MovieChat Forums > Newhart (1982) Discussion > Larry scratching himself

Larry scratching himself


I noticed in the later episodes that when Larry and the Daryl's come in, Larry always scratches himself somewhere around his face or head while the audience is cheering their entrance. Not sure if he did it in the earlier episodes, but I just noticed it and thought it was a little odd. Wonder if there is any story behind it.

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It's all bulls*it - the late, great George Carlin

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I thought maybe it was just a gesture to show how backwards and uncouth he is in some ways, but I've never heard an explanation of it. He sure was a fun character though, that's for sure.

Dini

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It served a couple of purposes. First, he is a backwards woodsman who rarely bathes so it's normal that he has a few things on him that would make him itch. Second, it served to "burn time" while the audience was cheering and applauding. He can't just stand there and wait for them to finish. I know there is an industry term for it but I don't remember what it is at the moment.

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Ha! Made you look!!
I'm just a patsy!

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