Tony Clifton, one of Andy Kaufman’s many alter-egos, presides over some totally clueless plaintiffs and defendants (clearly not actors) in this brilliant and absolutely apeshit take-off on The People’s Court.

Stormy Justice: With Judge Tony Clifton was allegedly filmed in 1999 and directed by Adam Collis. But most anything having to do with Andy Kaufman, dead or alive, is suspect and shrouded in mystery. One thing I’m certain of is Kaufman’s good friend Bob Zmuda is portraying Judge Clifton in this hilarious prank. Zmuda shared the Clifton persona with Kaufman even when Kaufman was alive. All the more to confuse the fuck out of his fans.

Did this actually air on TV? And are those commercials real? We have entered the Tony Clifton zone where no one and nothing is spared…most of all reality.
 

 
Ah, this is delightful. Andy Kaufman’s Midnight Special an episode of Burt Sugarman’s Midnight Special, hosted by Wolfman Jack, which aired on January 23, 1981. If you ever wondered what the hell Kaufman was about, well, he tries to answer this here, as he discusses what is serious, what is comic, what is real and what is not. There are also performances from most of his best known characters, “The Foreign Guy,” Tony Clifton, “Ladies Wrestling,” the ventriloquist act, and of course, Elvis.

It’s brilliant, funny and (at its time) ground-breaking. Has anyone has come close since? No. Kaufman was a one-off, and this program highlights why he was so good. Enjoy.
 

 
Previously on DM

 
Alleged alter-ego to both the late great Andy Kaufman and Kaufman’s longtime writer/co-schemer Bob Zmuda, meta-comedian Tony Clifton‘s still alive, well and wonderfully profane.  (Sample: Why is it that Mike Tyson cries after sex?  Well mace will do that to you.) 

The Onion’s AVC is carrying a lengthy, frequently hilarious interview with the man dubbed “the worst nightclub singer you’ve ever seen or heard.”  In it, Clifton dishes on Sinatra (a moody bastard) and New Orleans cops (crazy motherfuckers).

And when he’s not frolicking with prostitutes or updating his blog, Clifton’s making the club rounds.  He also recently played a string of Comic Relief gigs to benefit the victims of Hurricane Katrina.  Some footage of Clifton in action follows below.  The clip also attempts to tease out Clifton’s “true” identity, an effort that, as it has for years now, quickly becomes a hall of mirrors.

 
Tony Clifton: The Onion AVC Interview