WHEN SAMURAI MEETS DISCO
There are certain Saturday Night Live sketches that feel like they could only have been created during the wild early years of television comedy.
“Samurai Night Fever” is one of them.
The sketch takes John Belushi's famous Samurai Futaba character and throws him into the world of disco.
The result is a bizarre combination of swordplay, dancing, physical comedy, and classic SNL chaos.
The sketch aired on February 25, 1978, during the episode hosted by O.J. Simpson, with Ashford & Simpson as the musical guests.
JOHN BELUSHI AS SAMURAI FUTABA
Belushi's Samurai character was already one of the most recognizable recurring characters from the early years of Saturday Night Live.
Instead of playing the character as a normal samurai, Belushi transformed him into an exaggerated comedic personality.
The Samurai speaks in a deliberately over-the-top mock Japanese style.
He carries his sword everywhere.
He reacts to ordinary situations as though they are matters of life and death.
That combination gave Belushi enormous opportunities for physical comedy.
THE TITLE SAYS EVERYTHING
“Samurai Night Fever” immediately tells the audience that something...
