Death comes again, taking another one of the greats: Harvey Korman, at age 81.
This clip will no doubt be posted all across the web this morning, and for good reason. I first saw Blazing Saddles when I was 10, and I've probably never laughed so hard since. I've seen it countless times since, and the thing that becomes obvious is how much the film depends on Korman's effortless genius as scheming nogoodnik Hedley Lamarr.
Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder make a great team as our protagonists, Slim Pickens and Alex Karras are wonderful cartoons, Madeline Kahn is absolute perfection. But Korman hits it just right, believably human in his pettiness and occasional vulnerability, gloriously theatrical and over the top, and absolutely hilarious. He's the demented heart and soul of the whole cracked enterprise, and no praise could be too effusive.
Blazing Saddles will no doubt always be remembered as the finest thing he did, but Korman did other great work for Mel Brooks (he's priceless as Count De Monet in History Of The World, Part One), and was, of course, the backbone of The Carol Burnett Show--when he left, it died. I'm also fond of his brilliant turn as pathetic TV star Monty Rushmore in the completely forgotten satire Americathon. His desperate bid to keep his audience entertained--"Do you want me to grope a sheep? I'll grope a sheep!"--is one of my all-time favorite movie lines.
Korman's career largely followed the standard template--bit parts as a character comedian, gradual recognition, a brief ride at the top and a slow decline. He always gave all, but aside from his work with Brooks and Burnett, he'll probably best be remembered as the voice of The Great Gazoo on The Flintstones, the most irritating character in animation history. Cartoon voice work, in fact, largely defined Korman's later years, as work dried up. But any kind of work was good, and Korman was nothing if not a professional.
Besides, he'd always have Hedley.
