This is such an important moment in both pro wrestling and comedy history. Kaufman walked that line and blurred what was kayfabe better than any other performance artist I've come across. Legend.
@@ptrgiese I wonder if Andy did not change Wrestling because it was before hulk hogan and macho man. I am pretty sure they imitated Andy in the way they entertained the audience with their personnas.
Tony Clifton? Elvis? Latka? Alienating and offending your audience to the point of violence? Wrestling women? Pure genius.... One of the greatest entertainers of the 20th Century
“Andy, I think you really hurt her!” “It doesn’t matter, she doesn’t have any money, she can’t sue me!” Today’s heels could learn so much from Andy’s commitment to the bit
@@grawakendream8980 Seriously? - But he didn't fake his death, he really died. Honestly, do you have this information from a reliable source? I'm really shocked.
I was told that Andy saved all the checks from the promoter.Never cashed one of them.He was living his childhood dream and he took it to another level.The fact that Lawler knew from the get go and played into the whole angle made it really special.
I miss this guy so much....No one has come close to his Genius and oddball humor...You never knew wtf the guy would be up to....Him and Robin Williams were the king of comedy in my book. His wrestling "Career" was truly epic and helped wrestling (Especially in Memphis) explode and created the way for the multi billion dollar industries we see today.
God, this is so hilarious. It's like a mockumentary, only it's real life. Only Andy Kaufman could have pulled off a charade this elaborate. The man was an absolute genius! We may never see his like again.
It took me all but 10 mins to get that he tapped into that part of the psyche that cant help but laugh when you realize you have been the victim of a meticulously crafted prank - at the realization of this you can either get upset or be really impressed at the breadth of effort put it into - but from that point you’re in on it with Andy and the laughs just keep on rolling because he doesnt stop daring. He made me feel smart for getting it and i cant help but like him for his dedication to making others laugh in spite of himself.
The wrestler was the embodiment of machismo. The male chauvinist in the flesh. It was FLAWLESS. The venue, the concept, the execution was innately genius. "I will become the most detestable, despicable thing in the world, and let them hate ME!" It shone a light on the woman's plight in an unique way, entertaining, but honestly, still educational. The more I see the more I am in awe.
Where would Wrestling be without Andy Kaufman! Kaufman brought Professional wrestling to the Main Stream T.V. Audience! And Andy deserves so much more credit and should be in The Wrestling Hall Of Fame for bringing in a bigger audience and giving Wrestling way more attention which is what it's all about! Come on guy's make it happen!
I don't agree that this would have "ruined" Andy's career in the long-term; if anything, it made him immortal as an entertainer and showed that he was on another level conceptually. If Andy would have lived, he would have have continued to evolve. Comedy eventually caught up with what Andy was doing, but it took awhile--Sasha Baron Cohen is the only direct descendant in the mainstream and even he is calculated and formulaic by comparison.
@@luckygibbo1 Ali G and Borat are incredible characters. But Kaufman's ability to transform right in front of an audience, and just add layer after layer of intrigue and cringe and humor mixed with music is definitely next level.
This was great!!! I as born in 82, so it was before my time, nice to see history played out in front of me that was too young to see in real time, Andy was the greatest heel ever, the world was his stage, the population his playground, rest easy Andy!
THANK YOU !! for posting this !!!... One of my ex girlfriends stole this tape from me and never gave it back. THIS IS CLASSIC !!!!.. Friggen awesome... thanks again !!
He's a genius, and this is one of the top 5 angles of all time. What often goes missing is just how good both Jerry Lawler and Lance Russell were, just perfect.
@MemphoWrasslin1 Gotta disagree with you bro. They DID think it was real. This is Memphis wrestling brother, back on the day people definitely believed Kaufman was real. Just look how intensely they hate him man !
@MemphoWrasslin1 That may be the coolest thing I've ever heard. Literally bro. You went to Memphis shows on the 80s ? Is this on your channel ? Must have been incredible. So true about the pefrormaners man. I always think about David Schultz, trained by Herb Welch, just classic in-ring performers man
@MemphoWrasslin1 No worries man. I'm listening from down here in Australia, massive wrestling fan, honestly brother, just wanna say thanks. You're preserving something that really needs to be preserved ! Thanks so much man.
