All
minus Bruce: The Higgins Boys and Gruber Show
(Comedy Central, 1989-90?)
Part
One-
[Dave H and Kevin sitting in the kitchen, Kevin has a guitar.]
Dave
H: How long have you been playing the guitar?
Kevin:
I can honestly say this is the first time I've even seen a guitar.
Dave
H: Really? So you've worked out a song? [gesturing towards
the guitar]
Kevin:
Yes.
Dave
H: Why don't you play it? I'd love to hear it.
Kevin:
[starts playing, singing] Sandy walks soft on the beach, her hair
so long she's out of reach [knocks over a cup with the guitar]
in the summer... Sandy is a girl I know [knocks over another cup]
Sandy where she goes I go Sandy in the summer... [pauses and says
to Dave] Sing with me!
Dave
H: Ssssss.... Ssssaaaan... [Kevin isn't singing]... Go ahead
and start me... and I'll...
Kevin:
[singing] Sandy walks soft on the beach her hair so long [knocks
over another cup, but has to lean over really far to do it] she's
out of reach in the summer...
Dave
H: [singing along a little bit behind Kevin]
Kevin:
[singing gets more intense, reaching a crescendo] Sandy goes where
they all go. She's in the air she's in the...[pause] flow... Saaaannnndyyyy!
Dave
H: [Still singing along, but obviously doesn't know the lyrics]
Kevin:
[straight-faced and soft, to Steve] I love you.
[Both Kevin and Dave look away awkwardly...]
Dave
H: Www..
[Fade out]
Part
Two-
[Mark, Dave, Kevin and Scott of the KITH and Steve and Dave Higgins
and Gruber sitting around the kitchen of their set, chatting.]
Dave:
And- [cringing when he realizes that the camera has started rolling]
Gruber:
Ah! We're on the air!
Dave
H: Ah, Higgins Boys and Gruber here with the Kids in the Hall.
All except Bruce.
Kevin:
Sorry.
Dave
H: That's alright. Uh.
Gruber:
What's he doing?
Dave:
That's uh.. none of your business.
[Gruber laughs- everyone talking at once]
Steve:
[to Mark] Do your Bruce hand-puppet thing.
Steve
and Kevin: Mark is doing Bruce.
Dave:
[pretending to interview Bruce] Where do you come up with the
idea for that cabbagehead thing?
Mark:
[holds up an oven mitt, and says in a funny voice] Oh don't talk
to me now, I have to go and shoot some supereight. [holds up a
plastic doll, blond in a red bikini] But Bruce, this is our manager,
but Bruce you have to go to the Higgins Boys and Gruber. [back
to the oven mitt] I can't, I can't. Why didn't you tell me? [the
oven mitt hits the doll over the head with a wooden rolling pin
repeatedly] I'm so mad at you. I'm so mad at you. [he raises the
doll] Ow, ow, ow. [the mitt starts hitting the doll again] I'm
so mad at you, you never told me about the Higgins Boys and Gruber
interview. [the doll leaves] Ow, ow, ow. [the ovenmitt says] Ok,
Norm, let's go.
Scott:
Our manager is Loni Anderson.
Dave:
Ya.
[fade out]
Part
Three-
[Dave, Mark, Kevin and Scott with HB+G hanging in the kitchen
on the set]
Dave
H: Higgins Boys and Gruber here with the Kids in the Hall,
having a fun time talking.
Scott:
Ya, ha ha, talking.
Dave:
This is like, the Comedy Gathering of the Century, isn't it?
Dave
H: It really is! People for a long time will be talking about
that-
Kevin:
The seven great comic minds of our generation...
Dave:
...remember that?
Kevin:
We could rule the world!
Dave
H: I am gonna be in Canada, with that sitcom I got coming
out, the Turner and Hooch thing.... (general hubbub)... Chris
??? is gonna be the chief executive.
Scott:
He did My Bodyguard
Dave:
And Vamp....
{A general incoherent hubbub about seemingly irrelevant movie
trivia that I can't figure out}
Dave
H: I got a question about... in doing films in Canada... where
do they find all those bad actors to play those small roles?
Dave:
Um...
Dave
H: I mean, good Canadian actors?
Dave:
They come from a pool of very very talented Canadian actors.
Scott:
A gene-pool.
Dave
H: My theory was always that these were the guys from the
local playhouse productions, you know community theater...
Steve:
Ya, I always thought they were government officials...
Dave
H: ...and it was like they're making a movie, come on!
Scott:
No, they're friends of ours.
Steve:
What?! We're sorry!
Kevin:
Have to admit they have great voices, though.
[They all nod.]
