Harvey Herschel Korman (February 15, 1927 - May 29, 2008) was an American comedic actor who performed in television and movie productions and was also a voice artist. His big break was being a featured performer on CBS' 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, playing 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), on ABC's The Donna Reed Show. He also guest-starred on Dennis the Menace and 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. He also starred in High Anxiety (1977) as Dr. Charles Montague. In 1978 he appeared in the CBS Star Wars Holiday Special providing comedy in three of the Special's variety segments: a Cantina skit with Bea Arthur where he plays a barfly who drinks through a hole in the top of his head, another as Chef Gormanda, a four-armed parody of Julia Child, and one as a malfunctioning Amorphian android in an instruction video. In 1980 he played Captain Blythe in the Walt Disney comedy, Herbie Goes Bananas. In 1981 he played Count de Monet in History of the World, Part 1. In later years he did voice work for the live-action film The Flintstones as well as for 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, making guest appearances on, and in 1981 becoming a regular cast member of, Conway's 1980-1981 comedy-variety series The Tim Conway Show. The two men later toured the country reprising skits from the show, as well as performing new material. A DVD of new comedy sketches by Korman and Conway, Together Again, was released in 2006. Korman and Conway had been jointly inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 2002.

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 earlier. His grave is 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 Ken Bradford in "Three Men in a Tub" (1963)
• The Lucy Show, 3 episodes (1964-1965)
• Hazel as Max Denton in "Maid for a Day" (1964)
• Gidget as Joe Hanley in "Daddy Come Home" (1965)
• The John Forsythe Show (1965) - in the episode "Duty and the Beast"
• The Munsters (1965) Psychiatrist, episode "Yes Galen, There Is A Herman"
• The Munsters (1966) Professor Fagenspahen, episode "Prehistoric Munster"
• The Flintstones (1965-1966) — The Great Gazoo (voice)
• F Troop (1966) — Col. Heindreich von Zeppel in the episode: "Bye, Bye, Balloon"
• The Carol Burnett Show (1967-1977) — series regular
• The Wild Wild West (1968) — "The Night of the Big Blackmail" as Baron Hinterstoisser
• The Muppet Show (1976) Season 1 — Himself
• The Carpenters at Christmas (1977) Harvey, the coffee guy
• The Harvey Korman Show (1978) — Eponymous lead
• The Tim Conway Show (1980-1981) — guest star (1980); regular (1981)
• Carpool (1983)
• 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
• Hey Arnold (1996) - Don Reynolds (voice)
• The Wild Thornberrys (1999) - Earl (voice)
• The Brothers Flub (1999) (voice)
• Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child - The Lion (voice) in the episode: "Aesop's Fables"

Filmography

• The Man Called Flintstone (1966) - Chief Boulder
• Lord Love a Duck (1966) - Weldon Emmett
• Don't Just Stand There! (1968) - Merriman Dudley
• The April Fools (1969) - Matt Benson
• Blazing Saddles (1974) — Hedley Lamarr
• Huckleberry Finn (1974) — The King of France
• High Anxiety (1977) — Dr. Charles Montague
• Bud and Lou (1978) — Bud Abbott
• 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
• Gone Are the Dayes (1984) - Charlie Mitchell
• Alice in Wonderland (1985) — White King
• 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
• Secret of NIMH II Timmy to the Rescue (1998) - Floyd (voice)
• The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000) - Colonel Slaghoople
• Together Again: Conway & Korman (2006) (DVD) — in various skits

[ Source: Wikipedia ]