I was clearing page proofs the night his obituary was going to press – this was when we still had hard copy proofs, before it was all digital. I went up to the composing room and saw his obit at the top of the page, and at the bottom there was a big ad from a local travel shop featuring Hartmann luggage. Terrible coincidence.
So I talked to the composing room foreman to see if we could get the ad moved. He didn’t see it as a big deal, and I agreed – really, it wasn’t as bad as an obit of somebody who died in a ski accident running on the page with a ski shop ad – but I thought it would be more sensitive of us to move it. He said he’d talk to the metro editor, but I guess that didn’t have any effect, because the ad ran where it was. I don’t think anybody noticed but me; certainly we didn’t get any fallout. Maybe I just pick up on that kind of stuff.
I remember when I was in 5th grade and I heard that Freddy Prinze had killed himself. I was torn up for weeks, because he was (at the time) my absolute favorite comedian, and I couldn’t think of anything else in the world that could be better than being funny and being able to make people laugh.
I felt even more torn up when I heard about Phil Hartman. Again we lost another comic genius that had the talent and ability to cause laughter as easily as raising his eyebrows.
I never missed News Radio, not ever, (reruns, if not the actual new show for the week) because Bill would always be up to something-- something that only Phil could make seem both reasonable and completely insane at the same time . He walked the ledge sometimes, Phil did, but never fell off.
I have watched The Simpsons slowly go down the toilet overall, but if any of the shows had one of Phil’s characters in it, I knew that character was going to be funny (even if the rest of the show bit).
He was a master of timing and dialoge. I can’t remember how many times on News Radio when all he had to do was look at someone or make a face, and everything that needed to be said had just been said without a word being spoken.
God must still be holding his stomach and laughing since Phil got there.
Thanks for letting us borrow such a wonderful and talented person, but I wish you had let him stay here with us a bit longer.
He did a skit about this on SNL, where he had a breakdown on stage because even he had forgotten which persona was the real Phil Hartman. It was a joke and played for laughs, of course, but damn if it doesn’t sound depressing in hindsight.
I don’t remember that one. Are you sure you’re not thinking of the opening song during one of Steve Martin’s episodes? Phil sings a short verse about not hiding behind wigs and makeup anymore and letting his real persona shine through during the show - but Martin says he doesn’t think it’s a good idea and Hartman happily says “Okay!” and instantly forgets about it.
Sir, I’m now imagining Troy McClure in Batman Begins, Titanic, Star Wars Episode I and American Beauty, and I don’t know whether I should laugh or cry.
I vividly remember our office manager at the time coming into the office somewhat hysterical and telling us she had just heard on the radio that Phil Hartman had been found shot to death, possibly by his wife. We thought she was making up some elaborate hoax because it sounded too bizarre to believe. Unfortunately, she was right.
I miss him, too. I remember he did an uncanny Jack Benny impersonation.
