Comedy legend. Television icon. More funny packed into 5'6" than you should ever expect to find in one lifetime.
Like Peter, we post the unbelievable "Elephant Sketch", completely ad libbed by Conway just to tear up his co-stars, that cracked up Carol Burnett and Dick Van Dyke cold, and absolutely killed. Until Vicki Lawrence topped him with one line. It still makes our sides hurt to watch:
"One'd sneeze, the other's eyes'd get REAL big..."
And will probably rack up another 24M views this week (which won't count, because we've already been counted by youTube's viewcounter).
But there was more. So much more.
Ensign Parker on McHale's Navy. Sadly wasted as a straight man/Gilligan most of the time.
Riding with Don Knotts in all those Apple Dumpling Gang flicks.
Sports lessons aplenty as Dorf.
Destroying his partner-in-crime Harvey Korman in The Dentist sketch.
After losing at the Emmys to co-star Korman, and standing on stage just behind him as Harvey gave his thanks speech.
And on and on.
We express our heartfelt condolences to his family upon his death, our sorrow only tempered by the fact that his comedy magic will live on, via YouTube, digital discs, and whatever comes next, for another 85 years.
Not too shabby for a short kid with no prospects.
8 comments:
When comedy was actually funny and not mean spirited.
RIP Ensign Parker! You did great down here making us laugh. Thank you.
During my college days in the Ordovician time-frame, use to watch the "Hour of Power" on cable teevee. McHale's Navy and Hogan's Heroes. Just good fun. Sadly, much of that is missing in teevee and movie land (and in society-the ability to not take things so seriously and laugh at oneself and the stupid things we do...?) these days. Seriously, when did dropping the f-bomb every other word become funny by comedian standards?
RIP, and thanks for the great eulogy.
I used to watch the Carol Burnett show with my grandparents back in the day. Tim's skits would always leave me rolling.
I watched Tim in McHale's Navy as one of the comedies at the time, having turned 10 in '65. I was really into westerns and WW11 shows, then and now. One of my first crushes was on Doris Day. Blonde, beautiful and talented. Ah, to be young again and relive the glory days of a youth that never was as I remember it.
He is truly amazing. One of the few who could keep a straight face in massive hilarity. I watched the video to yesterday and reminisced about true comedy. No swearing ever which lazily can't be avoided these days. Jonathon Winters, Red Skelton oh so many. The only one who equalled was Robin Williams. I was sad on the day all the greats passed.
Notice how funny comedy was then? I don't know what happened, but suddenly comedy became mean, ugly, and obscene with crudely making fun of someone as entertainment. I miss going to clubs and actually laughing at funny stuff. George Carlin and Richard Pryor would not be allowed onstage now. My mom loved Steve Allen, Jack Parr, and Lenny Bruce.
These too are the things we need to make sure our children and grandchildren know. They may not like it now but as they get older they just may learn to appreciate good, generally clean, humor from people like Mr. Conway. About a year ago introduced my youngest to 'Who's on First?'. Not only did she love the word play but now we have a comedic touch point as well.
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