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Polar Blair's Den Menu Page"Dorf" Film Series
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About Dorf
The Dorf Films
Dorf's Friends
1. Dorf on Golf (1987)
2. Dorf's Golf Bible (1987)
3. Dorf and the First Games of Mt. Olympus (1988)
4. Dorf Goes Auto Racing (1990)
5. Dorf Goes Fishing (1993)
6. Dorf on the Diamond (1996)
7. Dorf da Bingo King (2001)
8. Oldie Hollis: The Legend of the Paddle (2008)
DORF'S FRIENDS!
Bingo Pals (Various Performers)
Boom Boom (Michele Smith)
Cooking With Carly (Tim Conway)
DIP Host (Ronnie Schell)
DIP Hostess (Jean Fox)
Groan the Caveman (James Moore)
Grunt the Caveman (Tim Conway)
Howard (Chuck McCann)
Leonard (Vincent Schiavelli)
Louise DuArt (Herself, Celebrity Impersonator)
Mrs. Dorf (Yvonne Wilder)
Sam Snead (Himself)
The Senile Old Man (Tim Conway)
Waldo (Eddie Deezen)
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About Dorf
The Dorf Films
Dorf's Friends
About Dorf: To some,
Dorf may seem like a "low brow" character (pun intended), but there is
a certain amount of psychology behind Tim Conway's iconic
buffoon. There's a little bit of Dorf in everyone. In all
of his shows, Dorf tries desperately to succeed, but is greatly
hindered by the incompetence that surrounds him. Short stature
only adds to his failure to be heard or obeyed. Dorf is a
slow-burn individual but when he blows, watch out!
Dorf isn't perfect. He's short, wears a very obvious toupe, and has a thick Scandinavian accent. All these things make it even harder for Dorf to fit in and be understood. The important thing is that he never stops trying!
When "Dorf on Golf" first came out in 1987, the impact was huge! It set the trend for the instruction video parody craze, which still exists today! Comedians like Marty Allen, Rodney Dangerfield, Jeff Foxworthy, and others have all followed suit. Dorf, himself, was popular enough to appear in seven follow-up videos!
THE
DORF FILMS!Dorf isn't perfect. He's short, wears a very obvious toupe, and has a thick Scandinavian accent. All these things make it even harder for Dorf to fit in and be understood. The important thing is that he never stops trying!
When "Dorf on Golf" first came out in 1987, the impact was huge! It set the trend for the instruction video parody craze, which still exists today! Comedians like Marty Allen, Rodney Dangerfield, Jeff Foxworthy, and others have all followed suit. Dorf, himself, was popular enough to appear in seven follow-up videos!
1. Dorf on Golf (1987)
2. Dorf's Golf Bible (1987)
3. Dorf and the First Games of Mt. Olympus (1988)
4. Dorf Goes Auto Racing (1990)
5. Dorf Goes Fishing (1993)
6. Dorf on the Diamond (1996)
7. Dorf da Bingo King (2001)
8. Oldie Hollis: The Legend of the Paddle (2008)
1. Dorf on Golf (1987)- This
is the one that started it all! The theme of the video was
golf. Dorf's sidekick was the tall, dopey Leonard, played
winningly by Vincent Schiavelli. A lot of Dorf fans are surprised
to learn that Leonard, Dorf's beloved dummy sidekick, appeared in only
two Dorf videos (the other being "Dorf and the First Games of Mt.
Olympus"). This video also marked the first appearance of Michele
Smith (one "l", not two) as the vacuous mute, Boom Boom. Boom
Boom's awesome! She doesn't say much, but her expressions say it
all. Boom Boom is the perfect bouncing board for Dorf's
frustrated remarks. Boom Boom got even better in later
videos. "Dorf on Golf" is presented as a "how to" video.
Few Dorf videos were "how to" parodies, although this is how the
franchise is best remembered. For better or worse, "Dorf on Golf"
is still the most popular of the Dorf videos.
