JOHN BELUSHI - The Best Of Samurai Futaba ©

Описание: This video edit of a collection of various clips of the late great John Belushi as Samurai Futaba, a character he played on Saturday Night Live from 1975 to 1979. Over the four seasons that Belushi was on SNL, he played the character of Samurai Futaba a total of 18 times.

The character of Samurai Futaba had a dedicated concept of honor, spoke only (mock) Japanese, and wielded a katana. Each sketch had him located in a different place and time that was typically inappropriate for a samurai, yet he performed his tasks perfectly, despite scaring his clients quite a few times. The character was modeled after Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune's character in the classic Akira Kurosawa film "Yojimbo".

Samurai Futaba would probably not have become a recurring character if not for Buck Henry's insistence that there be a second sketch featuring him when he first hosted on January 17, 1976. It is perhaps due to these origins that it became standard practice on SNL to feature a Samurai sketch every time Henry hosted, up until the time Belushi left the cast. (And except for "Samurai BMOC", each time Henry would play the same character, Mr. Dantley.)

In issue #74 of Marvel Team-Up (cover dated October, 1978), Belushi (in character as Samurai Futaba) dueled Marvel Comics supervillain Silver Samurai, who believed that Belushi was disgracing the history of the samurai. He also appears briefly in issue #54 of The Sandman.

The "Samurai TV Repairman" is a classic Saturday Night Live sketch featuring John Belushi as the recurring character, Samurai Futaba.
Here's a breakdown of the character and the typical sketch format:
The Character: Samurai Futaba is a fierce and honorable samurai, but instead of being a warrior, he's found a job in a mundane, everyday profession. He speaks only in mock Japanese (with a few recognizable English phrases thrown in for comedic effect) and always carries a katana, a traditional samurai sword.
The Premise: The humor comes from the clash between his serious, warrior-like demeanor and the ordinary, modern task he is performing.

The "TV Repairman" Sketch: In this specific sketch, a customer (usually played by host Buck Henry, who appeared in many of the "Samurai" skits) brings in a broken television. The Samurai, instead of using conventional tools, uses his katana to fix the TV. He slices and dices the air around the television, dramatically striking at it, all while speaking in his intense, incomprehensible language. Despite the absurd and destructive-looking process, he inevitably fixes the TV perfectly.

The "Samurai" sketches, including "Samurai TV Repairman," were a staple of the early SNL years and are a great example of John Belushi's physical comedy and a beloved part of the show's history.