The Last Polka
Encyclopedia
The Last Polka is a 1985 comedy television film, and one of the first Mockumentaries. It was written by and starred John Candy
and Eugene Levy
, and directed by John Blanchard
.
The Last Polka follows the life, careers, and the final concert of Yosh (Candy) and Stan (Levy) Shmenge, two brothers from the fictional country of Leutonia who become the biggest polka duo the world has ever seen. It is presented as a mixture of live concert performance and filmed scenes.
One stand out scene has The Shmenges performing an outdoor stadium Michael Jackson
salute concert, complete with glitter outfits, sequin glove, and a polka version of "Beat It".
The Shmenges were originally created as characters for the television series Second City TV and were also known on SCTV as The Happy Wanderers
.
Many fellow SCTV performers including Rick Moranis
, Catherine O'Hara
, and Robin Duke
appear in the film. Dave Thomas
narrates.
The Last Polka was produced for and first broadcast on the HBO cable network. Both John Candy
and Eugene Levy
were nominated in 1985 for a Cable Ace Award in the Best Performance in a Comedy Special category.
As of March 2008, this video is Out of Print and not available on DVD.
John Candy
John Franklin Candy was a Canadian actor and comedian. He rose to fame as a member of the Toronto branch of The Second City and its related Second City Television series, and through his appearances in comedy films such as Stripes, Splash, Cool Runnings, The Great Outdoors, Spaceballs, and Uncle...
and Eugene Levy
Eugene Levy
Eugene Levy, CM is a Canadian actor, comedian, television director, producer, musician, and writer. He is known for his work in Canadian television series, American movies, and television movies. He is the only actor to have appeared in all eight of the American Pie films, as Noah Levenstein...
, and directed by John Blanchard
John Blanchard
John Blanchard is a Canadian television director and producer.He is best known for his directorial work on the sketch comedy series SCTV, The Kids in the Hall, CODCO, MADtv and the talk show The Martin Short Show for which he won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing in a Talk Show.He also...
.
The Last Polka follows the life, careers, and the final concert of Yosh (Candy) and Stan (Levy) Shmenge, two brothers from the fictional country of Leutonia who become the biggest polka duo the world has ever seen. It is presented as a mixture of live concert performance and filmed scenes.
One stand out scene has The Shmenges performing an outdoor stadium Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
salute concert, complete with glitter outfits, sequin glove, and a polka version of "Beat It".
The Shmenges were originally created as characters for the television series Second City TV and were also known on SCTV as The Happy Wanderers
Happy Wanderers
thumb|right|250px|Yosh Shmenge and Stan Shmenge The Shmenge Brothers were a fictional polka duo who, along with their band The Happy Wanderers, featured on the SCTV television comedy program in 1982-1983. They were played by John Candy as clarinetist Yosh Shmenge and Eugene Levy as accordionist...
.
Many fellow SCTV performers including Rick Moranis
Rick Moranis
Frederick Allan "Rick" Moranis is a Canadian comedian, actor, musician, and a magician. Moranis came to prominence in the late 1970s on the sketch comedy show Second City Television, and later appeared in several Hollywood films including Strange Brew; Ghostbusters; Spaceballs; Little Shop of...
, Catherine O'Hara
Catherine O'Hara
Catherine Anne O'Hara is a Canadian-American actress and comedienne. She is well known for her comedy work on SCTV, and her roles in the films After Hours, Beetlejuice, Home Alone, and The Nightmare Before Christmas, and also in the mockumentary films written and directed by Christopher Guest...
, and Robin Duke
Robin Duke
Robin Duke is a Canadian actress and comedian. Duke is most famous for her work on the NBC comedy series Saturday Night Live. In the 2000s, Women Fully Clothed, a sketch comedy troupe which she co-founded, toured Canada...
appear in the film. Dave Thomas
Dave Thomas (actor)
David "Dave" Thomas is a Canadian comedian and actor. He was born in St. Catharines, Ontario, but moved to Durham, North Carolina where his father, John E. Thomas, attended Duke University and earned a PhD in Philosophy. Thomas attended George Watts and Moorehead elementary schools...
narrates.
The Last Polka was produced for and first broadcast on the HBO cable network. Both John Candy
John Candy
John Franklin Candy was a Canadian actor and comedian. He rose to fame as a member of the Toronto branch of The Second City and its related Second City Television series, and through his appearances in comedy films such as Stripes, Splash, Cool Runnings, The Great Outdoors, Spaceballs, and Uncle...
and Eugene Levy
Eugene Levy
Eugene Levy, CM is a Canadian actor, comedian, television director, producer, musician, and writer. He is known for his work in Canadian television series, American movies, and television movies. He is the only actor to have appeared in all eight of the American Pie films, as Noah Levenstein...
were nominated in 1985 for a Cable Ace Award in the Best Performance in a Comedy Special category.
As of March 2008, this video is Out of Print and not available on DVD.