Christmas Special on Letterman, July 9, 1982

The first of three Late Night Christmas shows, plus a follow-up the following week, with Barbara Gaines and Jude Brennan.

With guests Curtis Sliwa and the Guardian Angels; Jane Pauley; George Miller; and Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas, first as Bob and Doug McKenzie, then as themselves. Plus Pete Fatovich as Santa #1, Calvert DeForest as Santa #2, and Ed Subitzky as Santa #3.

The most memorable segment was, of course, Calvert reciting a Christmas tale in front of captive children. From a Q&A with Barbara Gaines in the long-defunct AOL Late Show Online site, February 7, 1997:

Q: One of our favorite moments from Late Night is when Calvert had to read "Twas The Night Before Christmas." Can you give the real behind-the-scenes story about what happened back then?

Barbara: The crazy thing is when the press department put out highlights from the last 15 years on television they included Calvert Deforest saying "Twas the Night Before Christmas." That kills me. The story is this:

It was July 9, 1982, and we'd only been on the air 5 months or so. It was our Christmas in July special. The Guardian Angels were on singing carols and we had this character, Ed Subitsky, as Santa. Stuff like that. Calvert was supposed to recite "Twas The Night Before Christmas" and give out gifts to a bunch of little kids. I put on the prop list that we needed a book. However, I was not specific as to what book. During rehearsal the book wasn't in yet so I just handed Calvert my script. Jude [Brennan], figuring I had ordered the book, didn't worry about it being on cue-cards.

That evening Calvert opens the book and it's a French catechism book, of course -- Kathleen [Ankers], the scenic designer, went and found a pretty book —- so Calvert says "Oui vey vous. Oh my God!" I laughed, but Jude came running out on the floor and said we're in trouble.

After the show, producer Barry Sand called us in his office and screamed at us, and Dave came by and said he thought it was really funny, so Barry had to stop yelling. But Dave said we had a choice: to tell the story of what happened on the air or be fired. So of course the following [show] we went on the air but they kept the lights down to protect the guilty, and then at the end of the segment, they put up Jude's and my resumes.

(Great thanks to -- who else -- C. Bay for the video.)

Видео Christmas Special on Letterman, July 9, 1982 канала Don Giller