BBC Star Kelly Monteith Re-Boot Interview & Comedy by Show #52b

I know you will enjoy the Holiday re-boot of a fun interview and comedy set by BBC Star Kelly Monteith. He had his own series in England for 6 years. Here in the US, he had a short lived CBS show and appeared several times on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Recently in 2019  he was "re-born' with "The Real Geezers of Beverly Hills-Adjacent" and had a couple movies as well. Great guy and funny comic...you will enjoy this!
Hosted by: R. Scott Edwards.

Transcript

Announcer: 0:04

This is another episode of stand up comedy, your host and emcee, celebrating 40 plus years on the fringe of show business, stories, interviews and comedy sets from the famous and not so famous. Here's your host and MC. Scott Edwards.

Scott Edwards: 0:22

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to This Week show and I have something fun for you. This gentleman, you'll recognize the name, he was a big TV star in the 70s. He was a huge star in the BBC. He's had a couple movies and has a TV show out right now. But let's talk a little comedy with our star today. Kelly Monteith. Wow, the crowds going crazy. Kelly, it's so great to hear your voice. We were just saying it's been about 32 years. But it Time flies, right?

Kelly Monteith: 0:57

It sure does. Man. I can't believe that was that long ago, it seems like yesterday, I remember the club so vividly and are working up there.

Scott Edwards: 1:04

Well, we had the pleasure of having you in the club a couple of times in the mid to late 80s. You were already quite a celebrity. I'd love to talk about your history and stand up comedy and how it led to television and movies. But I got to tell you, I had lunch with a very good friend of both of ours, Steve Bruner. And he said, Yeah, he said, one of my standard questions is how'd you get a start in comedy? He says you have a terrific story about how you ended up being a stand up comic?

Kelly Monteith: 1:38

Well, well, it's something I always wanted to do. But in the days that I started out, there was no comedy clubs, like the one you had. So it was just wherever you can get a job. This is where you work. And I started out in basically in strip clubs, the old strip clubs, not the kind you have today, where they're totally naked and work on a pole. These were, I guess, we would burlesque you know, they had wore pasties and G strings and Right, right. In fact, a lot of the clubs back in the 60s and 70s Stand up comedy was kind of a break for dancers or in jazz clubs for the jazz bands. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I did band breaks. And I would go up to between strippers and do a couple of minutes and then bring up the next one. And then sometimes, you know, they just take the bandwidth, take a break, and I'd have to do like 20 minutes or so.

Scott Edwards: 2:31

Well, talking about a great training ground, although those are tough audiences for a comic.

Kelly Monteith: 2:38

They were, they were, they were tough. But you learn how to survive up there. Basically, that was, that was, that was it, he really couldn't do. I mean, I've tried stuff out a little bit here and there. But for the most part, it was you just had to survive. Right and a lot of audience interaction as opposed to written comedy material, I'm assuming they probably didn't have enough patience to actually listen to a bit too long. Yeah, I didn't work with your audience too much, because they were pretty tough. So I didn't, I didn't want to bring him into the show. Because God knows what would happen if you did.You never knew I had. You know, at one time a guy came up on stage, he's gonna punch me and I had to deal with that. I didn't know until later on. waitresses told me she didn't like I was coming up on stage to punch you. But I guess he chickened out.

Scott Edwards: 3:27

That will Lucky for him or lucky for you. Who knows, right?

Kelly Monteith: 3:30

Yeah. And then I worked up in Duluth, Minnesota in the winter and used to get these guys are working in the open pit iron mines in Hibbing. They would come in and in, you know, this guy's their brains are frozen, basically. So I had to deal with those guys. And, you know, they would greet me with not too thrilled. I don't know what I can say on your show. Oh, no, you could say whatever. It's a podcast that goes out. So the point was that the audience is, unlike the comedy clubs of my day, as since the 1980s. Actually, it started a little bit in the late 70s, where people were going to the club to hear comedy. So there was an expectation in the entertainment. You were cutting your teeth, you're slightly older than me, you were cutting your teeth in the 70s. When you were not the point of the entertainment, you were the break between the strippers and the bands. And so the audience wasn't there to see or hear you. And so you would have to try to command their attention and command the stage, which is terribly difficult. Yeah, yeah. I had. I had, you know, I let people walk out and people throw stuff at me and the usual time on the circuit, but yeah, it was it was a learning experience. Actually, I shared that he was in the late 60s basically. So it was really a while ago,

Scott Edwards: 4:56

while you were actually working with your father before you got in The comedy right?

