Bob and Ray "Most Beautiful Face Winner"

[toppergang]

This is comedy....There are no viable comics today.

[Corporations8MyBaby]

Now Abby Elliott will be the big reference... her star is rising fast on SNL.

[PhiloPharnsworth]

Best reason for loving Bob & Ray: Instead of relying on loud vulgarity, these brilliant humorists utilized subtle wit that would sneak up on you, very quietly. This is smart comedy, that takes real intelligence to create. Today's loudmouthed, foulmouthed "comics" just don't have the mental agility and comedic talent to compete.

[237KMT]

Read Chris Elliott's "Daddy' Boy." You won't regret it.

[bobanderika1]

I am probably Bob and Rays biggest fan!! Every night I put their cassette in my player{ that shows you how  old I am} and I listen to their skits! I`m sure I can recite most of them by memory!! Great comedy

[bobandrayfan1]

still very funny stuff..!

[skylur44]

Anyone remember Bob and Ray doing the cowboy doing rope tricks in the radio? LOL!

[wlhardy]

My parents--especially my father--were big fans of Bob & Ray so my brothers & I grew up with them (so to speak). I loved their humor, we listen to it on X radio (?), love Garish Summit. I also enjoy ther old routines, "Slow Talkers of America," "Mary Backstayge, Noble Wife," "Wally Ballou," & the man who did imitations of U.S. presidents who served before 1900. Great stuff!

[davis10]

YES!!!! A Chris mention!!! no wayyyyy!

[TrumanBarkley]

Today we are weaker for not having Bob and Ray among us. They were masters of their genre. Common men on uncommon and unique talent; thankfully we have videos of this sort to keep us in touch with these two fine and decent men who brought happiness and laughter to so many.

[docmagnus]

Well, I agree, if you mean the two of them together, but you know, Bob's still alive.

[UncleMilo]

Well... Bob's still with us at least.

[TrumanBarkley]

They were and thanks to various audio and video recordings remain great. None were better.

[TrumanBarkley]

absolutely the best comedic team of the modern era. These guys were fantastic as is evident from Carson's reaction to this skit. Listen to the "Whooping Crane' routine where Johnny can be heard in the background roaring in laughter. Thanks Bob and Ray.

[equifilibricum]

When was the last time you saw anything that funny on television?

[bestpbx]

They started out both working at the same radio station. Sometimes on together, they would try to make each other laugh on the air. They were so good playing against one another the station used them for drive-time and a wonderful comedy team was born. They did not have the ego probelms that most teams have because each knew he was nothing with out the other.

Ray Goulding is great on their radio show with a character called, Webley Webster. Bob's character Wally Ballew is a real treat, too.

[ThumbsUpMonkey]

Webley Webster is my favourite Ray character! I've been listening to a good many of their broadcasts on the Internet Archive, and they were amazingly funny. They were born well before my time(I'm only 21), but their humour is timeless. It's a shame that they've been largely forgotten by the general public.

[charris1437]

Classic Bob and Ray...I laugh every time I see it!

[metalschemist]

Brilliant acts like this are, unfortunately, a thing of the past.

[lskarin]

I'm sure this is not true. There are an Aussie duo named Dawes and Clarke that do a weekly thing on Australian TV. Try searching for "The front fell off" on YouTube. So much in the tradition of Bob and Ray.

[wumpyinc]

Brilliant and terribly missed.

[timdaughte]

Doug Henning!  POOF!

[MOTOPAC]

The guy with the long hair on the couch (next to Ray Goulding) is the now-late magician Doug Henning.

[tavery80]

Actually, it's Bob Elliot, sitting next to Johnny, who mentions Chris. I'd bet this was in '76 or '77, long before Letterman had his own network gig. As for the long haired guy, that's magician Doug Henning.

[mdumas43073]

One thing revealed by interviews like this one is that Bob and Ray were the type of performers who couldn't be comfortable unless they were "on". Give them a routine to perform and they were hilarious, but once out of character they had seemingly nothing to say to each other, or anyone else.

No knock against these talented comics, just an observation.

[mcrick23]

Kurt Vonnegut wrote an intro to a book of bob and ray skits and made a similar observation. Being funny as a team is what they did and they weren't interested in anything else. Those two were straight up pros and great at what they did.

[Shoebox6]

In his intro to another of their books, Andy Rooney flat-out says that 'talking to Bob and Ray separately is interesting, because two duller people you never met.'

They were professionals, but I gather from other readings that they were also rather shy, private men in real life. Their characters were likely as much of a shield as anything else.

[lowgrau]

They didn't even hang out together in real life.

Both of 'em had many kids, and they did a daily 3 or 4 hour-long radio show in New York City rush hour drive-time.

Once in a while, you have your own life.

[DariusFranke]

Ooops I meant next to Bob - the guy with the long hair?

[DariusFranke]

It's funny - Ray Elliot is asked if any of his kids are doing comedy work - he mentions Chris Elliot - before he was on Letterman I suppose - when was this interview - late 70's?  And who is that on the couch next to Ray?

[mcrick23]

dude, it is out of print but try to find a copy of "Daddy's Boy" co-written by bob and chris elliot