Definitely The Shortest Quiz on Record!

Mom, it’s time for the Quiz!

Again? What time is it?

Unfortunately, I have another death to report.

Is this something I should be sitting down for?

“The Simpsons” has suffered the passing of Marcia Wallace (Edna Krabappel, Bart’s 4th grade teacher).

OMG! Marcia Wallace died?

I can only imagine how hard “The Simpsons” and “Saturday Night Live” must have been hit by the passing of Phil Hartman!

Phil Hartman?! What does he have to do with this? Why are we talking about Phil Hartman????? He died 15 years ago!!! You know, if you drive as fast as you change subjects? Look out!

Do you remember where you were when you heard Phil Hartman died?

I was at home! How did we get into this?

In fact let’s talk about Phil Hartman for a minute.

Do we have to?

My favorite character he played on “Saturday Night Live” was Ed McMahon.

Hi-oh!

Who else did he do?

Frank.

I just watched another animated movie with Phil Hartman as a voice actor and at the end it said “In Memory of Phil Hartman”. I didn’t realize it came out the year he died but was released posthumously.

I admire anybody who can spell “posthumously”!

Anyway I just adore Phil Hartman. He was so funny on “Saturday Night Live”, funny on “The Simpsons”, and he was just so talented and an amazing voice actor. My favorite roles of his, other than The Simpsons’ Lionel Hutz (“If you lived here, you’d be home by now!”)

and Troy McClure (“Hi, I’m Troy McClure!”) are

“Jigi” the black cat from “Kiki’s Delivery Service” and the surly air conditioner from “The Brave Little Toaster”.  I’m sure we all remember that movie…

Yes, because it’s on an endless loop here!

…and the scene where the air conditioner explodes. Good acting in that scene.

Acting? You’re giving acting credit to a toaster, a desk lamp, an electric blanket and an air conditioner????

Don’t forget the vacuum cleaner!

Right. The vacuum cleaner…..

Someone else who was in that movie passed on but it was in 2005. Remembering Marcia Wallace…

Oh yes, I vaguely remember her from the beginning of this article!

…had me remembering Phil Hartman which had me remembering everything I’ve heard/seen him in and that’s how I started thinking about Thurl.

Wait a minute!!!! I know who you are! You’re Gracie Allen!

Mom, I don’t think any our readers from India know who Gracie Allen is and you probably don’t have time to explain Vaudeville either. But anyway, Thurl Ravenscroft, a singer, and the voice of Kirby the vacuum cleaner in “The Brave Little Toaster”, also died. I wish we could’ve properly memorialized him back in 2005… so I’m going to do it now.

Oh dear God! What happened to Phil Hartman???

He had a great voice and was another high point of the movie for me.

What movie?

He’s the one singing, “You’re a Mean One, Mr.Grinch” in “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and in the movie “Snoopy, Come Home”, he’s the one singing “No Dogs Allowed”. I adored that movie by the way. It’s a sad movie; but, we all know Snoopy returns.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtXuKOfUPKw

Hooray! Snoopy returns! (The suspense was killing me!)

He also had a role in “Lady and the Tramp” and was “Thing-One” in “The Cat in the Hat”.

You certainly do know a lot of unimportant things.

Also you know how you’ve been trying to get me to watch “The Graduate”?

Yes, it’s on that list of classic movies you refuse to see, along with “Gone With The Wind”, “Auntie Mame”, “The Godfather” and “My Fair Lady”!

He had a small role (Man with Guests in Benjamins’s back yard).

Does that mean you’ll watch “The Graduate” now?

I might. He’s pretty much been in everything I’ve ever loved including “Alice in Wonderland” and “The Lorax”. Anyway, Marcia Wallace.

Are we safely back at Marcia Wallace now?

Did you know on “Full House” she played a lady named Mrs. Carruthers?

I did not know that….

Here’s Marcia Wallace on the Simpsons as Edna Krabappel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLNkbRvraho

Shana, you haven’t even mentioned Marcia Wallace’s most famous role as Bob Newhart’s receptionist on “The Bob Newhart Show”!

Also it wouldn’t be a complete memorial of Phil Hartman…

What??? Phil Hartman again?????

…without: The Troy McClure montage! “Hi, I’m Troy McClure! You may remember me from such films as….”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYNZ1PMdO1M

And the Lionel Hutz montage!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZoQFVVXV2s

And, you knew this was coming: The Air Conditioner Scene from “The Brave Little Toaster”!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLJvDadSfns

Wake me when it’s over.

I love Phil Hartman and Thurl Ravenscroft and I want to memorialize them. Unfortunately the scene where the air conditioner explodes is Hartman’s only speaking part in the movie as the air conditioner.

Quel domage.

He also played that grotesque hanging lamp in the parts shop scene.

Is it time for lunch yet?

So that’s all for this month’s Entertainment News. I’m off to watch a well-loved childhood film. But first, who’s case do we have this month?

Shana, if this is the shortest case on record (and it is….), it’s accompanied by the longest introduction in the world!!!!!!!!

And now for our quiz:

Dear Elaine,

Welcome to Bedtime Madness! Last night, my 5 year old was so excited about seeing his favorite cousin today for Halloween, he was wide-eyed, awake and jumping up and down in bed! I gave him _________30C

and it worked within 5 minutes!

OK, everybody, what’s the remedy? Write to me at [email protected] and let me know! The answer will be in next month’s ezine. Bye-bye!