A Nichols and May Rarity

For those of you who are WAAAY behind on your taxes, here are some income tax hints from 1959 from the then-fashionable comedy duo of Mike Nichols and Elaine May.

Although these tips may not be timely, the posting is. As you may have read, Nichols, who became a famed director, passed away last week. Elaine May is thankfully still with us.

This gem is courtesy of our great friend Ernie, a reformed blogger with a wonderfully eclectic collection of rarities that he shares with us from time to time.

May and Nichols

These four "income tax hints" are actually are nothing of the kind. They are one-minute comedy sketches broadly centered on a tax theme, and are typical of the Nichols-May act. Each vignette has different characters, who are typical of the team's repertoire - a married couple, a psychiatrist and patient, co-workers, and a imperious movie director and actor. While these brief routines might not represent the best examples of their art, Nichols and May's material strongly influenced comedians who came after them.

The promotional record was at the apex of the duo's popularity. They had only become an act together after leaving an improv troupe in 1957, and were to last only until 1961, when they went on to other things. Both ended up in theater and films, May as writer, director and actor, Nichols as director and producer.

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants sent this record to radio stations for use as free public service announcements in the run-up to the US federal income tax deadline of April 15. Such gratis announcements for non-profits were common then; much less so now.

Thanks again, Ernie!