Tony Clifton
Encyclopedia
Tony Clifton is a fictitious character created and often played by stand up comedian Andy Kaufman
in the late 1970s. Characteristic of the many elaborate hoaxes and practical jokes Kaufman concocted, Clifton was not exclusively played by Kaufman—others, mainly Bob Zmuda
, stepped into the role on occasion—enabling Kaufman and his accomplices to create an air of confusion as to whether Clifton was a real person or not.
, Kaufman's character on Taxi
).
antics while failing to appreciate the fact that Clifton was meant to be the comic antithesis of the typical lounge singer, a bland, genial entertainer designed to add a touch of class to a hotel and make guests feel welcome.
For a brief time, it was unclear to some that Clifton was not a real person. News programs interviewed Clifton as Kaufman's opening act, but the interviews invariably would turn ugly whenever Kaufman's name came up. Clifton claimed Kaufman was using his name "to go places." Actually, in many cases, Andy Kaufman played Clifton. Promoters who thought they had caught on to the joke would hire Clifton because he was cheaper than booking Kaufman. However, Kaufman had the last laugh, enlisting his brother Michael or his showbiz partner Bob Zmuda
to play the role, with Kaufman making unannounced appearances onstage during Clifton's act.
Rodney Dangerfield
was a big fan of Andy Kaufman's, and hired Clifton to open for him for two shows at Bill Graham
's famed Fillmore West
. After a disastrous first show, where Clifton took the stage with Tony Bennett
's famous "I Left My Heart in San Francisco
" and was summarily booed, he reappeared on the second night in riot gear amid a shower of rotten vegetables and other detritus.
Tony Clifton still makes occasional appearances, most notably in the days leading up to May 16, 2004, the twentieth anniversary of Kaufman's death. It was announced on May 16, 2008 that Comic Relief
, in recognition of the 24th anniversary of Andy Kaufman's departure, would present "The Return of Tony Clifton", with his Katrina Kiss My Ass Orchestra. The national tour kicked off June 27, 2008 at the Georgia Theatre
in Athens, Georgia
and will benefit Gulf Coast musicians, dancers, and singers affected by Hurricane Katrina
. Clifton fronted the Katrina Orchestra along with the Cliftonettes. Later dates included August 15 at Chicago's Chopin Theatre
. In 2011, Tony and his orchestra were featured headliners as part of the annual Hangout Music Festival in Gulf Shores, Alabama on May 21.
's Taxi
. However, Clifton appeared for rehearsals late, drunk, and with two prostitutes in tow. Clifton disrupted the rehearsal with his antics, leading Judd Hirsch
to call his agent and Jeff Conaway
to storm out in anger. The decision was made to fire Clifton, and Kaufman insisted it be done publicly, with security guards removing him from the soundstage by force. This incident is depicted in the biographical film Man on the Moon.
, where he was interviewed and sang a medley with the band. In 1982, Clifton also appeared on The Fabulous Miss Piggy Show as the host's "new discovery", although the other Muppets and host George Hamilton
remained skeptical of Clifton's talent.
Perhaps most infamous is Clifton's appearance on Dinah Shore
's daytime talk show Dinah & Friends
. Clifton arrived for the taping drunk and then pressured Shore in front of the studio audience to sing a duet with him although he had been previously told that she had a sore throat. Although Shore attempted to avoid the duet on air, politely declining Clifton's request, he persisted, accusing Shore of being unprofessional. Then, during a cooking segment with Shore and Charles Nelson Reilly
, Clifton dumped a pan of eggs
over Shore's head. This happened live on the air
and the show's producers quickly cut to a commercial as Clifton was escorted out of the studio. The tape of the incident was destroyed, although the moments leading up to it can be seen in the documentary Andy Kaufman's Really Big Show.
Recently, Clifton appeared on The Opie & Anthony Show
to promote a performance at Santo's Party House in New York City.
. However, the project was sidelined after the box office failure of Kaufman's first major motion picture Heartbeeps
, in which he co-starred with Bernadette Peters
as a robot who falls in love. In the screenplay Clifton dies at Cedar Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles from cancer. Five years later, Kaufman died at the same hospital from lung cancer. Some conspiracy-minded fans say that Kaufman was — with this screenplay — setting up what would be his greatest prank ever: faking his own death.
