Laughing Back - A Movie For Radio: Difference between revisions

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|labelstyle  = background:#ddf;
|labelstyle  = background:#ddf;
|datastyle    =  
|datastyle    =  
|title = Laughing Back - A Movie For Radio
|title = Laughing Back - A Movie For Radio [https://www.joefrank.com/streaming/shows/?jfsearch=laughing+back]
|titlestyle  =  
|titlestyle  =  
|header1 = Series
|header1 = Series
|data2 = [[WBAI And NPR Playhouse]]
|data2 = [[WBAI And NPR Playhouse]]
|header3 = Original Broadcast Date
|header3 = Original Broadcast Date
|data4  = 11/29/[[1978]]
|data4  = 11/29/[[:Category:1978|1978]]
|header5  = Cast
|header5  = Cast
|data6  = Joe Frank
|data6  = Joe Frank
|header7 = Format
|header7 = Format
|data8 =  26 minutes
|data8 =  58 minutes
|header9 = Chronology
|header9 = Chronology
|label10= Preceded by:  
|label10= Preceded by:  
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''I work hard at my job.''
''I work hard at my job.''


'''Laughing Back - A Movie For Radio''' is a program produced by Joe Frank for [[WBAI And NPR Playhouse|NPR Playhouse]].  It was originally broadcast November 29, [[1978]], and was released as a monthly premium at [http://joefrank.com joefrank.com] in December 2004.
'''Laughing Back - A Movie For Radio''' is a program produced by Joe Frank for [[WBAI And NPR Playhouse|NPR Options]].  It was originally broadcast November 29, [[:Category:1978|1978]], and was released as a monthly premium at [http://joefrank.com joefrank.com] in December 2004.


== Synopsis ==
== Synopsis ==
This program features four Joe Frank stories.  The announcer begins by comparing hearing Joe's work to watching a movie.  
This program features several Joe Frank stories.  Mike Waters, the announcer, begins by comparing hearing Joe's work to watching a movie.  


*''The Night Watchman'' - the first person account of a night watchman who rises through the ranks of a company by inviting bosses to dinner and burying them in the back yard, only to find himself invited to dinner by the new night watchman.  
0:52: "The Night Watchman": the first person account of a night watchman who rises through the ranks of a company by inviting bosses to dinner, poisoning them, then burying them in the back yard. When Joe becomes the boss the new night watchman invites him to dinner.<ref>Joe tells a similar story in [[Lies]]</ref>


*''Caldwell'' - a fitness nut who dies while climbing stairs in a blackout has an out of body experience. He travels down a long dark tunnel and emerges into a festive dinner party attended by dead family members. They do the carnival dance.  
7:55: "A Time On The Beach": Joe describes his life on a beach in Curaçao; though a diabetic, he eats a chocolate gun.<ref name=emergency>Joe uses this segment in [[Emergency Room]]</ref>


*''Long Island Memories'' - Joe's childhood in Long Island.  A child is open to experiences: Lady bugs, frogs, turtles, butterflies, campfire, grandmother's hollow chocolate-filled cookies, being in the countryside with a dog, walking to meet his father's car on its return home.  It's thirty years later, the adult has dulled senses.  Joe runs out of gas in the country, experiences a vivid memory of childhood and imagines that his whole life has been a child's dream.
12:05: "Caldwell": a fitness nut who dies while climbing stairs in the 1977 blackout has an out of body experience. He travels down a long dark tunnel and emerges into a festive dinner party attended by dead family members. They do the carnival dance. Then he's resuscitated, to his regret.<ref name=emergency />


*''Beautiful Woman on Elevator'' - the often repeated experience of an awkward elevator ride beside attractive woman.
17:26: "Isn't it true that we continue to strive all our lives in order to find peace and fulfillment ... life is not a game you can win, but a game that has no end, and all you do is die somewhere in the middle of it."<ref>Joe uses this segment in [[He Hesitated]]</ref>
 
