Pan American Goodwill Tour Collection on Letterman Fall 1988

Calvert DeForest's ill-fated road trip to South America in the Fall of 1988. Preceding the collection, Dave recaps the disastrous voyage on "Later with Bob Costas," taped January 12, 1989.
The trip:
1. November 11, 1988: Departure
2. November 15, 1988: Lexington, Kentucky
3. November 18, 1988: Jackson, Mississippi
4. November 22, 1988: Laredo, Texas
5. November 23, 1988: Nuevo Laredo, Mexico
6. November 29, 1988: Mexico City
7. December 1, 1988: Oaxaca, Mexico
8. December 13, 1988: Guatemala City
9. December 21, 1988: Chris Elliott's Rockefeller Center Goodwill Tour
10. January 3, 1989: Calvert is back, with pictures

[@ryanwarren2970]

I come back and watch this about four or five times a year. It's fantastic. I still pronounce toilet like "tourletta".

[@michaeljudge5437]

Don Giller, we love you! Great work!

[@timmahoney7079]

Thank you so much for this! I really appreciate all the work you've been doing to preserve these great television moments.

[@johnwise8433]

This was 1 of my favorite things on tv ever when I was in my early twenties. I'm now 53 and still remember it fondly. Thanks for posting .

[@finnibertlunchiken7792]

This is one of the collections I was waiting/looking for. I never saw the departure before. This was entertaining sruff. "No David. Yes David." A broken man.

[@sumbuddy63]

About a week ago one of these Letterman compilation videos showed up in my recommended list and I've been hooked on them since.Kinda like bumping into an old friend.

[@KrazeeClark]

Don't call me tomorrow I'm having Thanksgiving with my family. Classic Dave.

[@benprewitt4600]

Holy crap, the Guatemala City part is EPIC. Thank you for putting these together!

[@mubd1234]

I just love Calvert's response to Dave's final question in the debriefing interview (@59:23). I think that's Paul laughing really hard in the background.

[@glennc6421]

Great memories. I have a much greater appreciation for Larry's discomfort. I'd like to see Dave endure the same endeavor at this time of his life.

[@crs290]

Dave would have started whining before they left the country.

[@Wings_of_foam]

Oh shut up softie. He was a grown-ass man, who knew what he went into.

[@mattwuxx3888]

Calvert was 67 here. So yeah, at 67 I see Dave having some trouble dealing with such spartan traveling conditions. That's why he took the time to build a world-changing show in his mid/late-30's to where he would be the one at the controls.

[@WeOutHere]

That was a pretty epic road trip for an old guy, surprised they made it that far!

[@davido662006]

I remember this from 88 this was one of the great thigs Dave did, I remember Calvert begging to come home and how funny it was.

[@spuzzlightyeartoo]

Oh man, thank you for this. I felt really really bad for Larry while David was yakking it up.

[@sethflix]

Wonderful. Thank you for all the good work you're doing. love Letterman and Larry Bud Melmen. Long live Dave and Calvert DeForest.

[@thegrimyeaper]

"I'm not well, David."

[@benprewitt4600]

"We'll talk to you from Guatemala City!"

[@roostersideburns3440]

the dumbass agreed to it.

[@gmh7773331]

Your response is a perfect example of The Decline Of Society: “Sue Dave, Sue everybody, Sue you, Sue me, whine, compline bitch, nag moan, Sue, and Sue everybody, Sue the lawyers too. Sue Saul Rosenberg, Sue punitive damages and Sue Dave’s mom, whine some more, then Right back to suing. Was it probably an absolute Miserable trip? Yes. But the weakening of society is reflected perfectly by responses like yours. Waaaaaaa, SUE EVERYBODY, then ban them, then twitch about them, and sue and complain and whine and sue and tweet and .... it goes on from here.... sue sue sue sue sue, complain, tweet complain, sue complain tweet... And sue. And complain. And Whine. And. Sue.

[@gmh7773331]

And don’t forget to BAN everybody. And then sue them, of course.

[@rjp801]

@P McGill how do you know all these so called facts???

[@dhpbear2]

20:22 - Dave's confidence erodes: "Don't be alarmed by this; none of these have worked so far, anyway."