" acts, notably stand-up comedian Neil Hamburger
, singer/comedian Unknown Hinson
, and Canadian singer/comedian Corey Mystyshyn
. (Like Tony Clifton, these are both reportedly stage names.)
Andy Kaufman
Andrew Geoffrey "Andy" Kaufman was an American entertainer, actor and performance artist. While often referred to as a comedian, Kaufman did not consider himself one...
in the late 1970s. Characteristic of the many elaborate hoaxes and practical jokes Kaufman concocted, Clifton was not exclusively played by Kaufman—others, mainly Bob Zmuda
Bob Zmuda
Bob Zmuda is an American writer, comedian, producer and director best known as the sidekick, co-writer and friend of cult personality Andy Kaufman....
, stepped into the role on occasion—enabling Kaufman and his accomplices to create an air of confusion as to whether Clifton was a real person or not.
Origin
Tony Clifton was a real lounge singer whom Kaufman encountered in the International Hotel in Las Vegas. He was waiting for Elvis Presley to arrive so he could meet him. Kaufman saw Clifton as the antithesis of the sweet, gentle "Foreign Man" character he was best known for (which was later adapted into Latka GravasLatka Gravas
Latka Gravas is a fictional character on the television sitcom Taxi portrayed by Andy Kaufman. Latka was based on a character Kaufman created known as Foreign Man.-Foreign Man:...
, Kaufman's character on Taxi
Taxi (TV series)
Taxi was an American sitcom that originally aired from 1978 to 1982 on ABC and from 1982 to 1983 on NBC. The series, which won 18 Emmy Awards, including three for "Outstanding Comedy Series", focuses on the everyday lives of a handful of New York City taxi drivers and their abusive dispatcher...
).
Performance
Clifton was a staggeringly untalented lounge singer with a nasal, deliberately annoying singing voice. Clifton epitomized the washed-up showbiz casualty, a "star" too lazy to even bother to remember the lyrics to his songs. Clifton would often attempt to improvise comical lyrics that were intentionally unfunny before giving up entirely without seeming to care. Clifton also tended to randomly insult patrons, passing off the abuse as the "comedy" portion of his act. Adding to Clifton's annoying and unappealing presence was his tendency to rhyme various words at random in the middle of conversations. Many people misunderstood Kaufman's intent, focusing on the character's foul language and prima donnaPrima donna
Originally used in opera or Commedia dell'arte companies, "prima donna" is Italian for "first lady." The term was used to designate the leading female singer in the opera company, the person to whom the prime roles would be given. The prima donna was normally, but not necessarily, a soprano...
antics while failing to appreciate the fact that Clifton was meant to be the comic antithesis of the typical lounge singer, a bland, genial entertainer designed to add a touch of class to a hotel and make guests feel welcome.
For a brief time, it was unclear to some that Clifton was not a real person. News programs interviewed Clifton as Kaufman's opening act, but the interviews invariably would turn ugly whenever Kaufman's name came up. Clifton claimed Kaufman was using his name "to go places." Actually, in many cases, Andy Kaufman played Clifton. Promoters who thought they had caught on to the joke would hire Clifton because he was cheaper than booking Kaufman. However, Kaufman had the last laugh, enlisting his brother Michael or his showbiz partner Bob Zmuda
Bob Zmuda
Bob Zmuda is an American writer, comedian, producer and director best known as the sidekick, co-writer and friend of cult personality Andy Kaufman....
to play the role, with Kaufman making unannounced appearances onstage during Clifton's act.
Rodney Dangerfield
Rodney Dangerfield
Rodney Dangerfield , was an American comedian, and actor, known for the catchphrases "I don't get no respect!," "No respect, no respect at all... that's the story of my life" or "I get no respect, I tell ya" and his monologues on that theme...
was a big fan of Andy Kaufman's, and hired Clifton to open for him for two shows at Bill Graham
Bill Graham (promoter)
Bill Graham was an American impresario and rock concert promoter from the 1960s until his death.-Early life:...
