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Gordon Cooper Phone Calls Collection on Letterman, 1984, 1989 (Edited)

2,968 views · Published 2 September 2017 · 21:24 · Indexed 27 October 2026

Channel: Don Giller · 2017 · Education

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Beginning in early 1984, Mercury Astronaut Col. Gordon Cooper began "calling in" to the show to add his two cents thanking, honoring, advising, bemoaning, lecturing about whatever was occurring on the show at the moment, "as if he were a bit of an unpredictable nuisance" (Late Night Head-Writer Steve O'Donnell).

In a phone call seventeen years ago, Steve told me that he remembers that the original idea for the calls came from fellow writer Matt Wickline. Steve would phone Col. Cooper, then living in Colorado, and ask if he would provide his voice for future segments on the show. In one phone call, where Cooper screams (reacting to Chris Elliott's ghost on June 26, 1984), Steve was extremely apprehensive in asking for the scream, but Cooper said "no problem."

On behalf of Col. Cooper's family, here is the complete collection of the phone calls, plus one "cameo" when he is alleged to have appeared on the show (April 18, 1984). It wasn't him, of course, but it's included here nonetheless.

There were fourteen phone calls throughout the first seven months of 1984, each one progressively becoming more and more goofy, then a five-year hiatus until he returned for one last call in 1989.

I've uploaded two versions: the complete segments that includes the phone calls, and an edited video consisting of only the calls, with no context.
1. Complete segments here: https://youtu.be/69HXvTcBYWo
2. Edited version with phone calls only here

1. January 3, 1984 Conspiracy Guy
2. February 22, 1984 Reverse Image TV
3. February 23, 1984 Viewer Mail
4. March 1, 1984 Tracey Ross Tribute
5. March 13, 1984 Waiting Room Etiquette
6. March 19, 1984 The Weekend
7. March 26, 1984 Bad Phone Call
8. April 3, 1984 Wendy Moran Tribute
9. April 16, 1984 Panicky Guy
10. April 18, 1984 Dave's Grab Bag (Cooper's "cameo")
11. April 23, 1984 Panicky Guy
12. May 7, 1984 Panicky Guy
13. June 19, 1984 Panicky Guy
14. June 26, 1984 Panicky Guy
15. July 26, 1984 Viewer Mail; As Julio Iglesias
16. November 1, 1989 Audience History Quiz

Note: A number of these clips have been uploaded before as part of other collections:
The Panicky Guy Collection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-pVDb4MNs0
The Conspiracy Guy Collection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whos42Zl5pY
Late Night Reverse-Image TV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oY-iCYa0xVo
Waiting Room Etiquette: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3w3QQmsMRI

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