Harvey Korman died today. Dick Martin died Saturday. I spent a lot of time watching both of them on TV growing up, so I thought I'd give them a shout-out.
In addition to providing the voice of The Great Gazoo on The Flintstones, I knew Harvey Korman as one of the players on The Carol Burnett Show, where he showed superhuman ability in keeping a straight face when paired with Tim Conway.
One of my favorite bits was where Conway's character is lamenting the loss of a cousin (or something) to a shark attack. The story goes on until he gets to this line:
"She would have made it if she hadn't been wearing her lucky ham..."
I wish I could find a clip of that because I'm not doing it justice; granted, I was very young at the time. I might be missing a few details.
In high school, I rediscovered him in such epics as History of the World, Part I, where he gets one of the best lines in any movie ever:
"Your Majesty, you look like the piss boy!"
Here's a bit of Harvey Korman in action. The first clip is mildly not safe for work because of language, and the second one, a little more not safe for work (brief boobage); you've been warned.
In addition to co-hosting Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, Dick Martin seemed to be on nearly every game show in the 70s and early 80s, as well as an appearance on The Carol Burnett Show.
I loved hearing him laugh. If you heard it, you know what I mean. You can pick it out of a crowd easily.
While I recommend watching anything these two were in, you can get a taste by cruising YouTube and other places. Here's an episode of Laugh-In, followed by some bloopers. Listen for the laugh. You'll know it when you hear it.
Enjoy.