Kelly Monteith: 5:01

No, I was working with no, I started out in drama school. And then I, I started out working for comedy team in Vegas, and probably mid 60s. So I was around Vegas. In those days nice to see all the guys like shaky green and Don Rickles whenever they were big. Yeah, that'd be an amazing crowd to be around in the 60s. Oh, yeah, to go and watch him despite every night and I thought, God, I don't know if I'll ever be this good. Because those guys are so good to base. You guys turned out from there. It started out in Florida, and strip clubs, through an agency that I that I worked with when I was part of a team. And you get out of the business and I went on from there. So So Steve Bruner was pulling my leg he gave me a whole story about you and Phyllis Diller? Well, I did write some joker. That was my intro into the team that I was writing for in Vegas. So yeah, I did write some jokes for her. But only once. Only one time did I do that and based on that sale, that's how I started out. You know, that's how I got to Vegas working for this comedy team, then I stuck around there for almost a year, I guess. And I don't think I started the sun in that whole time.

Scott Edwards: 6:16

Well, I mean, just interacting with people like Sheki Green and Phyllis Diller in those days, even if just there being around them rubbed off on you a little or that in the fact in your case, writing a few jokes for Phyllis Diller. I mean, what a great opportunity to test the waters.

Kelly Monteith: 6:34

Yeah, yeah, it was. And, you know, I got a chance to see everybody in Vegas, you know, to just observe like, early Cosby, and I saw Carlin when he still wore a tie and a suit. Those were the days. Yeah, when he was opening, and I saw Oh, God, I saw just about every comic you could probably think of in those days, and really learned a lot, you know, just while you're watching it, but I knew the only way to learn comedy to do comedy, you have to do it, you have to get up there and do it. So that's basically what impelled me to, you know, to go to Florida and start out in this strip theater. And then I started working in strip clubs from there. But I knew I had to get out of those. I knew if I don't get out of these clubs, I'll be stuck because I saw guys that you know, that's what they worked their whole life in those strip clubs. And so then I auditioned for Playboy clubs, and I got on there and that was my first basically my first steady income. Well, working for the Playboy company would have been a quite a feather in your cap in those days. That was really when the entertainment of comedy was just starting to kind of get out of the strip clubs and get in more, you know, appearances on TV and in it get more in the mainstream. Right. Yeah, I mean, it's hard to say boy boy club was mainstream, but it really was back then in the 60s. It was it was and you know, it kind of gave you a chance to develop anonymously because they were private clubs, you know, they were key clubs. So rarely did you get occasionally you would get a review. And I got some pretty horrible ones. Oh my god. Terrible and, and, but it was okay. You know, you develop and you learn and you know, you kind of develop your own style and your own way of going.

Scott Edwards: 8:23

Did you get that from the I was just gonna interrupt and say did you get a chance to meet Hugh Hefner?

Kelly Monteith: 8:29

You know, I never did. Yeah, never met him. I was at the house once in Chicago. The mansion there but I never met him. He was out of town or, you know, fiddling around with somebody, I guess? Well, probably one of his other mansions. He had him all over the world. He did. Yeah. And he had that plane, you know, that private plane with the bunny on the tail. And yeah, but those clubs were they were, you know, I know Steve Martin thought they were soul destroying. But for me, they were you know, pleased to kind of develop and mature a little bit and, and not to mention that it was a first steady paycheck I had in the entire time I was in showbiz. So well. And it is important in comedy and in show business, when you get that first steady check, because much like commission sales, the income of an entertainer. You have to really learn financial control and be able to bank money because you're flush or broke. There's no steady. Oh man, I remember being in Chicago in the winter before it went to Duluth and I had I think I had like $30 left. And I didn't know what to do. I went to every agent in Chicago and I think I got an offer to be a Santa Claus. That was about the only offer

Scott Edwards: 9:50

but you would have been a damn funny Santa Claus.

Kelly Monteith: 9:56

Will you man, you know, I don't want to welcome About the best I can do at this point, but then I got a job in Duluth, and it saved me, you know, otherwise 30 bucks. I didn't know what I was going to do.

Scott Edwards: 10:07

Yeah, that's a scary time. What's interesting, our relationship when you came to work for me was really post a lot of your success. Didn't you have your own show in about 1975 76?

Kelly Monteith: 10:21

I did. I had a summer show on CBS, which I kind of liked to try and forget, but it really wasn't, you know, the people that wrote the show for me was they were all Carol Burnett, writers. And I'm not obviously Carol Burnett. So the show was kind of designed like a Carol Burnett Show just didn't fit me it wasn't, you know, we did a musical number and um, you know, that's, that's really not me.

Scott Edwards: 10:46

But yeah, that was kind of the standard. In those days, the more of a variety show, as opposed to a what later, the very popular thing for comics to go into were sitcoms, but in the 60s and 70s, comics were contained in variety shows doing skits, mostly right.