Yes Wrestling staged grudge fight narratives stems from Andy Kaufmans antics as well as Reality TV. I've worked in production on some Reality Shows and 80% of it is staged or exaggerated at least. It's scripted stuff but with amateur actors or "real people". With some exceptions...Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. Lol.
Professional wrestling was always about theater rather than sport. And Andy Kaufman was more of a performance artist than a standup comedian. I'm certain that wrestling had a huge impact on his career beyond the wrestling itself. Andy wasn't striving to be adored by the masses. He was trying to get people to react in some way, even if it meant that they wanted to kill him. Sometimes he was shooting for sympathy by pretending to be absolutely pathetic. Sometimes he tested the patience of his audience by stretching a bit past the point where it was no longer funny. His wrestling shtick was just an act, but he never broke character. He acted like a lot of other big-mouthed obnoxious characters who stepped into the ring, but he wasn't able to back up the insults with physical prowess. That was the joke, of course. He didn't pretend that he could compete against someone like Jerry Lawler cause no one was gonna buy that. So he and Lawler and Hart worked out this storyline that fit in perfectly with the typical theatrics of professional wrestling. The only thing that was different is that Kaufman played the part of the outsider who had no business being in the ring with legitimate athletes . . . if the whole thing was actually real, of course. Kaufman wasn't bigoted against people from the South, but most of the wrestling fans there obviously bought into his act, which shows just how gullible they were. But Kaufman had that sort of effect on a lot of people who didn't get what he was doing. And that was fine with Andy cause he didn't want most of his audiences to be in on the joke. He was less interested in people like me who realized you couldn't take him at face value. After he became famous from doing "Taxi," he wasn't gonna be silly little Latka for you. Maybe he was terrible lounge singer Tony Clifton and maybe he wasn't. There was the possibility he'd lost all his marbles or perhaps he was more in control than anyone could imagine. I suppose for fans like me, the assumption he had faked his own death showed that even those of us who were aware of Kaufman's persona could get caught up in his fictional world to the point of delusion. As for Robin Williams, I'm pretty sure he's just playing the part of concerned friend in this film. Then again, maybe he was just as confused as a lot of other people were.
Okay, the best part I did not know was that after the Letterman incident NBC kicked him off and Andy countersues the Network for $200 million threatening to change the format to 24hrs of wrestling. He had the balls and knew how to put the joke on everyone else. Andy's comedy was real and the planning that went into it and how Lawler even out of respect kept it all on the up for years after Andy died was impressive.
The funniest part of this video is around 4:57 when Marilu Henner pretends to "guess" the date she first met Andy. When in fact, she knew and still knows the exact date and time probably down to the second.
This is the best way to appreciate Andy. Listening to other sing his praises, embedded with snippets of his act, is a lot more tolerable than watching his full performances.
Honestly, if we think properly Andy actually invented the WWE like is now, the show feud, the attitude era and how we know the sport entertainment whit all is own funny storylines. I'm really thinking he deserves to be in WWE hall of fame for the great contribution he give to wrestling
Wow, i never knew this feud carried on after the Letterman show when Lawler slapped Andy, thanks for this video, Andy was a genius and Lawler a great wrestler 👏👏👏👍
Andy was a genius comedian and he knew the REAL spectacle of his time was wrestling and the audience; the devotion of their fans, Andy was genuinely talented and a gifted comedian (thank you robin for being in the film)
That promo with the woman Susan was pure genius. I nearly had a hernia through laughing. So shit how Andy died so quickly and unexpectedly. He was awesome.
First time I saw Andy was on some late night ABC comedy show when he did the foreign man cannonball bit. It made me laugh, but didn't know why. He didn't push the envelope. There was no envelope. He was just pure brain madness. And one of the comic geniuses of our time.
