Man saying alphabet

[Ziffel]

Wondering if anyone recalls this. From the early 70's I saw this clip several times. It was a man (I'd say about 35 or 40) standing in an empty room and he slowly goes through the alphabet. The letters light up above his head one at a time. It's a pretty stoic clip. About the only thing that happens is there are a couple of letters along the way where he is stumped and can't think of what letter comes next. He stands there going, "Ummmmmm. Uhhhhhhhhh." And when he does this the letter flashes, kind of like trying to get his attention to look up and see the next letter. He does and then proceeds. I don't remember if anything happens at all after he says z. Also wondering if anyone knows who this man was. If he was a celebrity. Or a member of the SS cast or crew. Or just someone they got to do this one segment. (If he was paid well for this clip it was pretty easy work I'd say! ).

 

[SesameMike]

Was this man just standing there with his hands behind his back as he recited the alphabet?

There was a similar one with an African-American fella (Bill Cosby?) in split screen so there were two of them. I think they alternately said letters of the alphabet, with the letter superimposed over either side of the screen. I distinctly remember that before the letter W, they said to each other "Two V's" (noting that a W is really a double V)

 

[Ziffel]

He was just standing there and I can't recall for sure if his hands were behind his back but I think they were. He was a caucasian with dark hair. Kind of seems like it would be an unmemorable clip and yet it stuck fairly well with me! Seeing a grownup forgetting two letters of the alphabet was one reason, but even the slow monotonic way he said the other letters had a certain appeal to it. Ah the brilliance of SS!

 

[DerekJ]

Was this man just standing there with his hands behind his back as he recited the alphabet?

There was a similar one with an African-American fella (Bill Cosby?) in split screen so there were two of them. I think they alternately said letters of the alphabet, with the letter superimposed over either side of the screen. I distinctly remember that before the letter W, they said to each other "Two V's" (noting that a W is really a double V)

Yep, it's the "smart" Bill Cosby who reminds the split-screen "dumb" Cosby that it's "V...Two V's..."

 

[mikebennidict]

no he's talking about an entire different person. this man was white and the wearing a suit. he forgot was came after I and the J was flashing till he said the letter.

 

[MuppetDude]

It could've been Burt Lancaster.

 

[mikebennidict]

wan't him either. i saw this other one when i was young and he was a much younger man.

 

[DerekJ]

no he's talking about an entire different person. this man was white and the wearing a suit. he forgot was came after I and the J was flashing till he said the letter.

I seem to remember 70's dull-guy character actor Paul Sand doing some early SS segments, but keep confusing it with the one about the clown taking off his makeup...
(Or was it Austin Pendleton?--I never could tell them apart.)

 

[SesameMike]

10 push-ups

That same guy, or at least a fella with a similar demeanor, had a segment in which he did 10 push-ups. They were done on the floor in a plain or nondescript room. The numbers 1-10 appeared above him as he counted. Just before the last push-up, he said something like "And now look at this one. Ten."

 

[Ziffel]

There was a similar one with an African-American fella (Bill Cosby?) in split screen so there were two of them. I think they alternately said letters of the alphabet, with the letter superimposed over either side of the screen. I distinctly remember that before the letter W, they said to each other "Two V's" (noting that a W is really a double V)

Yep, it's the "smart" Bill Cosby who reminds the split-screen "dumb" Cosby that it's "V...Two V's..."

When I first read these posts about this double Bill Cosby alphabet segment, it didn't ring a bell. But now I think it came back to me. The "smart" Bill Cosby was on the right hand side of the screen right? And the "dumb" Cosby said the letters in some rather humorous ways didn't he? (I'm recalling the way he says "u" to be....well, kind of hard to describe by typing. Well I can say it was rather emphasized. Like , "YOUUUUU").
Anyhow, I think this was the same one because I now vividly remember the voice of the great Coz in it.