"Star of the BBC" Kelly Monteith Interview & Set Show #52

A nice interview with Kelly Monteith, star of his own late 70's show for 6 years on the BBC, a writer/producer of TV shows, Movies, and more! Currently airing "Real Geezers of Beverly Hills-Adjacent", a show about an older comic...go figure. Very funny, and when you hear about his comedy path, you'll understand why he keeps going. From Strip clubs & Playboy mansion to BBC Star & Movie Producer...he has done it all!
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 emcee Scott and words.

Scott Edwards: 0:22

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to this week's 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 Monty. Hey. 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 working up there.

Scott Edwards: 1:04

Well, we had the pleasure of having you in the club a couple 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, You know, one of my standard questions is How did 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 um, 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 your 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 work on a pole. These were, I guess, we would to burlesque you know, they had more pastries and J strings. And

Scott Edwards: 2:05

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.

Kelly Monteith: 2:17

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I did band breaks. And I would go up between strippers and do a couple of minutes and then bring up the next one. And then sometimes, you know, they just take the band, we take a break. And I'd have to do like 20 minutes or so.

Scott Edwards: 2:31

Well talk about a great training ground. Although those are tough audiences for a comic.

Kelly Monteith: 2:38

They were they work, they were tough. But you learn how to survive up there. Basically, that was it, you 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.

Scott Edwards: 2:54

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.

Kelly Monteith: 3:04

Yeah, I didn't work with the 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 till later on. This waitress just told me like I was coming up on stage to punch you. But I guess he chickened out.

Scott Edwards: 3:27

That Well, 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 you 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 thrilling. I don't know what I can say on your show.

Scott Edwards: 3:52

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.

Kelly Monteith: 4:35

Yeah, yeah. I had. I had, you know, I'd let people walk out and people throw stuff at me and the usual joyous time on the circuit, but yeah, it was it was a learning experience. Actually, I shared that it was in the late 60s basically. So it was really a while ago.

Scott Edwards: 4:56

Well, 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 Chicky green and Don Rickles whenever they were big.

Scott Edwards: 5:21

Yeah, that'd be an amazing crowd to be around in the 60s.

Kelly Monteith: 5:25

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. So basically, I started out from there started out in Florida, and strip clubs, through an agency that I that I worked with when I was part of a team. And he got out of the business and I went on from there.

Scott Edwards: 5:43

So So Steve Bruner was pulling my leg he gave me a whole story about you and Phyllis Diller?

Kelly Monteith: 5:50

Well, I did write some jokes. Her 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 song the whole time.

Scott Edwards: 6:16

Well, I mean, just interacting with people like Checky, 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 watching. But I knew the only way to learn comedy to do comedy, you have to do it, get up there and do it. So that's basically what impelled me to, you know, to go to Florida and start out in a strip theater. And then I started working 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 a strip club. And so then I auditioned for the Playboy clubs, and I got on there. And that was my first basically my first steady income.

Scott Edwards: 7:30

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 get more in the mainstream. Right. Yeah, I mean, it's hard to say the Playboy Club was mainstream, but it really was back then in the 60s.

Kelly Monteith: 7:57

It was it was and you know, kind of give 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. 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 me? I'm just 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. fiddling around with somebody, I

Scott Edwards: 8:42

guess. Well, probably one of his other mansions. He had him all over the world.

Kelly Monteith: 8:46

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, place to kind of develop and mature a little bit and, and not to mention that it was the first steady paycheck I had in the entire time. I was in showbiz.

Scott Edwards: 9:07

So well, 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 flusher broke. There's no steady

Kelly Monteith: 9:31

Oh man, I remember being in Chicago in the winter. Before I went to Duluth and I had I think I had like $30 left. And I 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. Well, you

Kelly Monteith: 9:57

know, I don't want to 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, you did a musical number. And, you know, that's, that's really not me. But

Scott Edwards: 10:46

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

Kelly Monteith: 11:07

It was, it was God awful, to be honest, really

Scott Edwards: 11:11

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?