Kevin:
[exaggerated stage voice] Lucretious put that down!
Mark:
[same] What? You want paper towels?
Kevin:
[same] Then, you'll get paper towels!
Dave:
[same] Goddammit, man. This isn't my table!
Steve:
[same] What? Why- I never!
Dave
H: [pointing at Dave] You were the waiter in...
Dave:
Hmm?
Dave
H: You were the waiter in one of those films...
Dave:
Me? No I was the, I was the clerk in Three Men and a Baby.
Mark:
[singing in the background] Three Men and a Baby!
Dave:
... in the pharmacy...
Scott:
I'm the time-gate operator in Millenium...
Dave
H: [to audience] Wo, watch out for those...
Kevin:
In your local videostore [mumble]...
Dave:
I'm the guy, ya. I say, "Down and three aisles over," in the pharmacy
to Tom Selleck.
Scott:
Very electrifying (?)
Steve:
What was Steve Gutenberg doing in that movie?
Scott:
He hasn't been in any movie since Diner.
Steve:
We have a bust of Steve Gutenberg in our office.
Scott:
Really?
Steve:
Ya.
Scott:
Maybe it's sort of like uh... what do you call it?
Steve:
God of Luck, we call it.
Scott:
No... Maybe the bust is where his talent is, just like the Oscar
Wilde story, you know what I mean?
Dave
H: Picture of Dorian Grey.
Scott:
Dorian Grey. Maybe you should smash that...
Dave
H: Not that I know A LOT about Oscar Wilde...
Scott:
before it's too late... because...
Steve:
[to Dave H] You know a little too much about Oscar Wilde...
Scott:
[patting Dave H on the shoulder] Ya- you do.
Dave:
Yep.
Scott:
[looking around at all of them] So you're all straight, eh?
Dave:
[to camera, waving a limp hand] Well yah, Scott's quite a reader.
[Kevin and Scott join in with limp hands]
Dave:
Scott really likes to read.
Kevin:
Scott knows how to read a good book.
Scott:
I like poetry... And the Bard.
Steve:
Judy Garland novels? Who likes Judy Garland novels?
[general agreement]
Steve:
Well, we'll back. We're gonna arrange some fresh cut flowers here.
We'll be back after this clip from the Kids in the Hall.
Scott:
That was a fag crack!
[fade out]
Part
Four-
[Gruber and Dave alone in the kitchen having an intimate chat.]
Gruber:
You strike me as the... smarter one in the group.
Dave:
[nodding and smiling] A fairly common perception.
Gruber:
Ya, you were gonna say misconception, weren't ya?
Dave:
[laughing] No. No.
Gruber:
I was wondering if you could uh, [sigh] tell me, see cuz I watch
the shows and I think, wow- they're from Canada.
Dave:
[nodding in understanding] Ya.
Gruber:
You know, like produced in Canada and stuff...
Dave:
Ya. Which alone is pretty impressive.
Gruber:
Ya! I mean, cuz it's like, you know, Canada. And it's big.
Dave:
[nodding in understanding again] Ya, everything's harder in Canada.
Gruber:
Um... What I was wondering, you probably go to hockey games all
the time?
Dave:
[Smiling] Ya, oh ya.
Gruber:
Do ya?
Dave:
Oh ya.
Gruber:
Ya? Season tickets, and all that?
Dave:
Ya. Mister Maple Leaf! [big smile]
Gruber:
Then you probably know what a zamboni is, then, right?
Dave:
Well, ya. [modest smile]
Gruber:
How did it get the name? I mean, every... every... they come out
and... the ice is all... it's a zamboni, how did they get that
name?
Dave:
Uh... it's named after uh... Louie Zamboni... who was uh... sort
of a trailblazer in Canada.. sort of uh... almost a Canadian folk
hero.
Gruber:
Really? Was it Louie, like he was a French Canadian or...?
Dave:
Ha? No, just Louie..
Gruber:
Oh.
Dave:
He wasn't french, although... He was just Louie Zamboni.
Gruber:
Aha.
Dave:
Louis, people would call him Louie.
Gruber:
Oh. Right! Right.
Dave:
And uh... he was uh... he was the first to open the Northwest
Passage in the winter.
Gruber:
[surprised] Really? Come on, like Saint Louis..??
Dave:
Ya. Ya.
Gruber:
Get out of here!
Dave:
Ya! He was the first to traverse it during the winter.
Gruber:
And then... from there... he went on to make a huge machine!
Dave:
Ya.
Gruber:
[shaking his head] That makes so much sense now.
Dave:
That made it much easier for uh.. for it to become eventually
peopled by the people of Canada.
