RIP: Hedley Lamar (Harvey Korman)

[Don Plumley]

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=4959668

'Carol Burnett' Star Harvey Korman Dies at 81
Actor Harvey Korman, star of 'The Carol Burnett Show' and other films, dies in Los Angeles at 81
The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES

Harvey Korman, the tall, versatile comedian who won four Emmys for his outrageously funny contributions to "The Carol Burnett Show" and on the big screen in "Blazing Saddles," died Thursday. He was 81.

Korman died at UCLA Medical Center after suffering complications from the rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm four months ago, his family said in a statement released by the hospital.

His daughter, Kate Korman, said in the statement that it was a "miracle" that her father had survived the aneurysm at all, and that he had several major operations.

"Tragically, after such a hard fought battle he passed away," she said.

A natural second banana, Korman gained attention on "The Danny Kaye Show," appearing in skits with the star. He joined the show in its second season in 1964 and continued until it was canceled in 1967. That same year he became a cast member in the first season of "The Carol Burnett Show."

Burnett and Korman developed into the perfect pair with their burlesques of classic movies such as "Gone With the Wind" and soap operas like "As the World Turns" (their version was called "As the Stomach Turns").

Another recurring skit featured them as "Ed and Eunice," a staid married couple who were constantly at odds with the wife's mother (a young Vickie Lawrence in a gray wig). In "Old Folks at Home," they were a combative married couple bedeviled by Lawrence as Burnett's troublesome young sister.

Burnett was devastated by the news, said her assistant, Angie Horejsi.

"She loved Harvey very much," Horejsi said. She said Burnett had not yet made a statement.

Korman revealed the secret to the long-running show's success in a 2005 interview.

"We were an ensemble, and Carol had the most incredible attitude. I've never worked with a star of that magnitude who was willing to give so much away."

After 10 successful seasons, he left in 1977 for his own series. Dick Van Dyke took his place, but the chemistry was lacking and the Burnett show was canceled two years later. "The Harvey Korman Show" also failed, as did other series starring the actor.

"It takes a certain type of person to be a television star," he said in that 2005 interview. "I didn't have whatever that is. I come across as kind of snobbish and maybe a little too bright. ... Give me something bizarre to play or put me in a dress and I'm fine."

His most memorable film role was as the outlandish Hedley Lamarr (who was endlessly exasperated when people called him Hedy) in Mel Brooks' 1974 Western satire, "Blazing Saddles."

He also appeared in the Brooks comedies "High Anxiety," "The History of the World Part I" and "Dracula: Dead and Loving It," as well as two "Pink Panther" moves, "Trail of the Pink Panther" in 1982 and "Curse of the Pink Panther" in 1983.

Korman's other films included "Gypsy," "Huckleberry Finn" (as the King), "Herbie Goes Bananas" and "Bud and Lou" (as legendary straightman Bud Abbott to Buddy Hackett's Lou Costello). He also provided the voice of Dictabird in the 1994 live-action feature "The Flintstones."

In television, Korman guest-starred in dozens of series including "The Donna Reed Show," "Dr. Kildare," "Perry Mason," "The Wild Wild West," "The Muppet Show," "The Love Boat," "The Roseanne Show" and "Burke's Law."

In their '70s, he and Tim Conway, one of his Burnett show co-stars, toured the country with their show "Tim Conway and Harvey Korman: Together Again." They did 120 shows a year, sometimes as many as six or eight in a weekend.

Harvey Herschel Korman was born Feb. 15, 1927, in Chicago. He left college for service in the U.S. Navy, resuming his studies afterward at the Goodman School of Drama at the Chicago Art Institute. After four years, he decided to try New York.

"For the next 13 years I tried to get on Broadway, on off-Broadway, under or beside Broadway," he told a reporter in 1971.

He had no luck and had to support himself as a restaurant cashier. Finally, in desperation, he and a friend formed a nightclub comedy act.

"We were fired our first night in a club, between the first and second shows," he recalled.

After returning to Chicago, Korman decided to try Hollywood, reasoning that "at least I'd feel warm and comfortable while I failed."

For three years he sold cars and worked as a doorman at a movie theater. Then he landed the job with Kaye.

In 1960 Korman married Donna Elhart and they had two children, Maria and Christopher. They divorced in 1977. Two more children, Katherine and Laura, were born of his 1982 marriage to Deborah Fritz.

In addition to his daughter Kate, he is survived by his wife and the three other children.

From Blazing Saddles:

Governor William J. Le Petomane: Thank you, Hedy, thank you
Hedley Lamarr: It's not *Hedy*, it's *Hedley*. Hedley Lamarr.
Governor William J. Le Petomane: What the hell are you worried about? This is 1874. You'll be able to sue *her*.

Hedley Lamarr: Unfortunately there is one thing standing between me and that property - the rightful owners.

Hedley Lamarr: My mind is aglow with whirling, transient nodes of thought careening through a cosmic vapor of invention.

Hedley Lamarr: [to Lili Von Stupp] Shut up, you Teutonic twat!

[Racerbvd]

R.i.p.

[jmshepard]

My favorite comedic actor, Harvey Korman died today from complications of an abdominal aneurysm he suffered four months ago, at the age of 81.



Now go do, that voodoo that you do so well.

[mcuozzo]

RIP, Harvey.

I gotta admit he was a favorite of mine. I remember watching him on the Carol burnett show and of course his roles in Blazing Saddles and History of the World are classic. Did you know he was the voice of the great Gazoo on the Flintstones???

I think I'm gonna rent BS this weekend in his honor, heck I think I'll go buy it.

[red-beard]

I want rustlers, cutthroats, murders, bounty hunters, desperados, mugs, pugs, thugs, nitwits, halfwits, dimwits, vipers, snipers, con-men, Indian agents, Mexican bandits, muggers, buggerers, bushwhackers, hornswogglars, horse thieves, bull-dykes, train robbers, bank robbers, ass-kickers, sh**-kickers, and Methodists!

and

My mind is a-glow with whirling transient nodes of thought, careening through a cosmic vapor of invention.

Hedley Lamarr:	My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought, cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives.
Taggart:	Gal-darnit, Mr. Lamarr, you use your tongue prettier than a 20-dollar whore.

[NICKG]

a small part of my life passes away...I loved Harvey Korman.

[kstar]

He cracked me up doing the "shuffling man in the hospital" skit when I was in my single digits.

RIP

edit: oops - this was Conway I was referring too . . . sorry!. Sheesh, I am getting old.

Korman was funny, too.

RIP

[livi]

He was truly one of the funniest on screen. Love Blazing Saddles.

- Where are the white women at??!!

[The Gaijin]

Rip.

[berettafan]

Carol Burnett Show was a big part of our family when i was a wee lad.

A very, very real and substantial loss.

[TerryH]

Burnett and Korman, then later came Lawrence and Conway. They always tried to make each laugh during their skits. They had comedic nirvana going for quite a while.

"We're so glad we had this time together, just to have a laugh or sing a song. Seems we just get started and you before you know it... comes the time we have to say, "So Long!"

So long, Harvey! RIP

[azasadny]

Very funny man...