Sanford and Sun

I really like this script and have wondered how true the story of how the episode came to be might be.   For anyone  unfamliar with the 1970's TV show, HERE is a brief description.

When this post was first presented to the Saturn newsgroup, Charles Blass, the noted Sun Ra enthusiast and (former?) WKCR DJ mentioned that he was informed by an associate, Brad Markus, "that  Redd Foxx worked at the Club DeLisa, so in fact he and Sunny may well have crossed pathways somewhere there."

Fred Sanford Meets Sun Ra
(excerpt)
(for a link to the full script, scroll to the end)

SCENE 3:

[Knocking at the door]

Fred [waking up]: It must be the ladies. [more knocking]: Alright, alright, I'm coming.

[Fred opens door and a person with a huge ibis head mask of the Egyptian god Thoth and the other Horus with a hawk mask breaks the threshold]

[Fred backs up clinching his heart going into a fit]: Oh, no! [pause for laughter] Ohhhh! It's Aunt Esther! She evolved into her final stage! [roaring laughter] Oh Elizabeth! Elizabeth, I'm coming to join you honey! I'll be the one with the two 7 foot buzzards! [laughter]

Sun Ra [steps through the door dressed in elaborate ancient ceremonial garb]: Mr. Sanford [pause for applause] Mr. Sanford are you alright?

Fred [coming out of shock]: Ohhhhh...Hunh? What?

Sun Ra [coming to Fred's aid]: Are you alright Mr. Sanford?

Fred [looking up and down at Sun Ra's clothing]: Am I alright? Two 7 foot birds are standing in my living room with a black Liberace...do I look "alright"? [laughter] Who are you anyway?

Sun Ra [spreading his arms]: I...am Sun Ra.

Fred [scanning Sun Ra from head to toe]: You...Are...Sun Ra?

Sun Ra: I apologize if I startled you.

Fred: The way you're dressed, you'd startle Monty Hall. [laughter]

Fred, Ibis, Sun Ra Sketch

Sun Ra [shaking his head in amusement]: These clothes express our destiny and our identity. They were worn by your great ancestors, both on Earth and on Saturn.

Fred: Keep wearing those "ancestors" clothes from Saturn and your destiny will be a room with white padded walls and your identity will be "expressed" in a straight jacket. [laughter]

Sun Ra: Mr. Sanford, all catalysts at one time or another were called crazy.

Fred: Well, those catalysts probably had the wrong type of cattle. [laughter] They probably started off like you trying to herd giant birds instead of cows. [laughter]

Sun Ra [with a chuckle]: You don't understand Mr. Sanford. I'm just going to have to take you on a journey. As the ambassador from the intergalactic regions of outer space, please accompany me on my ship [with a courtesy gesture].

Fred [grabbing his baseball bat]: Nigga, let me tell you something [calm tone]. [pausing for roaring laughter] If you and Heckle and Jeckle aren't out of my house by the time I count to 10...I'm going to wrap this Louisville slugger around your head so tight, you going to look like you're wearing a wooden turban. [roaring laughter]

[strange pulsating sound starting up in Fred's front yard]

Fred: What's that sound?

Sun Ra: Those are the natural minors of vibro-ion accelerator engines.

Fred [walking to his door]:Engine?

[Fred looks out the door and sees a space ship]

Fred [clutching his heart]: What is that?!

Sun Ra: I told you Mr. Sanford, I'm an ambassador from the intergalactic regions of outer space.

Hereby,

our invitation

we do invite you

be of my space world.

Fred [slowly falling into a hypnotic state as Sun Ra's entourage escorts him into the ship]: ...be of your space world?

Sun Ra: Rhythmic equations...

Fred: Rhythmic equations...

Sun Ra: enlightenment is my tomorrow...

Fred: enlightenment is my tomorrow...

Sun Ra: ...has no plane of sorrow

Fred: ...has no plane of sorrow

Sun Ra: ...be of my space world

Fred: ...be of my space world

The complete episode at
Gorilla Face Uglymopotamus