2. Dorf's Golf Bible (1987)- Once again, the theme of the video was golf. Once again, it was presented as a "how to" video. But the Dorf videos are already showing their ability to stretch past the typical, "how to" format. For instance, the Bible reference is something that few real instructional videos would have been bold to try. I love how Boom Boom was used as the "Angel of Numbers" in this video. She pantomimes what the narrator says and shows a lot of facial and physical expression. This is easily the best acting work Michele Smith did as Boom Boom! Dorf's sidekick this time around is bespectacled nerd Waldo, played to perfection by Eddie Deezen. Waldo is of normal height, skinny, and extremely geeky. None of these things bothers Dorf as much as Waldo's supreme stupidity. Like Leonard before him, Waldo also serves as Dorf's caddy. Also like Leonard, Waldo appears in only two Dorf videos (the other being "Dorf Goes Auto Racing").
Golf legend Sam Snead guest stars.
3. Dorf and the First Games of Mt. Olympus (1988)- This is unique for Dorf videos, and one of the best. It's set entirely in the days of ancient Greece. Derkus Dorf, as he's known in this video, is the emperor who comes up with the idea for the Olympics. Leonard is his sidekick one more time, played by Vincent Schiavelli. Boom Boom is Dorf's servant girl (again played by Michele Smith). The neat thing about this video is that we get to see Dorf try his hand at many different sports, instead of just one. This show has some of the greatest non-computer-generated sight gags of any Dorf video. Once again, Dorf proves "It's not easy being the head man!".
4. Dorf Goes Auto Racing (1990)- Another interesting Dorf video! The theme of this show is NASCAR racing. What's unusual is the fact that, in this show, Dorf is an antagonist. This time around, his name is Deussel Dorf. He is an underhanded European racecar driver who decides to try his hand at NASCAR. Waldo (Eddie Deezen) makes his last appearance in the series as Dorf's pit crew chief. Michele Smith makes her last appearance in the series as Boom Boom, also a member of the pit crew. This video shows Boom Boom at her sexiest as she strips down to her bikini and struts around, causing most of Dorf's opponents to crash!
This video seems largely a celebration of NASCAR, and shows off many of its popular drivers.
5. Dorf Goes Fishing (1993)- We knew it had to happen! A Dorf fishing video! It's pretty good. This is the first of three times (to date) that Dorf doesn't have a sidekick. He does, however, have a fat, spoiled housewife (Yvonne Wilder) who reluctantly joins him on his fishing adventure. In addition, Ronnie Schell plays the DIP Host, with Jean Fox as the DIP Hostess.
It's unfortunate that Boom Boom (Michele Smith) is not here, but Tim Conway pulled out all the stops in making this a really good show. It was great to actually see Mrs. Dorf, and I loved the infomercial tie-in. Jean Fox did pretty good as the comedic eye-candy in this show, and Ronnie Schell did great as the straight man. This is also the first time that Tim Conway played multiple characters in a Dorf video. His moments as Grunt the Caveman and Carly (a parody of French chef Julia Childs) are very amusing.
6. Dorf on the Diamond (1996)- A Dorf baseball video! This is also pretty funny. Again, no sidekick, but Dorf does have a nemesis in the little blond-haired kid played by Shawn Hess. Conway's son, Tim Conway, Jr., appears as the Peanut Vendor. This is not Tim, Jr.'s first appearance in the series, but it's easily his most memorable. There is quite a lengthy scene between father and son as the frustrated Dorf tries to get a bag of peanuts from the idiot peanut man.
As the story goes, Dorf is a "Super Fan"; merely a baseball enthusiast. There are, however, several cut-away gags, flashbacks, and dream sequences of Dorf as a professional baseball player. So we get to see Dorf as both baseball player AND spectator, which makes for a lot of great comedy moments. Conway brings his "senile old man" character to the franchise in the form of Flash, the baseball team manager. Conway also plays Wally, the unfortunate scoreboard keeper. I think the Dorf videos got even better when Conway started playing muliple characters. It would have been neat to see him do this in the first four Dorf shows.
Also of special mention is Dorf's baseball-themed Volkswagen Beetle and his complications with the goofy little car.