Kelly Monteith: 11:08

It was God awful, to be honest, pretty well, but that at least gave you a taste to show business because I know that you took your experiences from the stage and that show in 1976, that gave you a great opportunity. I'm not sure what happened in between, but I know you ended up doing six years on the BBC. Correct? Right, you know, because I had the idea for that for a show that I kind of wanted to do. So after that fiasco in 76, I next couple of years, I wrote this show that I was gonna try and sell here. And then I went to Britain and did a chat show because they were having American comedians come over just for something different. And I hit a nerve or something, I don't know. And then they have me back again the next year. And then the third year, they offered me to show and I had to show that I had written already that was going to try and sell here. And I said, Well, let's do this. And they said, Well, okay,

Scott Edwards: 12:05

well,

Kelly Monteith: 12:07

I broke the fourth wall. You know, I talked to the audience, and then I would take him into the, into the show.

Scott Edwards: 12:11

So yeah, I've seen a few episodes. And it was really fascinating, especially when, if you were to see that today in the 2002 1000s. It happened once in a while and a little more regular. But I imagined back in the late 70s. That was quite unique to stop and talk to the audience through the camera.

Kelly Monteith: 12:35

Oh, it was yeah, it was very different. It had been done. I think that Jackson, he did it and George Burns, but I kind of had a little different wrinkle on it. In fact, I've got a little thing that's on the Internet called Kelly Monteith BBC memories, where I show clips from the show and talk about what happens, you know, behind the scenes, and yeah,

Scott Edwards: 12:55

and I do recommend that if you haven't caught up with the history and you're not getting enough of Kelly Monteith, go to the website, Google him and there's some really funny stuff and interesting stuff. In fact, tell me if I'm right, Kelly, you were the first American comic stand up comic to get a show on the BBC, weren't you?

Kelly Monteith: 13:16

I was I was in it. You know, I'm from originally St. Louis, Missouri. So it's so weird to me that I ended up on BBC. I mean, you know, you aim for Burbank, and you hit London.

Scott Edwards: 13:30

Bad directions. But, as I mentioned, I've seen a few of the episodes. In fact, later in this podcast, I'm going to share a short bit of monologue and skit by you on the BBC. So the audience get a flavor for what you were doing. But you were very popular. The show had your name on it. You Yeah, you were on six years. That's no short time for a TV show. So you must have been fairly famous around London in those parts. And you want what's called a silver rose. Is that like the Emmy in London?

Kelly Monteith: 14:05

Well, it's the Montreux Television Festival that they show every year. And one episode from the first year was entered in and we came in second behind, not the Nine O'Clock News, which kind of ticked me off because they had like a whole list of writers and my show was just me and my co writer Neil Shan. So microwave. Wait, you know, it's just the two of us. We compete with 55 writers for God's sake. So I take it they got the gold rose, and you got the silver rose? They Yeah, they did. They did. But you know, I was kind of cool to be and the fact that the BBC would would, you know, take on American comedians and represent them?

Scott Edwards: 14:43

Well, they were recognizing you and acknowledging your talent and your success and is considering it was the first year. That's really a great opportunity to build on. What was it like being a celebrity in England?

Kelly Monteith: 14:57

It was very cool. It took a couple of years to to get any kind of recognition, but it was, it was a great, it's a great sort of recognition. You know, I didn't have people chasing me down the street like the Beatles would but I had drivers or the cab drivers to call up. Hey, Kelly, and you go, wow, hey, are you a restaurant? You know? So yeah, it was, it was very cool.

Scott Edwards: 15:20

Some of the trappings of being a star without any of the headaches,

Kelly Monteith: 15:24

very much so, exactly, very much so. And it was a very interesting period of my life, you know, for six years over there? Well, I just, I would just think going from, you know, doing stand up at strip joints and casinos and ending up having your own show, not only out of your home country, but to have that kind of success in a whole nother country had to have been quite an experience. And as far as I know, a very unique I can't think of anybody else that's done that. Now, that must have opened some doors back here in the US, though, once you are established. Well, you know, I originally wanted to take the show and bring it back over here. But nobody was doing that kind of show as far as opening, you know, breaking the fourth wall and all that. So I didn't get a chance to sell it back here as much as I wanted to. But you think it would have done well, at the time? I think so. I you know, it's different. I think shanling ended up doing a show like that. on Showtime. Same kind of a thing where he broke the fourth wall and targeting the audience. Right, right. very successfully. Yeah, yeah.

