‘Just Another Level’ : Pauly Shore Remembers The Comedy Store’s Early Stand-Up Days with Robin Williams
The actor recalls Robin Williams’s early stand-up days in the 1970s, having grown up at the renowned Comedy Store operated by his mother Mitzi.
When actor Pauly Shore’s mother Mitzi operated The Comedy Store in Los Angeles, he saw Robin Williams doing stand-up comedy for the first time when he was a small child.
“That guy was unique,” 56-year-old Shore remembers. “His comedy and improv skills were on a whole other level. He would essentially enter the stage, take hold of someone’s drink, and perform for ten minutes. Everyone gathered in the rear to watch Robin go off “he says.
Along with comedians like Richard Pryor, David Letterman, and Sam Kinison, Williams was a frequent at The Comedy Store. He passed away ten years ago today at the age of sixty-three. Growing up in the home behind the club, Shore frequently had interactions with the comics when they would visit him to spend time with his mother following their performances.
“My mom’s office for The Comedy Store was at the house, and Robin used to come over to pick up his $25 check or whatever it was,” he recalls.
“I recall that he would be in his attire while filming Mork & Mindy, and we would engage in lighthearted conversation. Off-stage and on, he was just the same guy. Simply really awesome and playful.”
Williams and his mother Mitzi, who gained notoriety as the nation’s only female comedy club owner, had a unique bond, according to Shore. She was renowned for being difficult to laugh at, but she was also recognized for caring for the comics as though they were her own children.
He describes Mitzi, who passed away in 2018 after being married to comedian Sammy Shore, as “like a den mother to these comics.”
He went on, “She would take them in.” “Most of them were jobless, semi-homeless, and didn’t have any money, and if my mom saw that, she’d always make sure they had a place to stay.”
Shore continues, “Robin wasn’t anything like that — he had his own thing already, coming in from San Francisco. He’s currently on the road with his one-man show Stick with the Dancing.
She was kind of developing him at this point in the late 1970s, and his stardom quickly soared. When you saw him, you knew exactly what would happen to him. It was evident that he was meant for film.”
Williams’ enormous heart was something Shore claims he recalls most about him.
“After he was famous he’d always come up to me and give me a hug, ask how my mom and brothers were doing,” he recalls.
“He remains endearing to all of us,” Shore continues. “Therefore, his death wasn’t an ordinary circumstance. It was so touching. He had such a broad appeal. Take a look at Good Morning, Vietnam, or any of his other movies; you can tell he always gave it his all. That also showed in the way he conducted himself.”