Kelly Monteith: 11:30

Right, you know, because I had the idea for that for a show that I kind of wanted to do. So after that fiasco and 76 I next couple of years, I wrote this show that I was going to 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, well, I broke the fourth wall. You know, I talked to the audience, and then I would take them into the, into the shows. So

Scott Edwards: 12:12

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 to the camera.

Kelly Monteith: 12:35

Oh, it was yeah, it was very different. It had been done. I think that Jacqueline, 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 BB Kelly Matisse BBC memories where I show clips from the show and talk about what happens, you know, behind the scenes, and

Scott Edwards: 12:54

yeah, 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 comics stand up comic to get a show on the BBC, weren't you?

Kelly Monteith: 13:16

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

Scott Edwards: 13:30

Bad directions. Yeah. 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 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 I feel a weight. You know, it's just the two of us. And we compete with 55 writers for God's sake.

Scott Edwards: 14:31

So I take it they got the gold rose, and you got the silver rose

Kelly Monteith: 14:34

date? 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 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 and the fabric off. Hey, Kelly, and you go, wow, hey, don't worry. You get a nice day from 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 like,

Scott Edwards: 15:34

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 and a whole nother country had to have been quite an experience. And as far as I know, 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.

Kelly Monteith: 16:03

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, the 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

Scott Edwards: 16:18

you think it would have done well, at the time?

Kelly Monteith: 16:21

I think so. I you know, it was different. I think Shandling ended up doing a show like that on Showtime. Same kind of thing where he broke the fourth wall in the audience.

Scott Edwards: 16:32

Right. Right. very successfully. Yeah, yeah. 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 you did? Oh, even before. Oh, yeah. And then when he left, you know, when I came back, he left and all the guys I do like Leno and Letterman, and they wouldn't have me on.

Scott Edwards: 17:10

Really? Yeah. Why? No. 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 Atlanta'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. Now

Scott Edwards: 17:43

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 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 and I closed and I do remember it. Yeah. And also Sacramento. Yeah. Was a nice club. isn't a good club that you had there? Well, thank you remember. Yeah. And you know, you had, you know, 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 cool. Yay. 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, and for those that don't know, he was one of the stars of Monty Python, and that 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 6070s 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.

Kelly Monteith: 19:45

Oh, that's good. What did he do? Did he do stand up? Stand up.

Scott Edwards: 19:49

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 yore, but we just loved it. It was it was an honor. Man.

Kelly Monteith: 20:39

I would love you. I'm sure you had a look. They had a lot of money Python fans come? I would love to see that. Oh, yeah. And you know

Scott Edwards: 20:48

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?

Kelly Monteith: 20:57

Well, I don't think I compete with Graham Chapman. But just to be mentioned, in the same breath is pretty much of an honor. Because I love

Scott Edwards: 21:05

yo, 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, he explained 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, that you will know, you know how the comedy scene exploded over here. And it 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 it that the women and ethnic groups and all these different people come in into comedy and a whole different slant on things, which I really enjoy. To see. And I think is great, 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. And rock'n'roll was hot in comedy in the 80s.

Kelly Monteith: 22:27

Oh, it was man, it was a you remember how many comedy shows? Were on TV? You know, the stand up shows?

Scott Edwards: 22:33

Yeah, I had a couple of them. 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 ones for Fox. But wow. But 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.

Kelly Monteith: 23:15

Yeah. So you were right in the thick of that is the whole thing when 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. And by 1983, or 85, there was one on every corner. Right?

Kelly Monteith: 23:41

Right. That's right. Yeah. Hello, yeah, it was crazy. It was It was wild. You're right. It was like the rock and roll as of that time, you know? Yeah. And

Scott Edwards: 23:51

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?

Kelly Monteith: 24:02

We're both Yeah, I Yeah. I'm sort of a 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. Along the lines of a Carlin or Pryor was more spontaneous. I think then, then 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

That's right. I'm still paying for it by the way.

Scott Edwards: 25:04

What year? What year? Was that released?

Kelly Monteith: 25:07

I think we have to 23 2003 2004 right around there.

