Saturday Night Live Samurai
Encyclopedia
In the early years of Saturday Night Live
, John Belushi
portrayed a samurai
-- he had a dedicated concept of honor, spoke only (mock) Japanese, and wielded a katana
. Each sketch had him located in a different place and time that was typically inappropriate for a samurai, yet he performed his tasks perfectly, despite scaring his clients quite a few times.
Samurai Futaba would probably not have become a recurring character if not for Buck Henry
's insistence that there be a second sketch featuring him when he first hosted on January 17, 1976. It is perhaps due to these origins that it became standard practice on SNL to feature a Samurai sketch every time Henry hosted, up until the time Belushi left the cast. (And except for "Samurai BMOC", each time Henry would play the same character, Mr. Dantley.)
In issue #74 of Marvel Team-Up
(cover dated October, 1978), Belushi (in character as Samurai Futaba) dueled Marvel Comics
supervillain
Silver Samurai
, who believed that Belushi was disgracing the history of the samurai. He also appears briefly in issue #54 of The Sandman.
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
, John Belushi
John Belushi
John Adam Belushi was an American comedian, actor, and musician, best known as one of the original cast members of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, The Star of the Films National Lampoon's Animal House and the The Blues Brothers and for fronting the American blues and soul...
portrayed a samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
-- he had a dedicated concept of honor, spoke only (mock) Japanese, and wielded a katana
Katana
A Japanese sword, or , is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. There are several types of Japanese swords, according to size, field of application and method of manufacture.-Description:...
. Each sketch had him located in a different place and time that was typically inappropriate for a samurai, yet he performed his tasks perfectly, despite scaring his clients quite a few times.
Samurai Futaba would probably not have become a recurring character if not for Buck Henry
Buck Henry
Henry Zuckerman, better known as Buck Henry , is an American actor, writer, film director, and television director.-Early life:...
's insistence that there be a second sketch featuring him when he first hosted on January 17, 1976. It is perhaps due to these origins that it became standard practice on SNL to feature a Samurai sketch every time Henry hosted, up until the time Belushi left the cast. (And except for "Samurai BMOC", each time Henry would play the same character, Mr. Dantley.)
In issue #74 of Marvel Team-Up
Marvel Team-Up
Marvel Team-Up is the name of several American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series featured two or more Marvel characters in one story...
(cover dated October, 1978), Belushi (in character as Samurai Futaba) dueled Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
Silver Samurai
Silver Samurai
The Silver Samurai is a fictional character in Marvel Comics' universe, occasionally a superhero and more often a supervillain. His first appearance was in Daredevil #111...
, who believed that Belushi was disgracing the history of the samurai. He also appears briefly in issue #54 of The Sandman.
List of Saturday Night Live Episodes Featuring Samurai Futaba
- "Samurai Hotel" December 13, 1975 - Belushi and another bellhop (host Richard PryorRichard PryorRichard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor was an American stand-up comedian, actor, social critic, writer and MC. Pryor was known for uncompromising examinations of racism and topical contemporary issues, which employed colorful vulgarities, and profanity, as well as racial epithets...
) duel over who has to carry a guest's bags. Pryor smashes the front desk with his sword; The Samurai says, "I can dig where you're coming from," the only words he has ever spoken in English. - "Samurai Delicatessen" January 17, 1976 - Mr. Dantley (host Buck HenryBuck HenryHenry Zuckerman, better known as Buck Henry , is an American actor, writer, film director, and television director.-Early life:...
) waits as The Samurai makes a sandwich by severing ropes on hanging salami, slicing tomatoes in midair, and splitting bread with his skull. The two of them carry on a pleasant conversation although each speaks a different language. - "Samurai Divorce Court" February 14, 1976 - Futaba vs. Futaba. In the Samurai universe, custody cases are resolved by splitting children in twain. Host: Peter BoylePeter BoylePeter Lawrence Boyle, Jr. was an American actor, best known for his role as Frank Barone on the sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond, and as a comical monster in Mel Brooks' film spoof Young Frankenstein ....
