Bobby Mardis started his stand-up comedy career at the comedy store in Los Angeles. At the time there was a location on Westwood Boulevard where he would work out. He would take walks around Cheviot Hills Park working out his material and try it out at night at the store.
Soon he would try other venues around Los Angeles to test the different crowds. Because he was in a college town, he would also work on the college audiences and eventually to other states. While in Los Angeles he would also work at “The Store” on Sunset where he learned from some of the greats.
While Bobby was studying at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Pasadena, he became anxious to really test his talents with the general public. He felt the need to get in front of the public and try to evoke responses that would validate his talents. He decided to write a stand up comedy routine and try his luck in the local Los Angeles clubs. The first time on stage he was so afraid of bombing that he practically shit his pants. Some said that he actually did but is a well kept secret. After many days perfecting a five minute set and many nights performing it, Bobby was hooked on the laughter that he evoked. They say there are three elements in stand-up that that you have to make work and those are the audience, the mic and yourself. Whatever you get is all yours. The goal is to achieve uproarious laughter but there are night where you might get just the opposite. After many nights of fine tuning, inserting new material and hoping from the Comedy Store in Westwood, to the Improv on Melrose, the Comedy Cave on La Cienega and about fifteen other small venues, his comedy career was born.
It was all uphill from there. Most comedians have the same struggles of trying to make ends meet, spending endless nights hanging out at clubs and many days in search of that killer joke. Bobby met many lifelong friends who experienced the struggle and shared the joy. As comedy became the common denominator of friendships, projects evolved and careers expanded to the stages, colleges, talk shows, acting gigs and touring concerts. While performing in clubs Bobby met Robert Townsend and Keenen Ivory Wayan. Bobby got a call from Robert one day asking him what he was doing for the weekend. When Bobby replied, “Nothing, wazzup?” Robert said that he was shooting this project called “Hollywood Shuffle” and asked if I was down for coming on board. I ask, “How much do we get paid?” He said, “nothing, you down?” Everyone’s immediate response was, “Hell yeah!” Most Black talent at that time just wanted to work and would beg, borrow or steal just to get some screen time. Robert was providing that and convinced over 85 union actors (Comedians and Singers as well) to participate in what ended up to be a classic film. Of course the union didn’t necessarily like the fact that their actors were doing a non-union film at the time, but once again, exposure was the goal.
Bobby then got bit by the acting bug and went on to do a number of acting projects. Many comedians jumped back on stage and did what they did best, make people laugh. Comedy evolved and one of the hottest rooms in the city sprang up in South Central called the Comedy act theater. Michael Williams was the proprietor of that venue which was owned by another friend, Vanessa Bell Calloway and her husband, Dr. Tony Calloway. This was the first major comedy club in the hood that attracted many Hollywood producers and casting directors. The Comedy Act Theater was the jumping off point for many comedians who became big names on the circuit. Comedy evolved and stars were born.
Bobby became friends will many comedians of which he studied, hung out with and shared the same stage. Some of the masters of comedy also performed in one of South Central Los Angele’s premiere clubs for the majority of Black audiences. That club was the Comedy Act Theater in on 43rd and Degnan off of Crenshaw. That was the place to be on weekends to let your hair down. Bobby performed on this stage but the biggest treat for him was to continue learning from the masters who used the club to work out. We all were enamoured by Robin Harris who was the Host and MC of the Club who dared anyone to get out of their seats while he was on stage. If you did, he would ride you all night. Jimmy Witherspoon would show up regularly to make sure everything was “Cooooooordinated!”
There were many friends that were made and many shows that we went on to perform in like “House Party” and the “Robert Townsend and his Partners in Crime.” The creme of the crop rose to the top. There was certainly a pecking order that you had to adhere to from being squeezed in with your best five minute bit, or being blessed with twenty minutes routine. The big payoff was the headliner position where you scored a few more dollars. The real gold that was captured was off stage in the green rooms, in the back of the audience, in front of the venues and parking lots. Ironically, this is where you would hear the best material that was often not appropriate for the stage. Because Los Angeles was the Mecca of comedy and comedians came in an abundance, if you made 25 to 50 dollars a night you were doing good. Many comedians performed for free just to get on stage to work their material out so they could get on the road or college circuit to make the real money.
Bobby states that one night after jumping on stage at the Comedy Store on Sunset, Bobby was one minute into his routine when the light came on. When the red light comes on that means wrap it up. When it flashes that means, “Get the hell off of the stage NOW!” Bobby was baffled at his significantly reduced time but because you didn’t want to anger Mitzy, the owner, you got the hell off the stage. The rule was, if there was a bigger name that came in and wanted to get on stage, whoever was on stage at the time had to wrap it, and get off.
If the star was gigantic like the the two stars that Bobby was literally ripped off the stage for, then so be it. Richard Pryor and Robin Williams wanted to get on stage together on night. Bobby suggested that he was pulled off stage so fast until you didn’t even know he was there. He carried a little throw-away camera in his pocket at the time and took this picture to commemorate the moment of Richard and Robin.