Gruber:
[fully understanding now] Who are hockey players!
[Dave smiles and nods]
Gruber:
[to audience] That clears it up! Well, we'll be back!
[Dave still smiling and nodding, breaks into a snort/smirk as
the scene fades out]
Part
Five-
[Mark and Steve smoking in the kitchen with a huge ashtray full
of lit cigarettes.]
Mark:
[exhales] Boy.
Steve:
[exhales] That's good.
Mark:
That's good. Ya like smoking?
Steve:
Oh, I love smoking.
Mark:
Ya, me too. [picks up a second lit cigarette]
Steve:
Ya like coffee?
Mark:
[snorts] Get out of town with a question like that sir!
Steve:
[laughs] Knew you did, I could tell.
Mark:
[picks up a third lit cigarette, he now has three in his hands,
clears his throat] The thing I like about smoking, it's uh ...
it's the challenge.
Steve:
Ya.
Mark:
Ya.
Steve:
You see, my theory is... One lung collapses- cut down.
Mark:
[he has picked up a fourth cigarette by now] Ya.
Steve:
Two- quit for a week.
Mark:
Quit for a week. Mmm-hm. [puts two lit cigarettes in his mouth
and inhales] Wish I could do smoke rings.
Steve:
You can't?
Mark:
Ya, I can. Wish I could do them now.
Steve:
You can't?
Mark:
I can. Watch. [Inhales, blows out two smoke rings] Boy, that's
comedy. [chuckles]
Steve:
[nodding and smiling] Nothing funnier than a smoke.
[They both start laughing loudly, then coughing and hacking]
Steve:
[still coughing] We'll be, we'll be.... We'll be right back.
[Fade out]
Part
Six-
[Scott and Steve in the kitchen having a reunion.]
Steve:
I can't believe you've done so well!
Scott:
I know, I can't either.
Steve:
How's your mom?
Scott:
Pretty good, pretty good. She says hello.
Steve:
Oh, how is she?
Scott:
She- she's pretty good. She really misses your "tenor" voice.
[makes quotation marks with his hands]
Steve:
[shaking his head] Oh ho ho... That was lovely!
Scott:
Ya, cuz it's amazing that we uh met, what, how many years ago
was it?
Steve:
`77... Thirteen years ago.
Scott:
Thirteen years ago on the choir tour.
Steve:
Yes.
Scott:
That's right. You... I was at my spin art booth...
Steve:
Yes.
Scott:
And you came by.. And you bought some spin art.
Steve:
With a butter cow.
Scott:
Ya. And you bought some from me. And then-
Steve:
[points off camera] There it is on the fridge.
Scott:
[points in same direction] And there it is right there. And then
I went and showed you my prize-winning calf. You had some of my
pie.
Steve:
That was the best pie I've ever had.
Scott:
Thank you! I learned that from my mum.
Steve:
Did you really?
Scott:
Ya, and she actually sent a piece down for you. But I left it
in my hotel room.
Steve:
Oh... I'm gonna have to come up there.
Scott:
Ya.
Steve:
I remember when we went up to Newfoundland.
Scott:
That was nice. Ya.
Steve:
On vacation, that was the best vacation I've ever...
Scott:
Ya. We were there and back in half an hour.
Steve:
That was the greatest thing about it.
Scott:
That was... I couldn't believe that in the Midwest that people
could do that.
Steve:
That's funny, because your dad did not stop. But when we got out
the entire car smelled like urine.
[They both laugh]
Scott:
That's true, isn't it?
Steve:
Woo! Oh!
Scott:
Well that's because you put like a hole in his bag.
Steve:
Ya, that was the worst part about it.
Scott:
Ya.
Steve:
And to find the bags that match the shoes.
Scott:
Well, I should have told you that he had a colostomy.
Steve:
I didn't know. I felt like an idiot then after that.
Scott:
Ya.. Well you just don't expect that.
Steve:
I mean especially when I was making all those jokes. Now-
Scott:
[laughs] I know!
Steve:
I think, what an idiot. I'm glad you got back together on that.(?)
Scott:
[nodding] Ya, but- congratulations you're doing really well, now.
Steve:
And you, too. We watch your show all the time.
Scott:
We watch yours all the time, too.
Steve:
Aw... Get...
Scott:
Ya, it's true.
Steve:
I love it... when you... [wipes at his eyes]
Scott:
[softly] Ah, you're a mess, eh? (?)
[Steve reaches out to hug Scott, who leans in, they start sobbing
and rocking back and forth]
Scott:
[In a dramatic and vulnerable voice] Hold me! Hold me!
[fade out]
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