Kaufman's wrestling was brilliant comedy and places him as one of the greatest wrestling personalities of all time. He did his job and he sold the bit. With the help of those that were in on it, Kaufman gave the fans what they wanted, which was entertainment and a villain. It's amazing how people fell for it, but as Tony Danza said of Kaufman, "You just never knew." He forever confused people as to whether or not it was real or fake, or whether he was joking or being serious. Truly, no one knew. I think it was all a great lark and a lot of fun. Everyone that helped him pull it off must have had a lot of fun doing it and a great laugh. Man, really have to love those wrestling audiences that bought into it. Andy really gave them their monies worth. God rest his soul.
Let's not forget Jerry Lawler who was absolutely perfect as his "straight man" . Just watch their appearence at the "Late night with David Letterman". They were so in sync that you could "almost" believe that it was true.
I grew up watching Memphis wresting in the early 80's..Saturday morning TV. At the time this seemed completely real and everyone believed it. A.K. appeared out of nowhere in Memphis. The whole work was bizarre..Kaufman and his promos.
2:55 "sleezy" manager( by design) is standing next to a horses ass.. GUys..Guys?? YOu HAVE to see HOW immensely funny that is. He honestly wasn't making comedy for "us", it was for him, and the other people "IN the Business"... He was satirizing life While actually living it. I almost choked and had to pause.. Jesus the man was brilliant.
He was brilliant and a wonderful heel. He was only having fun too. The Mid south promotion sent him several checks for his work and he never cashed one of them.
You have to remember that when Andy Kaufman did his wrestling act, wrestling was a very obscure niche sport, maybe something you'd see on local TV. This was pre- WrestleMania, pre- payperview specials, pre- Hulk Hogan vs Andre the giant, wrestling's golden age started in 1985, a year after Andy Kaufman died. So he really did a lot to popularize the sport....
It took big kahuna's to practically sacrifice your own career for the sake of art! Oh yeah, and the bit about the soap and hygiene was priceless...I also love the fact that he threatened to sue anybody and everybody. LoL
What I love about this is that, even though he's doing a character, he's kind of proving his characters point about wrestling fans being stupid when NONE of them seem to get the joke and are hatefully shouting at Lawler to kill him.
When you watch Andy you realise how much of an over actor Jim Carry is. He basically got the gist of the character but he ruined it by turning it up to 11.
The greatest work in history! Wrestling owes a huge debt to Andy Kauffman for what he did for wrestling.
Truer words were never spoken...
And done it before Rock and Wrestling....Andy is a Hall of Famer more than a lot of the individuals in there.
CC x C ffcg
@@MrUnmutual2014 c c. CYou know h h 😊😊 v. C g😅I
now that i know the full story...damn right. the greatest MARK ever.
This is such an important moment in both pro wrestling and comedy history. Kaufman walked that line and blurred what was kayfabe better than any other performance artist I've come across. Legend.
The ONLY celebrity that deserves to be in ANY pro wrestling hall of fame. Period. Genius work.
You're in luck! Andy Kaufman is joining the WWE Hall of Fame 2023 Class, this year!
@@ptrgiese I wonder if Andy did not change Wrestling because it was before hulk hogan and macho man. I am pretty sure they imitated Andy in the way they entertained the audience with their personnas.
Trump did a good job when he wrestled.
@@hendo337@hendo337
When he wrestled Stormy? Dude got totally spanked.
Tony Clifton? Elvis? Latka? Alienating and offending your audience to the point of violence? Wrestling women? Pure genius.... One of the greatest entertainers of the 20th Century
Andy Kaufman was playing the role of a lifetime.
“Andy, I think you really hurt her!”
“It doesn’t matter, she doesn’t have any money, she can’t sue me!”
Today’s heels could learn so much from Andy’s commitment to the bit
she passed away during that match, they covered it up. that's why andy faked his death & went into hiding, to evade prompting an investigation
@@grawakendream8980 Seriously? - But he didn't fake his death,
he really died.
Honestly, do you have this information from a reliable source? I'm really shocked.
@@raincloud7817 no it was a non sequitur claim. i have no information of events beyond general knowledge
@@grawakendream8980 Thanks for the quick reply!
