In a 2002 interview with CNN's Larry King, Tim Conway and Harvey Korman talk about their long careers in comedy that includes working with the likes of Carol Burnett and Mel Brooks.
I see a couple of kids that grew up and continued to keep on playing and having fun. And they invited us to watch and laugh along. I'm glad they did. . Thank God !
The talent here with these two and Carol Burnett and Vicki Lawrence… that’s a beautiful perfection of comedy that just cannot be compared!! THANK U ALL FOR THE LAUGHS HAPPINESS AND JOY YOU BROUGHT TO US ALL !!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Laurel and Hardy. Martin and Lewis. Hope and Crosby. Korman and Conway. Iconic comedy teams that we’ll never see the likes of again. God didn’t warn Harvey fast enough when Tim arrived at the pearly gates today (5/14/19). Forever making us laugh and in our hearts, thank you for the memories, Tim.
I just love and admire these two so much. Tim is absolutely hysterical and I'll always be in love with Harvey. He was the absolute best, and he deserved all the praise and admiration we can give him. Thank you Harvey and Tim for so many memories and laughs. You guys were and always will be legends. You live in our hearts forever!
The Carol Burnett show filled my childhood with laughter & I was so fortunate to see these two while they were touring later in life. Magical!! I look forward to seeing all their new material in the great beyond.❤️
Giants, both...Rest In Peace...I can just imagine them doing their sketches in heaven, with Harvey breaking character as usual because Tim is just that funny...Bravo, sirs!!!
I love their friendship ❤️ I love the fact that Harvey didn’t correct Tim when he was talking about Bengal Lions 😬 Sorry Tim, it’s a tiger. They truly loved each other. I miss them together.
I will always love these guys with and without Carol Burnett!! They are the funniest still, I don't know how many years later. When ever I need a laugh, I go straight to Carol Burnett and Friends !!!!
thank you for all the happy moments and laughs ... iam from the middle east ...carol , tim , harvey , and the whole team are truly legends in comedy...thank you again
I love these two..just watched the Carol Burnett 50th show..but almost never missed it when it was new. Harvey Korman looks very much like my father...younger and older. Both from Chicago. Makes me wonder. My dad was hilarious, too...but these two! No equals. RIP, Harvey
Some great comedy here! They both are so naturally funny, they don't really get that we love them both and will watch their shows 1000 times and laugh every time! They are like part of your family that comes into your home and makes everyone laugh! Sometimes being the number one star, you always have to maintain the same persona, but on the other hand being a second banana and doing that position better than anyone else could ever dream! You can do what ever the hell you want to do! John Wayne god bless him was John Wayne until he died! Tim and Harvey have been many hundreds of characters, in the course of their careers! If you added all the people that these two have been and had them sit on stage with them in this interview, the stage would be overcrowded! Tim was also Ensign Parker on McHale's Navy and Harvey was the Great Gazoo on the Flintstones back in 1965. I believe they both were a part of the Spongebob Square pants franchise also! So many of their characters were so much a part of their fiber, to them they are just being themselves and we can't get enough of them. They cheer us up, and bring laughter into our homes. Thank you both for making this crazy world a little better.
SpongeBob featured Tim Conway and Ernest Borgnine as super heroes "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy". I don't recall Harvey doing any voice work for SpongeBob.
They were terrific on Carol Burnett. I wish I had seen them live, Interesting comment about Cary Grant. Agree completely about Bud Abbott (love Abbott & Costello). Lovely comments about the generosity of Carol. High Anxiety is a favorite... Harvey and Cloris! Interesting point about "not being able to handle success".
I know everyone has that one person who they think is a king or Queen of something well to me Tim Conway is the king of Comedy and Carol Burnett is the Queen of comedy you could not ask for two better people to put a smile on your face. Harvey is a Legendary Comedian who was amazing when Harvey Tim and Carol got together you knew it was going to be a great time. Rest in peace Harvey and Tim thanks for the laughs. 💙💙
These two are absolutely awesome. Except for the Dentist sketch, the OTHER famous blooper where the whole cast just lost it was Tim Conway telling the Siamese Elephant story. It is one of the biggest injustices in the history of mankind that Harvey had already left the Burnett show. I would’ve given anything to have Harvey in that sketch and completely melt down as Tim told the story.
Speaking of Tim's antics over the years, Carol Burnett recently told a story on Stephen Colbert's show about Tim at some party she was having years ago, where he was wrapping his face with toilet paper. Someone took a Polaroid picture (remember those?) of his face and he cut it out and slipped it under the lamination of his driver's license. He then drove home on the wrong side of the road - *still wearing the toilet paper on his face* - and a cop pulled him over of course. You can probably guess what happened next: The cop asks to see his license and... Yeah, Tim will do just about anything for a laugh including getting pulled over by a cop! [ edit: Actually, I just looked it up. It wasn't Stephen Colbert, it was Jimmy Kimmel. She talks about the Tim thing at around the 2 minute mark: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-JAdkehLBApk.html ]
I just tried to find the entire episode online and couldn't, but they do have another part of that clip, here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-T74Y4sJWJaE.html
Jeff Galus ... Along they was right with Dean Martin being a straight man for Jerry. Loved Harvey Korman since I was very young. He was my first person I turn into every Saturday to Carol Burnett just to see what he was up to on her show.
