COMEDY REVIEW : And the Winner Is . . . the Writers’ Strike

It seems that no entertainment form is considered complete these days without an awards ceremony. In fact, the sedulous party-goer can spend fully half a year now glad-handing and playing kissy-kissy through a full calendar of the ceremonial rite of self-congratulation that has become the sine qua non of ‘80s cultural life.

The American Comedy Awards, the second annual installment of which aired live nationwide on ABC-TV on Tuesday, is the newest, and chanciest, venue for the celebrity swarm--the comic spirit is by nature at odds with pomp. Chancier still is that executive producer George Schlatter, who has done his utmost to make an “A” party of the event, decided to go ahead in the face of the writers’ strike.

The show suffered for it. The pacing was fitful--a smooth start gathered into a desperate momentum as the show’s time allotment drew towards its inexorable end and the final winners’ names were announced in a rush, as in a mass evacuation (Albert Brooks, who won as funniest supporting male in television or motion pictures, was never mentioned at all).

The generosity of the artists’ film clips grew scarce, then nonexistent as the evening wore on (except for those of Jackie Mason whose act, Nostradamus predicts, will have been seen by everyone in the world four times before he’s finished with it.)

Many of the younger comedians who couldn’t come up with lines of their own--and couldn’t have any thrown their way by striking writers--were at a loss in comporting themselves in the fall-back position of style and graciousness (Tracey Ullman’s precious brattiness was in full burnish and Emo Phillips looked and acted as if he’d been barely rescued from drowning somewhere).

Some categories remain a bit of a puzzlement, as they did last year. Though Lily Tomlin won for funniest stand-up comic (female), she’s not, strictly speaking, doing stand-up these days--”The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe” is an intricately conceived theater piece.

And it’s unfair to lump Goldie Hawn and Gilda Radner in a lifetime achievement category with women who really have had a lifetime in comedy, such as Imogene Coca (who won, incidentally).

It might be considered unfair too to pit Bette Midler and Tomlin, on the basis of a few ceremonial quips (at this year’s Oscars and last year’s American Comedy Awards ceremony, respectively), against Roseanne Barr, Carol Burnett and Teri Garr, who starred in fully developed productions (the category was funniest female in a television special, and Barr won).

Of the younger performers, Jerry Seinfeld and Garry Shandling handled themselves smoothly, and Judy Tenuda and Barr were appropriately irreverent in the true comedy tradition. Robin Williams was more silly than inspired in his acceptance of two awards.

At her table, Olympia Dukakis hissed and shook her head over several references made during the show to her cousin, Democratic presidential hopeful Michael (Mark Russell referred to him as “the only bland Greek in the world, and he’s running for President”). Ronald Reagan jokes seemed threadbare, now that his popular image is taking such a beating.

Highlights of the evening included a retrospective look at the work of lifetime creative achievement winner Blake Edwards (another tortured category--are the other lifetime winners, George Burns and Imogene Coca, uncreative?) and appearances by Burns and Coca.

“As a senior citizen, I get to see my movies at half-price,” Burns told us. Coca was introduced by Sid Caesar, and for a moment, after watching their old “Your Show of Shows” clips and hearing the names of the talent that surrounded them, we were reminded of why these kinds of opulent awards shows work-- when they work: We’re brought momentarily face to face with an imperishable greatness, and we’re given a chance to say thanks for the memory.

The list of awards follows:

Tracey Ullman, funniest female performer in a television series, leading role (“The Tracey Ullman Show”).

Garry Shandling, funniest male performer in a television series, leading role (“It’s Garry Shandling’s Show”).

Roseanne Barr, funniest female in a television special (“On Location: The Roseanne Barr Show”).

Robin Williams, funniest male performer in a television special (“Comic Relief ‘87”).

Bette Midler, funniest actress in a motion picture (“Outrageous Fortune”).

Robin Williams, funniest actor in a motion picture (“Good Morning, Vietnam”).

Olympia Dukakis, funniest supporting female, television or motion picture (“Moonstruck”).

Albert Brooks, funniest supporting male, television or movies (“Broadcast News”).

Lily Tomlin, funniest stand-up comic, female.

Robin Williams, funniest stand-up comic, male.

Judy Tenuda, funniest female, comedy club stand-up comic.

Jerry Seinfeld, funniest male, comedy club stand-up comic.

Tracey Ullman, funniest female performer of the year.

Robin Williams, funniest male performer of the year.

Imogene Coca, lifetime achievement, female.

George Burns, lifetime achievement, male.

Blake Edwards, lifetime creative achievement.