Harvey Korman

Harvey Herschel Korman was born in Chicago on February 15, 1927.  He was the son of Russian immigrants and was raised in the Jewish faith.  

Korman knew from the beginning that he wanted to be an entertainer.  He started acting in school plays while still in kindergarten before turning professional at age 12, when he signed with a local Chicago radio station.

After a tour of duty with the Navy during World War 2, Korman returned to Chicago, where he studied drama at what is now DePaul University.  When he completed his education, he relocated to New York, where he spent several years unsuccessfully trying to make it on Broadway.

Then in 1960, Korman moved to Hollywood, where finding work came easier for him.  Over the next few years, he'd appear on such series as The Donna Reed Show, Dennis the Menace and Perry Mason before landing a permanent role on The Danny Kaye Show in 1965.  Like The Carol Burnett Show that would follow, the series was a sketch-comedy musical variety show, featuring Korman as a series of different and unique characters.  You can watch an episode in its entirety here.  

That same year, Korman joined the cast of The Flintstones for what would be it's final season.  He played the oddly misplaced character of The Great Gazoo, a supernatural being who only Fred and Barney could see.  But you can see a clip here.  

When The Danny Kaye Show folded in 1967, Korman was approached by comedian Carol Burnett to join the cast of her new comedy series.  Literally.  He was in the parking lot at CBS and she ambushed him.  He decided to accept her offer, and it was the best career move he ever made. 

The series lasted for eleven seasons and made stars of its entire cast.  While Korman was often nominated for the Emmy Award, he'd never bring home the trophy, but he did win a Golden Globe Award in 1975.  The series would spawn dozens of memorable characters, particularly those from the "Family" segments, which featured Korman as southern boy Bud, husband to Burnett's eccentric Eunice character. 

The sketch would launch a spin-off series titled Mama's Family.  Initially, Korman appeared on the series as both Bud and as series host Alistair Quince, a parody of Masterpiece Theatre's Alistair Cooke.  Those introductions were dropped in syndication however and are not available on home video.  But here's one recorded off NBC in 1982. 

While Carol Burnett was riding high in the ratings, Korman was approached by director Mel Brooks to appear in what has come to be his signature film, Blazing Saddles, a spoof of the western film genre.  Korman appeared as Hedley Lamarr, a corrupt district attorney in an unnamed western territory.  The film was an instant success, earning $120 million at the box office.  In 2006, it was deemed "culturally significant" by the Library of Congress, who selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry.  You can watch the theatrical trailer here.

Throughout the 80s and 90s, Korman continued to find work in Hollywood, usually through Mel Brooks.  The two re-united for both High Anxiety (1977) and Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995), though neither would be as successful as their previous venture.  The two also collaborated on the 1989 sit-com The Nutt House, which only ran for five episodes before NBC pulled the plug.  Here's the pilot episode.

In January 2008, Korman suffered from a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm.  He survived the episode but the damage was done.  He'd ultimately pass from associated complications on May 29th.  He was 81 years old.

Korman was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in Santa Monica.

Inscription: "You're born, you suffer, and you die"
Location: Mausoleum, 2nd Floor, Unity Corridor, East Wall

Rest in peace, Hedy!

Trivia

• Just this month, Korman's son Chris released a book about his father's career.  You can pick up a copy of OMG! It's Harvey Korman's Son! from Amazon.
  
  
• In the 1990s, Korman would return to Bedrock, providing his voice for other characters in the two live-action Flintstones feature films, before reprising Gazoo for the 2000 video game The Flintstones: Bedrock Bowling.  Curious?  Click here.
  
  
• Korman appeared in the infamous 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special, playing not one, but three different characters.  The one most remembered is that of Chef Gormaanda, a spoof of Julia Childs.  Really.  You can watch that segment here.
  
  
• That same year, he co-starred with Buddy Hackett in the made-for-TV film Bud and Lou, a biopic of Abbott and Costello.  It was an odd turn for Korman, who played the more straight-laced Bud Abbott.  The film was widely panned by critics, but you can see it in its entirety here.
  
  
• In 1982, Korman joined his Carol Burnett co-stars in the made-for-TV movie Eunice, reprising his role of Bud from the "Family" segments.  You can watch that movie in its entirety here.  
  
  
• On The Carol Burnett Show, Korman was often paired with Tim Conway, with the latter usually serving as the straight man.  Korman had a hard time concealing his laughter from the camera, as in this famous sketch, when he pays a visit to his dentist.
  
  
• Korman's co-star Vicki Lawrence has a two-woman stage show that travels the country, wherein she reprises her role of Mama.  This blogger was fortunate enough to see her show in 2016.
  
  
  
  
  
• Every year on the anniversary of his death, Korman has a habit of re-dying, thanks to Internet hoaxsters.