Staff Favorite Moments: Writer James Downey, Part 2 | Letterman

The "Late Night" head writer looks back at John Candy vs. wasps, Bob Rooney Day, the giant doorknob and much more.
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Welcome to the Letterman KZbin Channel, home to all your favorite clips from Late Night and Late Show - as well as conversations with the writers, producers and performers who helped make it all happen. These highlights have been artisanly-produced, carefully-curated, and chosen completely at random by an old computer that used to pick numbers for the New York Lotto back in the 90’s.

[@long-shotlouie]

"I was the voice of the Martin van Buren animatron" is right up there with my favourite English sentences.

[@dirgus]

Even if Jim's only credit was writing for Weekend Update with Norm Macdonald, he'd still be a comedy legend. The list of his credits and his overall contribution to comedy is staggering.

[@dashfatbastard]

Somebody ought to write a book about guys like Downey Mulligan and all the guys who fueled that era of comedy, but lived as unsung heroes.

[@kstepko]

That fake moustache on Dave as the Evil Imposter Dad. 😂

[@cisium1184]

The funniest part of that is that, for some reason, the real parents are still tied up.

[@skonenblades]

I'm just realizing that he was the "I award you no points. And may God have mercy on your soul." guy from Billy Madison. Amazing delivery.

[@mcsuibhne005]

Downey is held in awe by Norm . That's good enough for me.

[@BillyCobbOfficial]

The giant doorknob bit was brilliant

[@gersonkphone]

The Giant Doorknob played a key role in Avengers no 239, but much to Disney's shame, hasn't showed up in the MCU yet.

[@rockturtleneck]

"It's just plain big" was a catchphrase among my high school friends back in the Giant Doorknob era.

[@moscheto]

The insistence on the doorknob joke is beautiful!

[@dashfatbastard]

Damn, I miss Downey's stuff. Letterman and Lorne Micheals owe him so much, and so do we.

[@toucansam3]

Late Night was like a public access show that somehow was being broadcast on national television.

[@rjonzun5828]

My first memory of seeing Late Night was the Bob Rooney Day episode. I was immediately hooked and became a lifelong fan.

[@rockturtleneck]

It's hard to convey now the fear and uncertainty of life in the 1980s during the Giant Doorknob Cold War.

[@plaws0]

Once Bush and Gorbachev signed the DNP treaty (Doorknob Non-Proliferation) things sort-of settled down.

[@dondevice8182]

Yes, today we only have a Cold War run by giant knobs.

[@paulhammons7077]

Life was hell. They just got bigger 😳 13:27

[@user-yn4ww1yy2v]

😂Indeed. Oh, the humanity!😫. 😂‼️

[@benmaurer8055]

​@@dondevice8182hilarious but sadly true

[@markjones952]

The Martin Van Buren doll is creepy as hell.

[@ertertwert1]

Don't be frightened.

[@mmmtsp]

my favorite James Downey moment, is the Billy Madison "may God have mercy on your soul" speech.

[@gregorio87]

Oh man, that was brilliant and perfectly executed

[@CamMacMastermusic]

Some deep thoughts here. 😂James deserves way more accolades then he gets. And John Candy was so amazing!

[@patrickthomas8890]

Deep Thoughts was Jack Handey

[@squinkque]

Every time John Candy was on - he was on. Comedy gold.

[@arobsz]

Jim is a national comedy treasure

[@plaws0]

Isn't he? And he never broke under intense interrogation by Dave.

[@wyskass861]

I've learned to know and appreciate Downey from Norm's stories of their days working together.

[@dashfatbastard]

Incredible. It was a golden age.

[@wyskass861]

I could listen to Jim tell stories from his career all day.

[@brucelee4996]

Watch this in the morning - it will start your day off...right. 😊

[@jonseals]

I just love Jim's giggle. :D

[@janjohansenmusic]

I loved Late Night with David Letterman! He had a big heart and was really funny! I saw the show live in New York 2005 with musical act Garbage. I even bought a sandwich from Rupert Jee!

[@MTVCOPS]

That was Late Show

[@madnessbydesign1415]

Letterman AND Garbage?!? That's amazing. Top tier talent! :)

[@SeanAllocca]

If they don't make this a monthly segment Jim, I see it as a wasted opportunity on their part.

[@TheJuniorMints]

It’s so awesome to see this again, thanks Jim!!

[@senselessbabble1996]

I remember the Giant Doorknob making an appearance in The Avengers comic book from Marvel. --- Maybe someday it will appear in an MCU film? Now THAT would make for an awesome Easter egg!

[@ThymeKeeper]

There's a giant doorknob collection available on Don GIller's channel. Just saying :).

[@dongiller]

One of my favorite comments to that collection: “I laughed before I even clicked on the video because I saw that it was over an hour long.”

[@ruthecker399]

love dave long hair

[@jimmy8x541]

THANK YOU so much for this I absolutely love Jim Downey

[@ErisRising]

Downey is a comedy writing legend whose work spans entire generations. He started off at SNL sharing an office with Bill Murray, went on to work with David Letterman, returned to SNL where he was eventually fired when Don Ohlmeyer took exception to his jokes about Ohlmeyer's friend OJ Simpson, worked for Conan O'Brien, and then returned to SNL where he was responsible for every political sketch you probably remember from 2000 onwards.

[@gnewman18]

The brilliance of this show…

[@sirgilmour]

I want Jim Downey to have hundreds of compilations on this channel, love his introductions

[@cs5845]

Another Downey one, keep it up!

