What’s Fact and What’s Fiction in Saturday Night?

As a long-time SNL enthusiast and someone who has watched every episode multiple times, I can confidently say that the movie “Live From New York” does a commendable job of capturing the essence of those early years at Studio 8H. However, it’s important to remember that like any good sketch comedy, there’s a healthy dose of exaggeration and artistic liberty for dramatic effect.

The movie titled “Saturday Night,” directed by Jason Reitman, offers a dramatized account of the chaotic 90 minutes preceding the October 11th, 1975 premiere of Saturday Night Live. This movie can be described as an almost literal depiction of madness, with llamas, fire on stage, arguments, fights, tears, and copious amounts of fake blood. It’s astonishing that Lorne Michaels (portrayed by Gabriel LaBelle) made it through that night, let alone endured over five decades more of similar Saturday nights at Studio 8H. To verify the accuracy of this film’s key events, we compared it with a few definitive texts on SNL, such as Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller’s “Live From New York” and Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad’s “Saturday Night,” to determine what is historical fact, fictionalized account, or somewhere in between.

The movie suggests that, at the last moment, NBC executives considered replacing Saturday Night Live with a Johnny Carson rerun instead of airing it, due to its disastrous dress rehearsal. While this specific detail is dramatized, it’s true that there was uncertainty about whether the show would air and how George Carlin might perform, as he was known for his casual attire and explicit language. According to Live From New York, David Tebet, portrayed by Willem Dafoe in the film, was primarily concerned with Carlin’s behavior, rather than the future success of Saturday Night Live itself.

Initially hesitant about joining Saturday Night Live and appearing on television, John Belushi (portrayed by Matt Wood) initially declined to sign his contract. As depicted in the documentary Live From New York, it wasn’t until five minutes before the show was set to air that Belushi finally agreed to sign, only because Bernie Brillstein, who later became his manager, deceived him by claiming he had personally written the contract. Interestingly, Chevy Chase (played by Cory Michael Smith) also refused to sign a performer contract; instead, he signed one as a head writer.

In the early days of their collaboration, it seemed uncertain how Rosie Shuster, portrayed by Rachel Sennott, would be acknowledged for her writing contributions, particularly whether her credit should bear her last name or that of her partner. However, there’s no evidence suggesting this was a point of contention in ‘Live From New York’ or any other known sources; it appears that Shuster was consistently credited using her own name.

Dan Aykroyd, the Canadian comedian, was quite popular among many during his time on Saturday Night. He had a charming and humorous demeanor that made him stand out. During the making of the first episode and the early years of the show, Aykroyd dated both Shuster (who was still technically married to Michaels at the time) and Laraine Newman for a brief period. However, their relationship off-screen was more casual than how it was portrayed on Saturday Night. In Live From New York, Newman described him as “charming and impossible to resist,” which could explain why Dylan O’Brien was cast in the role of Aykroyd.

As a cinephile looking back, it seemed like Weekend Update was originally designed for Chevy Chase’s comedic genius. Lorne’s version of the segment, though, felt more like an improvisation, perhaps added for the movie to highlight just how hilarious Chase’s performances were – and let’s face it, he didn’t need any extra help to shine.

Milton Berle, often referred to as “Mr. Television,” was among the early hosts of Saturday Night Live in the 1970s. However, he was so difficult to work with that Lorne Michaels banned him for a long time afterward. Contrary to some portrayals, Berle didn’t lurk around Studio 8H, hoping the show would bomb on its premiere night. (In actuality, he flashed an SNL writer named Alan Zweibel during his stint as host, not Chevy Chase, contrary to what the movie suggests.)

The cast members were not keen on incorporating product endorsements into their performances during filming at Studio 8H, contrary to Michael’s wishes. Although the issue of product placement is not directly addressed in “Live From New York,” it appears that the original cast was generally open to participating in commercials. As producer Craig Killem put it, “Belushi did them because he needed the money, and urgently.

Among the sketches that eventually aired on the show during its first season included “Wolverines,” “Trojan Horse Home Security,” “The French Chef,” and bee costumes worn by the cast members. However, “Hard Hats” and some other elements such as showgirls, Abe Lincoln, and the llama were backstage jokes or running gags, not actual sketches that made it to air.

Garrett Morris grappled with finding his niche in the early SNL cast as detailed in “Live From New York”, since he hailed from the realm of theater rather than the underground comedy scene. This wasn’t so much a one-time crisis as it was an ongoing struggle to find his footing within the group.

As a movie critic, I’d rephrase it this way:

At a bar, Lorne Michaels came across and recruited Alan Zweibel, who was struggling with his comedy act.

In the early seasons of the show, Neil Levy, a relative of Michael’s (Andrew Barth Feldman), played a role in production. In the movie, he unintentionally overdid it with a particularly potent joint, leading him to become extremely high and fearful, causing him to lock himself in a room. However, this incident didn’t occur on the night of the film’s premiere as portrayed; it happened at another time. It was Aykroyd who showed kindness, managing to coax Levy out of his panic by sharing a few amusing anecdotes and lightening the mood.

2024-09-27 04:54

What’s Fact and What’s Fiction in Saturday Night?

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