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Remembering Robin Williams In Los Angeles
(From left to right) Mayor Tom Bradley, Whoopi Goldberg, Robin Williams and Billy Crystal share a funny moment together in 1986. The three comedians presented the mayor with a check for $77,000 to aid the needy at Venice Family Center, from proceeds they got from "Comic Relief," a cable TV special that raised $2.6 million for the nation's homeless. (Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection)
Throughout Robin Williams' career, he spent a great deal of time in Los Angeles—from having his first HBO special at Hollywood's Roxy Theatre to his many stand-up performances at hotspots like The Comedy Store, and a handful of guest appearances on The Tonight Show. He hosted a number of Comic Relief specials here that raised money for the homeless throughout the nation. He even attended Claremont McKenna College in Claremont before he snagged a full scholarship to Julliard School in New York.
Here are some photos and video clips of his memorable moments in Los Angeles:
Robin Williams dressed in a Mickey Mouse costume presented an award at the Academy Awards on March 37, 1989 at the Shrine Auditorium with Charles Fleischer, the voice of 'Roger Rabbit,' (Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Public Library Collection)
Williams' role as the quirky alien, Mork, in Mork & Mindy propelled his career forward. He made his first appearance as Mork in season five of Happy Days in 1978, which later would give him his own spin-off series that lasted from 1978 to 1982. Mork & Mindy was shot at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles.
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Williams was at the third anniversary of the Improv Club in West Hollywood in October 1978, standing next to Budd Friedman, who operated the club:
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Richard Pryor and Robin Williams both performed stand-up on stage at the Comedy Store in L.A. in the early 1980s, celebrating the company's 11th anniversary. And Pryor gave Williams a great introduction, by saying: "I want to introduce to you a friend of mine who is a funny human being, exceptionally. He's crazy. I worked with him once on stage. He asked me to come up and do improvs with him and I watched for an hour." (You can see the entire Pryor intro here and Williams' bit below:
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Williams taped his first HBO comedy special at The Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood in 1978. It would later be called "Off The Wall." You can watch it in its entirety here:
This was his first appearance on The Tonight Show on October 14, 1981 when Johnny Carson was the host:
He would later have more appearances on Johnny Carson's The Tonight Show. One of the best moments was when one of Williams' idols and co-stars on Mork & Mindy, Jonathan Winters, both were guests on the show in 1991. Their chemistry is amazing.
Williams did a hilarious musical number with fellow comedian and buddy Billy Crystal for the Comic Relief IV event at the Shrine Auditorium in 1994. The two hosted the show along with Whoopi Goldberg to raise money for the needy through comedy and stand-up performances.
Related:
Photos: Fans Pay Tribute To Robin Williams Across The Country
Video: Stunned Conan O'Brien Tells Audience News Of Robin Williams' Death During Taping
Robin Williams Committed Suicide By Hanging, Left No Note
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