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Title: My Breakfast with Blassie (1983)
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Photos
Cast
| Credited cast: | |||
| Andy Kaufman | ... |
Himself
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Freddy Blassie | ... |
Himself
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Laurie Burton | ... |
Smiler
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Linda Hirsch | ... |
Grappling Girl
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| Linda Lautrec | ... |
Autograph Hound
(as Linda Burdick)
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Lynne Margulies | ... |
Legs
(as Lynne Elaine)
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| Bob Zmuda | ... |
Nosey Fan
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Storyline
Andy Kaufman's ridiculous parody of "My Dinner With Andre" sets Andy Kaufman, playing himself, at an early-morning breakfast with former wrestling champion Fred Blassie. Andy and Fred discuss wrestling (Andy's success with wrestling women is discussed at length), then change the topic to techniques for keeping your hands clean, why not to eat pancakes or waffles, giving autographs to fans, and other topics not nearly as intellectual as the ones discussed in My Dinner With Andre. As with much of Andy Kaufman's work, My Breakfast with Blassie is extremely self-deprecating, showing Kaufman as being timid yet egotistical, using his role as Latka on Taxi as a way of trying to impress people. The video explores the egotism that develops with stardom, as well as the desire to lead a private life: the double-edged sword of being a recognizable celebrity. Written by David Eschatfische <esch@fische.com>
The intention of this movie is to make fun of a pretentious art film using Freddie Blassie, the most bombastic, crude, and intellectually offensive personality in the media at the time. He was a legendary, loud-mouth wrestler known for calling his opponents, and anyone else he disliked, "pencil-neck geeks". (I remember he once held "geek" ringside announcer Dick Lane upside-down outside a window in the middle of a telecast.)
However, Kaufman's and Zamuda's cynical snot and vomit routines, no doubt intended to provoke Blassie into a rage, backfire. Although Blassie never seems to be "in" on the joke -- he is genuinely offended by (or blissfully ignorant of) Andy's mocking behavior -- Blassie comes across as warm, good-humored, brutally honest, and full of the love of life. Towards the end, Andy seems genuinely in awe of Blassie whose rich stories and politically-incorrect observations contrast sharply with Andy's feigned(?) shallowness and politeness.
Overall, this is a good film and very funny in places, but I came away more in admiration of Freddie Blassie than Andy Kaufman. Were it not for Andy's more imaginative routines in television, I would have a very poor impression of him. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this film, which, if nothing else, gave me an overwhelming nostalgia for Sambo's pancakes.