[@billbillings913]

Thanks for posting, I loved this so much. Dave starts out being frustrated with the bit but he seems to be gleeful as Calvert descends into his own "Heart of Darkness" as the trip progresses. It makes you wonder -- what were their hopes for this segment? Did they expect Calvert to be happy with it (which would have lent a completely different tone to the final piece, essentially making it lamer) or was the whole thing conceived to torture him?

[@jjryan1352]

Sounds like this is where they got the idea for "An Idiot Abroad". Dave sure was in a pissy mood about it though.

[@JOHNWLOUCKS]

thanks Don, this is great !!

[@scottrogers2599]

Ohhh man. Before even watching... I still clearly remember one phone call where Larry said "PLEASE Dave, can we come home now?? PLEASE??". Very hard to watch.

[@brianwolters7560]

I grew up loving Late Night and much of it I still like but Dave's insecurities and his butthole side really is evident in this sketch for sure. I guess that is what we really loved about him but yes, this is tough to watch at times...

[@Scalihoo]

@@brianwolters7560 Larry was a senior citizen & uncomfortable in that RV just very stressful for him.. I felt sorry for him

[@Cantbuyathrill]

Not just one phone call; several of them on subsequente nights Larry pleaded with David to please let him come home. Hard to watch indeed!!

[@culwin]

Poor Calvert :( You could tell nobody involved thought this went well. Hilarious, though!

[@cookie5335]

It is hilarious.

[@johnwise8433]

I remembered most the early version of a video phone. When they first came out with facebook messenger video calls decades later I immediately harkened back to this in my memory.

[@kjkiefcakes1847]

I love his rant about video phones a year after I was born and now schools all over the planet were done over video calls this year.

[@Rob_Kates]

"A gifted young actor...Calvert DeForest."

[@MrGpschmidt]

Hilarious and heart-breaking at the same time. The 'murder/suicide' remark is *chef's kiss*

[@edub9930]

Thought that was cruel of Dave. Just let the man come home 😅

[@bmla88]

Larry Bud Melman vs the Darien Gap, his own river of doubt expedition.

[@richardyoon4209]

What a trip down memory lane! I felt bad for Calvert at the time and thought Dave was a little mean. And this shows why Chris Elliott was a comedic genius.

[@jprz13]

I remember that WoW,brought back memories

[@Newton14alan]

I, once, said, "How are you doing?" to Dick Smothers, as he was walking into The Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach, Florida. He said, "Great! How are you?" I replied, "Great!"...and that concluded my interaction with the man. I didn't get a chance to say Hi to Tom, as he was taking care of the cab driver that brought them from (I'm assuming) the airport. I also met Bob Keeshan (Captain Kangaroo) at the same place.

[@Obiter3]

I remember watching this bit 👍

[@voicetube]

LOL, "Facetime" in the "Stone Age" :-)

[@captainscentsible1811]

1988 i never knew they had that haa. This was very high tech.probably cost a fortune.haa. well so did a vcr. Hah

[@Vejur9000]

That Panasonic video phone, was amazing.

[@ladypodtron]

So good. laughs and laffs aplenty. Poor Calvert, The comment below by bill billings is spot-on and hilarious - Heart of Darkness indeed!

[@dhpbear2]

Oh, Christ, "Vanna White *is* the Goddess of Love"! :) (19:33) THIS I remember!

[@alejpix]

David Perkins what was that?

[@orpheussail]

@@alejpix It was an awful made for tv movie where Vanna White was Aphrodite - the Goddess of Love.

[@johnwise8433]

But, do you remember "Chris Elliot is the goddess of love"? Lol

[@judydoyle1124]

What a walk down technology memory lane!

[@darthhulka-burger3187]

"yOU CAN HAVE AUDIO, OR YOU CAN HAVE VIDEO, BUT YOU CAN'T HAVE BOTH....tHAT TECHNOLOGY IS MILLIONS OF YEARS AHEAD OF US..." (aW kRaP...cAPs lOCK) Who else here, millions of years into the future of Dec 2021, is here watchin'?

[@hinthegroove9740]

I don’t recall ever laughing so hard, for so long.

[@jjamiejackson]

Pure Gold.