7. Dorf da Bingo King (2001)- Bingo is an interesting theme for Dorf, but it wouldn't have been obvious for most Dorf fans. I'm still surprised Dorf hasn't done a hunting video, or something on basketball or football. Dorf's new sidekick, for the first and only time, is Howard, played by legendary voice-actor Chuck McCann. All of Dorf's sidekicks are so different! Leonard was very tall and homely, Waldo was skinny and nerdy, and Howard is old and senile.
Amazingly, bingo gave Dorf a lot of humorous opportunities. There are many supporting characters. The bimbo blonde, named Charlene Fusco, was named after Conway's real-life wife. Louise DuArt was outstanding as the celebrity impersonator. Her leading character in this show was Barbara Walters, as the video was set up as a news documentary about "bingo king" Dorf. DuArt also played Cher, Dr. Ruth, Fran Drescher, and Judge Judy.
8. Oldie Hollis: The Legend of the Paddle (2008)- This isn't a "Dorf" show as such, although it features Dorf in a prominent scene as he plays, and loses, against Oldie Hollis. The theme of this video is ping pong, although it is never once referred to as "ping pong". Instead, it's called "the game of the paddle and ball". More than any other Dorf video, this one relies very heavily on computer effects. They're done very well. The whole show has a much different look and feel than any previous Dorf video. But then again, this wasn't meant to be a "Dorf" video. The lead character is Oldie Hollis, recycled from Conway's Flash of "Dorf on the Diamond" fame. This video is set up as a sports documentary about the legendary "paddle and ball" player Oldie Hollis, who ultimately meets his championship defeat at the hands of a little girl.
2. Dorf's Golf Bible (1987)- Once again, the theme of the video was golf. Once again, it was presented as a "how to" video. But the Dorf videos are already showing their ability to stretch past the typical, "how to" format. For instance, the Bible reference is something that few real instructional videos would have been bold to try. I love how Boom Boom was used as the "Angel of Numbers" in this video. She pantomimes what the narrator says and shows a lot of facial and physical expression. This is easily the best acting work Michele Smith did as Boom Boom! Dorf's sidekick this time around is bespectacled nerd Waldo, played to perfection by Eddie Deezen. Waldo is of normal height, skinny, and extremely geeky. None of these things bothers Dorf as much as Waldo's supreme stupidity. Like Leonard before him, Waldo also serves as Dorf's caddy. Also like Leonard, Waldo appears in only two Dorf videos (the other being "Dorf Goes Auto Racing").
Golf legend Sam Snead guest stars.
3. Dorf and the First Games of Mt. Olympus (1988)- This is unique for Dorf videos, and one of the best. It's set entirely in the days of ancient Greece. Derkus Dorf, as he's known in this video, is the emperor who comes up with the idea for the Olympics. Leonard is his sidekick one more time, played by Vincent Schiavelli. Boom Boom is Dorf's servant girl (again played by Michele Smith). The neat thing about this video is that we get to see Dorf try his hand at many different sports, instead of just one. This show has some of the greatest non-computer-generated sight gags of any Dorf video. Once again, Dorf proves "It's not easy being the head man!".
4. Dorf Goes Auto Racing (1990)- Another interesting Dorf video! The theme of this show is NASCAR racing. What's unusual is the fact that, in this show, Dorf is an antagonist. This time around, his name is Deussel Dorf. He is an underhanded European racecar driver who decides to try his hand at NASCAR. Waldo (Eddie Deezen) makes his last appearance in the series as Dorf's pit crew chief. Michele Smith makes her last appearance in the series as Boom Boom, also a member of the pit crew. This video shows Boom Boom at her sexiest as she strips down to her bikini and struts around, causing most of Dorf's opponents to crash!
This video seems largely a celebration of NASCAR, and shows off many of its popular drivers.
