ABC MONDAY NIGHT MOVIE: ERNIE KOVACS: BETWEEN THE LAUGHTER (TV)
Summary
A made-for-television film about the personal life of television comedian Ernie Kovacs. In 1950 Ernie Kovacs, then a comedic radio host about to start his television career, learns that his wife Dorothy has been having an affair. He is enraged at her behavior and her apparent neglect of their young children, Elizabeth and Kippy. Dorothy leaves for Florida to "make up her mind" about what she wants to do with her life. In the meantime, Ernie's mother Mary moves in with him to help him take care of the children, and Ernie finds some discarded notes in his kitchen apparently confirming Dorothy's affair. Ernie begins appearing on a local television station and slowly gains popularity on his morning show. Dorothy stays away for three months before Ernie tells her he wants a divorce. One day, a young singer named Edie Adams auditions for Ernie's show, and the two of them share an instant mutual attraction. They begin dating and grow closer together as she becomes a fixture on Ernie's show; she also endears herself to Ernie's children. Ernie learns that Dorothy, having seen him on television, wants custody of the children after spending more than a year away. She and Ernie engage in a lengthy court battle, during which Dorothy and her lawyers make it appear that Mary is responsible for breaking up the marriage with her unrestrained distaste for Dorothy and her family. She also claims her affair arose out of frustration from the difficult relationship caused by Ernie and his mother. Ernie becomes concerned for the children's safety when Kippy returns from a visit to Dorothy with a large bruise on her head. Slowly, Ernie gains more credibility in court when his lawyer helps him and several witnesses attest to Dorothy's neglect and to her seeming disinterest in the children. During this time, Ernie's show is cancelled and he is offered a new program at CBS. Finally the judge decides that it would be "reprehensible" to leave the children in Dorothy's care, but that she must be allowed visitation and that Mary can no longer be an influence on the children's lives. Ernie and his associates are overjoyed at this ruling, although Dorothy is visibly upset. As Ernie and Edie adjust to their new life in New York City, Ernie grows worried about an upcoming court-mandated trip his children will make to visit Dorothy, fearing for their safety. The children themselves are not keen on the visit, and they are noticeably uncomfortable when Dorothy comes to pick them up. Ernie finally meets Edie's parents, who seem to view Ernie as an "unsavory" character. When the children don't return on time, Ernie gets suspicious and heads to Dorothy's house with the police. Dorothy's parents are there and get away in a car; the police surmise that Dorothy has kidnapped the children, causing Ernie great distress. He learns that Dorothy took them down to Miami, but upon searching around there himself finds out that they have already left. He decides to hire private detective agencies to help him track down his children while still maintaining his television show. Edie lands a star role in the Broadway play "Wonderful Town;" although she says that she will continue to appear on Ernie's show she feels overwhelmed by her new responsibilities and frustrated at being unable to help Ernie. Ernie broaches the subject of marriage, but Edie says there is too much going on in both of their lives for them to consider it at the time being. Despite everything, Ernie continues to appear on television. He sends postcards across the country to solicit help in finding his children. The numerous detectives he hires don't seem to yield any progress, and a false lead on Christmas leaves him furious. After six months, Edie is overwhelmed by the challenge of being on Ernie's show and in "Wonderful Town" simultaneously, and continues to rebuff Ernie's proposition of marriage under the grounds that they're not yet ready for it. Edie, Ernie, and Mary attend a party held by George Abbott, director of "Wonderful Town," held principally for Edie. During the party, Ernie and Edie argue about their relationship and the prospect of marriage, and Ernie decides to leave early. Late that night, Ernie arrives at Edie's apartment to continue their discussion. Edie says they are at "different stages" of their relationship, and that she feels she can't keep up with his life and will have to break things off with him. She tells him that she will be taking a six-week European cruise before returning to go on tour with "Wonderful Town." Ernie, dejected and frustrated, leaves her apartment. Ernie continues his television work, hiding his pain at Edie's absence the whole time. He