Scott Edwards: 16:36

Now, I know that after that in the 80s, and this was still before you work for me. You did do a couple Tonight Shows and you were getting some other guest spots here in America. Right. You were trying to reestablish yourself here. I'm assuming once you left the BBC.

Kelly Monteith: 16:53

Yeah. You know, before I went to England, I did a lot of tonight shows.

Scott Edwards: 16:59

Oh, even before?

Kelly Monteith: 17:00

Oh, yeah. And then when he left, you know, when I came back, he left and all the guys I knew like Leno and Letterman, and they wouldn't have me on. Really? Yeah. Why? No.

Scott Edwards: 17:14

\Leno wasn't very good at putting comics on. But Letterman would seem to be a little more open. I'm surprised that you ran into that they might have been a little envious of all your success.

Kelly Monteith: 17:24

Yeah, I don't know. It was very strange. I did eventually do a couple of Letterman's. And I did a couple of Leno's in the early days before when the show was kind of struggling in the beginning. And then when he got really popular, then he You're right. He didn't. He didn't really put a lot of comics on. I don't know why. But yeah.

Scott Edwards: 17:43

Now somewhere around that time you started doing stand up again. And I know that I was able to book you a couple times into my main showroom in old Sacramento. I don't know exactly what year because my memories have shot as well. But we do remember having you and you're doing very well. I'm sure that we booked you through an agency and knowing your experience and success on the BBC. I bet we paid a pretty penny to get you. You said you kind of remember coming up and you worked with Andy Kindler, you remembered.

Kelly Monteith: 18:16

I do I remember he was the middle and I closed and I do remember it. Yeah. And also Sacramento. It was a nice club as a good club that you had there. Well, thank you remember. Yeah. And you know, you had tons of people. I'm sure you had everybody in the business working up there at one time or another?

Scott Edwards: 18:34

Yeah, in the early 80s. We lucked out, you know, we got people before they were really famous Leno was one of them. Sagat Coulier, Carvey Seinfeld, just name dropping crazy, but getting Kelly Monteith was still something special. In fact, you might, you might relate to this a little bit. Right before he passed, I actually had Graham Chapman in the club. And for those that don't know, he was one of the stars of Monty Python, and who did movies and TV shows for years on the BBC. And it was, he was one of our heroes, and we were able to get him in. He only worked for the one time and sadly, literally months later, he passed away. But it was fascinating, listening to his stories as He hung out with the Rolling Stones or the Beatles or and I mean, he came up in that 60s 70s You know, 80s, but mostly 60s 70s rock star time, and that's when Monty Python was rocking it at the BBC. So he was already a celebrity hanging with other celebrities and just to sit and talk with him about those days was just fascinating. Oh, that's good. What did he do? Did he do stand up? Stand ups. It wasn't stand up per se. In fact, we actually had a few customers complain that they came out for a stand up comedy show and they didn't get it. But he had put together About a 40 minute monologue sharing stories about Monty Python, getting the movie holy grail done, which wasn't easy. You know, some of the stories with other celebrities, we felt it was extremely entertaining. The majority of the audience found it entertaining, but there wasn't per se jokes. And I think that some people that came to a comedy club kind of like we were talking about before expecting to hear jokes and material. They weren't really ready for Graham Chapman talking about his days of your but we just loved it. It was it was an honor. Man.

Kelly Monteith: 20:39

I would love to see I'm sure you must have had a lot of Monty Python fans come. I would love to see that, though. Yeah. And you know what, we made a big deal out of it. Just like we made a big deal out of you, Kelly, you were a big English star as far as Sacramento was concerned. Well, I don't think I can compete with Graham Chapman, but just to be mentioned in the same breath is pretty much an honor. Because I lovey'all.

Scott Edwards: 21:05

Yeah, we grew up with it and used to do some of the skits it was we still can throw out stuff. It's amazing. Now, explain to me without getting too detailed, but But how did you transition from stand up in comedy clubs in Vegas to doing the BBC show? And your own show here in the US briefly getting back into stand up? Was it kind of that to keep your legs in the water to kind of stay fresh, comedically speaking?

Kelly Monteith: 21:38

Yeah. And you know, things have changed a lot when I came back from from Britain, you know, in that in that six years, six, seven years, as you will know, you know how the comedy scene exploded over here. And there was a whole crop of new guys and women coming up. And actually, one thing I like about the comedy today, there's is the broadness of the women and ethnic groups and all these different people coming into comedy and a whole different slant on things, which I really enjoy, to see. And I think it's great. It's great for comedy.

Scott Edwards: 22:11

Yeah. And I think that you're making the point that when you left, comedy was still a sideshow to other entertainment. And when you came back, we were kind of the rock and roll of the, you know, what was hot in the 70s in rock'n'roll was hot and comedy in the 80s.