[@innagadda54]

“ Dave, I just want to go home .” He skipped Disneyland.

[@rafaelfernandeslopesdeoliv1700]

Holy crow that panasonic video phone. I wonder what something like that went for back then.

[@cookie5335]

The highway in Mexico sounds awesome

[@christophervaldez8746]

Wow. A friend and I were just talking about this bit! Do u have the episode where Shirley MacLaine pulls Lettermans hair?

[@dongiller]

I have every Late Night. Others have put up the Shireley MacLaine appearance. Just search her name, Letterman, and 1988.

[@christopherbell4543]

Pack up and ride! -Dave

[@kevinreffitt9635]

The dispirited manner of Calvert in the later segment, "Yes, David..." sounded exactly like someone I used to know would emote same when He was feeling poorly.

[@ItsNotDarkYet]

Very cool- I vaguely remember watching this when it aired. Do you have the Calvert DeForest interviews from the Allan Handelman show? He would call Allan from time to time in the 90s and talk about being on Dave's show. Just curious.

[@dongiller]

Sorry, I don't.

[@martymcdonough1111]

Do you have the episode where Robert Goulet sings the theme to "Supermarket Finds"? I think it was August 12, 1987 if the episode guide is correct (Grace Slick and Tony Randall were also guests).

[@dongiller]

Yeah -- the date's correct, and I have it.

[@martymcdonough1111]

If you could post just the Robert Goulet segment, that'd be awesome! I've been looking for that for years!

[@dongiller]

It's up now - kzbin.info/www/bejne/mHa2doVsjNlppa8

[@johnsonkevin9802]

And the product which this trip was supposed to feature and demonstrate for launch just in time for Christmas...the Panasonic WG-R2 was a massive failure.

[@ChrisAthanas]

I didn’t know we had commercial pots video phones in 1989

[@jjryan1352]

@@ChrisAthanas Bell Labs could do it in 1956

[@ChrisAthanas]

@@jjryan1352 not commercially over pots

[@jjryan1352]

@@ChrisAthanas ahh ok. That Panasonic thing in 1988 was still images though, like one every 6 minutes. Actual low frame rate video on pots came in the 1990s.

[@lucassimonfoster]

what's up with that panasonic photo phone thing? i couldn't find any info about it

[@jjryan1352]

Other Japanese electronic manufacturers marketed similar image transfer phones during the late-1980s, including Sony's PCT-15 (US$500), and two models from Panasonic, its WG-R2 (US$450) and its KX-TV10 (US$500). The one shown on this show said WG-R2 on the box.

[@kmac3215]

“David, I really want to come home...now!”😝

[@brazenbunnies]

The segment from Bolivia was the best

[@ylette]

Wonder how they would get through the Darien Gap.

[@royrowland5763]

I was just wondering the same. I imagine they didn't know about Darien Gap when they planned this.

[@douglasjohnson4382]

@@royrowland5763 Well Dave points to that area on the map as a place Calvert might need the gun.

[@BillyRamirez]

Sometimes, I forget that Calvert wasn't in his 80s during these segments. Maybe 67 was older back then.

[@marlon1171]

I love how dave gets upset at the technology lollll It would of taken some years for the whole world to have access to audio visual and then some... It took a while!

[@rhettsycoplando4064]

I wanna come home dave..

[@EdKazO-Vision]

Calvert was packin’ an attitude from the git go.

[@dhpbear2]

33:22 - Guys in jumpsuits? Must've been a vestige of another bit!

[@theflorgeormix]

I feel sorry for Calvert on this one. I think it was probably dangerous.

[@thenostalgiafactor5023]

Did what transpired during this whole event degrade Dave & Calvert's relationship? I know they used Calvert later on during the CBS run, but it seemed he appeared less frequently on the shows from here on out.

