Back when the Academy Awards were handed out on a Monday night, instead of Sunday as it is now, NBC got the bright idea to preface that year's Oscars with an animated special from Rankin-Bass, their first entry for the network since Mouse on The Mayflower in 1968.
The Mad, Mad, Mad Comedians uses some classic routines with comedy legends like Jack Benny, George Burns, Phyllis Diller (who previously had done "Mad Monster Party" for R-B), Henny Youngman, Flip Wilson, Groucho Marx, and George Jessel. Paul Frees recreated a classic WC Fields routine, and also impersonated Chico & Zeppo Marx, in addition to being the announcer. He'd record some music doing his Fields mimic later in 1970. Joan Gardner voices Josephine opposite Groucho's Napoleon in a recreation of the Marx Bros.' famous "I'll Say She Is". The Smothers Brothers' musical numbers, it is said, are a big reason why past YouTubers' copies of this special were removed. Pray it doesn't happen here, though the fellow that posted this added in some more contemporary advertising for VHS tapes.....
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