Scott Edwards: 25:14

So you, you wrote and directed it, didn't you? And you started I

Kelly Monteith: 25:17

wrote, directed and produced it and finances. Wow. It was a stupid thing. 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 in the podcast audience, be sure to go to your local search engine for movies and checkout lousy, 10 grand and allows you 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 fun. Oh,

Kelly Monteith: 25:57

God, I use my sister's house. And anything I could get, you know, I've made props. Good Lord, I just put everything on it 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 for the room, which is also on amazon prime. So you can get that there.

Scott Edwards: 26:20

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 did? You didn't I didn't.

Kelly Monteith: 26:38

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, the writers room right now. Throw jokes. I'm not I get that trend at 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, but that led you to writing a movie there. That's no small task. I mean, congratulations.

Kelly Monteith: 27:05

Oh, thank you. Yeah. The second one to to pay for the room. I wrote with the guy that produced it, that I work with actually was my camera man on on lousy 10 grand. And it's more of a drama than a comedy. Some got some comedy in it. But it's more of a drama 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, I thought, you know, I want to do this, even if I have to do it myself finance it myself. I'm just gonna, I didn't want to, you know, be in a home someplace when I'm old and second cheese. You know, I wish I'd done that. You know, 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

Scott Edwards: 28:14

okay. All 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. I didn't take that risk. So for me, my hat's off to 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. Yeah.

Kelly Monteith: 28:59

Yeah. Hopefully the third time, but I bet this other show, you know, the easier show

Scott Edwards: 29:06

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 geezers of Beverly Hills adjacent. Yeah, the

Kelly Monteith: 29:19

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.

Kelly Monteith: 29:32

Right. Yeah, there's, I think they're under 15 minutes. And you know, do back is entity plays my accountant. That's Bob

Scott Edwards: 29:39

do back. We heard him on the podcast a little bit earlier. Very funny comic. And you bring it is similar to your movies. You are self producing, right?

Kelly Monteith: 29:52

Yeah, yeah, we are. My friend Paul up. 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 and 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, and we would cast it. And of course, we had, you know, costume people come in, but they worked for the BBC.

Scott Edwards: 30:34

Right. 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, 5050 people to do a show. I know there's a lot more complicated over here, but cuz 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 could say and what I couldn't say. They never said anything. I never looked at the scripts, the BBC, they never did anything, just go out and do what you do what you do. Well, that

Scott Edwards: 31:06

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 going to take it? Well,

Kelly Monteith: 31:39

I want to do another series of it. And I want to broaden it out. I mean, this one now, it's just kind of me. And maybe a couple other people. But I bet friends you know that the comedian's that are around my age, they're, I would guess, be considered geezers. And I want to put them in it as well. So I've got some, you know, I'm going to 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, it's 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 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're 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, 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 feel 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

Scott Edwards: 33:50

well comes across, I think you've done a good job writing, Kellie, because I think that you've hit the nail on the head and 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,

Kelly Monteith: 34:09

right? And still do things, you know, still create and still work. You know, I'm no way I'm going to retire. We know what the hell I would do.

Scott Edwards: 34:18

Me as well

Kelly Monteith: 34:21

to 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 in the strip club days, I think those probably were a member I traveled for a while with a Puerto Rican stripper and solito lindo. Never forget that she was crazy as hell

Scott Edwards: 35:00

have to be. Yeah.

Kelly Monteith: 35:03

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

Scott Edwards: 35:15

a cocktail waitress and a stripper were in your car. You're like giving them a ride and they decided to go off on each other.

Kelly Monteith: 35:22

That's right. I've given them a ride home. And they lived in Middletown, between Cincinnati and Dayton. And I was working in Dayton, at a place called a way out lounge with a girl that came out and all she did was share her tips to cozy Kohl's Topsy part one, remember?

Scott Edwards: 35:40

Well, now I'm visualizing it.

Kelly Monteith: 35:43

Oh, it was I now are just must be down to her ankles by now. Because the way she should have held up. They couldn't have no way no way in the world. But the crowd would go Frankie, they thought it was the greatest thing that ever Oh guys, you know, their kids back and forth. That's it. That's all she did.

