Make 'Em Laugh: The Funny Business of America When I'm Bad I'm Better: The Groundbreakers (Season 1, Episode 4)
TV Episode | Documentary, Comedy

Primary photo for When I'm Bad I'm Better: The Groundbreakers

Make 'Em Laugh: The Funny Business of America

When I'm Bad I'm Better: The Groundbreakers (Season 1, Episode 4)

TV Episode | Documentary, Comedy

Director

Michael Kantor

Writers

Michael Kantor (written by) | Laurence Maslon (written by) | Jon Macks (special material: Billy Crystal)

Producers

Michael Kantor | Sally Rosenthal

Editor

Kris Liem

See all filmmakers & crew (24)

Edit Released

Updated Jan 21, 2009

Release date

Jan 21, 2009 (United States)

Awards

Series awards

Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy Award.

Contacts

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Cast	+ Add Cast
43 cast members

Name	Known for
Billy Crystal Self - Host Self - Host See fewer	Forget Paris (1995)
Amy Sedaris Self - Narrator (voice) Self - Narrator (voice) See fewer	Elf (2003)
Anne Beatts Self - Writer Self - Writer See fewer	Saturday Night Live (1975)
Richard Belzer Self - Comedian / Actor Self - Comedian / Actor See fewer	Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999)
Shelley Berman Self - Comedian Self - Comedian See fewer	You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008)
Bernie Brillstein Self - Producer / Manager Self - Producer / Manager See fewer	The Blues Brothers (1980)
Daphne Brooks Self - Cultural Historian Self - Cultural Historian See fewer	Mae West: Die verruchte Blonde (2021)
Lenny Bruce Self (archive footage) Self (archive footage) See fewer	Dance Hall Racket (1953)
George Carlin Self - Comedian Self - Comedian See fewer	Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)
Susie Essman Self - Comedian Self - Comedian See fewer	Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000)
Leigh French Actress (archive footage) Actress (archive footage) See fewer	Halloween II (1981)
Whoopi Goldberg Self Self See fewer	Ghost (1990)
Dick Gregory Self - Comedian / Activist Self - Comedian / Activist See fewer	The Hot Chick (2002)
Hugh Hefner Self - Playboy Self - Playboy See fewer	Miss March (2009)
Robert Klein Self - Comedian Self - Comedian See fewer	Two Weeks Notice (2002)
Paul Krassner Self - Author / Satirist Self - Author / Satirist See fewer	The Last of the Manson Girls (2018)
Moms Mabley Actress (archive footage) Actress (archive footage) See fewer	Boarding House Blues (1948)
Bill Maher Self - Comedian Self - Comedian See fewer	Politically Incorrect (1993)
Leonard Maltin Self - Film Critic and Historian Self - Film Critic and Historian See fewer	Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
Cheech Marin Self - Comedian / Actor Self - Comedian / Actor See fewer	Born in East L.A. (1987)
Elaine May Actress (archive footage) Actress (archive footage) See fewer	Small Time Crooks (2000)
Carlos Mencia Self Self See fewer	The Heartbreak Kid (2007)
Paul Mooney Self - Writer / Comedian Self - Writer / Comedian See fewer	Bamboozled (2000)
Bob Newhart Self - Comedian Self - Comedian See fewer	Elf (2003)
Mike Nichols Actor (archive footage) Actor (archive footage) See fewer	The Graduate (1967)
Richard Pryor Actor (archive footage) Actor (archive footage) See fewer	Superman III (1983)
Joan Rivers Self - Comedienne Self - Comedienne See fewer	Spaceballs (1987)
Chris Rock Self - Comedian Self - Comedian See fewer	Top Five (2014)
Mort Sahl Self - Comedian Self - Comedian See fewer	Johnny Cool (1963)
George Schlatter Self - Producer Self - Producer See fewer	Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1967)
George Segal Actor (archive footage) Actor (archive footage) See fewer	Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
Dick Smothers Self - Comedian Self - Comedian See fewer	Casino (1995)
Tom Smothers Self - Comedian Self - Comedian See fewer	The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1967)
David Steinberg Self - Comedian / Director Self - Comedian / Director See fewer	Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000)
William Tankersley Self - Vice President of Program Practices, CBS (as William Tankersely) Self - Vice President of Program Practices, CBS (as William Tankersely) See fewer	Bicentennial Minutes (1974)
Mel Watkins Self - Cultural Historian Self - Cultural Historian See fewer	Make 'Em Laugh: The Funny Business of America (2009)
Jill Watts Self - Mae West Biographer Self - Mae West Biographer See fewer	Hattie
Mae West Actress (archive footage) Actress (archive footage) See fewer	She Done Him Wrong (1933)
Max Wilk Self - Writer Self - Writer See fewer	Lights Out (1946)
Mason Williams Actor (archive footage) Actor (archive footage) See fewer	Licorice Pizza (2021)
Jonathan Winters Self - Comedian Self - Comedian See fewer	It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963)
Richard Zoglin Self - Critic Self - Critic See fewer	The Business of Comedy (2013)
Keith Gerchak Samuel Leslie (uncredited) Samuel Leslie (uncredited) See fewer	Lost & Found in Cleveland