As a longtime fan and connoisseur of Saturday Night Live (SNL), I must say that this movie, “Saturday Night,” has truly captured the essence of the groundbreaking TV show. It’s fascinating to see how the details from its early days have been woven into the narrative, creating an entertaining and engaging biopic.
⚠️ CAUTION FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN’T SEEN IT YET: The ensuing article reveals crucial plot points from the dramedy titled ‘Saturday Night’. Proceed at your own risk.
Being an avid follower of Saturday Night Live for years, I had high expectations for the 2024 movie “Saturday Night”, and it didn’t disappoint. Yet, while watching Jason Reitman’s portrayal of the first SNL episode, there were instances where I found myself questioning, “Just how much of this is based on reality?
It’s interesting to note that, although Reitman and Gil Kenan’s screenplay for Saturday Night contains numerous embellishments, it does have a solid foundation of truth. To distinguish fact from fiction in this fast-paced 90-minute portrayal of backstage mayhem, here are some historical facts about the revolutionary sketch comedy TV show.
John Belushi’s Bee Costume Protest
For devoted Saturday Night Live (SNL) enthusiasts, it’s no surprise that John Belushi (played by Matt Wood) disliked dressing up for the show, which was then known as NBC’s Saturday Night. However, his Studio 8H bandmate Paul Schaffer recounts in his book “We’ll Be Here For The Rest of Our Lives: A Swingin’ Showbiz Saga” that this costume ultimately led to the formation of the Blues Brothers. Belushi and Dan Aykroyd first appeared as Jake and Elwood while dressed as bugs, but later adopted their iconic look, which in turn inspired one of the best movie adaptations based on SNL characters in 1980.
Lorne Michaels Almost Hosted Weekend Update
The moment of Showtime is fast approaching when the creator of Saturday Night, Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle), hands over the task of hosting “Weekend Update” to Chevy Chase (Cory Michael Smith). Chase kept this role until he departed SNL not long after finishing a single season. It was in 2014 when Michaels revealed to Deadline that he had originally been the host, but Chase was chosen much earlier, and in fact, before being cast, as he had initially been hired as a writer.
NBC’s Tonight Show Back-Up Plan
The movie faces the possibility of being preempted by a re-run of “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” (which NBC typically aired during the 11:30 p.m. slot on Saturdays) if it fails to air. As detailed in the renowned book “Live From New York: The Complete, Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live as Told by Its Stars, Writers, and Guests”, it was Lorne Michaels who advocated for a contingency plan, urging executives to have an alternative movie on standby in case things didn’t go smoothly.
Romance Between SNL Cast Members
In Saturday Night Live, there seems to be a suggestion that Laraine Newman (portrayed by Emily Fairn) and Dan Aykroyd (Dylan O’Brien) had a romantic connection. However, as their relationship is further explored in Newman’s memoir “May You Live in Interesting Times”, it’s also indicated that Aykroyd may have had another affair with producer Rosie Shuster (Rachel Sennott). This intriguing detail, corroborated by Paula Davis (an assistant from the time), was reported by the Los Angeles Times.
Hiring Alan Zweibel
An unexpected incident during a Saturday Night took place when Michaels dropped by a comedy club, encountered Alan Zweibel (famous for his role in Silicon Valley), and instantly recruited him in just half an hour. Although Zweibel didn’t join the SNL writing team so close to the premiere, as he explained to Variety, he had been earning a living by writing jokes for stand-up comedians before. The joke he provided Chevy Chase to read on “Update” in the movie was actually the one that got him hired and featured in the segment.
The Writers Bullying Jim Henson
Beyond his role as a cast member on Succession, Nicholas Braun additionally took on the part of Jim Henson. In a conversation with Lamorne Morris, portraying Garrett Morris (no family connection), Henson shared that the writers disliked his Muppet-starring segment, “The Land of Gorch,” by hanging Big Bird outside his dressing room door as a joke. Alan Zweibel, in Live from New York, remembered that the writers had strong feelings against writing for puppets, with head writer Michael O’Donahue famously saying so. Interestingly, Tommy Dewey’s depiction of O’Donahue sarcastically apologized about Big Bird on behalf of the writers, but Zweibel himself admitted to performing that “lynching” using a Venetian blind pull string in the writers’ room.
Cutting Billy Crystal’s Segment
Prior to Billy Crystal delivering some of his iconic quotes as an SNL cast member in the ’80s, he had been planned for the debut episode. However, he ended up being removed from the lineup, much like how Saturday Night portrays Nicholas Podany delivering a spot-on impression of Crystal, who was then on the rise as a comedian. As Crystal shared in Live from New York, he initially felt disappointed that he couldn’t perform his safari-themed routine, while fellow comedian Valri Bromfield (Corine Britti) was given the chance to present her material instead.
Laying Bricks On The SNL Stage
As described in Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad’s book “Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live“, the bricks for Studio 8H’s main stage, or “home base”, were delivered a day before the premiere and had to be laid overnight. This detail, Jason Reitman shared with ScreenRant, greatly influenced his method of filmmaking. Although the entire set was not miraculously assembled just an hour before the live broadcast, a significant portion was. Consequently, the character of production designer Akira “Leo” Yoshimura (portrayed by Abraham Hsu in this story), who once elicited laughter from Chris Pine during a Star Trek sketch, symbolizes the hard work and dedication put into that night’s construction.
John Belushi’s Late Contract Signing
John Belushi frequently stirred up mischief during his stint on Saturday Night, and one of the ways he did this was by delaying his contract signing with the show until the very last moment. As depicted in Live From New York, while the specifics may not have been entirely accurate, this is one of the film’s more truthful details. Bernie Brillstein, who was Lorne Michaels’ manager at the time, stated in the book that he had to agree to manage Belushi in order to get him to sign the contract a mere five minutes before the show went live.
George Carlin’s Alexander The Great Sketch Refusal
As a devoted fan, let me share an intriguing tidbit about a classic show I adore – Saturday Night Live. In one particular episode (which you can catch if you’ve got a Peacock subscription), the grand opener was hosted by George Carlin. However, here’s the twist: he didn’t make an appearance in any of the sketches!
Milton Berle Flashing Chevy Chase
During SNL’s premiere, Milton Berle wasn’t present, but there is some truth behind the sketch featuring the legendary comic (portrayed by Oscar-winning actor J.K. Simmons) revealing himself inappropriately to Chevy Chase. As detailed in “Live From New York”, during Berle’s hosting gig in 1979, he made a joke about his size, which prompted him to expose himself to Alan Zweibel on the spot, just as Gilda Radner entered the room.
It appears that, even though this movie occasionally exaggerates facts, it doesn’t stray too far from reality. This method can lead to an entertaining type of biography, and I think the critically acclaimed film Saturday Night is a lively demonstration of this concept.
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2024-10-20 01:07