Pacific Stars And Stripes
May 21, 1988
LOS ANGELES (UPI) – Robin Williams dominated the Second Annual American Comedy Awards by winning in four categories, while English comedian Tracey Ullman won two awards voted by a panel of leading comics.
Williams was named funniest male performer, funniest actor in a motion picture for his Oscar-nominated lead- .
ing role in “Good Morning, Vietnam,” funniest male standup comic and funniest male performer in a television special.
The manic Williams was not present to accept the awards, presented at the Hollywood Palladium Tuesday.
Williams bea t out such heavyweight performers as Johnny Carson, David Letterman and Steve Martin.
Ullman, the multi-personality star of Fox Broadcasting Company‘s “The Tracey Ullman Show,” took awards for funniest female performer and funniest female perfomer in a television series.
“I’m overwhelmed,” said Ullman after accepting the second award. “I don’t feel like a standup comedian. I feel a bit like an intruder here. I’m an actress more than a comedian.”
No one else won more than a single award.
Garry Shandling was named funniest male performer in a television series for “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show,” seen both on the Showtime cable network and in reruns on Fox channels.
Roseanne Barr was named funniest female performer in a television special for “On Location: The Roseanne Barr Show.”
Bette Midler was named funniest actress in a motion picture for her role in “Outrageous Fortune,” while Olympia Dukakis followed up her best-supporting actress Oscar for “Moonstruck” with an award for funniest supporting female for television or motion picture.
“This is really special,” Dukakis said. “I didn’t expect this. I’m sitting at the same table with George Burns,and it just knocks me out.”
The award for funniest supporting male in a movie went to Albert Brooks for “Broadcast News.”
Lily Tomlin, who was nominated in three categories, won her only award for funniest female standup comic.
In addition to the big name, high visibility comedians, the program honored comics who perform in relative obscurity in nightclubs and on cable TV. Jerry Seinfeld and the bizarre Judy Tenuta were named funniest male and female comedy club standup comics.
Burns and Imogene Coca were greeted with standing ovations when they were given lifetime achievement awards.
