Andy Kaufman's "The Huey Williams Story"
(from the Zilch Publishing website)

(http://www.andykaufmaninprint.com) should be receiving your copy within the
next few weeks.
 
 

As a service to you we're providing an unofficial "primer" that gives you a
little background behind the words in the story you're about to read. In this
Primer to The Huey Williams Story we try to paint a picture of (not only)
what was going on in Andy's life at the time he wrote these passages, but
also some of the background behind the story through short synopsis, actual
quotes, and reflective analysis of all.

This book is an epic novel and fills four volumes of three-ring loose leaf
binders. The information below comprises our review of "Parts One and Two."

(Please note, the pages noted below are from Andy's original manuscript and
may not match the printed version sold by Zilch Publishing.)

A PRIMER TO "THE HUEY WILLIAMS STORY BY ANDY KAUFMAN"

"PART I"

Generally, the overall quality of the writing is quite
remarkable. Andy Kaufman is a good storyteller, and
portions of "The Huey Williams Story" are very
entertaining. The work suffers a bit from lack of
proofreading and editing, but still provides interesting
insight into Andy nonetheless.

The excerpts reviewed were composed between September 3,
1979 through November 29, 1980. The time period prior to
(and during) the dates noted above comprised a busy and
dynamic time in Kaufman's career. A year earlier (September
20, 1978) marked the debut of "Taxi" on ABC. Throughout 1979, Andy appeared
in "Cher and Other Fantasies" (NBC); performed in a charity benefit for the
NYPD, "VIP Night on
Broadway" (Andy sang "Tomorrow" from the musical "Annie" with a very young
Sarah Jessica Parker); four days later he
starred in perhaps his crowning accomplishment, "Andy
Kaufman Plays Carnegie Hall"; his ABC comedy special
(originally taped in 1977) was finally broadcast; he made a
guest appearance on, "A Johnny Cash Christmas (CBS);
performed on "HBO's 2nd Annual Young Comedian's Show"; and was nominated for
a Golden Globe award as Best Supporting
Actor in a Comedy of Musical Series for his work as "Latka" on Taxi. In
addition to the big events listed above, Andy
continued an ambitious schedule of nightclub shows and
college concerts all across the nation. He began his
national Intergender wrestling career during this time period, even
conducting one of his matches on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" (February 24,
1979). Considering Andy's tireless schedule,
writing "Huey" in his spare time (most often during late night hours) seems
simply amazing.

The story of Huey Williams is really the story of Andrew
Geoffrey Kaufman, and this part of the Huey Williams saga
clearly captures snippets of what life, and the world, look
like through the eyes of a youngster/teenager. Andy was 30-
years-old when he wrote this, and it's obvious that his
childhood memories and impressions were still fresh in his
mind. However, despite the innocence, many of the passages
are tempered with the realities of life that Andy came to
understand during his adult years. For example (on page 12),
while explaining the character of John Smith an old black
man known as the town drunk, Andy writes, "The boys secretly want to be like
him when they grow up. What a life that
would be just being drunk all the time... They see it as
some sort of fantasy like a movie. They don't realize the
reality of it. They don't perceive the pain. To them, he
is a man who decided that this is what he wanted to be in
his life and so he is that. There is no reason to them; no
woman who has broken his heart, no financial situation...,
no failure..., or whatever the reason might be. To them,
all adults are part of a distant, unreal world in which
problems don't really exist like they do so badly in the
teenage years."

"PART II"

The excerpts reviewed from "Part II" were composed between Christmas Day,
1980, through March 11, 1982. During this time period Andy was busy with his
Intergender wrestling career, this includes his famous match with the now
missing Playboy Playmate Susan (Miss September) Smith (October 11, 1981). He
also appears on "The Midnight Special" and opens for Rodney Dangerfield at
the Fairfield Theatre, San Francisco, California (January 29-31, 1981). Or
should we say, Tony Clifton performed in the last two referenced
performances? Andy's controversial "Fridays" shows also aired during this
time period (February 20, 1981 and September 18, 1981).