25:41: "Long Island Memories": Joe's childhood in Long Island.  A child is open to experiences: Lady bugs, frogs, turtles, butterflies, campfire, grandmother's hollow chocolate-filled cookies, being in the countryside with a dog, walking to meet his father's car on its return  home.<ref>Joe tells a similar story in [[Karma Memories]]</ref>
 
30:20: It's now almost 30 years later.  Joe's promoting rock concerts, is driving from Binghamton to Syracuse.  Because of the traffic on Route 81 he takes a country road, gets lost, runs out of gas, starts walking.  He sees a car approaching in the distance, remembers meeting his father's car coming home from work when he was a boy.  It's Murray Gwertzmann, director of A&R at Capitol Records, who had made the same mistake, picks Joe up in his limo; they celebrate with Dom Perignon.
 
33:59: "Beautiful Woman on Elevator": Joe's in an elevator with a beautiful woman; he fails to work up the nerve to talk to her. 'Hard Work' plays in the background.  Joe says this happens to him almost daily.<ref>Joe tells the same story in [[Five Part Dissonance]] and a similar story in [[Obsessions]]</ref>
 
53:54: "That was really wonderful, Alan - I've never heard it played quite that fast": a dispute between fast piano players.<ref>Joe uses this segment in [[Arena]] and [[Emergency Room]]</ref>


== Music ==
== Music ==
{{Banda (Cyril Jackson)}} <!-- apparent first appearance; also appears on numerous compilations like "Afro Drums" and "African Drums & Afro-Caribbean Grooves" -->
{{Music-Stub}}
{{Evensong (John Abercrombie)}}
{{Banda (Cyril Jackson)}} [Intro] <!-- also appears on numerous compilations like "Afro Drums" and "African Drums & Afro-Caribbean Grooves" -->
{{Hard Work (John Handy)}}
* Original music by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Peaslee Richard Peaslee] [8:14]
{{Evensong (John Abercrombie)}} [14:48]
{{All My Tomorrows (Frank Sinatra)}} [22:33] {{Unidentified|id=easy listening [29:17 & 32:51]}}
{{Hard Work (John Handy)}} [33:59]


== Shared material ==
== Shared material ==
* [[Lies]]  
* "The Night Watchman" shares some text with [[Lies]]. 
* [[Karma Memories]]
* "A Time On The Beach" and "Caldwell" appear in [[Emergency Room]]. 
* The striving/fulfillment/futility essay appears at the end of [[He Hesitated]].
* We hear another reference to Joe walking out to meet his father (Freddy) in [[Karma Memories]]. 
* "Beautiful Woman on Elevator" is not the same material as the elevator encounter in [[Obsessions]].
* The fastest piano players dispute appears in [[Arena]], [[Arena (Remix)]], and [[Emergency Room]].


== Miscellanea ==
== Miscellanea ==
*The Night Watchman shares some text with [[Lies]]. 
* About 16 minutes of the program is a distinct "Cartoon For Radio" segment by Mac Calhoun
*The Caldwell story appears in [[Emergency Room]]. 
* The background music to the elevator story ("Hard Work") is used often on Harry Shearer's ''Le Show.''   
*We hear another reference to Joe walking out to meet his father (Freddy) in Karma Memories. 
*The background music to the elevator story with the lyric "hard work" is used often on Harry Shearer's ''Le Show.''   
*Beautiful Woman on Elevator is not the same material as the elevator encounter in [[Obsessions]].
 
== Commentary ==
{{commentary}}
 
=== [[User:Spblat|Spblat]] ===
Night Watchman is an ironic and very funny monologue about rising up through the ranks by poisoning one's superiors. This is good stuff and a nice indication of what's to come in the Joe Frank canon.