5. Dorf Goes Fishing (1993)- We knew it had to happen! A Dorf fishing video! It's pretty good. This is the first of three times (to date) that Dorf doesn't have a sidekick. He does, however, have a fat, spoiled housewife (Yvonne Wilder) who reluctantly joins him on his fishing adventure. In addition, Ronnie Schell plays the DIP Host, with Jean Fox as the DIP Hostess.
It's unfortunate that Boom Boom (Michele Smith) is not here, but Tim Conway pulled out all the stops in making this a really good show. It was great to actually see Mrs. Dorf, and I loved the infomercial tie-in. Jean Fox did pretty good as the comedic eye-candy in this show, and Ronnie Schell did great as the straight man. This is also the first time that Tim Conway played multiple characters in a Dorf video. His moments as Grunt the Caveman and Carly (a parody of French chef Julia Childs) are very amusing.
6. Dorf on the Diamond (1996)- A Dorf baseball video! This is also pretty funny. Again, no sidekick, but Dorf does have a nemesis in the little blond-haired kid played by Shawn Hess. Conway's son, Tim Conway, Jr., appears as the Peanut Vendor. This is not Tim, Jr.'s first appearance in the series, but it's easily his most memorable. There is quite a lengthy scene between father and son as the frustrated Dorf tries to get a bag of peanuts from the idiot peanut man.
As the story goes, Dorf is a "Super Fan"; merely a baseball enthusiast. There are, however, several cut-away gags, flashbacks, and dream sequences of Dorf as a professional baseball player. So we get to see Dorf as both baseball player AND spectator, which makes for a lot of great comedy moments. Conway brings his "senile old man" character to the franchise in the form of Flash, the baseball team manager. Conway also plays Wally, the unfortunate scoreboard keeper. I think the Dorf videos got even better when Conway started playing muliple characters. It would have been neat to see him do this in the first four Dorf shows.
Also of special mention is Dorf's baseball-themed Volkswagen Beetle and his complications with the goofy little car.
7. Dorf da Bingo King (2001)- Bingo is an interesting theme for Dorf, but it wouldn't have been obvious for most Dorf fans. I'm still surprised Dorf hasn't done a hunting video, or something on basketball or football. Dorf's new sidekick, for the first and only time, is Howard, played by legendary voice-actor Chuck McCann. All of Dorf's sidekicks are so different! Leonard was very tall and homely, Waldo was skinny and nerdy, and Howard is old and senile.
Amazingly, bingo gave Dorf a lot of humorous opportunities. There are many supporting characters. The bimbo blonde, named Charlene Fusco, was named after Conway's real-life wife. Louise DuArt was outstanding as the celebrity impersonator. Her leading character in this show was Barbara Walters, as the video was set up as a news documentary about "bingo king" Dorf. DuArt also played Cher, Dr. Ruth, Fran Drescher, and Judge Judy.
8. Oldie Hollis: The Legend of the Paddle (2008)- This isn't a "Dorf" show as such, although it features Dorf in a prominent scene as he plays, and loses, against Oldie Hollis. The theme of this video is ping pong, although it is never once referred to as "ping pong". Instead, it's called "the game of the paddle and ball". More than any other Dorf video, this one relies very heavily on computer effects. They're done very well. The whole show has a much different look and feel than any previous Dorf video. But then again, this wasn't meant to be a "Dorf" video. The lead character is Oldie Hollis, recycled from Conway's Flash of "Dorf on the Diamond" fame. This video is set up as a sports documentary about the legendary "paddle and ball" player Oldie Hollis, who ultimately meets his championship defeat at the hands of a little girl.
DORF'S FRIENDS!
Bingo Pals (Various Performers)
Boom Boom (Michele Smith)
Cooking With Carly (Tim Conway)
DIP Host (Ronnie Schell)
DIP Hostess (Jean Fox)
Groan the Caveman (James Moore)
Grunt the Caveman (Tim Conway)
Howard (Chuck McCann)
Leonard (Vincent Schiavelli)
Louise DuArt (Herself, Celebrity Impersonator)
Mrs. Dorf (Yvonne Wilder)
Sam Snead (Himself)
The Senile Old Man (Tim Conway)
Waldo (Eddie Deezen)