David Letterman Show in Cresco, Iowa, October 22, 1980

[@ELMS]

I actually watched this program live, 39 years ago. I’ve been using the “Look at those dogs!” joke ever since. Thanks for posting it. 😃

[@aimdirect]

Yeah. I'm gonna use that line too. Hahahaa.

[@hankkingsley9300]

Late night would not have been what it was without this

[@JohnJohnson-fr5cx]

What an awesome person to do this for all the people so we all can enjoy a slice of small town Americana, thanks a bunch Don for posting this!

[@rjl7655]

When they came upon the dog, i thought they were going to say "wow, that's the smallest cow I've ever seen". to Don Giller: u r for sure among the top 5 yt channels, thanks for all your time/work...

[@dongiller]

Thanks!!

[@ronman1896]

KZbin is incredible. I was watching the CNN show, "The History of Late NIght," and I remembered skipping work occasionally to watch Letterman's day show. This was an episode I remembered vividly and, low and behold, here it is in all it's glory. Unbelievable!

[@ryanellis4474]

A lovely watch! Thank you, Mr. Giller! You are a national treasure, good sir! God Bless you. I will pray for you. Please pray for me.

[@timhaubenreiser8310]

the weekend before this broadcast, Dave stepped off the curb into main street Cresco right in front of the car I was riding in. The driver, my best friend, and I being from Chicago are used to hitting the brakes fast and hard, thus averting running over Dave. He smiled at us (big gap between those 2 upper front teeth - like a birth mark) and he gave us a friendly wave! His host farm was just a few farms away from my cousins farm. It sure was a big deal then.

[@markinnes4264]

Wow, I started watching Letterman in 82.... This is the first time I've ever seen his earlier work. Thanks so much...I loved it!

[@captaintor7920]

Thank you! The origin of "Stupid Pet Tricks". Thanks Don!!!!!

[@royalsfan]

I doubt that was the first time, but that was definitely an early edition of SPT.

[@dongiller]

Here's the first from months earlier -- kzbin.info/www/bejne/j3PGo5WwlMqglaM

[@royalsfan]

I saw that over the weekend, almost right after watching this. Keep it up.

[@slimhanson5792]

My home town.

[@megamanj2004X]

Both Cloris and Dave being born and bred Midwesterners made this episode such a hoot and a treat here!

[@bartsimpson67543]

This is so wonderful to see because my family lives in Cresco! That building that was the jail then was closed and torn down last summer unfortunately to make way for a new state of the art jail on the same site.

[@samsungtelevision695]

Tourists come from miles around to enjoy the wonderful new jail?

[@samsungtelevision695]

In all seriousness had Letterman visited the small town where I’m from originally it’d be amazing

[@d.e.7467]

Got married next to a small lake and restaurant outside of Cresco in August '81.

[@tobeginger]

I used to play hooky just so I could watch Letterman's morning show.

[@dianewinters8628]

Brought up and still living in a small town I can relate. Good people looking out for one another. The show kind of reminded me of "Fernwood Tonight".

[@cortneyperfume_madness480]

I was born 5 days after this aired! Go me!

[@edkalegi6504]

It's amazing when you see the difference in Letterman's approach and personality on the 1980 show and the first couple of years of "Late Night" compared with the Letterman we saw from 1985ish thru 2015. Early on, it was David Letterman the broadcaster: witty but still very midwestern and reserved in approach. At some point, he evolved into "Dave" Letterman, with the much louder and cocky approach, the cigars, and longer hair. Both approaches worked very well for him.

[@captainscentsible1811]

It's crazy when you are young and you grow up things are just normal in your mind, cloris said we had a room upstairs with no heat, a few winters ago we lost power and stayed with family and she had no heat in the room i stayed in and i couldn't handle it. But i can relate to what she is saying because we had no air conditioning growing up, and i can still remember going in a friends house who had. a/c as a child and i thought to myself .wow this is amazing. Haa

[@marionbrownsey705]

great find

[@finnibertlunchiken7792]

Cloris Leachman was in her mid fifties here. Looks great. Shes 92 now. A bit daunting to have to go to all this trouble knowing his show would be cancelled in a couple of weeks. He should have returned in triumph to do a night shoot for the Late Night show.