Jeff Galus You have to wonder if Abbott would have withstood Conway’s antics without falling apart like Korman constantly did. Man, all of those comedy teams of yesteryear- Abbott and Costello; Laurel and Hardy; Martin and Lewis; Korman and Conway- just can’t be replicated with today’s so-called comics.
Think of Stan Laurel without Oliver Hardy. What a straight man with those slow burns! And Danny Glover playing against Marty Short in "Pure Luck!" And Harvey was indeed funny!!! He should have felt better about himself in that.
Really sad to hear that some of the greatest performers in entertainment, like Harvey Korman, can't accept the praise from their audience because they feel unworthy. Harvey, you (and your cohort Tim) have made me laugh harder and longer than any other comedians...and that includes Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello and even Ren and Stimpy! It's really too bad that you are not with us anymore, Harvey. I hope you accepted that we loved you before your time was over. Skits like the 'Clock Doctor' ( ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-13oklol49ZY.html ) and the 'Dentist' ( ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-nF_C3bO8WZ0.html ) are impossible to watch without laughing. At least for me it is.
When people like Cary Grant and Gene Kelly heap praise on you.then maybe somewhere in the back of my dads mind did it really hit him that he was worthy of the praise.If you watched his HOF interview he told the women that he wanted to be known as a axceptional father.Husband and Entertainer last.That was his value system.It gave him status and wealth but he considered doctors,and scientists and those who fought in the Vietnam war like my father in law as heroes and people who should be worshiped and admired.
More people in the world should keep that perspective. I've always felt that teachers and scientists should be held in much higher esteem than sports heroes, etc. Glad to hear your father felt the same.
Dear Justwasted this is Chris Korman son of Harvey My father never really just how important he was until he was inducted into the hall of fame in 2002.The Key for my father was that he never took his fame seriously but he took his craft seriously.My father was rather docile at home.He wasn't always being funny as in trying to be funny.He was funny based on situations.He was a loving father and exceptional grandfather/father in law.
Sounds like my Dad: Funny just being himself, but not _trying_ to be funny. My dad can make us laugh just describing his visit to the grocery store, mannerisms and facial expressions, etc. The interesting thing is, when he TRIES to be funny, it usually comes off flat. Anyway, thanks for the reply!
These were the golden years true comedy. these guys are the best of the best. Along with Don Rickles and Bob Hope there were many more but these guys were so brilliant the very definition of clean comedy.
these two are as good as Abbott and Costello, The Marx Brothers, Laurel & Hardy, etc. Had they been around at he same time as those legendary teams I bet they would have been as big or bigger than any of them.
Blackspider4 i could not agree with you more.Carol was smart enough to surround herself with the best people.Carson and MTM was the same.Skelton and Kaye were insecure they hated anyone else getting laughs.skelton fired my dad for getting to many laughs.
Van PastorMan more like 15 now days or 10 if they 13 for a season but most now only do 8 weeks and off. They get paid millions for one show where these guys got paid like 500.00 a week or less some got paid 50.00 a show back in the 1950s not big money then but it really was when wages was about 25 cents an hour. If you got 50 cents an hour you had a good job that paid over minimum wage. In the 1960s the min.wage was less then a dollar it didn't get over a dollar till in the 1970s so look what greed has done to our country. We use to buy a new car made of metal for 1500.00 off the show room now you get one for 50,000 off the show room. And made out of plastic no crome no white walls no fancy lights no wings on the lights. No really stand out colors black gray red white in that's colors some times you will see a orange or brownish color but no two tone colors anymore to make the card look hot they all look the same like Nascar does. Why not be different with then make a ditterent looking car from all other makers. Make hot looking cars even if they have a 4 cilender. They don't make them good anymore the paint peals off the top coat not good lights cloud up and you can't see at night with them. Greed has lead us to this evil world. Now we have seniors eating cat and dog food to get by on they SS check because they didn't make 15.00 an hour or millions for a game or play like now. Even Hollywood stars got about 300.00 a week and they signed with a studio to work and have work. If they got 500.00 a week that was a years earning for most people back then. That was 2000.00 a month most people brought home 40.00 a week to live on. See how greed took over our country. The reason we pay so much for food and cars in unions that shut down factories and raise prices to pay for greedy people's wages instead of being happy with what we have. Greed money is the root of all evil.
These two are comic geniuses, and let's face it: it all happened thanks to the ultimate genius, Carol Burnett. As Harvey said, "She allowed..." She gave her brilliant co-stars latitude.
