Goldie Hawn, the legendary actress, had an interesting time during her days on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In. According to the show’s producer, George Schlatter, Goldie wasn’t allowed to rehearse her introductions. Why? Well, the team wanted to keep things spontaneous. "Ruth Buzzi would always do something to screw up Goldie’s cue cards," George recalls in an interview with Closer. And you know what? It worked! Goldie's natural reaction—bursting into laughter—was pure gold. "Goldie is really a brilliant woman, but when she gets confused, she laughs, and her laugh is just golden," George explains.
Laugh-In: The Show That Launched Careers
From 1968 to 1973, Laugh-In wasn’t just a comedy sketch series—it was a cultural phenomenon. This groundbreaking show introduced the world to some incredible talents, including Goldie Hawn, Ruth Buzzi, Lily Tomlin, and Arte Johnson. Now, at 90 years old, George Schlatter is sharing his memories of Laugh-In and other classic comedy shows in his new book, Still Laughing: A Life in Comedy. George says, "There is so much negativity in the world, so I thought I would do something funny, positive, and happy." And boy, did he deliver!
Laugh-In: A Reflection of Its Time
When Laugh-In hit the airwaves in early 1968, America was going through a turbulent period. Yet, the show managed to capture the spirit of the era’s youth culture. George recalls, "They were not comics. They were these innocent, funny, young people who could stay up all night. We taped some of our stuff until 2 o’clock in the morning." The show wasn’t scripted in the traditional sense. Instead, the cast would start with a basic outline and then let the magic happen. "We would start with what was in the script and we would just play," George says.
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Laugh-In: The Unexpected Hit
Believe it or not, Laugh-In wasn’t expected to be a hit. George shares, "We really went on the air by accident. NBC had nothing to put on opposite Here’s Lucy and Gunsmoke. Laugh-In cost nothing and could go on the air right away, so we just started taping it." And the rest, as they say, is history.
Laugh-In’s characters became cultural icons in their own right. Take, for example, Arte’s German soldier who found everything "very interesting" or Lily’s brazen telephone operator, Ernestine. These characters quickly became fan favorites. "The first time we taped 'A Phone Call From Ernestine,' everybody in the hallway started doing 'one ringy-dingy, two ringy-dingy.' It caught on immediately," George recalls.
Ernestine’s prank calls to real newsmakers, including labor leader Jimmy Hoffa or institutions like the CIA, caused a sensation. "Political leaders were afraid to get a call from Ernestine," George says. But not every politician had to be tricked into appearing on the show. Laugh-In writer Paul Keyes managed to convince presidential candidate Richard Nixon to tape a bit in 1968. "Nixon was a man with no humor, so to get him to do a comedy show was a major, major hurdle," George explains. "I taped him saying 'Sock it to me,' and people couldn’t believe it. It really helped the show take off."
Laugh-In: A Revolutionary Experience
Looking back, George notes that Laugh-In was a series that broke ground and has never been imitated. "It was a revolutionary experience, both technically and creatively," he says. "We did anything we wanted to do and then apologized for it later." Laugh-In wasn’t just a comedy show—it was a cultural movement that left an indelible mark on television history.
