The Best of Flip Wilson Season 1, Episode 17: Muhammad Ali, Bobby Darin, Lily Tomlin

1

David Frost, James Brown, Sunday’s Child

James Brown discusses dance moves; Frost interviews Geraldine & (along with Sunday’s Child) joins Rev. Leroy’s church.

2

Bobby Darin, Denise Nicholas, Stanley Myron Handelman, Roy Clark

Flip & Stanley each do monologues; the cast does a taxi skit and a western parody Butch Cassidy & The Suntan Kid.

3

Lily Tomlin, Redd Foxx, The Temptations

Lily & Flip do saloon and computer dating bits; Redd gives an English lesson and Rev. Leroy preaches with the Temptations.

4

Perry Como, Charlie Callas, Denise Nicholas, Lola Falana

Perry demonstrates the use of a stool; Freddie the Bachelor juggles two dates (Denise and Lola) and Callas does hilarious stand-up.

6

Charlie Callas, Laura Greene, Pat Morita, Louis Armstrong

Callas is a palace guard and Italian cafe patron; Louis leads Rev. Leroy’s church in “When The Saints Go Marching In.”

8

Robert Klein, Lola Falana, Dean Martin

Flip visits Lola at the unemployment office; Klein does his classic Broadway audition routine and Dean Martin drops by.

9

Arte Johnson, Moms Mabley, Marcel Marceau

Arte’s a hopeless holdup man; Marcel does his classic Mask Maker pantomime and Moms gets a Geraldine makeover.

10

Bobby Darin, Charley Pride, Ella Fitzgerald

Cast sings “Who?” with George Wyle on piano; Darin’s a rabid football fan, then the devil battling Rev. Leroy.

11

John Byner, Johnny Brown, Connie Stevens

Flip does mind-reading bit; Byner & Brown do competing impersonations and the entire cast does a Sherlock Holmes send-up.

12

Tony Randall, Lena Horne

Tony & Lena want to leave NYC by cab; Tony & Flip are an odd couple of inmates: Lena gets food & philosophy at Charley's Diner.

13

Sid Caesar, Bobby Darin

Sid plays a hip musician, Jekyll & Hyde and a slot machine; Bobby & Flip offer a vaudeville routine and the cast does a silent movie.

14

ShaNaNa, Burl Ives, Slim Gaillard

Santa Claus (Ives) drops by the gas station; Gaillard & Ives do The Night Before Christmas and Rev. Leroy tells ShaNaNa about Scrooge.

15

Bing Crosby, The Supremes, David Steinberg

Bing teaches golf; The Supremes help Freddie Johnson do holiday shopping; David does monologue and Geraldine's a bunny waitress.

16

Steve Lawrence, Zero Mostel

Mostel portrays a painter and a ledge-jumper; Flip defends his singing ability and Charley’s Diner serves Mostel and Lawrence.

17

Muhammad Ali, Bobby Darin, Lily Tomlin

The boxing champ makes poetic predictions for his Joe Frazier fight; Tomlin’s a health nut; Flip & Bobby do a vaudeville bit.

19

Joe Namath, George Carlin, Abbey Lincoln, Johnny Mathis

Carlin does his Indian Sergeant routine; Abbey dates Freddie Johnson; Flip & Mathis compare dogs and Geraldine works at Namath’s gym.

20

Barbara Feldon, Art Carney, Hal Frazier

Cast parodies Mission Impossible; Flip chats with Hal; sketches incl. a gangster at the veterinarian and bowling night.

21

Aretha Franklin, Charlie Callas, David Frost

Cast spoofs panel show & secret agent movies; Callas does stand-up and Aretha joins the Church Of What’s Happening Now.

22

Ray Charles, Leslie Uggams, Don Rickles

Flip promotes his latest LP; Uggams rents Freddie Johnson a friend (Rickles) in NYC; Geraldine fawns over Ray Charles.

23

Tim Conway, Robert Klein, Diahann Carroll

Flip & Tim teach poker; Freddie Johnson meets Diahann at a society party and Klein does Borscht Belt routine.

24

Ray Stevens, George Carlin, Lena Horne

Carlin does monologue on NYC cops; Flip fixes Ray Stevens’ TV set; Rev. Leroy visits Lena Horne at a nightclub.

25

Lily Tomlin, Hamilton Camp, Burt Holiday, Bob Henry

Lily does her famous Ernestine character; Camp & Tomlin have a blind date and Freddie Johnson lands in court.

26

Tim Conway, Johnny Brown, Sandy Duncan

Flip & Tim play pool; Sandy sells books to Freddie Johnson; Brown does impressions and Conway is a school headmaster.