is especially disheartened when he travels to Texas to follow up on a lead stating that Dorothy and the children have been found, only to find several unknown corpses in a local police morgue instead. Ernie is approaching his wit's end when he is approached by detective Pierre Lafitte, who claims that he is of a higher caliber than the others Ernie has hired, and that he will certainly be able to find the children. Edie returns from her cruise realizing that she missed Ernie terribly and finally agrees to marry him. Ernie's financial situation deteriorates, due in part to the expenses he incurred in trying to find his children, but he and Edie vow to make it through somehow. After nearly two years in total of searching for his children, Lafitte finally locates them in a small seaside town in Florida. He and Ernie stake out a café Dorothy has been running and confirm that it's the place they're looking for. Ernie is nervous about seeing his children for the first time in two years, wondering if they will want to return with him. That night, Ernie and the police surround the café and Ernie has a confrontation with Dorothy, who vows that she will take him to court and fight him for custody of the children again. The children emerge and slowly leave with Ernie. Despite everything they've been through, the family shares at least a modicum of happiness in their reunion. Includes commercials.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: May 14, 1984 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:03:00
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T86:0256
- GENRE: Docudrama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Docudrama
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 1973-
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - Acutrim appetite suppresant
- TV - Commercials - Epson personal computers
- TV - Commercials - Fruit of the Loom underwear
- TV - Commercials - Johnson & Johnson baby powder
- TV - Commercials - Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Mazda automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Nissan automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Soft Colors contact lenses
- TV - Commercials - Sprint phone service
- TV - Commercials - Trane air conditioning
- TV - Commercials - Yoplait yogurt
- TV – Commercials – "Making the Grade" motion picture
- TV – Commercials – American Motors automobiles
- TV – Commercials – Chevrolet automobiles
- TV – Commercials – Country Crock buttery spread
- TV – Commercials – Excedrin headache medicine
- TV – Commercials – Maxwell House coffee
- TV – Commercials – Maybelline cosmetics
- TV – Commercials – Olympic commemorative coins
- TV – Commercials – Permalens contact lenses
- TV – Commercials – Prudential-Bache securities
- TV – Commercials – Schick disposable razors
- TV – Commercials – Sears department stores
- TV – Commercials – Speed Stick deodorant
- TV – Commercials – Sure & Natural feminine hygiene products
- TV – Commercials – Toyota automobiles
- TV – Promos – "20/20"
- TV – Promos – "ABC's Wide World of Sports"
- TV – Promos – "Foul-Ups, Bleeps, and Blunders"
- TV – Promos – "From Russia with Love"
- TV – Promos – "Hart to Hart"
- TV – Promos – "Of Madeline"
- TV – Promos – "The Fall Guy"
- TV – Promos – "The Mystic Warrior"
- TV – Promos – "The Return of Marcus Welby, M.D."
- TV – Promos – "Three's Company"
CREDITS
- David Levinson … Producer
- Lamont Johnson … Director
- April Smith … Writer
- Ralph Burns … Music by
- Jeff Goldblum … Cast, Ernie Kovacs
- Melody Anderson … Cast, Edie Adams
- Madolyn Smith … Cast, Dorothy Kovacs
- John Glover … Cast, Pierre Lafitte
- Cloris Leachman … Cast, Mary Kovacs
- Joseph Mascolo … Cast, Richards
- Jordan Charney … Cast, Harry Ascot
- Frank McCarthy … Cast, the Judge
- Lois de Banzie … Cast, Mrs. Enke
- Murphy Dunne … Cast, Leon Lane
- Steven M. Porter … Cast, Rusty
- Edie Adams … Cast, Mae West
- Fran Bennett … Cast, Miss Deal
- Weldon Boyce Bleiler … Cast, Bum Detective
- Bryan Englund … Cast, Cab Driver
- Soleil Moon Frye … Cast, Elizabeth #2
- David Garrison … Cast, Dick Eisenback
- Bill Geisslinger … Cast, Daryl Pollack
- Mike Genovese … Cast, Detective #1
- Gary Grubbs … Cast, Nigel Edmunds
- Michael Higgins … Cast, William Spear
- Mary Alan Hokanson … Cast, Gossip Columnist
- Ryan Michelle Lunsford … Cast, Kippy #1
- Walter Mathews … Cast, Mr. Warren
- Tom Middleton … Cast, Station Manager
- Annie Murray … Cast, Mrs. Lane
- Ginger Orell … Cast, Kippy #2
- Tom Ormeny … Cast, MacIntyre
- Elsa Raven … Cast, Mrs. Shotwell
- Sue Rihr … Cast, Witness #1
- Liam Sullivan … Cast, George Abbott
- Robina Suwol … Cast, Witness #2
- Arthur Taxier … Cast, Detective #2
- Heidi Zeigler … Cast, Elizabeth #1