Humor By The Numbers: Bob Newhart
On July 25, 1960 — 65 years ago Friday — Bob Newhart’s debut album became the first comedy album to landin the top spot of the Billboard 200 album chart.
“The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart,” would stay there for 15 non-consecutive weeks and would go on to win two Emmy Awards.
Even more amazing, perhaps: Newhart wasn’t even a professional comedian. Yet.
He was an accountant.
A Beancounter Finds A Way To Earn Some Beans
Bob Newhart was born and raised in Chicago, attended Loyola University and service in the Korean War.
From 1956 to 1957, he worked as an accountant but found himself terribly bored with his job.
To amuse himself and others, he would call a colleague and carry on fake phone conversations. This led to an attempt to record conversations and sell them to local radio stations. After 13 weeks of doing this and losing money, he and his friend gave up.
Not long afterward, a friend sent some of the tapes Newhart had made to Warner Bros. records. An executive there thought they might make for a terrific comedy album and asked Newhart to let him know when he was performing his stand-up routine so Warner could send a sound crew to record the performance.
“That sounded fine,” Newhart wrote in his 2006 autobiography, “but there was one small problem: I had never played a nightclub.”
Newhart’s manager found a venue where he could work up a stand-up act: Tideland Motor Inn in Houston, not far from where that city’s Medical Center is now located. Source: The Arch-Ive
Newhart signed with a manager who checked nationwide for possible venues and found one at the Tideland Motor Inn on South Main Street in Houston. For two weeks, Newhart performed as the opening act on the stage in the Inn’s lounge. His act was recorded on Feb. 10, 1960.
“I became the newest pledge to the fraternity of working stand-up comedians,” Newhart wrote. “There was no secret ceremony. I simply went backstage at the end of the night and poured myself a double scotch.”
Newhart wrote that he tried in vain a few months later to find the album in Chicago area record stories. Wondering if the release of the album had been delayed, he checked with Warner Bros. and was told they were selling out everywhere.
“Warners wanted a sequel immediately, so I wrote some more and recorded ‘The Button-Down Mind Strikes Back’,” he wrote. “The second album was released at the end of the year, and it quickly shot up the Billboard charts to No. 2, right behind the first album. Just like that, I had the top two albums in the country.”
“The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart” would remain in the Billboard 200 for two years and would sell more than 600,000 copies. Newhart’s debut album would beat out Frank Sinatra for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year and would also earn him Best New Artist. His second album would win a Grammy for Best Comedy Performance.
Newhart wrote that he was gratified to finally and suddenly have a decent-paying job.
Six Routines on Newhart's First Comedy Album
Abe Lincoln vs. Madison Avenue: An advertising man tries to talk President Lincoln into not making changes to the Gettysburg Address.
The Cruise of the U.S.S. Codfish: The captain of a nuclear submarine addresses his crew after a less-than-routine voyage.
Merchandising the Wright Brothers: A marketing expert works with Orville Wright to find ways to bring in airplane passenger traffic.
The Khrushchev Landing Rehearsal: A TV director leads his team through a dry run to prepare for Nikita Khrushchev's arrival in New York.
Driving Instructor: An instructor faces a challenge when he attempts to teach a hopelessly scatterbrained woman how to drive.
Nobody Will Ever Play baseball: A game manufacturer finds the new sport Abner Doubleday invented overly complicated.
Warner Bros.
Milestones In The Career of Bob Newhart
May 6, 1960
MAY 6, 1960 Newhart’s first album, “The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart,” is released. It will win him Grammy Awards for Album of the Year and Best New Artist.
Late 1960
Newhart’s second album, “The Button-Down Mind Strikes Back!” is released. It, too, will win a Grammy Award.
1961
Newhart’s third album, “Behind the Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart,” is released.
June 26, 1962
Plays his first movie role in the World War II film “Hell is for Heroes” starring Steve McQueen.
1961-62
Newhart hosts “The Bob Newhart Show,” a variety series on NBC that airs for one season of 27 episodes. It wins an Emmy Award and a Peabody Award.
1962
Newhart’s fourth album, “The Button-Down Mind on TV,” is released.
1964
Newhart’s fifth album, “Bob Newhart Faces Bob Newhart,” is released.
1965
Newhart’s sixth album, “The Windmills are Weakening,” is released.
1967
Newhart’s seventh album, “This is It,” is released.
1972-78
Stars as Chicago psychologist Bob Hartley in “The Bob Newhart Show” for 142 episodes over six seasons on CBS. The show is nominated for two Emmy Awards and Newhart receives two Golden Globe nominations.
June 24, 1970
Plays Major Major Major in the World War II comedy film “Catch-22” starring Alan Arkin.
June 22, 1977
Plays the voice of Bernard in the Disney animated feature “The Rescuers.”
March 21, 1980
Appears with Walter Matthau, Tony Curtis and Julie Andrews in the comedy film “Little Miss Marker.”
Dec. 25, 1980
Plays the role of President in the comedy film “First Family.” Although it’s written by noted comedy writer Buck Henry, the film gets horrible reviews.
1992-93
Stars as cartoonist Bob McKay in another sitcom, “Bob.” Ratings are sluggish, so CBS cancels the show midway through season 2 with 3 of its 33 episodes unaired.
Nov. 16, 1990
Plays the voice of Bernard again for the Disney animated sequel “The Rescuers Down Under.”
1982-90
Stars as Vermont innkeeper Dick Loudon in “Newhart” for eight seasons and 184 episodes on CBS. The show was nominated for 25 Emmy Awards but never won.
1997-98
Co-stars with Judd Hirsch and Jason Bateman in yet another sitcom, “George and Leo,” on CBS. The show is canceled after one 22-episode season.
Nov. 7, 2003
Plays Papa Elf in the comedy film “Elf” with Will Ferrell, James Caan and Zooey Deschanel.
2013-2020
Makes nine appearances as a former children’s TV show host, Professor Proton, on the sitcoms “The Big Bang Theory” and its prequel, “Young Sheldon. He earns his first Emmy Award in 2013.
July 18, 2024
Dies at age 94.