an absolute gem.
Interesting how even Dave (at 22:40) was unaware of how funny this was, and how much fans of the show loved it. At this point, Dave was really just a mouthpiece of the writers.
Nobody reads my descriptions.
I cannot get enough of these.
Were the audience lines about how important Larry was to their lives part of the Meltzer angle?
Somehow Mr. Melman's awkwardness added to the humor. I was always afraid he wouldn't get his lines out. Great bit.
Flock of Seagulls comin' at you, and you can't stop it. 20:56
oh boy, oh boy! Thanks Don!!!
Don you always come with gold!
10:21 the band was awesome during this era
Hey, what's that on the April 17 '84 show about border collies herding ducks on the set on the April 18 '84 show? Did that happen? Animal bits are fun.
Uploaded two years ago - ruclips.net/video/m7X4o89sO3c/видео.html
Interesting that Larry Bud adlibbed ANYTHING! On first inspection, Larry comes off as a total incompetent. He had us fooled!
oocha magoocha
Speaking of lawsuits, a fun (likely short) compilation might be the dust up with Martha Raye. There was an ad with her that began "Martha Raye: actress, denture wearer." At the time, there was a big deal that condoms started to be advertised on TV. One night, Dave said "I saw the most frightening commercial last night. It began 'Martha Raye: actress, condom user." Raye caught wind of it and threatened to sue. Dave then issued a sarcastic on air apology. "Ok, Martha Raye doesn't use condoms." I believe Martha filed suit, and it went no where. I could be wrong on the details here, but that's what I recall.
Someone asked me a few years ago to put this together. I found some news clipping to complement the very few bits of video, but I put it aside, not yet figuring out how to present it in a way that’ll hold any interest.
P McGill Thanks! But this one I’m not so sure. I’ll play with it once I finish Parts 2 and 3 of the Ask Mr. Melman collection, and there’s another compilation I said I’d do after this one.
@@dongiller yeah, I guess the he didn't spend too much time on it. There was the initial joke, and the sarcastic apology. Doing some reading, she filed a ten million dollar lawsuit, claiming that Dave portrayed her as promiscuous, and of loose morals. Of course, the judge threw it out post haste.
John Dalton Dave would occasionally mention that he didn’t have $10 million dollars, or whatever the dollar number was. Just out of the blue, apropos of nothing.
@@dongiller The video could be titled 'Oh No! We're Gonna Get Sued!'
The man around 1:12:00nterrupted larry so many times. I bet he was in shambles haa
8:40 - The very different reaction in the culture of the time to workplace sexual harassment is interesting and disturbing - it's just "a personal problem."
Letterman creepiness with female guests is disturbing.
@@aprillovesgolf7042 You'd say it's creepy even if a guy just likes a girl, though. Bob Rooney, give this nice girl two T-shirts!
I wonder what they have that guy in the very last segment.
I didn’t realize just how BEIGE the 80’s were…. And I lived through the 80’s.
24:00 just a time stamp
Why do you think they brought Meltzer to begin with?
Wilkes barre in the houseeee 🎉🎉
Not to sound too pretentious in 2021, but does anyone else think in 1983-84 they wrote this running sketch knowing these stale twats in THEIR present, would not appreciate it like those of us in OUR present? It was written FAR before it's time. I'm dying from the genius.
He was great
I love finding these audience members on Facebook.
The t shirts are blank. They are just white t shirts! Lol.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with a holder of a PhD wanting to be addressed as "doctor". It is customary. The title "doctor" is not only used to address medical doctors. The mocking of that practice in this video's description is completely unwarranted.
Meltzer was a quack. No revision needed.
01:08 I miss the good old days of really bad toupees.
I wanna make a tshirt referencing Larry Bud Melman
Its like getting an answer from an advancrd quirky a.i.
Who was the NY dj threatening to sue? And over what. Does anyone know?
I frequently ask myself, what’s the point?
Read the description of the video, George.
What a novel thought.
@@dongiller Dont be mad because you dont know either.
Read the description. That I wrote. You’re welcome.
First guest is not wearing a toupee...
Yes, he is.
@@dongiller I know. It's pretty bad (the toupee). I am reading all the stuff that has happened since he was on show like the lawsuit. I could tell Dave was bored of him. I didn't realize this is how Larry "Bud" Melman got started. I only knew Bud as a walk on personality. Thanks for upload.
Now Larry "Bud" is wearing a (dark) toupee! Hilarious!
He had been well-established on the show long before Ask Mr. Melman debuted.
@@dongiller oh, ok. I thought Melman was a take on Meltzer. One guy didn't get a t-shirt.
So did they ever get sued for this?
Nobody reads my descriptions.
that guy...was the worst, most boring guest EVER