[@SunnyDiegoProduction]

My thoughts exactly. Seems like Calvert thought it was a paid vacation, even Dave says it in the beginning of the video. It’s mentioned three of his friends went along on the trip, I assume all expenses paid. Took them a week to reach Mexico lol They were milking the trip, Dave kept pushing for them to go faster but they were just enjoying their Club Med stay haha It took them 33 DAYS to reach Guatemala!!! I know for a fact it takes about 3 days riding a bus from LA to Guatemala, these people were obviously milking the whole trip and I’m sure Dave and the production noticed. To top it off, many people must of written the show about how poorly Calvert was being treated which made the show look bad, all the while Calvert and “friends” were having the time of their lives down at Club Med Hahaha

[@richardyoon4209]

Doubt it. Calvert was with Dave till his death. Remember the first thing on the premiere of the Late Show was Calvert saying 'This is CBS'. Anyways by the 90s the whole Larry Bud Melman character had lost it's luster.

[@JaredLewisMusic]

what happens between 28:24 and :28:28 ? Is dave shocked by Calvert's silence or was something said that got taken out ?

[@dongiller]

Good question. It seems that Calvert's audio was silenced. If so, he probably said a bad word.

[@JaredLewisMusic]

Letterman is so sensitive to awkwardness, even the silence could have caused that face. Truly hard to tell ! Lol how unsafe was Mexico in the 80s that Calvert felt safer in the NYC of the 80s? lol As he gets closer to the border he sounds like he is being marched to his doom !

[@dongiller]

I was told that either his driver or someone else who accompanied Calvert on the bus called in to NYC, held the phone out, and told the person on the other line, "You hear that? It's gunshots."

[@barrettus]

I couldn't catch it.. did he say the had to fumigate the car for roaches?

[@bababooey8062]

I think it was due to the border crossing - maybe some customs regulations entering Mexico.

[@monkeytrousers]

Dave seemed genuinely pissed throughout this entire bit. I can’t say I’ve ever seen him like that. Having said this..who thought this was a good idea in the planning-phase?

[@trajancanada]

Think it was writer Steve O'Donnell's idea. And it does sound interesting at first - sending Calvert down to South America. But a thing like that needs heavy planning. And the fact that you cannot drive from North America to South America should've been the first problem identified, the Darien Gap. And assuming Calvert calling in for a few minutes every couple of days was going to be worth the cost? Also, he was close to 70 at the time.

[@lect0n7]

How the hell did _the National Broadcasting Company (NBC)_ not have something in place so Calvert & the crew would be able to travel all the way down there in that Motorhome they outfitted him with… he didn’t want to continue because they sent him down there with a useless _Panasonic Videophone_ (Visual Telecommunication System) the device was extremely ambitious, but the technology just wasn’t there yet…

[@zachjohnson637]

Lmao at the beard he grew in 3 days

[@modeo92]

There are conspiracy theorists out there who believe Calvert never left Manhattan. They're a small but extremely stubborn group. #calvertneverleft

[@dongiller]

Today I received a detailed trip report from one of those who traveled with Calvert. it was all legit.

[@finnibertlunchiken7792]

Ha ha ha. Thats funny.

[@subtractivemusic]

With anyone else it would be full of exciting stories and make great TV. Calvert is one of the blandest milktoast generic fat Americans and he is the reason it seems like he never left.

[@kmac3215]

😝😝😝

[@crs290]

@@dongiller Were the companions Late Night staffers or just friends of Calvert's? Any light you can shed on the trip?

[@corycooldangerous]

2 weeks to get from NYC to the Mexican border? Jesus Christ pick up the pace.

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

He's got such a long way to go, such a long way to gohhhhh

[@dhpbear2]

I'm a big fan of Letterman. I honestly *don't remember* this bit!

[@roostersideburns3440]

I would have killed for a free trip to tierra del fuego but is sounds like someone didnt do any research or travel planning before they left. they should have known all the rules and had spanish translators available.

[@alramone1]

I thought he was Larry Bud Melman on the Late Night show.

[@durrutti]

I love Dave. But i do think he is being a bit mean and not very understanding towards Calvert. I do wonder what Dave thinks about this segment now?

[@roostersideburns3440]

calvert agreed to it. he should have stopped whining

[@Cantbuyathrill]

"Anything for a laugh" may have backfired horribly. An old man on a transcontinental roadtrip......

[@Bitshitter]

"you're not supposed to drink that - that's just for flavoring....." 🤔

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

14:16 I wonder if that's how Billy Gibbons came up with "My Head's In Mississippi"

[@joedelaronde3291]

Dave mentioned a call from Calvert while he was in Houston. Did that actually air or was Dave misremembering? This was at 20:15.

