#The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour

[kwebtv]

Terry Ann Garr (December 11, 1944 – October 29, 2024), known as Teri Garr.  Actress known for her comedic roles in film and television in the 1970s and 1980s, she often played women struggling to cope with the life-changing experiences of their husbands, children or boyfriends.

Garr's quick wit and charming banter made her a sought-after guest on late-night shows such as The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and Late Night with David Letterman. On television, she took a guest role as Phoebe Abbott in the sitcom Friends (1997–98). In 2002, Garr announced that she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, the symptoms of which had affected her ability to perform. She retired from acting in 2011 and died in 2024.

Early in 1968, she landed her first significant TV role, featured as secretary Roberta Lincoln in the Star Trek episode "Assignment: Earth", designed as a backdoor pilot episode for a new series that was not commissioned. "Star Trek was the first job where I had a fairly big (for me) speaking part," Garr related in her memoir, "I played Roberta Lincoln, a dippy secretary in a pink and orange costume with a very short skirt. Had the spin-off succeeded, I would have continued on as an earthling agent, working to preserve humanity. In a very short skirt." This led to her being, in her words, "cast as birdbrained lasses," in episodes of other TV shows

In 1972, she landed a regular role in The Ken Berry "WOW" Show, a summer replacement series. Afterward, she was a regular cast member on The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, dancing and acting in comedy sketches.

In the 1970s, Garr had a recurring role on McCloud, and appeared on M*A*S*H, The Bob Newhart Show, The Odd Couple, Maude, Barnaby Jones, and Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers. She hosted Saturday Night Live three times (in 1980, 1983, and 1985), and was a frequent visitor on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, appearing over 40 times.

Garr had several prominent dramatic roles on television in the 1980s, starring opposite Donald Sutherland in an adaptation of John Steinbeck's The Winter of Our Discontent (1983), in the parody miniseries Fresno (1986), and opposite Ellen Burstyn in an adaptation of the play Pack of Lies (1987), which earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Drama or Comedy Special. (Wikipedia)

IMDb Listing

[ambrose123four]

FASHION THINGS TO DRAW #8: CHER, circa 1970

[make-a-little-mischief]

Yes, yes I know you guys are just so enamored of my unbelievable sexy handsomeness and I get it...it's difficult to explain the how's and the why's and wherefore's of it all but I'd like to give it a try if I may...I shall now recite for you an epic poem recounting the age of Jerry (that's me) to shed some light on the subject of my incomparable seductive prowess...ladies and gentlemen, guard your libidos...

[stone-cold-groove]

Tom Jones and Cher.

[oldshowbiz]

The Sonny Comedy Revue (1974)

[hollywoodoutbreak]

In the 1970s, Cher was everywhere. Although her music partnership with Sonny Bono was fading, her solo career was taking off, with a string of hit singles. But while Sonny & Cher's run on the music charts was ending, the duo's run on television was just beginning. With The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour and The Sonny & Cher Show, they gave us six seasons of '70s-style television variety shows, filled with music, comedy, and Cher's ostentatious wardrobe (often courtesy of legendary designer Bob Mackie). And on her own, Cher had a two-season run of her own variety show. Between the various shows, she worked with some of the hottest stars of the day. One of the most memorable guest appearances came when The Jacksons visited her solo show, and she performed a medley of the group's hits, singing and dancing alongside Michael Jackson. As Cher makes the rounds promoting her new autobiography, Cher: The Memoir, Part One, we've been looking back at her career and the stories she's told us over the years. When it came to that famous performance with The Jacksons, she said a couple of memories stood out vividly for her.

Cher: The Memoir, Part One is available at Amazon and other book stores, and the audio edition is available on Audible. To see clips of the performance she mentions, visit Cher's official YouTube page.

[nearmidnightannex]

Just because ... a slightly odd blast from the past

The “Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour” had an interesting approach to some of the songs...