Well, it couldn't be changed anyway.
I hope, it isn't true.
@@raincloud7817 i made it u, so probably unlikely. but she didn't look like she was in a comfortable position . i wonder who she is
I was told that Andy saved all the checks from the promoter.Never cashed one of them.He was living his childhood dream and he took it to another level.The fact that Lawler knew from the get go and played into the whole angle made it really special.
Best bad guy ever. No one ever touched what Andy did.
Thanks for the share Krispy.
He was above all, a prankster. He liked to toy with people's emotions. Total genius..❤rip Andy
I miss this guy so much....No one has come close to his Genius and oddball humor...You never knew wtf the guy would be up to....Him and Robin Williams were the king of comedy in my book. His wrestling "Career" was truly epic and helped wrestling (Especially in Memphis) explode and created the way for the multi billion dollar industries we see today.
the only celebrity that ever mattered
Truer words were never spoken!
God, this is so hilarious. It's like a mockumentary, only it's real life. Only Andy Kaufman could have pulled off a charade this elaborate. The man was an absolute genius! We may never see his like again.
It took me all but 10 mins to get that he tapped into that part of the psyche that cant help but laugh when you realize you have been the victim of a meticulously crafted prank - at the realization of this you can either get upset or be really impressed at the breadth of effort put it into - but from that point you’re in on it with Andy and the laughs just keep on rolling because he doesnt stop daring. He made me feel smart for getting it and i cant help but like him for his dedication to making others laugh in spite of himself.
The wrestler was the embodiment of machismo. The male chauvinist in the flesh. It was FLAWLESS. The venue, the concept, the execution was innately genius. "I will become the most detestable, despicable thing in the world, and let them hate ME!" It shone a light on the woman's plight in an unique way, entertaining, but honestly, still educational. The more I see the more I am in awe.
He should be in the hall of fame
@@chazgirl6186 Your wish has been granted.
We desperately need an Andy Kaufman in 2023.
Most underrated comment I’ve read in a while.
Go watch Sasha Cohen's work then
He's around here somewhere
Andy's bits were way father out than Cohen's. I like him, but Andy lived the bits, total commitment. @@ramisamman5674
And what about Donald Trump
Kaufman was such an original; the way he blurred lines between his act and reality has yet to be equaled.
True
Kaufman was by far one of the greatest heels ever. What makes him so great is he was willing to damage his acting career.
Greatest work of all time.
Where would Wrestling be without Andy Kaufman! Kaufman brought Professional wrestling to the Main Stream T.V. Audience! And Andy deserves so much more credit and should be in The Wrestling Hall Of Fame for bringing in a bigger audience and giving Wrestling way more attention which is what it's all about! Come on guy's make it happen!
Inducted into the wwe hall of fame on 3/31/2023
@@heavenismydomicile3280 I'ts about Time!
That was brilliant. Andy was so ahead of his time.Imagine him in charge of W.W.E.
.Imagine him in charge of W.O.K ism
Bob Zmuda as an attorney alone, shows how much of a bit this was/is. Kaufman was absolutely brilliant💯
Bob Zmuda deserves as much recognition as Andy
@@jackkingsby116 I get why you say that. I don't agree, but I get it.
Andy deserves far more recognition that he ever got but then again - he never really wanted it, he was just enjoying himself. Genius. RIP You legend.
He loved being the bad guy
This was ingenious . We need this again in 2024! Please…
Kaufman, the original troll. That's compliment I love me some Kaufman
Yoshihiro Akiyama that's true!
I wish I could give this video ten thumbs up instead of just one!
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
I don't agree that this would have "ruined" Andy's career in the long-term; if anything, it made him immortal as an entertainer and showed that he was on another level conceptually. If Andy would have lived, he would have have continued to evolve. Comedy eventually caught up with what Andy was doing, but it took awhile--Sasha Baron Cohen is the only direct descendant in the mainstream and even he is calculated and formulaic by comparison.