[@captainscentsible1811]

Umm i think they had calls after the show, where dave probably asked if he liked his job 😄. Cuz in 1 video bud was so done with life, the next call he was loving his trip. I'll be honest a trip like this shouldn't take almost 3 weeks. 150 miles a day or less. Makes me curious what they were doing .

[@SunnyDiegoProduction]

@@captainscentsible1811 exactly! 33 DAYS to reach Guatemala is ridiculous lol It’s mentioned 3 of his “friends” were on the trip, they must of had the time of their lives down at Club Med haha these guys spent the whole budget the first week in Texas and wanted out!

[@billfletcher7602]

Poor Larry 'Bud'. He became so desperate. Lol

[@UberNeuman]

I remember watching this as it unfolded in '88 and thought it was Dave at his cruelest. I mean, I still laughed my ass off, but Dave was just really mean.

[@mattwuxx3888]

Pretty sure a lot of it was schitck. Or at least loosely rehearsed behind the scenes. DeForest's "agida", etc. Although Dave/NBC should have known turning a 67 year old man loose on the road in Central America in an RV, would lead to some fatigue. I wouldn't let my 65 year old parents take a trip 300 miles from home in an RV/car, much less to Guatemala. Too many things that can and would go wrong.

[@kimberlybridges8591]

I agree. If I were Larry Bud, I would have hopped on a plane and said eff you Dave.

[@Cantbuyathrill]

Being mean to an old man and other "lesser" people is vintage Dave.

[@bababooey8062]

I never understood why they didn't have any cameras or tape of the actual trip. Even if it had gone differently you'd think Dave would have wanted some video of the actual trip! Also today I don't think NBC would have let this happen, how did they not plan for car insurance - you can't just drive rental cars across borders without some planning! It was great but would have loved to have seen some video. I remember watching it at the time as well...

[@dongiller]

There were home movies of the trip. I have them. Mostly of the road, though there's one clip of Calvert at the U.S. Consulate in Mexico City.

[@andyrose5616]

I think union rules probably prevented staffers from just shooting their own home movies for the show and airing them. NABET was pretty strict in 1988. I'm sure it would have been quite expensive to send a union cameraman, sound recordist, and all their equipment on the road for an indeterminate amount of time. And when you're trying to pass professional broadcast equipment through customs, you're probably going to get fined unless you have a work visa in each country you enter. Too much hassle.

[@kz1000ps]

@@andyrose5616 Wonderful answer from someone who clearly knows the terrain ^^

[@Cantbuyathrill]

Exactly!! There not being any footage of that Odyssey is what makes me doubt this really happened. The comedic potential of any moment recorded while down there would have proven irresistible to Dave and downright impossible to pass up. I dont think any of this trip happened. Are there any "Polaroids" moments even? I stopped watching 2/3s of the way in.

[@brianarbenz1329]

I joined this whole routine in progress, not even heaving heard that this tour was going to happen. The first call I saw was the one from Mexico were he whined about how he wanted to come home. The very next call, he was all upbeat and happy. So I figured the whole thing was a gag, and he was in the building talking on an office phone.

[@dongiller]

He wasn’t. I have home movies of the trip. He was where he said he was throughout the journey.

[@stevenfarnesi9126]

I really hope Calvert wasn’t as miserable as they were making it sound. I hope this was all in good fun.

[@dongiller]

No, he was miserable and was glad to be back home.

[@stevenfarnesi9126]

That sucks makes me feel bad for laughing.

[@dongiller]

It’s ok to laugh. Dave got to feel what it was like a year later when he found himself committed to a chess match with Gary Kasparov that lasted for over a month. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ppfNdIaiq7WFoZI

[@oldbrokensqueezebox]

Theyr first mistake was sending him without a translator lol if he had someone with who spoke Spanish they mightv made it

[@donmajestic5258]

Two people wanted to come home early

[@richardspikman7116]

television was great then.

[@bloodyhellghost]

Do you remember or have when Dave announced Larry's death (not the 2007 real announcement), they rolled a clip of his high-lights, then Larry comes out @ the end and says "I'm not dead yet"

[@dongiller]

Yeah -- that was the 4th "Prime Time Special" that aired on November 23, 1998.