[hauntedjohnny]

rip sonny you wouldve loved the cher show

[ddejavvu]

eddie brock my sweet boyfriend ❤️ you definitely have to teach him how to properly cook cause all he fucking eats is frozen tater tot, chicken nuggets, and takeout.

“Ok now we need to boil water for the pasta”

“How do you do that?”

“???? Eddie????”

Venom greets you at the door to Eddie's apartment before you can even knock, his teeth glinting in the low light of the hallway. You're always uneasy about him being seen, but there's not much foot traffic this far down the hallway.

"The oven is on fire," He informs you, with the same grin that he usually uses to say 'Hello, sex kitten.' He'd heard the phrase in a comedy once, and has not given it up no matter how many times you and Eddie plead with him.

"The- what?" Your similar grin fades, and you shove your way past him into the apartment.

Eddie calls from the kitchen, "The oven is not on fire!" But there's a panicked edge to his voice that you presume means the oven is, in fact, on fire.

"Eddie." You gush when you're finally granted a clear view of the kitchen. The doorway had been blocking most of the counter space, but now that you're standing inside, amidst a cloud of barely-breathable smoke, you see a charred mass inside the oven that you can't believe was once food.

"What happened?" You ask, and you wish there was more conviction in your tone, but you can't muster it. You're dumbfounded, aghast, and perhaps flabbergasted as well.

"The lasagna I planned for tonight needed to be thawed," Eddie explains, and Venom, like the traitor he is, sticks by your side, suspended from Eddie's own by a thick tendril of black goo, "And I didn't know that. I didn't have a day to leave it out on the counter, but it said to cook it at 425 for- like, an hour or something, once it was thawed. So I just-"

"Eddie," You warn, as if you can change the fate of the story by stopping him from telling you the ending.

Of course, that's not how it works.

"I put it in there at a higher temperature. For a few hours, too, because there was still ice on the top. I dunno," He scrapes a tired hand over his scruffy face, "I just thought- I thought it would work."

"It doesn't work," You note sadly, "Um- okay. Well, we can't eat that, so shove it in a trash bag and throw it away."

You watch as Eddie deals with the charred mass of lasagna, probably still frozen solid on the inside. You chance a glance into his fridge and something sickly twists at your gut when you find eggs and ketchup. That's it.

A peek into his freezer reveals frozen tater tots. Of course.

"Okay," You huff, shoving your sleeves up your forearm, "We're having breakfast for dinner, Eddie. Turn the stove on."

You place a pan onto the stovetop, intent on cracking eggs into it, but when Eddie turns a knob to heat the glass surface, he chooses the wrong one, and a burner on the other side of the stove flares to life.

"Oh, Eddie." You hum, and he looks appropriately sheepish, "Okay, just- don't touch anything, and watch me."

"I can do that," He nods, and Venom comes to hover over your shoulder.

"Are those eggs from Sonny and Cher?" He asks, and you feel slightly chastised from his scrutiny.

"Uh- yeah, Venom. They are." Eddie nods, watching you with a cautious gaze.

"You said I was not allowed to eat babies," Venom's eyes narrow, milky white and slimy, at his host, "Have babies been on-limits this whole time? How could you not tell me!"

"No! No, Venom, no eating babies," You inform the symbiote, trying to calm his rage before it has a chance to truly begin, "Eddie, while I make dinner, you lay out the ground rules for baby consumption."

"Copy that," Eddie nods, taking on Venom's indignance with a steely gaze and squared shoulders, "Only chicken babies, bud. And only if they're still in the eggshell."

Venom responds to this new information by taking the egg from your hand, crunching it whole between his teeth, shell and all. You suppose that's exactly what he was told to do. Neither you nor Eddie can stop him in time, but when the symbiote decides that raw egg is not his favorite flavor, you're both stunned into stiff silence as you're covered with the goopy, spit-up remains of the egg.

"Chicken babies are disgusting!" Venom declares, gargling water from the sink that nearly breaks beneath his heavy hand, "I would much rather eat human babies."

[citizenscreen]

'The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour' debuted on CBS on August 1, 1971.