His critically panned and box office disaster, "Heartbeeps" premiered on
December 18, 1981. (A recent celebrity profile in "Parade" magazine featured
Bernadette Peters. Her list of film credits curiously omitted her co-starring
role in "Heartbeeps.") When not shooting "Taxi," Andy worked evenings as a
busboy at "Jerry's Famous Deli."

Again, Andy's commitment to his writing is phenomenal.

The majority of Part II was penned at homes on Greenvalley Road and
Grassfield Road. Andy apparently carried this notebook/journal with him at
all times. Passages were written in Chicago (Rick & Carol's), New York City,
Carson City (whorehouse?), Boston, and London. The final pages (371-373) are
written in New York City while Andy stayed at the New York Hilton preparing
for his first appearance on David Letterman's new show, "Late Night with
David Letterman." This appearance (February 17, 1982) marks the first of many
visits Andy makes to the show. As you know, the following day (February 18,
1982) close friend Bob Zmuda appeared on "Late Night" as Tony Clifton. Most
of the Late Night crew were unaware that he wasn't Andy Kaufman. During the
early days of Late Night, Andy was Dave's favorite guest. "In those early
days," said Letterman, "there was no better guest than Andy Kaufman. You
never knew what to expect from Andy, but it was always exciting and
unpredictable."

In Part I, Andy lays the foundation of the Huey Williams Story. Huey's childhood days,
from his first day of kindergarten to the weeks after his high school graduation are
revealed. We learn of Huey's deepest fears and wildest dreams, and begin to
know his family and friends in some detail.

Part II (all 373 pages) explodes into multiple layers, multiple characters, and multiple
storylines. And much like Part I, the stories revolve around tales of courage, inner-
strength, happiness, silliness and joy. Huey (and friends) strive for acceptance and
understanding in a world where they are viewed by many as misfits. Part II features
Cowboys, Indians, Country & Western singers, bullies, occasional violence, common
folk, medically trained postal workers, foreigners, strange beautiful women,
and assorted outcasts. As Martin Buber once said, "All actual life is
encounter," and Andy fills Part II with an assortment of colorful encounters
in the magical life of Huey Williams.

In Part I, Andy built the history of "The Mountain," and reference to The Mountain
continues in Part II. In Andy/Huey's world The Mountain appears to represents life's
possibilities and everyone's hopes and dreams for the future. Everybody
secretly wants to climb The Mountain but few dare. The journey up The
Mountain was lifelong and treacherous and those who did, did so at great
risk. If they successfully reached the top they gained great personal and
material riches, and a better understanding of
themselves(?) The Mountain is the focal point for the town, a place where a family can
gather at it's foot to have a picnic and admire it's beauty.

In the beginning of The Huey Williams Story, The Mountain stands alone - untouched
and adored. This changes when The Mountain is purchased by "a rich man or
conglomerate." The Mountain is soon surrounded by a fence, installed by the rich
owner. They also install a Tram which provides quick and easy access to The
Mountain, but the owners of The Mountain control who has access.

During the "western town history" portion of Part II, Andy continues to build the history of
The Mountain with rich descriptions of the town of Auburndale. Auburndale was,
established at the edge of The Mountain and named after one of their more prominent
citizens, "(T)he citizens of the community named their town, 'Auburndale,' after
Jack Auburn of General Store fame." Andy's writings exhibit a flair for old west
storytelling as such, ".an old friend of his, Dame Lady May, known as Mrs. Martha
May Ray, of Scotsboro fame, built a hotel not too far from Jack Auburn's General
Store, and the two became neighbors." The people of Auburndale view the changes
to The Mountain, particularly the Tram, with suspicion and skepticism. The Tram leads
to their economic downfall, not to mention some general bad behavior.

Huey's first night in Auburndale is quite eventful. After securing his
belongings at a local shop, Huey explores the town and finds the Auburndale
ail, home of Auburndale's one and only prisoner. The prisoner committed the
town's first and only crime, and as
punishment is now on permanent display behind bars.

For dinner, Huey chooses Jake Ormsby's Restaurant. The rowdy brand of people
in the saloon/restaurant make Huey uncomfortable. Despite the drinking,
cursing and bawdy behavior, Huey stays and eats his entire meal. Huey even
tolerates the rude treatment he receives at the hands of his waiter.