's famed Fillmore West
Fillmore West
The Fillmore West was an historic music venue in San Francisco, California made famous by concert promoter Bill Graham. Named after Graham's original "Fillmore" location at the intersection of Fillmore Street and Geary Boulevard, it stood at Market Street and South Van Ness Avenue and was formerly...
. After a disastrous first show, where Clifton took the stage with Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....
's famous "I Left My Heart in San Francisco
I Left My Heart in San Francisco
"I Left My Heart in San Francisco" is a popular song, written in 1954 by George Cory and Douglass Cross, and best known as the signature song of Tony Bennett...
" and was summarily booed, he reappeared on the second night in riot gear amid a shower of rotten vegetables and other detritus.
Tony Clifton still makes occasional appearances, most notably in the days leading up to May 16, 2004, the twentieth anniversary of Kaufman's death. It was announced on May 16, 2008 that Comic Relief
Comic Relief
Comic Relief is an operating British charity, founded in 1985 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Lenny Henry in response to famine in Ethiopia. The highlight of Comic Relief's appeal is Red Nose Day, a biennial telethon held in March, alternating with sister project Sport Relief...
, in recognition of the 24th anniversary of Andy Kaufman's departure, would present "The Return of Tony Clifton", with his Katrina Kiss My Ass Orchestra. The national tour kicked off June 27, 2008 at the Georgia Theatre
Georgia Theatre
The Georgia Theatre is a prominent music venue in Athens, Georgia, located in an old cinema. Many prominent acts from the early music of Athens, Georgia performed at the Theatre, including a range of folk, popular and country acts. The Theatre is on the Athens Music History Walking Tour sponsored...
in Athens, Georgia
Athens, Georgia
Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
and will benefit Gulf Coast musicians, dancers, and singers affected by Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
. Clifton fronted the Katrina Orchestra along with the Cliftonettes. Later dates included August 15 at Chicago's Chopin Theatre
Chopin Theatre
Chopin Theatre is an American for-profit cultural organization located along Polonia Triangle in Wicker Park within the West Town community area of Chicago...
. In 2011, Tony and his orchestra were featured headliners as part of the annual Hangout Music Festival in Gulf Shores, Alabama on May 21.
Taxi
Clifton was hired to appear on an early episode of ABCAmerican Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Taxi
Taxi (TV series)
Taxi was an American sitcom that originally aired from 1978 to 1982 on ABC and from 1982 to 1983 on NBC. The series, which won 18 Emmy Awards, including three for "Outstanding Comedy Series", focuses on the everyday lives of a handful of New York City taxi drivers and their abusive dispatcher...
. However, Clifton appeared for rehearsals late, drunk, and with two prostitutes in tow. Clifton disrupted the rehearsal with his antics, leading Judd Hirsch
Judd Hirsch
Judd Hirsch is an American actor most known for playing Alex Rieger on the television comedy series Taxi, John Lacey on the NBC series Dear John, and Alan Eppes on the CBS series Numb3rs.-Early life and education:...
to call his agent and Jeff Conaway
Jeff Conaway
Jeffrey Charles William Michael "Jeff" Conaway was an American actor best known for his roles in the movie Grease and the US television series Taxi and Babylon 5. Conaway was featured on the first season of reality series Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew...
to storm out in anger. The decision was made to fire Clifton, and Kaufman insisted it be done publicly, with security guards removing him from the soundstage by force. This incident is depicted in the biographical film Man on the Moon.
Other appearances
Clifton (possibly played by Zmuda) appeared once on Late Night with David LettermanLate Night with David Letterman
Late Night with David Letterman is a nightly hour-long comedy talk show on NBC that was created and hosted by David Letterman. It premiered in 1982 as the first incarnation of the Late Night franchise and went off the air in 1993, after Letterman left NBC and moved to Late Show on CBS. Late Night...
, where he was interviewed and sang a medley with the band. In 1982, Clifton also appeared on The Fabulous Miss Piggy Show as the host's "new discovery", although the other Muppets and host George Hamilton
George Hamilton (actor)
George Stevens Hamilton is an American film and television actor.-Early life:Hamilton was the youngest son of bandleader George "Spike" Hamilton and his first wife, Ann Stevens . He was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and lived in Blytheville, Arkansas...
remained skeptical of Clifton's talent.