[goddessactuality]

A 12 year old boy in the 1930s found what looked like a “great lump of coal”, his family used it as a doorstop for a decade until his dad had “a little look at it.” This led to the realization it was the world’s largest black sapphire. After being faceted, the Black Star of Queensland is 733 carats.

[above] Cher holding the incredible Black Star of Queensland sapphire on a necklace in 1971 for the Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour.

[bayareabadboy]

Born In The Rock 12/11/1944: The late, great Teri Garr, comedic actress, movie star, go-go dancer on The T.A.M.I. Show, Shindig, Shivaree!, Hullabaloo, dancer in 6 Elvis flicks, featured player on Batman and Star Trek, The Monkees, The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, The Conversation, Young Frankenstein, Tootsie, Letterman, dozens of other film and TV appearances. She was nothing short of amazing.

[stone-cold-groove]

The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour depends on it - 1971.

[democracyunderground]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Teri Garr, the quirky comedy actor who rose from background dancer in Elvis Presley movies to co-star of such favorites as "Young Frankenstein" and "Tootsie," has died. She was 79.

Garr died Tuesday of multiple sclerosis “surrounded by family and friends,” said publicist Heidi Schaeffer. Garr battled other health problems in recent years and underwent an operation in January 2007 to repair an aneurysm.

Admirers took to social media in her honor, with writer-director Paul Feig calling her “truly one of my comedy heroes. I couldn’t have loved her more” and screenwriter Cinco Paul saying: “Never the star, but always shining. She made everything she was in better.”

The actor, who was sometimes credited as Terri, Terry or Terry Ann during her long career, seemed destined for show business from her childhood.

Her father was Eddie Garr, a well-known vaudeville comedian; her mother was Phyllis Lind, one of the original high-kicking Rockettes at New York's Radio City Music Hall. Their daughter began dance lessons at 6 and by 14 was dancing with the San Francisco and Los Angeles ballet companies.

She was 16 when she joined the road company of "West Side Story" in Los Angeles, and as early as 1963 she began appearing in bit parts in films.

She recalled in a 1988 interview how she won the "West Side Story" role. After being dropped from her first audition, she returned a day later in different clothes and was accepted.

From there, Garr found steady work dancing in movies, and she appeared in the chorus of nine Presley films, including "Viva Las Vegas," "Roustabout" and "Clambake."

She also appeared on numerous television shows, including “Star Trek,” “Dr. Kildare” and “Batman,” and was a featured dancer on the rock ‘n’ roll music show “Shindig,” the rock concert performance T.A.M.I. and a cast member of “The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour.”

Her big film break came as Gene Hackman’s girlfriend in 1974’s Francis Ford Coppola thriller “The Conversation.” That led to an interview with Mel Brooks, who said he would hire her for the role of Gene Wilder’s German lab assistant in 1974’s “Young Frankenstein” — if she could speak with a German accent.

“Cher had this German woman, Renata, making wigs, so I got the accent from her,” Garr once recalled.

The film established her as a talented comedy performer, with New Yorker film critic Pauline Kael proclaiming her “the funniest neurotic dizzy dame on the screen.”

Her big smile and off-center appeal helped land her roles in “Oh God!” opposite George Burns and John Denver, “Mr. Mom” (as Michael Keaton’s wife) and “Tootsie” in which she played the girlfriend who loses Dustin Hoffman to Jessica Lange and learns that he has dressed up as a woman to revive his career. (She also lost the supporting actress Oscar at that year’s Academy Awards to Lange.)

Although best known for comedy, Garr showed in such films as “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “The Black Stallion” and “The Escape Artist” that she could handle drama equally well.

“I would like to play ‘Norma Rae’ and ‘Sophie’s Choice,’ but I never got the chance,” she once said, adding she had become typecast as a comic actor.

She had a flair for spontaneous humor, often playing David Letterman’s foil during guest appearances on NBC’s “Late Night With David Letterman” early in its run.

