KOVACS MYSTIQUE, THE: THE COMEDIAN (TV)
Summary
This televised biography special, hosted by Martin Short, examines the innovative work of comedian Ernie Kovacs, featuring a series of clips of his shows and performances. Short explains that Kovacs' work was "simple and innocent" on the surface, but featured a "grim" darker side that pleased his audience, including a memorable sketch in which his opera critic character used a shotgun to express his annoyance with a soprano's performance. He did most of his own writing and created a series of unique characters of various nationalities and professions, including a Prussian DJ and a bumbling magician. He played upon his experience as a second-generation immigrant, born to Hungarian parents, and his most famous characters included Miklos Molnar, a Hungarian cooking show host, and Leena, Queen of the Jungle. A pair of gag glasses helped Kovacs to create Percy Dovetails, a lisping poetry enthusiast of dubious talent. In 1957, NBC invited Kovacs to appear after Jerry Lewis in a half-hour special, and he created "Silent Show," a dialogue-free program in which he appeared as Eugene, a "simple soul" befuddled by everyday occurrences and tasks. The special was a great hit, and he was nominated for an Emmy Award. Another famous sketches was The Nairobi Trio, featuring three musical apes, the leader played by Kovacs, who mimed playing the song "Solfeggio" by Robert Maxwell. Famous artists including Jack Lemmon and Frank Sinatra were among many to fill the other two roles, and Kovacs even brought the trio to "The Ed Sullivan Show." Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: Comedy Central
- DATE: June 24, 1991
- RUNNING TIME: 0:21:08
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:22662
- GENRE: Documentary
- SUBJECT HEADING: Documentary; Biography; Comedians
- SERIES RUN: Comedy Central - TV, 1991
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Eileen Katz … Producer
- Juli Pari … Producer
- Abby Casper … Associate Producer
- Alan Cohn … Director
- Gena Van Winkle … Writer
- Martin Short … Host
- Ernie Kovacs
- Jerry Lewis
- Robert Maxwell
- Jack Lemmon
- Frank Sinatra