Perhaps most infamous is Clifton's appearance on Dinah Shore
Dinah Shore
Dinah Shore was an American singer, actress, and television personality...
's daytime talk show Dinah & Friends
Dinah!
Dinah! is a daytime talk show hosted by singer and actress Dinah Shore, which aired in American syndication markets through 20th Century Fox Television from its premiere on September 9, 1974 until the summer of 1980...
. Clifton arrived for the taping drunk and then pressured Shore in front of the studio audience to sing a duet with him although he had been previously told that she had a sore throat. Although Shore attempted to avoid the duet on air, politely declining Clifton's request, he persisted, accusing Shore of being unprofessional. Then, during a cooking segment with Shore and Charles Nelson Reilly
Charles Nelson Reilly
Charles Nelson Reilly was an American actor, comedian, director and drama teacher known for his comedic roles in theater, movies, children's television, animated cartoons, and as a panelist on the game show Match Game....
, Clifton dumped a pan of eggs
Egg (food)
Eggs are laid by females of many different species, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, and have probably been eaten by mankind for millennia. Bird and reptile eggs consist of a protective eggshell, albumen , and vitellus , contained within various thin membranes...
over Shore's head. This happened live on the air
Live television
Live television refers to a television production broadcast in real-time, as events happen, in the present. From the early days of television until about 1958, live television was used heavily, except for filmed shows such as I Love Lucy and Gunsmoke. Video tape did not exist until 1957...
and the show's producers quickly cut to a commercial as Clifton was escorted out of the studio. The tape of the incident was destroyed, although the moments leading up to it can be seen in the documentary Andy Kaufman's Really Big Show.
Recently, Clifton appeared on The Opie & Anthony Show
Opie and Anthony
Opie and Anthony are the hosts of The Opie & Anthony Show, a talk radio program airing in the United States and Canada on XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio. Since the merger of the two satellite companies, this is now called Sirius/XM...
to promote a performance at Santo's Party House in New York City.
Movie
Kaufman and Zmuda wrote a screenplay for a Tony Clifton biographyBiography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
. However, the project was sidelined after the box office failure of Kaufman's first major motion picture Heartbeeps
Heartbeeps
Heartbeeps is an American romantic sci-fi comedy film about two robots who fall in love and decide to strike out on their own. It was directed by Allan Arkush, and starred Andy Kaufman and Bernadette Peters as the robots...
, in which he co-starred with Bernadette Peters
Bernadette Peters
Bernadette Peters is an American actress, singer and children's book author from Ozone Park, Queens, New York. Over the course of a career that has spanned five decades, she has starred in musical theatre, films and television, as well as performing in solo concerts and recordings...
as a robot who falls in love. In the screenplay Clifton dies at Cedar Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles from cancer. Five years later, Kaufman died at the same hospital from lung cancer. Some conspiracy-minded fans say that Kaufman was — with this screenplay — setting up what would be his greatest prank ever: faking his own death.
Influence
Kaufman's Tony Clifton character has influenced other "anti-comedyAnti-humor
Anti-humor is a type of indirect humor that involves the joke-teller delivering something which is deliberately not funny, or lacking in intrinsic meaning. The audience is expecting something humorous, and when this does not happen, the irony itself is of comedic value. Anti-humor is also the basis...
" acts, notably stand-up comedian Neil Hamburger
Neil Hamburger
Neil Hamburger is a standup comedian character played by comedian and musician Gregg Turkington.-Style:Hamburger's live act, which is quite different from his many albums, features a barrage of question/answer jokes aimed often at celebrity targets, including Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, The Red...
, singer/comedian Unknown Hinson
Unknown Hinson
Stuart Daniel Baker, better known by his stage name, Unknown Hinson, is a comedic country musician, songwriter, and voice actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as the voice of Early Cuyler on the Adult Swim cartoon series Squidbillies....
, and Canadian singer/comedian Corey Mystyshyn
Corey Mystyshyn
Corey Mystyshyn was a Polish-born Canadian actor, comedian, theatre director, poet, playwright and political activist who is best known for hosting the Hamilton, Ontario TV show Big Top Talent in the early 1980s. He also had a cameo appearance in the movie Panic in the Wilderness...
. (Like Tony Clifton, these are both reportedly stage names.)