Phil Hartman was one of my favorite comedians. Funny, satirical, and a great impressionist. He was best known for his Bill Clinton impression, but I always loved his brief stint as Reagan.
In this SNL cold open, President Reagan – political knowledge limited by old Hollywood films – name-drops John Wayne, Tyrone Power, and even Gort from The Day The Earth Stood Still in an attempt to impress Gorbachev. For classic movie fans like me, it’s always fun to think back to Reagan’s Hollywood years. King’s Row, Bedtime for Bonzo, the General Electric Theater – as a Disney fan, I even remember Reagan co-hosting the opening day of Disneyland in 1955.