Kelly Monteith: 22:27

Oh, it was man, it was you remember how many comedy shows? Were on TV? You know, the stand up shows? Yeah, I had a couple of them.

Scott Edwards: 22:36

You really? Yeah. Just locally, but it was we had a short series with ABC and the NBC affiliate up here. And we did a one hour special onnc for Fox. But wow. But it didn't. But it was, you know, you had Evening at the Improv really got things going. But you know, before too long, there was six or seven, stand up comedy shows. And then we it was so interesting, Kelly, because we had to shift from saying, hey, come out and see stand up comedy. You've never seen it live before, to transitioning our marketing to Yeah, you can see it on TV for free, but it's better live. Yeah. Wow.

Kelly Monteith: 23:17

So you were right in the thick of that is the whole thing when he exploded, right?

Scott Edwards: 23:21

Oh, yeah, I gotta tell you, I lucked out. Kelly. I rode that wave. As long as I could. We we opened up our club in August of 1980. It was the 12th comedy club in the entire country in 1980. Yeah. And by 1983 or 85. There was one on every corner. Right,

Kelly Monteith: 23:41

right. That's right. Yeah, exactly. It didn't blow. Yeah, it was crazy. It was It was wild. You're right. It was like the rock and roll of that time, you know? Yeah. And now for you though, it had to open up some opportunities. Had you been writing all through this just to keep yummy. Does that what you enjoy the writing or the performing or both? We're both Yeah. Yeah. Sort of, uh, I don't really work with the crowd too much. I'm sort of, you know, I write it and then do it, you know, kind of, kind of a comedian, I guess. You know, along the lines of a Carlin or our prior was more spontaneous, I think than Carlin was pretty much, you know, rehearsed and scripted.

Scott Edwards: 24:26

Right. He didn't do interaction with the the audiences. He had stuff he had written, he wanted to get out. And he was a very talented writer and an edgy writer. And I think that was important for him to stay fresh and stay edgy. I thought of you after seeing your shows in the 70s. And kind of understanding how you worked and seeing your bits on the BBC, that you were a writer first because I know that I'm not sure what year it was. But then you wrote the movie, the lousy 10 grand

Kelly Monteith: 25:00

All right. I'm still paying for it by the way,

Scott Edwards: 25:04

what year? What year was that released? I think was about to 23 2003 2004. Right around there. So you, you wrote and directed it, didn't you? And you started I wrote, directed and produced it and financed it. Wow.

Kelly Monteith: 25:24

That was a stupid. Well, no, I'm not. I'm not sorry. I did it at all. I really

Scott Edwards: 25:31

I have. I haven't seen the whole movie, but I've seen bits and pieces. And it was very funny. And if you're in the podcast audience, be sure to go to your local search engine for movies and check out "Lousy 10 Grand" and a Lousy 10 grand with Kelly Monteith. It's very, very funny. A little raw, because you were doing it yourself. Not a big multimillion dollar production, but it's very funny.

Kelly Monteith: 25:57

I use my sister's house, and anything I could get, you know, I made props. Good Lord, I just put everything on that on that movie. But you know, I learned I learned pretty much, you know what it takes to make a movie. And I did another one actually called two hips in the room, which is also on amazon prime. So you can get that there. Oh, too hip for the room? I'll have to check that out. What's interesting, is that with your television experience, did you make an attempt to write for TV in the, let's say in the 90s? Or were you didn't? You didn't? I didn't. I had a chance to but you know, I'm not a room comic. You know, a lot of us guys, you get in a room in the writers room right now. In Sergio time. I'm not. I did that. Try that once. And I'm not that's not really my, my thing, you know? So I worked by myself mostly.

Scott Edwards: 26:57

But that led you to writing a movie there. That's no small task. I mean, congratulations.

Kelly Monteith: 27:05

Oh, well, thank you. Yeah. The second one to Too Hip for the Room. I wrote with the guy that produced it, that I worked with actually he was my cameraman on lousy 10 grand. And it's more of a drama than a comedy, some cuts from comedy. And it's more of a drama than, than anything?

Scott Edwards: 27:24

Well, I just find it fascinating that you took all your experiences and comedy. And as a writer, were able to come up with something is involved as a script, in this case to movie scripts, and get them produced whether you did them yourself or not. That's still there, out there. People can watch him, they're gonna outlive all of us. That's impressive. Something I always would have loved to have done and never took the risk. You did?

Kelly Monteith: 27:55

\Yeah, I thought, you know, I'm gonna I want to do this. Even if I have to do it myself. I had set myself I'm just gonna, I didn't wan t to, you know, be in a home someplace when I'm old and thinking, geez, you know, I wish I'd have done that. And so I thought I'm just gonna do it. So I did it. There it is. And as I said, I'm still paying for it. But that's okay.