[@entercainmentproductions9955]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZnubfnaAjteCb5Y

[@randymagnum143]

Wow, the incompetence.

[@cookie5335]

What happened to the mallard

[@cookie5335]

So sad they didn't make it

[@hankochai]

What on earth did they expect, driving across two continents - especially with a man in his mid-60s?

[@stephenstrang590]

Was this all real?

[@dongiller]

Of course.

[@fredhall6525]

I remember watching this years ago. Bud Melman acted like a 6 year old away at summer camp for the first time. He was barely out of the parking lot before he started with, "David, can I come home? I want to go home." I've never seen an adult act like such a baby.

[@michaelmcdonald8452]

Did he say Larry Calvert ? 😂😂😂😂

[@dbetesh]

Why didn't they call him Larry Bud Melmen on these shows?

[@glennfromthebronx]

...reportedly/allegedly NBC "owned" the name.

[@dongiller]

Glenn Leahey But this compilation was still on NBC.

[@glennfromthebronx]

Hmmm. That IS weird. I know that once the CBS//11:30p started @1992...it WAS b/c of the NBC restrictions that the name "Larry 'Bud" Melman" could no longer be used... But three+ years before the change...who the frig' knows. A college friend was an intern/usher on the NBC Letterman show in earlier 80s...will post back IF he knows.

[@dongiller]

Glenn Leahey The CBS show began in 1993, not 1992.

[@scottrogers2599]

My guess is that they wanted to use his real name since he was crossing borders. The less confusion and hassles the better!

[@1972CB350]

Don Giller, though...

[@dongiller]

?

[@1972CB350]

@@dongiller Just amazing content. My humble applause and thanks.

[@mubd1234]

I can see two sides to this. Calvert and the crew clearly were taking too long to advance through the US and Mexico, which frustrated Dave at first. But I can totally understand Calvert and the crew’s perspective from south of there. Getting turfed out of the RV and being expected to power on through some truly unsafe places on ricketty public buses? Once their car was seized at the border, they should have abandoned the project. If they had continued at a rapid pace at first, perhaps Dave would have taken their complaints with more credence. I think by that point he saw them as acting precious, whining about small issues. I think they should have at least brought along a portable video camera to use along the trip, couriering the tapes back to New York where possible. It doesn’t make for good TV only having the black and white fax photo of Calvert every night.

[@redshiftexperiment]

I somewhat agree. It would be damn difficult to make a trip like that! And I think if I was driving and they took away my motorhome and I was forced to do it in a conventional car, it would make a big difference. Plus some of those areas it is very easy to get sick from the water ect. I get stressed out on a 5 hour road trip so I couldn't imagine being out there for more than a month! I just kind of think that the writers and the producers didnt think/plan this out well enough. I definitely feel bad for Larry in this one.

[@redshiftexperiment]

@joe blanco this was a very thoughtful reply. I agree wholeheartedly with your assessment. There are so many aspects of the trip that were just CRAZY dangerous. It is good fuel for great conversation because there is so much to talk about.

[@redshiftexperiment]

@joe blanco yeah I think part of it was that the writers had allocated a budget for this trip and that was pushing things. At one point he offered to send him to Disneyland and he still just wanted to go home. Probably a wise move which showed that his need to stop was genuine. I sence that there was so much invested that people wanted it to come out well. It's funny but sometimes you just cant make things work even if you throw money at it. Sometimes it's better to just say no. I know from experience sometimes money does not solve problems and if u r not trained on a task it can come back and bite a fellow.

[@redshiftexperiment]

Correction .. The budget would be a thing for the producers.. but the writers pretty much know the budget when they start something like this. HOPEFULLY..but that may be too much to ask for 😉

[@roostersideburns3440]

it doesnt take that long to drive.

[@kmac1766]

Guatemala City 38:30 😂😂😂

[@theflorgeormix]

Pure Riot

[@ram3621]

I wasn't enjoying watching this but I want to see how it gets worked out. Not really a funny segment and David was very pushy. Neither one enjoyed it and Calvin was not happy

[@dongiller]

At least get the man’s name right.