I've enjoyed and been amused/bemused by Andy through the years. Cohen- not even in the same galaxy...... sorry
@@luckygibbo1 Ali G and Borat are incredible characters. But Kaufman's ability to transform right in front of an audience, and just add layer after layer of intrigue and cringe and humor mixed with music is definitely next level.
This was great!!! I as born in 82, so it was before my time, nice to see history played out in front of me that was too young to see in real time, Andy was the greatest heel ever, the world was his stage, the population his playground, rest easy Andy!
THANK YOU !! for posting this !!!... One of my ex girlfriends stole this tape from me and never gave it back. THIS IS CLASSIC !!!!.. Friggen awesome... thanks again !!
He had those crowds calling for blood. So good...
One of my favorite documentaries of all time. Sometimes I hum the opening song to myself apropos of nothing in particular.
Andy is/was/will be the best ever! Once in a lifetime talent!
Thanks for this. Here because Conan mentioned this documentary.
Such a unique human being.
I can't tell if Robin Williams is channeling Andy by pretending he was concerned about the wrestling.
I am huge fan of Andy Kaufman God bless you Andy Kaufman
He's a genius, and this is one of the top 5 angles of all time. What often goes missing is just how good both Jerry Lawler and Lance Russell were, just perfect.
The ultimate troll. A 24/7/365 troll. LOL
It's kinda scary to think that no one in the auditorium, it seems, knew that this was an act. Except Kaufman and the wrestling guys.
maybe they did, and they relaxed themselves to be entertained, not everything needs to make sense when you're having fun.
@MemphoWrasslin1 Gotta disagree with you bro. They DID think it was real. This is Memphis wrestling brother, back on the day people definitely believed Kaufman was real. Just look how intensely they hate him man !
@MemphoWrasslin1 That may be the coolest thing I've ever heard. Literally bro. You went to Memphis shows on the 80s ? Is this on your channel ? Must have been incredible. So true about the pefrormaners man. I always think about David Schultz, trained by Herb Welch, just classic in-ring performers man
@MemphoWrasslin1 Man I see what you're doing. Amazing project. Immediately subbed and recommended to everyone I know ! Awesome channel.
@MemphoWrasslin1 No worries man. I'm listening from down here in Australia, massive wrestling fan, honestly brother, just wanna say thanks. You're preserving something that really needs to be preserved ! Thanks so much man.
If Andy Kaufman had not died so suddenly,I would like to have seen him in a dramatic role.
We were too young to realize it at the time, but Kaufman basically gave us a master class in heel training. Well done sir
Brilliance like not seen before or seen since.
Well I can see History was changed,, wrestling roots today came from Andy,s performance back then...Andy was a Genuine Genus who I hope is alive.
Yes Wrestling staged grudge fight narratives stems from Andy Kaufmans antics as well as Reality TV. I've worked in production on some Reality Shows and 80% of it is staged or exaggerated at least. It's scripted stuff but with amateur actors or "real people". With some exceptions...Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. Lol.
I bet you had a Great time doing that. Sounds kinda fun.
Andy has left us. R.I.P.
Professional wrestling was always about theater rather than sport. And Andy Kaufman was more of a performance artist than a standup comedian. I'm certain that wrestling had a huge impact on his career beyond the wrestling itself. Andy wasn't striving to be adored by the masses. He was trying to get people to react in some way, even if it meant that they wanted to kill him. Sometimes he was shooting for sympathy by pretending to be absolutely pathetic. Sometimes he tested the patience of his audience by stretching a bit past the point where it was no longer funny. His wrestling shtick was just an act, but he never broke character. He acted like a lot of other big-mouthed obnoxious characters who stepped into the ring, but he wasn't able to back up the insults with physical prowess. That was the joke, of course. He didn't pretend that he could compete against someone like Jerry Lawler cause no one was gonna buy that. So he and Lawler and Hart worked out this storyline that fit in perfectly with the typical theatrics of professional wrestling. The only thing that was different is that Kaufman played the part of the outsider who had no business being in the ring with legitimate athletes . . . if the whole thing was actually real, of course. Kaufman wasn't bigoted against people from the South, but most of the wrestling fans there obviously bought into his act, which shows just how gullible they were. But Kaufman had that sort of effect on a lot of people who didn't get what he was doing. And that was fine with Andy cause he didn't want most of his audiences to be in on the joke. He was less interested in people like me who realized you couldn't take him at face value. After he became famous from doing "Taxi," he wasn't gonna be silly little Latka for you. Maybe he was terrible lounge singer Tony Clifton and maybe he wasn't. There was the possibility he'd lost all his marbles or perhaps he was more in control than anyone could imagine. I suppose for fans like me, the assumption he had faked his own death showed that even those of us who were aware of Kaufman's persona could get caught up in his fictional world to the point of delusion. As for Robin Williams, I'm pretty sure he's just playing the part of concerned friend in this film. Then again, maybe he was just as confused as a lot of other people were.