Scott Edwards: 28:15

Well, congratulations, though. I mean, from an artistic side. And as a producer, which is what I the role I pretty much took on I was doing the TV shows, concerts and all the stage shows, I always wanted to do a movie, and never really got the opportunity to I didn't take that risk. So for me, my hat's off to you, because that is quite an undertaking. And for those of you that think, putting together a movie from scratch, meaning, you know, getting the actors doing the writing, shooting it, editing it, producing IT and marketing it. I mean, you really, really have to be committed. And congratulations. I think that's awesome. And you did it twice. So that's amazing.

Kelly Monteith: 28:59

Yeah. Hopefully they'll be a third time. But I bet this other show, you know, the easier show?

Scott Edwards: 29:06

Well, I was leading up to that. I wanted to let the audience know that right now there's a show out that you're starring and you wrote again, called the "Real Geezers of Beverly Hills -Adjacent".

Kelly Monteith: 29:18

Yeah, the real geezers of Beverly Hills, Jason.

Scott Edwards: 29:22

And I saw a couple episodes. And what's interesting is it's not a long format. They're short segments of a show that goes along the storyline. Right. Yeah, there's I think you're under 15 minutes. And you know, do back is entity plays my accountant. That's Bob do back when we heard him on the podcast a little bit earlier. Very funny comic. And you bring it as similar to your movies. You are self producing, right?

Kelly Monteith: 29:52

Yeah, yeah, we are. My friend Paul. Paul Bolden is the director and editor. And, you know, it's a, it's a one man kind of operation. You know, I learned it actually in the BBC, because you know, if you go to television shows, here in America, they have this huge crew and cast, you know, they have producers in the X and more producers in another producer associate. Over there. I had like two production assistants, and a girl that ran the office, and my producer director. That was it. And myself and Neil, who co wrote the show when we would cast it. And of course, we had, you know, costume people come in, but they worked for the BBC. Right.

Scott Edwards: 30:34

But I mean, what you're saying is, it's a much simpler setup. And that that's not only more affordable, but probably easier to get things done.

Kelly Monteith: 30:44

It is, you know, you don't need, you know, 50 people to do a show. I know, there's a lot more complicated over here, but because you got a lot more people to deal with. I never had the network breathing down my, my, my throat, trying to tell me what I can say and what I couldn't say there. They never said anything and never looked at the scripts, the BBC, they never did anything. Just go out and do what you do.

Scott Edwards: 31:05

What you do with that kind of freedom, though, leads to some great comedic opportunity. That must be great. Now for the geezers, the real geezers of Beverly Hills adjacent tele the podcast audience, what brought this about because I found it interesting. In fact, my wife loved your scene about always driving with your turn signal on just to piss people off. Because it's so true, right? So tell me the premise in where you're gonna take it?

Kelly Monteith: 31:38

Well, I want to do another series of it. And I'm gonna broaden it out. I mean, this one now, it's just kind of me, and maybe a couple other people. But I've had friends you know, that the comedian's that are around my age that are I would just be considered geezers. And I want to put them in it as well. So I've got some, you know, I'm gonna broaden out the storylines, because there was just me and trying to, you know, date as an older guy, and I had a couple of disasters and that, and yeah, I was just, you know, I just wanted to utilize my age, you know, to a degree instead of, you know, trying to get a part in a sitcom or something, I just thought I'd do this on my own. And, you know, in around my son's in it, so you got the younger generation there. You know, he's the, he's the millennial generation.

Scott Edwards: 32:29

Well, I thought it was, yeah, I thought it was really funny. And I was, thought it was admirable that you were able to not try to hide your age, or what you were going through, you're really showcasing it in a comedic fashion. For the pod. For the podcast listeners, there's one scene where you're trying to look a little more hip, and young, and you try on skinny jeans. And it's just hilarious, seeing you roll around on the carpet, you know, hour after hour trying to get them off after you couldn't get them on. But it's so true. I mean, what's interesting is, it's a real thing that when we're our age, and your your want to go out in feel young and active in Dayton stuff, these kinds of things, cross your mind and happen and you're able to not only write about it, but point out the absurdity and the comedy about it.

Kelly Monteith: 33:29

Exactly. And, you know, you know, I'm older than you, obviously. But you know, as well as I do, as you get older, you don't feel inside, you don't feel like you're older, you know, I don't feel like an old guy. I seem like I'm 40 or 35, or whatever, just the same kind of instinct in there. And the same kind of impulses that I still have, you know, so much comes across, I think you've done a good job writing, Kelly, because I think that you've hit the nail on the head in showing the audience through the real geezers of Beverly Hills, what it's like to be older and yet feel and want to live younger, right? And still do things, you know, still create and still work. You know, I'm no way I'm gonna retire. I wouldn't know what the hell I would do. Retired me as well. You know, I don't play golf. So, what's left, you know?

