The program's host, Alan King. White tossed off the ultimate line on the difficulty of talking about comedy.
Few people are interested and the frog dies of it.
Perhaps King's invocation of the comedy gods caused them to smile upon the evening. It could be the moments of inspired lunacy throughout the program. The performers onstage at Caltech's Beckman Auditorium. And Bill Maher, who is a stand-up, and who now runs a television talk show, and whose take is mostly political and social observation. And Shecky Greene, a brilliant monologist.