Thursday, September 2, 2021

THE CLAPPER CAPER

Friend and colleague John F sent me a video with the comment “This is brilliant. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Regards. John.”

I did enjoy it and I am posting it for two reasons, One is that I wish to share the humour.

The other is that it backs up what I have said of comedians of days gone by, that humour does not need swear words or abuse to be funny. Frankly, a lot of the stand up comics, those with filthy mouths and put downs, leave me cold.

The video is called The Clapper Caper and features Johnny Carson and Jack Webb. It dates from 1968.


Watch a couple of moments when they have to stifle their own laughter.

Click on the following link to watch:

As a bonus, here is a transcript . . .

Webb:
This is the city. Los Angeles California. Some people rob for pleasure. Some rob because it's there; you never know. My name's Friday. I'm a cop. I was working the day watch on a robbery when I got a call from the Acme school bell company. There'd been a robbery.

Carson:
There's been a robbery.

Webb:
Yes, sir. What was it?

Carson:
My clappers.

Webb:
Your clappers.

Carson:
Yeah, you know, those things inside a bell that makes them clang.

Webb:
The clangers.

Carson:
That's right. We call them "clappers" in the business.

Webb:
A clapper caper.

Carson:
What's that?

Webb:
Nothing, sir. Now, can I have the facts? What kinds of clappers were stolen on this caper?

Carson:
They were copper clappers.

Webb:
And where were they kept?

Carson:
In the closet.

Webb:
Uh-huh. Do you have any ideas who might have taken the copper clappers from the closet?

Carson:
Well, this morning I fired a man, he swore he'd get even.

Webb:
What was his name?

Carson:
Claude Cooper.

Webb:
You think, that ...

Carson:
That's right. I think Claude Cooper copped my copper clappers kept in a closet.

Webb:
You know where this Claude Cooper is from?

Carson:
Yeah. Cleveland.

Webb:
That figures. That figures.

Carson:
What makes it worse, they were clean.

Webb:
Clean copper clappers.

Carson:
That's right.

Webb:
Why do you think Cleveland's Claude Cooper would cop your clean copper clappers kept in your closet?

Carson:
Only one reason.

Webb:
What's that?

Carson:
He's a kleptomaniac.

Webb:
Who first discovered the copper clappers were copped?

Carson:
My cleaning woman. Clara Clifford.

Webb:
That figures. Now let me see if I've got the facts straight here. Cleaning woman Clara Clifford discovered your clean copper clappers kept in a closet were copped by Claude Cooper, the kleptomaniac from Cleveland. Now is that about it?

Carson:
Mm hmm. One other thing.

Webb:
What's that?

Carson:
If I ever catch kleptomaniac Claude Cooper from Cleveland who copped my clean copper clappers when kept in the closet...

Webb:
Yes?

Carson:
I'll clobber him!

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