Scott Edwards: 34:25

Well, if you don't play golf, what's left is a lot of time, but that's true. Well, Kelly, you've had such an interesting career. Was there any good road stories you could share or anything that stands out that really helped determine your life as a stand up comic and where you got, you know, television shows and movies?

Kelly Monteith: 34:47

Wow, there's so me when I think back in this in the strip club days, I think those probably were a member I traveled for a while with a Puerto Rican stripper name. Cielito Lindo. I'll never forget that. She was crazy as hell he'd have to be. Yeah, you. And then I remember driving home to a stripper and cocktail waitress who got in a fight in my car fistfight I had. I was driving him a cocktail waitress and the stripper were in your car. You're like giving them a ride. And they decided to go off on each other. That's right. I was given a ride home. And they lived in Middletown, between Cincinnati and Dayton. And I was working in Dayton, at a place called a The Wayout Lounge with a girl that came out. And all she did was shake her tits to cozy coals, tops. And part one. Remember that?

Scott Edwards: 35:40

Well, now I'm visualizing it.

Kelly Monteith: 35:43

Oh, it was I now, artists must be down to her ankles by now. Because the way she shook her monkey must

Scott Edwards: 35:54

have held up.

Kelly Monteith: 35:55

They couldn't have no way no way in the world. But the crowd would go crazy. They thought it was the greatest thing that ever is all guys, you know, they're always taking their tits back and forth. That's it. That's all she did. Oh, that's funny. And remember the two girls?

Scott Edwards: 36:11

What were they fighting about?

Kelly Monteith: 36:13

Well, we had gone to a party at the owners house after the club closed. And I guess one girl was pissed off because she said something that offended her offended the other one and about the boss. And then she put this sermon in jeopardy. And I really didn't figure out what it was. But they started one was in the backseat, one on the front. They started wailing each other and you're driving, that's got to be awkward. I'm driving, it's rainy, and I'm on the interstate. And I finally got serious and I pulled over and I told them to get out open the door and the girl fell out in the mud on her back. And then I say Get in. I'll take it and she's now walking since you walked across the interstate. This is like four in the morning. And there's still traffic. So the other girl was cowering in the backseat. So I drove over to the gas station that was on the other side of the interstate, where she went to, to make a phone call. And I was looking at the phone call for a cab and her ex boyfriend happened to be driving by this big guy. He came in and slammed me up against the wall. He's gonna He's gonna kill Oh, did he think you were involved? Yeah, he thought he thought I pushed her something or whatever and worked her over. And this doesn't sound like a fun road story. It sounds like a scary event. Oh, it was horrible. And the other girl jumped in front of me between him and me pull out a knife and said he didn't do anything. And then she tried to explain what happened. So the guide takes the girl into the into the bay out there by the gas station and beat her up.

Scott Edwards: 37:52

Oh, you're kidding. Oh my god, this would be such a horrible position to be in. Terrible. Welcome to show business.

Kelly Monteith: 38:04

Exactly. Hey, I do comedy. What is it?

Scott Edwards: 38:08

Well, Kelly, thanks for sharing that story. And thanks for sharing in this interview, what an interesting career you've had. And for those that don't know the name Kelly Monteith, you got to google it and find out. He is a big celebrity, all the way back from the 70s through the geezers, the real geezers of Beverly Hills. Yeah, and I just, it's fascinating to chat after all these years. For my part of your whole life, it was very small, just a couple of weeks in the 80s, where we had the pleasure of having you on stage where you did a great job with the audiences. So thank you for that. And My pleasure, thank you. For all the years, you've entertained us through TV and movies. And the stuff you're doing today, I think is as funny as back in the day, but let's prove it to the audience. Kelly, if you're okay with this, I'm going to share with the audience a scene. So a monologue and a short scene from 1980, where one of your BBC shows and I think it'll give an audit the audience an opportunity to hear how you wrote and how you performed and what made you such a success. And thanks so much for doing this interview. My pleasure, Scott. Thank you. It's nice talking with you. And maybe from up in Sacramento, we can have lunch late. You and Steve. Well, you know what I'd like to do. I think we ought to get you me and Bob together in LA and do our comics roundtable. That would be a hoot. So, enjoy that. Yeah, yeah. Well, it seems a great guy. Mostly Brunner. Yeah. Well, we'll get them all together. Hey, ladies and gentlemen, sit back and enjoy some stand up comedy, a monologue from a BBC show and skip from 1980 of Kelly Monty Kelly, thanks so much for doing the interview. And thank you We'll be talking soon. Everybody do sit back and enjoy the comedy of Kelly. Monteith.

