"Here come the judge" (1968); "Read the telephone directory" (1948)

Jonathan Lighter wuxxmupp2000 at YAHOO.COM
Sun Mar 13 23:06:09 UTC 2005


You know you're a geezer when :

. . . You first realize there are fully grown people who need to be told that Pigmeat Markham popularized "Here Come the Judge!" as a national catch-phrase on NBC's "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In" in 1968.  (Previously the same show had resurrected "Sock it to me!"  During the election, even Richard Nixon appeared for five seconds to say it.)

. . . You feel it necessary to point this realization out to others.

I never missed an episode. Not one.  The only other show that inspired such loyalty was "The Twilight Zone."

JL

Bapopik at AOL.COM wrote:
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Subject: "Here come the judge" (1968); "Read the telephone directory"
(1948)
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Fred Shapiro surely has something.
...
...
_New Albums Reflect Black Comics' Rise; The Rhythm Mode _
(http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=0&did=167465292&SrchMode=1&sid=1&Fmt=10&VInst=PROD&VType=PQ
D&RQT=309&VName=HNP&TS=1110752637&clientId=65882)
By Hollie I. West. The Washington Post, Times Herald (1959-1973).
Washington, D.C.: Aug 25, 1968. p. E2 (1 page)
...
_Black Comedians Enjoy Renaissance_
(http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=3&did=513146222&SrchMode=1&sid=2&Fmt=10&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=HNP&TS
=1110748810&clientId=65882)
HOLLIE I WEST. Los Angeles Times (1886-Current File). Los Angeles, Calif.:
Aug 30, 1968. p. E14 (1 page)
...
In the last five years there has been a meteoric rise in the careers fo
black comedians. No longer are Negro comics forced to perform only in ghetto
theaters and nightclubs. They are now saturating network television and the
country's top night spots with their appearances.
...
As a result, the humor of black people is being woven into the national
fabric more quickly than ever. The phrase "here come the judge" has become a
nation-wide expression.
....
The originateo of that phrase, Dewey [Pigmeat] Markham, is an old-line
comedian, dating back to the days of vaudeville, On the strength of several recent
television appearances, he is enjoying a good deal of currency.
...
_Raw Variety_
...
Although he credited with opening doors for the new generation of black
comedians, Markham will probably never have the popularity some of the younger
black comics enjoy because his humor is of the raw, gut variety. He uses the
language of the streets, but it is the language of a previous generation,
colored with shades of rural black America.
...
Markham does not use protest jokes. On the surface, one could not sense the
social rebellion in this country by listening to him. But his is not Uncle Tom
humor--it is black ghetto humor straight through.
...
Markham is represented by two new albums, "Backstage" (Chess LPS 1621),
which was recorded last November at Washington's Howard Theater, and "Here Come
the Judge" (Chess LPS 1523).
...
_Punch Lines_
...
The latter contains the comedians hit single record. Although it is currently
popular, it is not very funny on repeated listenings. Indeed, the lines are
dull the second tie around.
...
But Markham's other comments on our system of jurisprudence, such as "The
Trial," compensate for the dullness of the hit. These are filled withj excellent
punch lines and convey a vividly absurd notion of a judge.
(...)
Bill Cosby, of course, is the most famous and popular living black comedian.
He could probably read a baseball lineup and make us crack up.

(Didn't that used to be "read the telephone book"?--ed.)
...
...
...
_The Post Standard _
(http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Viewer.aspx?img=3vaM+qTkZ6GKID/6NLMW2ng5EdsWvp4x2+z1TSDMcQmSdmcq+GuVJ0IF+CsZYmrz) Wednesday,
September 23, 1987 _Syracuse,_
(http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search=city:syracuse+here+come+the+judge) _New York_
(http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search=state:new york+here+come+the+judge) ...in your
Funk and Wagnalls" and "HERE COME THE JUDGE." If TV shows have.....THE vague,
inept lecher, and Rowan was THE straight man. Rowan appeared as THE..
...
...
_Times _
(http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Viewer.aspx?img=MSL63G2EslCKID/6NLMW2pBoZql69NyrFXOXVeVwH3JZIjp2xnh7XEIF+CsZYmrz) Friday, November 01, 1968
_Hammond,_
(http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search=city:hammond+here+come+the+judge) _Indiana_
(http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Search.aspx?Search=state:indiana+here+come+the+judge)
...ty hot right now. I wrote Earl "HERE COME THE JUDGE" in 1928 when I was
doin.....walk out without paying he says 'HERE COME dull JUDGE.' "such an
erudite
...
...
Pg. 16C, col. 1:
EARL WILSON
_New Life for Pigmeat_
...
NEW YORK - "Man, that chicken liver's good!" PIgmeat Markham, who was born
Dewey Markham, said at a gfront table in Lindy's. "I have been eatin' Jewish
food for 40 years.
...
"This thing happened to me rather late in life," he said, "and I'm kinda
tired. I'm 65 now - will be in April, and one e thing I learn is that home's the
place to go to after work. Get to that bed and get some rest. That's the key
to bein' an old man, rest.
...
"Vacation? I don't see no spot for any.
...
"Because 'the Judge' is pretty hot right now. I write 'Here come the judge'
in 1928, when I doin' stock on the A;hambra. We kicked it around through
burleque.
...
"I did the judge on the Ed Sullivan show in 1847 when he had his program at
Maxim's Theater, 49th and 7th. Ed didn't have a sponsor then and didn't pay
much money, about $400 for five of us.
...
"ED COME to Harlem lookin' for me. I was in a hospital.
...
"I had a sketch. I'd see a ghost, and yell 'WOW' and go right through the
roof on a piano wire. The piano wire broke and I broke both my legs.
...
"I did the judge a lot of times for Ed. Sammy Davis saw me do it at the
Apollo. Sammy tells me one night he run out of words on TV and so he says 'Here
come duh judge.' The kids grabbed it and we (Col. 2--ed.) had 18 weeks on
Rowan & Martin, and Ed brought me back. I got 18 albums and they got me bringin'
a book out.
...
"I come here from Furham, N.C., off a little truck show. Now I live in the
Bronx with my wife and two children. I'm tryin' to get through college so I
keep to the grindstone.
...
"Funny thing about the beef blankets I use to bet the buy over the head
with. Pig bladders don't get the effect of the beef bladders. So you have to have
a connection to get them. The beef bladders I use are kosher. You don't have
to use kosher but it happens that the connections I got is kosher."
...
Pigmeat's a very serious gentleman as you can see. "I'm holdin' my money
tighter than ever," he said. "If a man threw it away now he's really a fool. Oh,
I threw away plenty in my younger days."

...
...
5. _Looking at Hollywood_
(http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=4&did=483626662&SrchMode=1&sid=3&Fmt=10&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=HNP&TS=11
10753806&clientId=65882)
Hedda Hopper. Chicago Daily Tribune (1872-1963). Chicago, Ill.: Mar 26,
1948. p. A9 (1 page)
...
The Lunts' performances are sheer magic, but they could read the telephone
directory and make it entertaining, John Hmableton, who saw the play with me,
said, "Every contract written in Hollywood should contain a clause that when
the Lunts come to town, the players must see them."
...
...
...
_Oskar Werner: How Humble Can You Get?_
(http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=7&did=90667343&SrchMode=1&sid=2&Fmt=10&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=HNP
&TS=1110753093&clientId=65882)
By REX REEDROME.. New York Times (1857-Current file). New York, N.Y.: Jun
2, 1968. p. D11 (1 page)
...
If I make a few more films now, I could come to New York and read the
telephone book.

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