Carol Burnett: By the Time I Get to Phoenix

This evening, when watching TV with Liz, we happened across a 2013 replay of Carol Burnett, being awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.

Of the many movies and shows I recall, both from the television at my house and the one at my grandparents’ house… The Carol Burnett Show triggers some fond memories. I don’t recall a ton of specific skits, but her show greatly informed my sense of comedy – the voices, the slapstick, the exaggerated faces.

While we were watching, it was a pleasure to listen to Liz laugh. It’s rare for us to watch comedies, and to see a lot of Burnett’s best work on display… it was great to watch. And equally great to listen to Liz. The sound of my wife’s laughter is the most beautiful thing in the world to me.

One skit that was shown (which I don’t remember) was called “By the Time I Get to Phoenix.” There are several great moments, but the car horn part just had me in hysterics:

To me, the genius of the horn isn’t necessarily the timing. True, the engine stalls did lead up to the car horn. But the duration of the horn is what makes this sketch.

The first few seconds of the horn, you realize the stakes have increased. The car was stalling, and now the attempted fix has made things worse. But as the horn continues to blare… you notice that Burnett is still singing (although you can’t hear her).

As she continues to sing (and really gets into the song), the horn just keeps blaring. It goes on so long that it almost compels you to laugh. It’s such a fantastic, perfectly scripted bit of comedy – it’s making me smile, just remembering it.

I remember Burnett’s show as a childhood thing. And to me, it was as influential and as enjoyable as Sesame Street. What an amazing comedian she is, what an amazing career.

Related:
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work
Profiles of Hard-Working Comedians: Jerry Seinfeld and Martin Short
Jim Lehrer on Comedy