Okay, so I'm WAAAAY late here, but the BEST scene for Harvey in Blazing Saddles was his speech before the big battle. *"You are about to embark on a noble crusade; to stamp out runaway decency in the west. Now you men will only be risking your lives. Whilst I will be risking an almost certain Academy award, for best supporting actor! Now raise your right hand and repeat after me. I said RIGHT! I (your name) do pledge allegiance to Hedley LeMar. and to the evil for which he stands. Now go do that voodoo that you do So WEEEELLLLLL"* !
This is very reminiscent of Martin Short & Steve Martin's stage show they've been doing off and on now for eight years, except these guys did it 15 years before them. Hmm? I wonder where Steve Martin & Martin Short came up with that idea?
Harvey Korman often played the straight man, but he was also a brilliant comedy actor, which is very different from a comedian. He was funny on the Carol Burnett Show and on the Danny Kaye Show, quite apart from anything he ever did with Tim Conway, and his performance on Blazing Saddles insures his place as one of the great comedy actors. I would have to say that Harvey Korman was great at everything he ever did in show business. To call him a straight man is to diminish his legacy.
kariakor I agree with you to call my dad a straighten would be deminishing his legacy.My father was a consumate artists who could do everything like Nathan Lane and David Hyde Pierce.My father studied at Goodman with Geraldine Page and the Shelley Berman.My father had the following to all areas of acting. His rules of comedy-was it had to have a plot/conflict/resolution/truth/believability.
Karlakor I agree with you on everything you said about my father.My father could do everything but he got typecasts doing comedic roles.Most but not all people don't know he was classically trained Goodman theatre in Chicago.Betty Davis and Charles Laughton both hailed my father as the next olivier and olivier even told my dad he was a admired of his work.
@George Martin He was a exceptional father because he put family considerations firsts fame and ego second.He always taught me the best reason to have fame is to elevate the brand of others without exploiting it for selfish gain.
@George Martin Hey George Thank you for taking my posts on the merits.I have had a few people who were jaded about my posts on here and basically dismissed the fact that I was indeed his son.Did you read that story about dad and tim and C.Grant in Carols book? She talks about how after a few days they ran out of gags/and jokes to the point where they told CG they needed to stop having lunch with him because they were afrraid of being to boring for him.
Karfakor I couldn't agree more with what you said about my dad.He was known for being a straightman/sketch comedian.My father would bristle at that label.He was a consumate performer who could do it all.His classical training precludes my dad from just playing the joke.Dad was a actor doing comedy not a comedian.He was classically trained at Goodman theatre.He was going to be the next Olivier.
The talk about straight men here is not very accurate. Laurel and Hardy did not involve a straight man. Neither one of them played straight for the other, because both of them were funny, as Stan Laurel himself would tell you. When Stan would watch a Laurel and Hardy movie, he would always watch Oliver Hardy, such was his respect for his partner. Just watch any Laurel and Hardy movie, and it will be apparent that both men were funny, each in his own way, and together they were the best ever.
In the interest of equal offending, good lord Harvey Korman aged poorly. Women deal with that kind of scrutiny all the time so its only fair to point it out on the other side when its true. Having said that, still sounds exactly like the same old legendary Harvey. Conway, also brilliant, was the more out and out comedy genius. Harvey was a bit stealthier but no less brilliant. His subtle mannerisms in Mel Brooks movies are hysterical and his physical comedy was fantastic too. One of those guy that never really got enough credit but often stole the show. Such a unique entertainer.
That's a fair statement. Harvey was 75 at the time and had battled the bottle for some years prior, and that can have a significant effect on your appearance.
My father had skin cancer removed and had to endure medical problems from that interview on until his death.There is only so much make up that can over up age spots.He was actually in pretty good shape for his age at the time.
Chris Korman your father brought my family so many laughs over the years...such found memories of the Carol Burnett show. Cowboy Dance was one of my favorite skits with your dad. Will miss his talent.
By pointing out/passing judgment based upon outward appearance or, otherwise, simply placing enough importance on it to justify mentioning it, are you not adding to the problem? I honestly mean no disrespect; I'm just making the case that, despite your attempt to address his appearance in a very non-offensive way, all in the name of equality, I believe 2 "wrongs" never make a "right". My belief is predicated on the idea of placing any value and/or importance on someone's appearance being wrong, stupid, and extremely shallow.
I think my father was one of the most versatile performers on the show outside of Carol.My father could do dialects like no ones biz like Kaye or Reiner. My father got to worked with the greatest clowns-Skelton,Benny,Lucy,Carol,Jerry Lewis,Mel Brooks.Frankly outside of my dads chemistry with Carol my dads best work was with Brooks who is going to be in Vegas on April 27th and 28th at Wynn Hotel.
For those who want to go behind the scenes stories about Carol Burnett/Mama's Family/Blazzing Saddles etc please turn into the Bill Benjamin show, Please tun into at www.magic959online.com/home.html. Try listening tomorrow or next Friday morning to Wesley Hyatt who wrote the ultimate book on Burnett and his new book on Bob Hope.