[@davanmani556]

Cloris Leachman is a real Midwestern woman who conquered Chicago before Hollywood. The isolation can make you do weird stuff but she never hurt nobody. Very genuine.

[@bhavajim657]

Reminds me of the world forty years ago. What the hell happened?

[@hankkingsley9300]

@@bhavajim657 Democrats

[@debschaefer7820]

​@@hankkingsley9300 oh go storm the capitol.

[@davidberger2069]

Always liked Cloris Leachman beautiful and funny.

[@JJJJJVVVVVLLLLL]

David Berger amazing body

[@stevethompson210]

I was in the crowd outside the house during this show.

[@Kedeas]

Prime Example of why Dave is "Money in the Bank". He could harness almost any opportunity. He possessed the ability to turn Chicken Sheet into Chicken Salad...

[@RentingSpam]

Whoa, this aired on my birthday! I mean, it was 12 years prior to my birthday, but I grew up like 30 minutes from this town! This is super interesting.

[@vrvaughn]

Clorox Bleachman… I met Cloris one night at Joe Allen’s in Los Angeles… Jack Lemmon was there that night… "Cloris was a hoot … she and Jack got a snootful, they got very happy,’ and it was a blast…

[@oakgrovejason3269]

I Live in Oregon, I have relatives that have a farm in Fillmore County Minnesota about 17 miles from Cresco. Very Nice area. the winters are brutal though.

[@debschaefer7820]

I grew up about an hour from the Canadian border in North Dakota. Then we moved to Des Moines and I didn't know what my friends were talking about in the winter when they said it was so very very cold.

[@ram3621]

This was the prototype for the late night with David show, surprised he didn't do a return visit

[@KiddBloo86]

I think his hotel room episode is the closest we got.

[@michelestephens813]

This is great! 40+ years ago...production values were, well...

[@TheGlantzs]

What a slice of America!

[@renatoreside]

RIP Cloris Leachman

[@seththomas9105]

Less than 10 years later we got casino gambling in Iowa, and yes Hell froze over for a while.

[@DannyScanlon911]

wow!! This is great!! Dave seems so humbled and very green! He was always a favorite late night.

[@iowa_lot_to_travel9471]

Home of the Iowa hall of fame wrestling. Also an old 1950s Milwaukee Line engine in Beadle Park. Along with an original pioneer cabin donated by the original family. And many statues

[@seththomas9105]

My mom had a hat just like the lady that won the pancake race. Cresco is a nice town, haven't been there for quite a few years now. I would like to see a HD copy of this show, Iowa has sure changed since this was done. I know Ackley sure has.

[@dongiller]

This is the best-quality video you're going to find.

[@KrazeeClark]

I'm exactly the same age as Gina. I wonder what she is doing now. I also wonder what she looks like.

[@mark11967AD]

She’s very flirty and Dave is enjoying it. Good ratings anyway whether there was a real attraction or not.

[@dongiller]

Ratings were irrelevant at this point. The show had been cancelled a month earlier, and its last broadcast (live) would be two days later.

[@debschaefer7820]

​@@dongiller do you know why they decided to do this even though the show was already cancelled? Just curious. Really enjoyed it as I didn't know this episode existed even though I was aware of the morning show.

[@wiedep]

No Ed Newman for Iowa news? ESPN picking up a few bucks renting out one of their trucks for this.

[@royalsfan]

And ESPN had only been around for 15 months at that point. That was a long haul from Bristol.

[@debschaefer7820]

​@@royalsfan you think they drove from Connecticut or was there a truck in the area for some other event. Even a state or two away would be closer than Connecticut.

[@wiedep]

Guess the election coverage was more important for Newman. TRULY HARD TO BELIEVE

[@chloehamid8065]

Don's back...

[@dongiller]

Ha! Uploads stalled due to work obligations not yet completed. :)