As Huey begins to eat his salad a floor show begins. A toothless old man with a guitar
and a gravelly voice begins to sing boring songs. Andy describes thusly, ".sputtering
curses in between songs, and looking mean like he'd just come off a pirate ship
and had cut the hearts out of many a man and raped many a woman." (Page 251)

In shades of Tony Clifton, the singer treats the audience terribly, "During his set of
music, he kept reminding the customers in the place that he resented being there
and didn't have to put up with any of them, 'So shut up when I'm on the stage! I
could be home right now with my shoes off, relaxing with my woman.'" (Page 251)

Huey finally gets a room for the night at Lady May's Hotel, and while there
meets Curly, a famous Country & Western singer. (Perhaps it wouldn't a great stretch to believe that
the character of Curly was inspired by Andy's admiration for Slim Whitman.) At Curly's
behest Huey puts on a private show for Curly and his friends. After Huey fancies them
with songs, pantomimes, magic tricks and some home movies, (Does this sound an
awful lot like Andy, or what?) Huey plays the instrument his late Grandpa taught him to
play (in Part I), the exotic "Wamagadoon." Curly is blown away by this new and
mysterious musical creation and greatly admires Huey's proficiency on this weird new
instrument. The Wamagadoon is described as follows, "And Huey proceeded to play
the instrument just the way he had for various children years ago. He started
slowly, and then let the music build gradually, until the instrument was practically
playing itself as Huey just plucked it at random and arched his body forward,
letting it bounce up and down with the music, smiling and eventually saying such
phrases as, 'We're playing the Wamagadoon! Hey, it's time to play the
Wamagadoon!' And with every pluck of the fingers or hands on the surface or
strings of the instrument, waves of bliss were felt throughout the room and even
outside where the men were waiting for their leader but did not start without him
because they were so entranced by the sound and vibrations." (Pages 270-271)
Zilch Publishing is now shipping all orders and for your reading pleasure
here is another excerpt from Andy's "The Huey Williams Story":

(Pages 316 - 317) (February 2, 1982 11:35 PM, NYC Berkshire Hotel)

...Approaching the dam from out of the sky and coming closer with a taunt
that angered the waters was the giant funnel of an enormous tornado. Now this
was not the sort which came and went in just a few short minutes like most
tornadoes. No. This tornado had been around for quite a while and at this
point in time lived with its wife and several children up beyond the clouds
near the North Pole, coming down to the earth less and less as it grew older.
It did not mean to do any harm either. Those days had passed. When it had
been younger, of course it would swoop down on little helpless villagers and
destroy them with its tail, getting malicious joy and thrills from the
mischief. But as it grew and matured, the same pleasure was not being felt
anymore and it felt painful to see such mindless destruction, so it only
teased by lifting citizens of the whole villages up in its funnel and
twirling them around a few times, then letting them go so that they would all
land in different parts of the world. No one would ever get physically hurt
because the tornado made sure to be gentle with them, but it was a great big
 inconvenience for them when each individual had to make a journey, alone,
back to his or her village. Sometimes it would take years before
whole villages were reunited, but they always did manage to get back together
                   again.

But then, after a few years of this, the tornado met its wife and settled
down. At first it reduced these escapades almost to nothing, except when it
got restless and needed to go out for a twirl just for exercise. However,
every once in a while, when there was a marital spat, it would leave in a
huff, blow down upon a helpless village, and just for spite, lift all the
people up and spin them around so that they all landed all over the globe,
setting them back a number of years each time. It made sure to never hit the
same village more than once, though, except for one time when it had hit a
little town three times in a row. That was when there was a large fight
with the wife and it was so mad that every time the poor residents of this
little town finally all got back together again it would strike them again
and spread them out for another few years. This depleted the morale of the
villagers a great deal, but they persevered and each time ended up together
again until the wife got wind of what was going on and told her husband that
if it ever happened again she would leave him. Since then he caused no more
trouble, especially being that his children were growing up and he felt a
responsibility to his family. So from then on he mainly stayed home and
relaxed, telling stories to his children and teaching them about the world
they were becoming a part of.

END OF PASSAGE