- "Samurai Tailor" May 22, 1976 - Mr. Dantley (Buck HenryBuck HenryHenry Zuckerman, better known as Buck Henry , is an American actor, writer, film director, and television director.-Early life:...
) needs a tuxedo for a wedding. The Samurai makes one for him with a katana. - "Samurai General Practitioner" July 31, 1976 host: Kris KristoffersonKris KristoffersonKristoffer "Kris" Kristofferson is an American musician, actor, and writer. He is known for hits such as "Me and Bobby McGee", "For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and "Help Me Make It Through the Night"...
- "Samurai Stockbroker" October 30, 1976 - Belushi accidentally strikes Buck Henry, playing the client Mr. Dantley, in the forehead. On tape, Henry clearly staggers back from the blow.
- "The Purple Lagoon" (during musical performance) December 11, 1976 musical guest: Frank ZappaFrank ZappaFrank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
- "Samurai Hit Man" March 19, 1977 - Don Marsala (Dan AykroydDan AykroydDaniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, CM is a Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter, musician, winemaker and ufologist. He was an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, an originator of The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters and has had a long career as a film actor and screenwriter.-Early...
) hires The Samurai to kill, as soon as possible, both Don CorneliusDon CorneliusDonald Cortez "Don" Cornelius is an American television show host and producer who is best known as the creator of the nationally syndicated dance/music franchise Soul Train, which he hosted from 1971-1993...
and Don KirshnerDon KirshnerDon Kirshner , known as "The Man With the Golden Ear", was an American song publisher and rock producer who is best known for managing songwriting talent as well as successful pop groups, such as The Monkees, Kansas and The Archies.-Early life:Don Kirshner was born to Gilbert Kirshner, a tailor,...
. - "Samurai B.M.O.C." May 21, 1977 - The Samurai must convince Dean Bynum (Buck Henry) that he is qualified to graduate from college.
- "Samurai Dry Cleaners" October 29, 1977 host: Charles GrodinCharles GrodinCharles Grodin is an American actor, comedian, author and former cable talk show host. Grodin began his acting career in the 1960s appearing in TV serials including The Virginian. He had a small part as an obstetrician in Roman Polanski's Rosemary's Baby in 1968...
- "Samurai Psychiatrist" November 19, 1977 - Buck Henry relates a disturbing dream.
- "Samurai Night Fever" February 25, 1978 - a parodyParodyA parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of the film Saturday Night FeverSaturday Night FeverSaturday Night Fever is a 1977 drama film directed by John Badham and starring: John Travolta as Tony Manero, an immature young man whose weekends are spent visiting a local Brooklyn discothèque; Karen Lynn Gorney as his dance partner and eventual friend; and Donna Pescow as Tony's former dance...
, with the Samurai as a disco dancer. Host O.J. SimpsonO. J. SimpsonOrenthal James "O. J." Simpson , nicknamed "The Juice", is a retired American collegiate and professional football player, football broadcaster, and actor...
plays the Samurai's brother. - "Samurai TV Repairman" May 20, 1978 - The Samurai tosses a TV set around, hits it with his sword, plunges two knives into the top grill, and the picture turns out perfect. Host: Buck Henry
- "Rollo" (during musical performance) October 21, 1978 - host: Frank ZappaFrank ZappaFrank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
- "Samurai Optometrist" November 11, 1978 - The Samurai nearly commits hara-kiri when Buck Henry calls him an "optician".
- "Samurai Bakery" May 26, 1979 - host: Buck HenryBuck HenryHenry Zuckerman, better known as Buck Henry , is an American actor, writer, film director, and television director.-Early life:...
Mr. Dantley (Buck HenryBuck HenryHenry Zuckerman, better known as Buck Henry , is an American actor, writer, film director, and television director.-Early life:...
) picks up a pre-ordered wedding cake, only to find it not boxed. The Samurai tosses the cake in the air, and slices it to pieces as it drops behind the counter, only to pick up neatly packaged, string-tied pink boxes, which he hands to Mr. Dantley.