‘Sock It To Me: The Legend of George Schlatter’ takes center stage at the Newport Film Fest

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (KYMA) - A new documentary called "Sock It To Me: The Legend of George Schlatter," featuring Hollywood heavy hitters like Tom Hanks, Billy Crystal and Michael Douglas, pays tribute to the creator of "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In."

"Laugh-In" changed the way we look at television, and it helped launch the careers of stars like Lily Tomlin and Goldie Hawn.

The show paved the way for other sketch comedy shows like "Saturday Night Live" and "In Living Color."

News 11 caught up with "The Parent Trap" and "Abbott Elementary" star Lisa Ann Walter at the Newport Beach Film Fest, who said she had the chance to tell George Schlatter, the creator of "Laugh-In" what the show meant to her.

"On Laugh-In, there were funny women, and I'd never seen that on TV unless I happened to see Joan Rivers, let's say on the Ed Sullivan Show," Walter told News 11.

"I told him that the women on that show made me think I could have a career being funny," she disclosed.

Schlatter said the success of the show was unexpected.

"Nobody wanted Laugh-In. Laugh-In was rejected. Laugh-In was their last choice. And so we put it on the air, so they agreed to air it for 3 weeks until they got a real show ready," Schlatter told News 11. "And so we put it on the air and it just exploded because the people wanted something that broke the molds. People wanted something that defied tradition."

Television stars and friends, like Mary Hart, showed up to support the film.

"Who has made people laugh around the world more than George Schlatter?" she asked.

The film's director, Chris Coronado, shared advice for comedians and actors who are still waiting for their big break.

"Don't worry about rejection. Don't ever stop. Just keep going. There's always gonna be somebody who understands your comedy, who understands you, and it'll absolutely happen. There's no question about it, and he's the living proof that no matter what happens, there will always be someone who will be your champion," Coronado said.

"Sock It to Me" gives fans a chance to look back on comedy television history.