Happy birthday to the greatest troll of them all, Andy Kaufman!
13:07 hilarious.
Is that how ya talk in miiiiimphis teeeennesse. Fuckin' genius.
A true genius!
Okay, the best part I did not know was that after the Letterman incident NBC kicked him off and Andy countersues the Network for $200 million threatening to change the format to 24hrs of wrestling. He had the balls and knew how to put the joke on everyone else. Andy's comedy was real and the planning that went into it and how Lawler even out of respect kept it all on the up for years after Andy died was impressive.
Such a great documentary!
The funniest part of this video is around 4:57 when Marilu Henner pretends to "guess" the date she first met Andy. When in fact, she knew and still knows the exact date and time probably down to the second.
This is the best way to appreciate Andy. Listening to other sing his praises, embedded with snippets of his act, is a lot more tolerable than watching his full performances.
and lawler was the straight man. the fact that they worked together only reinforces this point
Honestly, if we think properly Andy actually invented the WWE like is now, the show feud, the attitude era and how we know the sport entertainment whit all is own funny storylines. I'm really thinking he deserves to be in WWE hall of fame for the great contribution he give to wrestling
Kaufman was so funny.
Kaufman lalwer feud was awesome.
This is a masterpiece.
16:48 Andy takes a fantastic bump trying to get through the ropes
Was this on Comedy Central in it’s early days or am I crazy?
I know I saw this as a kid that made me love Andy.
I remember as a kid it maybe being on Nick at Night but I could be wrong.
Yes, this was on Comedy Central.
“God, man, woman, dog”😂😂😂 he would be cancelled for this today
Brilliant performance artist.
This is why I became a wrestler
Kaufman made a pretty good heel character actually haha! Good to see that he got to live out his dream as a wrestler.
Andy should be in Wresling Hall of Fame..Mr. Charisma
Wow, i never knew this feud carried on after the Letterman show when Lawler slapped Andy, thanks for this video, Andy was a genius and Lawler a great wrestler 👏👏👏👍
I love how all the wrestling fans bought everything, hook, line and sinker.
"He asked me for money and I said, sure, as long as you don't use it to buy rope."
Genius. I miss Mork.
Andy was a genius comedian and he knew the REAL spectacle of his time was wrestling and the audience; the devotion of their fans, Andy was genuinely talented and a gifted comedian (thank you robin for being in the film)
Wow the way Lawler did that pile driver really made me wince.
Andy acted out what we all wanted to do back in the day. Be a professional wrestler. Above the rim stuff.
That promo with the woman Susan was pure genius. I nearly had a hernia through laughing.
So shit how Andy died so quickly and unexpectedly.
He was awesome.
A great comic genius ❤ RIP Andy
I miss Andy. One of a kind. And gone way too early. The movie about his life made me cry. 😢
I wish that I had lived in this time to watch it all as it played out.
He was a genius... So was Jerry Lawler, who finally just a few years ago admitted that he and Andy Kauffman had put this together as a ruse...
This is not near the entire story. You can search for individual videos of "Lawler & Kaufman Feud" which are listed in chapters here on UA-cam.
First time I saw Andy was on some late night ABC comedy show when he did the foreign man cannonball bit. It made me laugh, but didn't know why. He didn't push the envelope. There was no envelope. He was just pure brain madness. And one of the comic geniuses of our time.