Kelly Monteith: 40:07

My wife just can't seem to understand how difficult and frustrating traveling for living can be in and out of planes, motel rooms, hotel rooms, I spent half my life in hotel rooms. You realized I once went four years without using a full size bar soap. To get those little miniature bars of soap, take a couple of showers and melt down break up into little pieces. And then it's an art taking a shower, you're going to cup your hand just write a piece of the soap don't get away from it. When they do, they're down the drain. And that's the only time to drain works in a hotel tub. Frustrating this isn't a bad room no see. Now when I first started out, I used to stay in some terrible places. The motels on the side of the highways in America just awful places always had great names. So I found that out worse the motel the better the name, or you stay in the Ritz be some awful place. The Regal in mice are leaving they can't handle it. Dirty for me. I stayed one place called the majestic gardens. There was a crack in the bathroom all over the plant growing out of it. Louisiana and never forget that. Of course it made no difference where it was because all the rooms looked like could be any place the rooms are always the same. There will be small, always tiny little rooms when we stop on a picture postcard of the motel underneath the picture of the room when she'd say actual size. That way, you know you walk into a tiny little room and she first thing sees the bed that sagged in the middle. This little thin cotton bedspread with the terrycloth balls in a row or five big cigarette burns in it. Always toe nail by the bedside to always picture the chambermaid putting a toenail or whatever equipment you had a bucket a mop and a bag of toenail there wasn't one people caught on to complain Hey, there's no toenail. Just walk around a bed and be wandering out there took me a long time to realize that's what the bedspread is for is designed to cover up this metal bed frame that jumps out see so that you don't see it when you walk around the bedroom bloodstain you can't tape it back on so you leave it there. Well, at least I'm going home tomorrow. That means I got pack hate to pack you know something you think become easier, the more you do it. But for all the years I've been packing, or sent packing whatever the case may be. I have never been able to pack the same way twice. Never. Sometimes I'll pack and everything fits just perfect. Just perfect. And a sack. Gotta remember that. So when I repack it'll fit the same way. But when I repack, it doesn't fit anymore. I can't figure it out. I haven't bought anything. What happens does a suitcase shrink? Or do my clothes swell? Oh drives me nuts. See, that's why I hate those old 50s movies. You know those old 50s movies, those Doris Day Debbie Reynolds kind of films where this wealthy sophisticated men would meet this young, innocent virginal type and he would take her on this fabulous trip around the world. And every scene you saw she had a different outfit on everything different outfit, and she was really happy to see in the sights, but when the time came for her to show him the sights, that's when all hell broke loose. I'm surprised at you Philip. I've hoped you'd be different but you're just like all the best interested in only one thing. You've taught me to believe your heart was in the heavens. While all the time your mind was in the gutter. But that me Philip? If you think that spending a measly 100,000 pounds on me entitles you to have your way with my body then you're wrong price my virginity I'm flying home. But can we talk this older? Look at that one suitcase 34 dresses 117 pair of shoes 16 ads to purchase handbags underwear scarves, makeup and 29 matching chastity belts all stuffed into one lousy suitcase with a kidney. I mean look at this. Look at his bag. There's holes to pair shoes and my shaving kit. This one here this is a forced suitor which holds for suits if your image is out coats and ties and hats and shirts and shoes and socks things that come in handy if you plan to walk around dress Oh, I admit I do take too much with me I really do I have yet to master the art of traveling like oh that's why I feel so sorry for those hotel porters you know those poor guys didn't have to pick my bags up. Now my jet tip them double one for each hernia. And I try and warn them but sometimes I forget usually with dire consequences.

Scott Edwards: 45:34

You enjoyed that. That was Kelly mon teeth from his 1980 BB see show that Kelly mon teeth show. And that was a bit of his monologue and then a short skit. And that's how his show worked. It was him talking to the audience breaking the fourth wall. And then they'd go into a little bit of a skit storyline and then he'd go back and forth. Talking to the audience. It was really unique different at that time. But we've seen it a lot since but he was very successful in England with that. And here in the US. He's had several shows several TV show appearances, produced and directed and written a couple movies. And now there's the new TV show the real geezers of Beverly Hills adjacent. If you get a chance, be sure to check it out. We want to thank Kelly for joining us today. We know you enjoy listening to the podcast. Thank you so much. We'll have another new show next Sunday. Bye.

Announcer: 46:35

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