== External links ==
== External links ==
* [https://soundcloud.com/thejoefrank/the-nightwatchman-extended The Nightwatchman] - extended version at [https://soundcloud.com/thejoefrank SoundCloud]
* [https://soundcloud.com/thejoefrank/the-nightwatchman-extended The Nightwatchman] - extended version at [https://soundcloud.com/thejoefrank SoundCloud]
* [https://www.worldcat.org/title/laughing-back-a-movie-for-radio/oclc/8236943/editions?referer=di&editionsView=true Worldcat]
* [https://www.worldcat.org/title/laughing-back-a-movie-for-radio/oclc/8236943/editions?referer=di&editionsView=true Worldcat]
== Footnotes ==


[[Category:Absurd_Monologue]]
[[Category:Absurd_Monologue]]

Revision as of 07:55, 14 August 2023

Laughing Back - A Movie For Radio [1]
Series
WBAI And NPR Playhouse
Original Broadcast Date
11/29/1978
Cast
Joe Frank
Format
58 minutes
Chronology
Preceded by: Jewish Blues
Followed by: An American Hero Workshop

I work hard at my job.

Laughing Back - A Movie For Radio is a program produced by Joe Frank for NPR Options. It was originally broadcast November 29, 1978, and was released as a monthly premium at joefrank.com in December 2004.

Synopsis

This program features several Joe Frank stories. Mike Waters, the announcer, begins by comparing hearing Joe's work to watching a movie.

0:52: "The Night Watchman": the first person account of a night watchman who rises through the ranks of a company by inviting bosses to dinner, poisoning them, then burying them in the back yard. When Joe becomes the boss the new night watchman invites him to dinner.[1]

7:55: "A Time On The Beach": Joe describes his life on a beach in Curaçao; though a diabetic, he eats a chocolate gun.[2]

12:05: "Caldwell": a fitness nut who dies while climbing stairs in the 1977 blackout has an out of body experience. He travels down a long dark tunnel and emerges into a festive dinner party attended by dead family members. They do the carnival dance. Then he's resuscitated, to his regret.[2]

17:26: "Isn't it true that we continue to strive all our lives in order to find peace and fulfillment ... life is not a game you can win, but a game that has no end, and all you do is die somewhere in the middle of it."[3]

25:41: "Long Island Memories": Joe's childhood in Long Island. A child is open to experiences: Lady bugs, frogs, turtles, butterflies, campfire, grandmother's hollow chocolate-filled cookies, being in the countryside with a dog, walking to meet his father's car on its return home.[4]

30:20: It's now almost 30 years later. Joe's promoting rock concerts, is driving from Binghamton to Syracuse. Because of the traffic on Route 81 he takes a country road, gets lost, runs out of gas, starts walking. He sees a car approaching in the distance, remembers meeting his father's car coming home from work when he was a boy. It's Murray Gwertzmann, director of A&R at Capitol Records, who had made the same mistake, picks Joe up in his limo; they celebrate with Dom Perignon.

33:59: "Beautiful Woman on Elevator": Joe's in an elevator with a beautiful woman; he fails to work up the nerve to talk to her. 'Hard Work' plays in the background. Joe says this happens to him almost daily.[5]

53:54: "That was really wonderful, Alan - I've never heard it played quite that fast": a dispute between fast piano players.[6]

Music

This is an incomplete record of the music in this program. If you can add more information, please do.

Shared material

  • "The Night Watchman" shares some text with Lies.
  • "A Time On The Beach" and "Caldwell" appear in Emergency Room.
  • The striving/fulfillment/futility essay appears at the end of He Hesitated.
  • We hear another reference to Joe walking out to meet his father (Freddy) in Karma Memories.
  • "Beautiful Woman on Elevator" is not the same material as the elevator encounter in Obsessions.
  • The fastest piano players dispute appears in Arena, Arena (Remix), and Emergency Room.

Miscellanea

  • About 16 minutes of the program is a distinct "Cartoon For Radio" segment by Mac Calhoun
  • The background music to the elevator story ("Hard Work") is used often on Harry Shearer's Le Show.

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Joe tells a similar story in Lies
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Joe uses this segment in Emergency Room
  3. ↑ Joe uses this segment in He Hesitated
  4. ↑ Joe tells a similar story in Karma Memories
  5. ↑ Joe tells the same story in Five Part Dissonance and a similar story in Obsessions
  6. ↑ Joe uses this segment in Arena and Emergency Room
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