[@cameronwilliams6439]

Dave’s haircuts with the ongoing doorknob bit defy both space and time.

[@alexanderross2786]

I remember the giant doorknobs! Didn't it become a long running thing wit more & more elaborate doorknobs?

[@dwaynesbadchemicals]

Bob Rooney’s wishes are similar to mine.

[@JeffReams]

John Candy made my childhood great. I sure do miss that funny guy.

[@o.b.7217]

Ah, so that's where the acronym "MAD" stems from: "Mutual Assured Doorknobbing".

[@jarrodf_]

Far out. That Van Buren bit's extremely tremendous

[@usaturnuranus]

I'll never forget the month I spent helping dad dig up mom's flower garden so we could build our giant doorknob civil defense shelter. Sure, some of the neighbors made fun of us, but I feel confident that if things had taken a turn for the worst, those folks would have been the first ones to grab our knobs and give them a firm pull.

[@mjgoodson]

Great compilation!

[@lylelaylin2912]

The best part was the captioning that made it Baboonie day

[@zenseed75]

Love these clips.

[@treborretsnom6186]

Downey is a legend 🔥

[@andymassingham]

I remember Bob Hope did a promo for Bob Rooney Day. Are we talking 1982? Feels like it was that long ago.

[@dongiller]

1983. I hear the complete show is on the KZbins, including Hope’s promo.

[@protocoldroid7388]

We need a giant doorknob these days.

[@bernlin2000]

4:58 José, as it turns out, happens to be calling from the very place Sofia Vergara was born 😅 Barranquilla, Columbia

[@DUCKSAREEVILLLLLLLL]

"It's just plain big". I think Letterman used that again for something else besides the plainly big door knobs.

[@dannyburleigh1]

This is easily 2 times funnier NOW!!

[@austin5317]

It's just plain big!

[@plaws0]

OK, so the post-credit scene with Mr Downey ... where is the Giant Doorknob now? Was it ever liberated from New Jersey? I do remember Bush and Gorbachev signing the DNP treaty ..

[@Bill_Woo]

I think I like this guy better than Jill! The opening here - yes! (A SMART show - I love this guy so phucking much!) And he was Head Writer at the start, when the show shined maybe the brightest and changed the world. And James Downey says he was LOVING it!! That's awesome to see and hear.

[@Drawson663]

These are golden with jim

[@mariyamwaniki]

That was funny as hell

[@janetremsing6988]

🎉🎊🥳BOB's THE MAN!!!!!👍‼️

[@YahWay.]

Who was the kid actor? Thanks so much on this show, especially the phone calls in. I've always saw a great show would be following up with these people. "Following Dave" a new podcast This kid is now 80. It would be great to hear about his life after this appearance. And how it changed his life, and Bob Rooney's

[@Memo2Self]

I actually think I was in that first audience with the Giant Doorknob! My only time there! (I think Barry Levinson was the guest, promoting "Diner.") Was that the same segment with the "Bag-O-Bees"?

[@dongiller]

The show you describe - Barry Levinson and the Bag O’Bees - occurred on May 11, 1982. The Giant Doorknob debuted a few weeks earlier, April 20, ‘82.

[@Memo2Self]

@@dongiller Well, then, I was CLOSE!

[@GaryPhelpsII]

I didn’t know for a long time that James played the moderator at the end of Billy Madison (‘I award you no points, and May God have mercy on your soul’).

[@YahWay.]

The rule of three Anything could be made funny. With the rule of three. Especially the running gag.

[@djbloodshot]

that guy calling for julio inglesias looks a lot like that chichi get the yayo guy from scarface

[@mookiechillson]

This is all true. Tommy Tutone produced those cards in the 80’s.

[@MrBfg586]

The door knob joke was so random.

[@wyskass861]

There is too much lack of silliness in comedy these days. Everything is sensitive and important. It's come back around again.

[@Felice_Enellen]

I swear that kid is Matt Damon.

[@KaninTuzi]

16:29 Dave with the camel toe

[@avlisk]

Who wrote these jokes?

[@pwk22]

I was born in 1955. I've said many times, "I'm old enough to remember when Letterman was funny."

[@Kilmer5]

Still funny. Catch him on an episode of the Strike Force Five podcast and then listen to the five hosts - Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, John Oliver, Seth Meyers & Jimmy Fallon - gush over his influence and continuing brilliance Dave remains the gold standard

[@kevinkingmaker7395]

This stuff might have been edgy back in the day but doesn't really land today.

[@Trev0r98]

Giant doorknob bits: not funny.

[@josephmartin8169]

Haha, actively untrue.

[@darrellbarfz8666]

Unfortunately this guy only knows the least polished Letterman skits.

[@tonyp.5985]

Dave always wore such awful, ill-fitting suits. Conan's wardrobe was a major improvement.

[@Kilmer5]

And that's soooooooooooo important

[@carlitaperezfeet]

Kind of ridiculous that this old man has to cuss during this look back. Very immature individual.

[@asynchronicity]

You are a highly uncreative person, correct?

[@kenhahn5544]

I just spent 17 minutes and didn't find even one second of it... Just dumb

[@jimmymcgee6900]

None of this is funny. Must be nice to make inside jokes to your friends but doesn't work on anyone else. I think anyone who says it's funny or good is just lying

[@YourTVFriend]

Downey is one of the most respected comedy writers of the last 50 years, so that reveals a lot more about you.

[@Aaron-lc9cx]

Definitely not funny

[@lms2932]

Wrong.

[@weshoward4968]

Where your sense of fun bud?