"The Envelope" is a short film written by and starring George Carlin. It was included at the start of George Carlin's fifth HBO special, "Playin' With Your Head". It serves as a tremendously long (and anti-climatic) lead-in to the stand-up performance. Any VHS or DVD copy of "Playin' With Your Head" will also include "The Envelope" at the start. It's hard to think of it as being anything more than a long amusing intro inserted to lead into the actual stand-up comedy performance. But since IMDb lists it as a separate piece, here's my take.
The short film is set as a stereotypical 1930-40s detective story. It's presented in black & white and has bits of the expected slow jazz music, albeit with synthesizer saxophone instead of real brass. Carlin plays Mike Holder, the gumshoe hero. As expected there are dames, henchmen, an attempted murder, and a chase scene. It's hard to say much more without describing the story in full.
"The Envelope" doesn't really have any laughs. In that sense it reminds me of like the SNL skit "Don't Look Back In Anger" where an elderly John Belushi looks over the graves of other cast members. Not comedy, not Oscar-winning; just a comedian having fun trying something else.
The short film is set as a stereotypical 1930-40s detective story. It's presented in black & white and has bits of the expected slow jazz music, albeit with synthesizer saxophone instead of real brass. Carlin plays Mike Holder, the gumshoe hero. As expected there are dames, henchmen, an attempted murder, and a chase scene. It's hard to say much more without describing the story in full.
"The Envelope" doesn't really have any laughs. In that sense it reminds me of like the SNL skit "Don't Look Back In Anger" where an elderly John Belushi looks over the graves of other cast members. Not comedy, not Oscar-winning; just a comedian having fun trying something else.