Her appearances became so frequent, and the pair’s good-natured bickering so convincing, that for a time rumors cropped up that they were romantically involved. Years later, Letterman credited those early appearances with helping make the show a hit.

It was also during those years that Garr began to feel “a little beeping or ticking” in her right leg. It began in 1983 and eventually spread to her right arm as well, but she felt she could live with it. By 1999 the symptoms had become so severe that she consulted a doctor. The diagnosis: multiple sclerosis.

For three years Garr didn’t reveal her illness.

“I was afraid that I wouldn’t get work,” she explained in a 2003 interview. “People hear MS and think, ‘Oh, my God, the person has two days to live.’”

After going public, she became a spokesperson for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, making humorous speeches to gatherings in the U.S. and Canada.

“You have to find your center and roll with the punches because that’s a hard thing to do: to have people pity you,” she commented in 2005. “Just trying to explain to people that I’m OK is tiresome.”

She also continued to act, appearing on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “Greetings From Tucson,” “Life With Bonnie” and other TV shows. She also had a brief recurring role on “Friends” in the 1990s as Lisa Kudrow’s mother. After several failed romances, Garr married contractor John O’Neil in 1993. They adopted a daughter, Molly, before divorcing in 1996.

In her 2005 autobiography, “Speedbumps: Flooring It Through Hollywood,” Garr explained her decision not to discuss her age.

“My mother taught me that showbiz people never tell their real ages. She never revealed hers or my father’s,” she wrote.

She said she was born in Los Angeles, although most reference books list Lakewood, Ohio. As her father’s career waned, the family, including Teri’s two older brothers, lived with relatives in the Midwest and East.

The Garrs eventually moved back to California, settling in the San Fernando Valley, where Teri graduated from North Hollywood High School and studied speech and drama for two years at California State University, Northridge.

Garr recalled in 1988 what her father had told his children about pursuing a career in Hollywood.

“Don’t be in this business,” he told them. “It’s the lowest. It’s humiliating to people.”

Garr is survived by her daughter, Molly O’Neil, and a grandson, Tyryn.

(She was great in Martin Scorsese "After Hours" too.)

[oldshowbiz]

Canadian comedian Billy Van, a regular on the Hilarious House of Frightenstein, Party Game and the Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, was the commercial spokesman for Yonge Street formal wear store Syd Silver.

[donnahinkleystaceytroy]

Cher | 1972 “The Sonny And Cher Comedy Hour” Two Piece Velvet Ensemble

An original Bob Mackie two-piece floral silk velvet ensemble with beaded accents, both lined with black chiffon, worn by Cher twice on The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, once in season three, episode 22, air date September 29, 1972, performing "When The Sun Comes Out," and the second was the second season of The Sonny and Cher Show where they performed "Stepping Out."

A floral velvet two-piece in red, pink, and purple colorway with a black beaded and rhinestone surface design on the floral scaled floral pattern. The top is cropped at the bust and features bishop sleeves with fitted three-button cuffs, two buttons at the back, one at the neck, and one below the shoulders, creating a keyhole cut-out. The skirt has a drop waistline that begins above the hips and creates a column shape with a puddle hem at the front and a small train at the back. 

Bob Mackie and Cher have become one of the most incredible designer-muse symbiotic relationships of the 20th century. His nude illusion beaded, and rhinestone gowns have become a part of fashion's pantheon of designs in pop culture. In 2019, the Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition on Camp featured numerous Mackie Mackie designs from the 1970s and 80s. Designers like Donatella Versace, Alessandro Michelle, and Jeremy Scott were contemporary designers whose custom looks paid homage to original, sexy, and satirical Mackie's designs. 

Top: Bust About 32 inches (Open) Underbust 28 inches Skirt: Waist 28 inches (Drop Waist) Hips 33 inches Length About 52 inches (Measured from Centerback)

PROVENANCE From The Archives of Bob Mackie

https://bid.juliensauctions.com/lot-details/index/catalog/580/lot/246654/cher-1972-the-sonny-and-cher-comedy-hour-two-piece-velvet-ensemble