Harvey Korman

For the Scrubs character, see List of characters on Scrubs#Harvey Corman.

Harvey Korman
Birth name	Harvey Herschel Korman
Born	(1927-02-15)February 15, 1927 Chicago, Illinois, USA
Died	May 29, 2008(2008-05-29) (aged 81) UCLA Medical Center Los Angeles, California
Medium	Film, television
Years active	1950–2007
Genres	Sketch comedy
Spouse	Donna Ehlert (1960–1977; divorced; 2 children) Deborah Fritz Korman (1982–2008; his death; 2 children)
Emmy Awards
Special Classification Achievements - Individuals (Variety Performances) 1969 The Carol Burnett Show Special Classification of Outstanding Program and Individual Achievement - Individuals 1971 The Carol Burnett Show Outstanding Achievement by a Performer in Music or Variety 1972 The Carol Burnett Show Best Supporting Actor in Comedy-Variety, Variety or Music 1974 The Carol Burnett Show
Golden Globe Awards
Best Supporting Actor - Television 1975 The Carol Burnett Show

Harvey Herschel Korman (February 15, 1927 – May 29, 2008) was an American comedic actor who performed in television and movie productions beginning in 1960. His big break was being a featured performer on CBS's The Danny Kaye Show, but he is best remembered for his performances on the sketch comedy series The Carol Burnett Show and in several films by Mel Brooks, most notably as Hedley Lamarr in Blazing Saddles.

Early life

Korman, who was of Russian Jewish descent, was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Ellen (née Blecher) and Cyril Raymond Korman, a salesman. He served in the United States Navy during World War II. After being discharged, he studied at the Goodman School of Drama. He was a member of the Peninsula Players summer theater program during the 1950, 1957, and 1958 seasons.

Career

Early years

Korman made his first TV appearance as a comically exasperated public relations man in a January, 1961 episode of the CBS drama Route 66. He appeared on numerous television programs after that, including the role of Blake in the 1964 episode "Who Chopped Down the Cherry Tree?" on the NBC medical drama The Eleventh Hour, and a bartender in the 1962 Perry Mason episode, "The Case of the Unsuitable Uncle." He frequently appeared as a supporting player on The Danny Kaye Show from 1963 through 1967. He was cast three times, including the role of Dr. Allison in "Who Needs Glasses?" (1962), of ABC's The Donna Reed Show. He guest starred too on the NBC modern western series, Empire.

From 1964 to 1966, he appeared three times in consecutive years on the CBS comedy The Munsters starring Fred Gwynne and Yvonne De Carlo. During the 1965-1966 season, Korman made regular appearances on ABC's The Flintstones as The Great Gazoo, in its final season on network television.

The Carol Burnett Show

It was his work on The Carol Burnett Show, beginning in 1967, which brought Korman his greatest fame. Korman was nominated for six Emmy Awards for his work on The Carol Burnett Show and won four times - in 1969, 1971 (for "Outstanding Achievement" by a performer in music or variety), 1972 and 1974. He was also nominated for four Golden Globes for the series, winning in 1975.

Other work

While appearing on The Carol Burnett Show, Korman gained further fame by appearing as the villainous Hedley Lamarr in the 1974 film Blazing Saddles. In later years he did voice work for the live-action film The Flintstones as well as the animated The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue. He also starred in the short-lived Mel Brooks TV series The Nutt House, and in his final Mel Brooks film, as the zany Dr. Seward, in Dracula: Dead and Loving It.

He also reunited with fellow Carol Burnett Show alumnus Tim Conway and toured the country reprising skits from the show, as well as new material. A DVD of new comedy sketches by Korman and Conway, Together Again, was released in 2006.

Personal life

Korman was married to Donna Ehlert from 1960 to 1977, and they had two children together, Maria and Christopher Korman. He married Deborah Korman (née Fritz) in 1982 and was married to her until his death in 2008. They had two daughters together, Kate and Laura Korman.

Death

Korman died at the age of 81 on May 29, 2008, at UCLA Medical Center, as the result of complications from a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm he had suffered four months previously. His remains were interred at Santa Monica's Woodlawn Cemetery.

Television roles

• Hennesey as Dr. Don Spright in "The Gossip Go-Round" (1961)
• Route 66 as Len Statler in "The Quick and the Dead" (1961) and as Mr. Mills in "Suppose I Said I Was the Queen of Spain (1963)
• Perry Mason as the bartender in "The Case of the Unsuitable Uncle" (November 8, 1962)
• I'm Dickens, He's Fenster as Mr. Rembar in "The Acting Game (1962)
• The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor as Gibson Holly in "The Jagged Edge" (1962)
• Empire as Bunce in "Pressure Lock" (1962)
• Dennis the Menace as Mr. Griffin in "My Four Boys" (March 17, 1963)
• Sam Benedict as a reporter in "Of Rusted Cannons and Fallen Sparrows" (1963)
• Saints and Sinners as Jerry Grant in "The Year Joan Crawford Won the Oscar" (1963)
• Glynis, with Glynis Johns, as himself in "Three Men in a Tub" (1963)
• The Lucy Show, 3 episodes (1964-1965)
• Gidget as Joe Hanley in "Daddy Come Home" (1965)
• The John Forsythe Show (1965) -- in the episode "Duty and the Beast"
• The Munsters (1965) Professor, episode "Father of the Year"
• The Flintstones (1965–1966) — The Great Gazoo (voice)
• F Troop (1966) — Col. Heindreich von Zeppel in the episode "Bye, Bye, Balloon"
• The Carpenters at Christmas (1977) Harvey, the coffee guy
• The Harvey Korman Show (1978) — Eponymous lead
• The Tim Conway Show (1980) — Regular
• Mama's Family (1983–1984) (spin-off of The Family sketches, from The Carol Burnett Show) — Alistair Quince/Host; Ed Higgins/Eunice's husband
• Leo And Liz In Beverly Hills (1986) — Leo Green
• Nutt House (1989) — Reginald Tarkington
• The Muppet Show, Season One - Himself
• Hey Arnold (1996) - Don Reynolds (voice)
• The Wild Thornberrys (1999) - Earl (voice)

Filmography

• The Man Called Flintstone (1966) - Chief Boulder
• Lord Love a Duck (1966) - Weldon Emmett
• The April Fools (1969) - Matt Benson
• Blazing Saddles (1974) — Hedley Lamarr
• Huckleberry Finn (1974) — The King of France
• The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976) (deleted scene) Professor Balls
• High Anxiety (1977) — Dr. Charles Montague
• The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978) — Chef Gormaanda, Krelman, and Toy Video Instructor
• Americathon (1979) — Monty Rushmore
• Herbie Goes Bananas (1980) — Captain Blythe
• First Family (1980) — U.N. Ambassador Spender
• History of the World, Part I (1981) — Count de Monet
• Trail of the Pink Panther (1982) — Professor Balls
• Curse of the Pink Panther (1983) - Professor Balls
• The Longshot (1986)
• Munchies (1987) — Cecil Watterman, Simon Watterman
• Radioland Murders (1994)
• The Flintstones (1994) — Dictabird (voice)
• Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995) — Dr. Jack Seward
• The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000) - Colonel Slaghoople
• Together Again: Conway & Korman (2006) (DVD) — in various skits

External links

• Archive of American Television page with interview
• "Harvey Korman, 81; versatile Emmy-winning comedian," Los Angeles Times, Friday, May 30, 2008.
• Harvey Korman at the Internet Movie Database
• Harvey Korman at the Internet Broadway Database
• Harvey Korman at Find a Grave