In season 6’s “The Jimmy,” which aired on March 16, 1995, Kramer ends up on stage next to jazz legend Mel Tormé at a charity benefit, still slurring his words thanks to a Novocaine mishap.
The Setup
The episode piles misunderstanding on misunderstanding. Kramer’s numb mouth and odd behavior lead people to believe he has a disability, and the charity event is the moment it all comes to a head.
The Serenade
Thinking Kramer is disabled, Tormé tells the audience, “Ladies and gentlemen, I want to dedicate this song to a very courageous young man,” before singing “When You’re Smiling” while Kramer beams beside him.
Tormé, nicknamed “The Velvet Fog” for his smooth voice, plays it completely straight, which is exactly what makes the scene so funny.
One Take, One Huge Laugh
According to the season 6 DVD’s “Notes About Nothing” trivia, Tormé performed the serenade in a single continuous take in front of the live studio audience.
The laughter was so loud and lasted so long that the sound engineers had to lower it so it wouldn’t drown out the scene. The notes describe it as arguably the longest sustained laugh in the show’s nine-year run.
Behind the Scenes
Production notes also say Jason Alexander wondered whether Tormé thought Michael Richards was genuinely disabled. In fact, the two had already met before filming, so Tormé was well aware of the joke.
Why It Still Works
“The Jimmy” is also remembered for its title character, a basketball player who always refers to himself in the third person, a habit George and the others can’t help picking up.
But it’s Kramer and Tormé’s moment that fans remember most, a perfect example of how Seinfeld turned a tiny misunderstanding into a huge payoff.