Kaufman's wrestling was brilliant comedy and places him as one of the greatest wrestling personalities of all time. He did his job and he sold the bit. With the help of those that were in on it, Kaufman gave the fans what they wanted, which was entertainment and a villain. It's amazing how people fell for it, but as Tony Danza said of Kaufman, "You just never knew." He forever confused people as to whether or not it was real or fake, or whether he was joking or being serious. Truly, no one knew. I think it was all a great lark and a lot of fun. Everyone that helped him pull it off must have had a lot of fun doing it and a great laugh.
Man, really have to love those wrestling audiences that bought into it. Andy really gave them their monies worth. God rest his soul.
tl;dr
For real brother ! Great comment, Kaufman was a true legend !
Nailed it bro thank you 🙏
@@dilbertdoe601 too short; didn't feel it
The year was 1982 !! Unforgettable !! Historic !!
Let's not forget Jerry Lawler who was absolutely perfect as his "straight man" . Just watch their appearence at the "Late night with David Letterman". They were so in sync that you could "almost" believe that it was true.
This is the greatest wrestling angle ever!!!!
Andy he gave total entertainment
Andy even does a great job of wiggling his legs and selling the pile drivers from Jerry .
36:00 "I'm leaving! I Shall Return!"
Andy just showed how easy it is to manipulate people, still animals in heart.
I grew up watching Memphis wresting in the early 80's..Saturday morning TV. At the time this seemed completely real and everyone believed it. A.K. appeared out of nowhere in Memphis. The whole work was bizarre..Kaufman and his promos.
I watched it every week from like 1969 when I was 9 through 2005 or so when Cory Maclin's Memphis Wrestling folded.
Steve Holsten Salute.
Thank you!
This was a good wrestling angle.
The interesting thing about this is that, in the end and considering what Professional Wrestling is, Andy Kaufman WAS a professional wrestler!
2:55 "sleezy" manager( by design) is standing next to a horses ass.. GUys..Guys?? YOu HAVE to see HOW immensely funny that is. He honestly wasn't making comedy for "us", it was for him, and the other people "IN the Business"... He was satirizing life While actually living it. I almost choked and had to pause.. Jesus the man was brilliant.
He was brilliant and a wonderful heel. He was only having fun too. The Mid south promotion sent him several checks for his work and he never cashed one of them.
Aaah, Andy. The entertainer who just entertained himself and never gave a &#!% about the audience... lol
HAHA love when Andy is unconscious in the ring after Lawler did 2 powerdrives lol and the Crowd is cheering and laughing LOL
I thought that was Jimmy "Mouth of the South" Hart! That makes PERFECT sense to team those two up!
Andy was ahead of his time! Now it's common place.
Andy Kaufman; comedy genius.
You have to remember that when Andy Kaufman did his wrestling act, wrestling was a very obscure niche sport, maybe something you'd see on local TV. This was pre- WrestleMania, pre- payperview specials, pre- Hulk Hogan vs Andre the giant, wrestling's golden age started in 1985, a year after Andy Kaufman died. So he really did a lot to popularize the sport....
This is a GREAT documentary!!!
It took big kahuna's to practically sacrifice your own career for the sake of art! Oh yeah, and the bit about the soap and hygiene was priceless...I also love the fact that he threatened to sue anybody and everybody. LoL
Andy Sure knew how to get good heat
"I knew he was really far gone when he put me in a headlock and said goodbye."
Marilu still looks good today,just turned 71!
I loved the mid-south because OLD people sure loved their wrestling lol.
What I love about this is that, even though he's doing a character, he's kind of proving his characters point about wrestling fans being stupid when NONE of them seem to get the joke and are hatefully shouting at Lawler to kill him.
The origins of WWF/WWE can be seen in this mans actions.
Sad to have never had the opportunity to see this man in action.
When you watch Andy you realise how much of an over actor Jim Carry is. He basically got the gist of the character but he ruined it by turning it up to 11.
INDEED💯
holy crap! this was great! oh ANDY! LOL