Scott Edwards: 36:07

Oh, that's funny. And they remember those two girls? 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 or offended the other one and about the boss. And they she put this something in jeopardy. And I really didn't figure out what it was. But they started one was in the backseat. One was the front. They started wailing each

Scott Edwards: 36:36

other and you're driving that's got to be awkward.

Kelly Monteith: 36:39

I'm driving this Randy and I'm on the interstate. And I finally got serious and I pulled over and I told him to get out the door and the girl fell out in the mud on her back. And then I said I get in I'll take it and she's no I'm not walking since you walked across the interstate. This is like four in the morning. And there's still traffic. So the other girl was powering in the backseat. So I drove over to the gas station. It was on the other side of the interstate that where she went to. To make a phone call. I was looking up a 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 No.

Scott Edwards: 37:23

Did he think you were involved? Yeah,

Kelly Monteith: 37:25

he thought he thought I pushed her something or whatever and worked her over. And this doesn't sound

Scott Edwards: 37:31

like a fun road story. It sounds like a scary event.

Kelly Monteith: 37:35

Oh, it was horrible. And this 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 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 okay, thanks so much for doing this interview.

Kelly Monteith: 39:24

My pleasure, Scott. Thank you. It's nice talking with you. And maybe from up in Sacramento, we're gonna have lunch like you and Steve. Well,

Scott Edwards: 39:31

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,

Kelly Monteith: 39:41

it seems a great guy.

Scott Edwards: 39:43

Mostly Bruner. 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 in skit 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 Monty.

Kelly Monteith: 40:07

But I 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. You realize I once went four years without using a full size bar soap that's how you get knocked out. You get those little miniature bars of soap. Take a couple of showers and meltdown break up into little pieces that it's an art taken a shower you got to cup your hand just write a piece of this talk don't get away from it. When they do, they're down the drain. And it'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. Oh, I found that out worse the motel the better the name are you staying 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 wall with the plant growing out of it. Three important Louisiana never forget that. Of course it made no difference where it was because all the rooms looked alike. Couldn't be any place. The rooms are always the same. There will be small, always tiny little rooms. I always thought on a picture postcard of the motel underneath the picture the room which should say actual size. That way, you know you walk into a tiny little room and see the first thing you see is the bed that sagged in the middle. This little thin cotton bedspread with the terrycloth balls in a row four or five big cigarette burns in it. Always a Tonio by the bedside picture the chambermaid putting atonia promotional was whatever equipment you had a bucket a mop and a bag its own there wasn't one people call it on a complaint Hey, there's no toenail. Just walk around a bed anyone here in a minute. There could be a long time but realize that's what the bedspread is for. It's designed to cover up this metal bed frame that juts out see? So that you don't see it. So when you walk around the bedroom is a blood stain 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 the 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, whichever the case may be. I have never been able to pack the same way twice. Never. Sometimes I'll pack everything fits just perfect. Just perfect. And I sat gotta remember that when I repack it will fit the same way. But when I repack, it doesn't fit anymore. I can't figure it out. I'm bored anything. What happens to the suitcase shrink? Or do my clothes swell? Oh, it 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 man 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 events interested in any one thing. You've got me to believe your heart was in the heavens. While all the time your mind was in the gutter. But that me Finnick if you think that spending a measly 100,000 pounds on me, entitles you to have your way with my body that you're wrong price of my virginity I'm flying home. Country talk this older look at that one suitcase 34 dresses 117 pair of shoes 60 nights to purchase handbags underwear scarves, makeup and 29 matching chastity belts all stuffed into one lousy suitcase. Ooh in a kitty litter this bag holds two pair shoes and my shaving kit. In this one here this is a for suitor which holds for suits if you're imaging. There's 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 light. Oh, that's why I feel so sorry for those hotel porters. You know, the poor guys didn't have to pick my bags up. Now mind you, I tip them double. One great 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 Montieth from his 1980 BB C show the Kelly Monteith 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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