Harvey Korman, Comedian: 1927 - 2008
Though I remember him best cracking up on The Carol Burnett Show on television for 10 seasons, comedian Harvey Korman earned his place in cinema history for his role as Hedley Lamarr in Mel Brooks’ classic Blazing Saddles, a film I just finished re-watching earlier in the week (”That’s Hedley!”).
According to an AP report, he died Thursday at UCLA Medical Center following complications from a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm he suffered four months ago. He was 81 years old.
Filed under: News, Obituaries
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Aw, he was so funny. :-(
RIP, Mr. Korman.
Dorothy has an awesome clip of Harvey cracking up at Tim Conway. http://www.insidethegold.com/
RIP with the little froggy.
I loved him in Blazing Saddles.
Yes, he was terrific in Blazing Saddles. Also loved him in the more flawed but underrated Brooks Hitchcock parody, High Anxiety.
High Anxiety has some wonderful set pieces - I love the shower sequence with the newspaper. Harvey could always be relied upon to deliver a great comedic performance, particularly as villains.
He was a pro, funny even in a mess of a movie like Dracula: Dead and Loving It. He’ll be missed.
The shower sequence with the newspaper,; the tour involving mental patients and just about everything involving Nurse Diesel and Korman’s character always get me in the ribs.
Phew, Dracula: Dead and Loving It is quite the mess, but he was indeed even funny in it. One of that movie’s very few highlights.
THey played a clip of him and Burnett spoofing Gone with the Wind on NPR last night and I was cracking up in the car. The world won’t be the same place without a nut like Korman in it.
RIP Harvey.
I was going to link to Went With the WInd from YouTube. It’s awesome, but it felt more like Carol Burnett’s moment than Harvey’s so I didn’t.
I’d encourage everyone to go watch it though.
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH6TBEbP77Q
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Nt0yi4wbro
Daddy loves Froggie. Froggie loves Daddy?
ribbit ribbit…
Weird that I just watched that a couple of days ago, no?
Yeah.
I haven’t seen it in a long time. I’ll have to have a Mel Brooks classic marathon soon and revisit that and Young Frankenstein - arguably his best in my opinion.
Young Frankenstein is my fav. Blazzing Saddles is a weeeee bit overrated in my opinion and I suspect a lot of what made it as good as it is came from Richard Pryor’s writing.
Blazing Saddles is a lot of fun, but of all the great comedies I can think of, it truly does not know how to conclude. It’s still a complete blast.
The Producers (which admittedly has a little trouble finding the right way to end, but not nearly as much as Saddles) and Young Frankenstein are probably my favorites.
BS has a lot of fun with not knowing how to conclude though you have to admit.
Is it wrong that I have no idea who this guy was….?
I also love The Producers, but Young Frankenstein still beats that. :-)
Not at all Nick, he was pretty much out of the limelight for the last 20 or 25 years. His peak was in the 70s.
I giggle every time I think of Puttin on the Ritz, Alison.
Peter Boyle was a great sport.
Gene Wilder was just so good at playing a crazed scientist, and I loved Teri Garr in that movie. And there’s no topping Madeline Kahn. One of the funniest, most talented women that ever lived.
Gene and MK were superb in Blazing Saddles too, of course.
Gene and Teri are still alive, but Harvey and Madeline and Peter are gone.
I know. :-(
Agreed, Madeline Kahn was a riot as Lily von Stupt. And Gene was wonderful as always.
For those interested in seeing Korman earlier in his career, there’s always George Axelrod’s 1966 black comedy/satire “Lord Love a Duck,” also starring Tuesday Weld, Ruth Gordon, Roddy McDowall and Lola Albright (who won the Berlin Film Festival best actress award for her work). Korman plays a silly high school principal with eyes for what’s beneath Tuesday’s extensive collection of cashmere sweaters.
Pierre de Plume! It’s been awhile since we saw you ’round these parts! Welcome back!
I second Alison’s remark.
*waves*
Hi, Pierre. Long time…
Thank goodness Pierre has finally shaken himself free of all his entanglements within the criminal justice system – the business with the dwarf, politician, and go-go dancer was all a terrible misunderstanding – and has returned to commenting.
Alison, your praise of the wonderful cast of actors in Young Frankenstein is spot on, but you forgot to mention the great Marty Feldman (in his Groucho voice ‘you take the blond, and I’ll take the brunette’).
Actually, I think the dwarf was perfectly innocent. It was the masseuse with a forged green card that had everyone upset.
You’re right, sartre. And he was indeed a funny actor.
You’re right Craig, there was so much misinformation flying about after Defamer posted those pics of the 5 dancing to ‘40s jazz at the mysterious Black Lodge cabin, with the dwarf in a red three piece suit and brown cowboy boots.
Hi Alison, Hi Miranda, Hi everyone. Yes, Pierre has been layin’ low (no more dwarf jokes, please) due to demanding commitments in the field of politics — plus recovery time.
“That gum you like is going to come back in style. She’s my cousin, but doesn’t she look almost exactly like Laura Palmer?”