Father Guido Sarducci

Father Guido Sarducciis a fictional character created by AmericancomedianDon Novello.Sarducci is achain-smokingpriest with tinted glasses, who works in the United States asgossip columnistandrock criticfor theVaticannewspaperL'Osservatore Romano(sometimes mentioned asThe Vatican Enquirer,a take-off of theNational Enquirertabloid).

Description

Don Novello
Novello performing as Father Guido Sarducci in 2000
Born	Donald Andrew Novello (1943-01-01)January 1, 1943 Ashtabula, Ohio,U.S.
Occupations	Actor comedian singer writer film director producer
Years active	1963–present

Novello created the character in 1973, after he purchased the outfit (consisting of big floppy black hat, whiteclerical collar,and a long, red-trimmed black coat with cape) for $7.50 at aSt. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store.The character was featured in 1970s cartoons by theunderground cartoonistsDave Sheridanand Fred Schrier, appearing in person in the early 1970s onRowan & Martin's Laugh-Inand later in the 1975The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.His most prominent appearances were onSaturday Night Livein the late 1970s, during which time Novello was also a writer for the show. In the late 1970s, Father Guido Sarducci was featured on radio commercials forHigh Timesmagazine, where he offered to perform blessings for a fee.

Broadcast history

On his first appearance onSaturday Night Live,a sketch called "How to Pay for Your Sins" on a 1978 episode hosted byRichard Dreyfuss,he was on crutches from an injury suffered during a dress rehearsal sketch about hockey players. Most of his appearances onSNLhave been onWeekend Update,including one where he reported that "The take at the shrines in Italy has gone down", which he suggested correcting by creating "Shrinemobiles" and thus taking the shrines to where the people were, and another where he is sent toLondonto try to wake upPaul McCartneyat 4:30 in the morning (11:30 in New York) by throwing coins, obnoxiously singingThe BeatlesandWingssongs, and finally, throwing a rock at the window—he says it works every time.

Saturday Night Live

Sarducci appeared in fourcold opensin the1979–1980 season(on episodes hosted bySteve Martin,Teri Garr,Elliott Gould,andRodney Dangerfield), two commercial parodies ( "MX-5 Tampons" on the 1981–1982 Christmas episode hosted byBill Murrayand "Bocce Ball My Way" on the last episode of the 1985–1986 season hosted byAnjelica HustonandBilly Martin), and two monologues on the 1985–86 season (the first hosted byMadonnain a pretaped sketch showing Madonna's wedding to Sean Penn (played byRobert Downey, Jr.) and the second on the Christmas episode of the 1985–86 season hosted by Garr as Sarducci's alter ego, Pope Maurice).

Sarducci also hosted twoSNLepisodes during the 1983–1984 season (whenDick Ebersolwas executive producer) and cameoed during two 1990s episodes, most notably on aWeekend Updatesegment where he reports onPope John Paul II's missing wallet. Father Guido Sarducci has 31 appearances onSNL,the most of any of the recurring characters.

Vatican visit

In 1981 Novello made newspaper headlines when he visitedVatican Citywearing the Father Guido Sarducci costume to do a photo shoot forTimemagazine. After taking pictures in an area where photography was prohibited, he and his photographer, Paul Solomon, were arrested by thePapal Swiss Guardsand Novello was charged with "impersonating a priest". Although the guards attempted to confiscate the film from the shoot, Solomon managed to hand them the wrong film. The charges were later dropped. In the early 1980s, Novello was featured in advertisements promoting candidates for the priesthood. He listed one advantage of being a priest as getting first pick at the annual parish garage sale.

Other media appearances

During the 1980s and 1990s Sarducci appeared on other television shows, includingFridays,Late Night with David Letterman,The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,Married... with Children,Unhappily Ever After,Blossom,It's Garry Shandling's Show,theTales of the Cityminiseries, andSquare Pegs.In 1980, Sarducci appeared inGilda Live,a film and an album recording based onGilda Radner's successful one-woman show that had been playing on Broadway. In 1983, he appeared in a music video for the Rodney Dangerfield song "Rappin' Rodney", where he gave Rodney his last rites on death row, and helped himself to Rodney's french fries from his last meal. In 1984, he appeared in amusic videofor theJefferson Starshipsong "No Way Out". In 1995, he appeared as a priest trying to perform an exorcism in the movieCasper.The same movie featured a cameo by his fellowSNLalumnusDan Aykroydas theGhostbusterRay Stantz.

Albums

He appeared on the 2002 albumA Classic Rock Christmasperforming the song "Santa's Lament" featuringJoe WalshandJoe Vitale.

The character also appeared on theHandsome Boy Modeling SchoolalbumsSo... How's Your Girl?andWhite People,telling biographical stories of the life of a professional male model in the latter. Novello also released twocomedyalbums as Sarducci:Breakfast in HeavenandLive at St. Douglas Convent.

Additional appearances

He also appeared on theMSNBCshowCountdown with Keith Olbermannon March 19, 2005, discussingThe Da Vinci Codeand his DaVinci Code Decoder Ring.

In the 2001Disneyanimated filmAtlantis: The Lost Empire,Novello uses the voice and speech style of Father Sarducci to portray the character of demolitions expert Vinny Santorini.

Sarducci was present at the First Annual "Geno Roast" at the Aqua Turf inSouthington, Connecticut.He gave the prayer of invocation and roasted theUConn Huskies women's basketballcoachGeno Auriemma.He also made a guest appearance on the April 30, 2005, broadcast of NPR and Chicago Public Radio'sWait Wait... Don't Tell Me!news quiz show, commenting on the ascension ofPope Benedict XVI.

He appeared onThe Colbert Reporton June 23, 2010, claiming to have conducted an interview withGlenn Beckwhile visiting theVatican.

Benediction

He delivered thebenedictionat the Stewart/ColbertRally to Restore Sanity and/or Fearfrom the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on October 30, 2010. He was wearing his classic white clerical collar, a long red-trimmed black coat with cape, zebra vest/jacket and black beret.

See also

• List of recurringSaturday Night Livecharacters and sketches
• Saturday Night Livecharacters appearing onWeekend Update