User Reviews

Just a note to let you know that Funny Manns is now available on two separate DVDs from Grapevine Video. The first DVD edits out Cliff Norton's introductions, but the second DVD, just released, includes the intros. Each DVD is under $10 plus shipping. The first DVD has 20 of the old silent films, albeit without the intros. The second DVD has 14 segments, each including the intro. Grapevine is a very reputable firm, specializing in vintage restored silent features. They have a small selection of out-of-the-ordinary television shows, including a couple of DVDs featuring Dagmar, bosomy star of early '50s TV, in her own series.

One of my favorite's growing up, I remember watching this on the old "Cap'n Penny" show on channel 5 out of Cleveland. The basic premise hosted by Cliff Norton was he would start the show as a character in a certain occupation that would say he learned everything from his Uncle, then the show would turn to an old "Keystone Cops" era comedy short with Cliff Norton doing a narrative with background music and sound effects added. The short would last about 5 minutes when it would go back to Cliff Norton for a final gag.I wish I could find these on VHS or DVD, I'd buy them all. I think there were 130 episodes altogether. Anyone with info on where I can purchase these would be greatly appreciated.

So I'm straightening up my apartment. The TV is playing an episode of the Dick Van Dyke Show, the one where Ritchie is getting bit in the head by a giant woodpecker. The game warden comes in, I'm actually in the next room from the TV, and when I hear his voice is say, "Oh! Oh! That's THAT guy! The "Who's the Funnyman" guy!" I waited for the credits, saw it was Cliff Norton, and Google brought me here. (People only seem to remember it on Captain Penny in Cleveland. Didn't it run anywhere else? I was born in Cleveland and moved to Chicago in 1963. I never saw it in Chicago or anywhere else.) So this is how my six-year old mind remembers the show. They were short, four or five minute episodes, about the same running time as the sort of cartoons they showed on local kids shows in those days. They would start with Norton adopting the guise of some sort of "man", a milkman, maybe. His efforts would quickly fall apart. He would then start reminiscing about some "uncle" who had also tried to be that type of "man". It would then segue into a repackaged, silent movie from thirty-five years or so earlier. Of course the silent movie was about a milkman. Norton would provide the narration of what was going on in the movie. Then the silent movie would end, Norton would have a quick tag to sum it all up. The End.

I remembered this show and kept doing a search for it on IMDb, and every other website that is similar to that one. I could not for the life of me remember the name of the actor that was the lead. The lights came on When I was watching an episode of McHales Navy when Cliff Norton came on the screen as a Russian admiral. Instantly I recognized him, especially when he spoke. Even after forty-five years of life I can still hear him saying, Who's the Funny Manns? I heard it as Who's the funny man! This explains why my searches came up empty. Thank you for the information about Captain Penny(Ron Penfound) I got to meet him as a kid as my father worked at the Lorain Ford Assembly plant and they had him for one their open house and plant tours. I would love to get a hold of some of those old shows so that I could share them with my 7 year daughter.

Glad to know that I'm not the only one that remembers this show.Funny Manns was a very entertaining series. Just like Metalface101, I would like to know how to obtain copies of these old shows. Each show was very creative and clever. This was the show that I thought about when I saw the Tom Chapin "Make A Wish" series. I have always felt that these two series were very similar in their approach. The fast pace and use of a wide variety of video clips from many sources grabbed your attention immediately. It was impossible not to pay attention. I liked that the Funny Manns clips used old footage of some celebrities in their shows. It was a challenge to spot each one that popped up on the screen.