Harvey Korman

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Harvey Korman

Harvey Herschel Korman (born February 15, 1927 in Chicago , Illinois , † May 29, 2008 in Los Angeles ) was an American actor and comedian . Korman became known on television in the early 1960s for his participation in the Danny Kaye Show and was a sketch partner of Carol Burnett on her television show from 1967 to 1977 . Outside the United States, Korman became most famous as a supporting actor in the film parodies Mel Brooks ' and the Pink Panther series .

biography

Harvey Korman was born in Chicago. Already in school he got enthusiastic about acting and became a member of the acting course in high school . After serving in the United States Navy during World War II , Korman went to drama school at Chicago's Goodman Theater . There he established himself as a character actor in plays by Shakespeare , Ibsen and Shaw . In the late 1940s Korman went to New York and tried to get engagements as an actor on Broadway . After several unsuccessful years in which Korman worked in restaurants and made his first attempts as a comedian in a nightclub , he first returned to Chicago, and finally tried his luck in Hollywood in 1960 .

After a few extras in films and television series such as Perry Mason , Korman was hired by Danny Kaye for his television show in 1964. Korman remained a member of Kaye's ensemble until the end of the show in 1967. Korman's comic talent secured him guest appearances on the television shows of Lucille Ball and Jack Benny, as well as on the sitcom The Munsters, while working with Danny Kaye . In addition, Korman began to use his distinctive voice in cartoon series , such as the little green man "The Great Gazoo" (in German "Galaxius vom Saxilus") in the series Flintstones .

Harvey Corman with Carol Burnett and Madeline Kahn , 1976

Korman's final breakthrough came in 1967 with the Carol Burnett Show , on which he appeared with Burnett, Vicki Lawrence and Tim Conway for ten years. Korman often played Carol Burnett's spouse in skits, but his joint appearances with Tim Conway were particularly popular, both of which continued on theater tours after the show ended. Harvey Korman was nominated seven times between 1969 and 1976 for the Emmy Award, the most important American television award, and has won it a total of four times. Korman also won the 1975 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Television Production.

Korman left the Carol Burnett Show after the penultimate season and tried his own television show in 1978, which was discontinued after only a year. In the early 1980s, Korman appeared on the Tim Conway Show and the sitcom Mama's Family , a spin-off from the Carol Burnett Show . Korman had a last solid series role in 1989 in the Mel Brooks-produced sitcom The Nutt House , which was discontinued after six weeks. Otherwise, Korman limited himself to guest appearances in series, including in Love Boat , Diagnose: Mord , Ellen or Emergency Room - The emergency room . In addition, he was a popular guest star in cartoon series such as Garfield and Friends , Captain Buzz Lightyear - Star Command and Hey Arnold! .

1973 Mel Brooks cast Harvey Korman as the corrupt politician Hedley Lamarr (not to be confused with Hedy Lamarr ) in his western parody The Wild Wild West . This role became Korman's greatest film success. Brooks put Korman in similar roles as the villain in the Hitchcock parody Höhenkoller and the episode film Mel Brooks - The Crazy History of the World . The last collaboration between Korman and Brooks was in 1995, when Korman made a guest appearance in Dracula - Dead But Happy .

In addition to the Mel Brooks films, Korman had guest appearances as Professor Auguste Balls in the Pink Panther films The Pink Panther Is Hunted and The Curse of the Pink Panther , with some of his scenes from unpublished material from Inspector Clouseau, the "best" Man at Interpol . In 1980 Korman took part in Herbie Goes crazy , the last film in the first Herbie series.

Korman was married to Donna Elhart from 1960 to 1977 and to Deborah Fritz since 1982. Both marriages had two children each. Harvey Korman died on May 29, 2008 at the age of 81 from complications from an abdominal aortic aneurysm ruptured four months earlier .

TV shows (selection)

  • 1964–1967: The Danny Kaye Show
  • 1965–1966: The Feuerstein family
  • 1967–1977: The Carol Burnett Show
  • 1976: Muppet Show
  • 1978: The Harvey Korman Show
  • 1978: Star Wars Holiday Special
  • 1980: The Tim Conway Show
  • 1983-1984: Mama's Family
  • 1986: Leo & Liz in Beverly Hills
  • 1989: The Nutt House

Filmography (selection)

Awards

Harvey Korman was honored for his performance on the Carol Burnett Show in 1969, 1971, 1972 and 1974 .

He received further nominations in 1973, 1976 and 1977.

Korman was named Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series in 1975 for his role on the Carol Burnett Show .

He was previously nominated in the same category in 1972, 1973 and 1974.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Associated Press : Comic powerhouse Harvey Korman dies at 81 ( memento of June 2, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) of May 29, 2008
  2. ↑ USA Today : 'Carol Burnett Show' veteran Harvey Korman dies at 81 on May 29, 2008.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Korman, Harvey
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Korman, Harvey Herschel (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American actor and comedian
DATE OF BIRTH February 15, 1927
PLACE OF BIRTH Chicago , Illinois
DATE OF DEATH May 29, 2008
Place of death los Angeles