Harvey Korman Movies
Like many Chicago born-and-bred actors, Harvey Korman cut his acting teeth at that city's Goodman Theatre. He sold aluminum siding door-to-door while waiting for his Big Break, taking the occasional Broadway walk-on, TV commercial and cartoon voice-over. His earliest significant TV exposure came about during his four seasons (1963-67) as a regular on The Danny Kaye Show. He went on to join The Carol Burnett Show in 1967, remaining with the series until its 1977 demise and winning four Emmies in the process. Korman's versatility was only part of his appeal; it was also a stitch to watch him try to maintain a straight face while enduring the antics of fellow comic actor Tim Conway. One recurring sketch on the Burnett series, "The Family," later spun off into the TV series Mama's Family. While Korman had played Mama's (Vicki Lawrence) vituperative son-in-law Ed on the Burnett Show "Family" sketches, his principal contribution to Mama's Family was confined to his weekly introductory comments as "Alastair Quince"; he also directed a 1983 special based on the "Family" principals, Eunice.Most of Korman's other TV-series projects were lukewarm single-season affairs like The Harvey Korman Show (1978), Leo and Lizz in Beverly Hills (1986) and The Nutt House (1989). Korman's finest film work can be found in his antic appearances in the films of Mel Brooks, especially his portrayal of greedy land baron Hedley Lamarr in 1974's Blazing Saddles. One of his later projects was the voice of the Dictabird in the 1994 box-office hit The Flintstones -- a piquant piece of casting, inasmuch as Korman had supplied the voice of "The Great Gazoo" in the original Flintstonesanimated television series of the 1960s. Korman died of unspecified causes in May 2008. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2001
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The Carol Burnett Show was one of the most popular and best loved comedy-variety series to grave American television in the 1970's. In 2001, Carol Burnett and fellow cast members Harvey Korman, Tim Conway, and Vicki Lawrence reunited for this comedy special, in which they take a look back at some of the most memorable moments from the show's run, screen some previously unseen bloopers and outtakes, take questions from the studio audience, and share their memories of being part of television history. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carol Burnett, Vicki Lawrence, (more)
- 2000
- PG
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Before the Flintstones were everyone's favorite Stone Age family, Fred was just a regular guy looking for the girl of his dreams, and his romance with Wilma sets the stage for this prequel to the 1994 screen adaptation of the popular cartoon series. Fred Flintstone (Mark Addy), a working-class caveman who earns his living at Mr. Slate's quarry, falls in love with wealthy heiress Wilma Slaghoople (Kristen Johnson). While many people think that Fred is out of his league, including Wilma's mother Pearl (Joan Collins) and her father Col. Slaghoople (Harvey Korman), he's determined to win her heart. And when his best friend Barney Rubble (Stephen Baldwin) decides to take his best girl Betty (Jane Krakowski) for a fun weekend in Rock Vegas, he invites Wilma to tag along. The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas recasts all the major roles from 1994's The Flintstones; Harvey Korman is the only actor to appear in both films, though in different roles (in the previous movie, he was the voice of the Dictabird). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Addy, Stephen Baldwin, (more)
- 1999
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In this live-action musical comedy, Baby Huey, the lovable seven foot tall duckling, is taken in by a caring little boy named Nick and his kind but surprised family. A sinister scientist and a mean Las Vegas producer want Baby Huey for themselves, but they don't know what a little boy, a caring community, and a baby bird that's bigger than all of them is capable of. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
- 1999
- NR
In the comic fable Gideon, the residents of the Lakeview Retirement Home are drifting through their final years with quiet dissatisfaction. A former cook (Carrol O'Connor) can't stand the food, a former fighter (Mike Connors) wishes he could still box, a one-time philosophy professor (Charlton Heston) has no one to discuss life's issues with, and a long-time artist (Shirley Jones) isn't allowed to paint the way she likes. Then one day Gideon (Christopher Lambert), younger than the rest but suffering from mental retardation, joins the group. While Gideon's I.Q. is lower than the other residents, his people skills are unusually keen, and his simple yet profound outlook on life soon gives everyone a new lease on life and makes the days something to look forward to again. Christopher Lambert co-produced as well as starring in the title role. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Lambert, Shelley Winters, (more)
- 1998
Carter (Noah Wyle) is forced to shave off his precious beard when he gets carpenter's glue stuck in it. He also seeks out a new residence, ending up with a surprising landlord. Elsewhere, Ross (George Clooney) risks life and limb to rescue gay teenager Kevin Dulaney (Chad E. Donella), who has been beaten and left for dead in a very dangerous neighborhood. And Corday (Alex Kingston) asks to intern for Benton (Eriq La Salle), who is himself preoccupied with finding help for his hearing-impaired son, Reese. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1998
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In this direct-to-video sequel to Don Bluth's 1982 animated adventure The Secret of NIMH, Timmy (voice of Ralph Macchio) is the son of two courageous mice who helped save the day for the animals of Thorn Valley. While the wise Nicodemus has predicted that Timmy will some day be a great hero -- and his father expects nothing less -- the mouse is at once anxious to prove his courage and worried if he can live up to the expectations of others. Timmy's opportunity finally comes when his friend Jenny (Hynden Walch) asks him to help her find her parents, who may have been kidnapped by the nefarious human scientists of the National Institute of Mental Health. The voice cast for The Secret of NIMH II: Timmy to the Rescue includes Eric Idle, Harvey Korman, Doris Roberts, and William H. Macy. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
The true meaning of Christmas -- desperate last-minute shopping -- is the subject of this holiday-themed comedy. Howard Langston (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a mattress salesman with a bad habit of putting his work ahead of his family. His son Jamie (Jake Lloyd), who wishes Dad would pay more attention to him, wants only one thing for Christmas -- a Turbo Man action figure, with all the accessories. Howard promises both Jamie and his wife Liz (Rita Wilson) that there will indeed be a Turbo Man under the tree for Jamie on Christmas morning, but come December 24, Howard realizes that he hasn't actually bought the toy yet. Seemingly it would be no great problem to head on down to the toy store and pick one up, but it just so happens that Turbo Man has been the hottest ticket of the holiday season, and literally thousands of parents are scrambling for the last few action figures. Howard then spends a hilariously hellish Christmas Eve madly scrambling from store to store in desperate search of a Turbo Man; in the course of his adventures, Howard keeps crossing paths Myron Larabee (Sinbad), a postal worker who wants a Turbo Man even more desperately than Howard. And on the home front, Howard has to worry about Ted Maltin (Phil Hartman), an annoyingly perfect suburbanite obsessed with Christmas who has eyes for Liz. This was the second film for child actor Jake Lloyd, who three years later would gain international attention when he was cast as the young Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sinbad, (more)
Mel Brooks does it again with this send-up of vampire films. That Leslie Nielson plays the great blood-sucking count gives viewers a good idea as to what they are in for. This Dracula takes himself very seriously despite the fact that he's a bit of a klutz with a tendency to slip in the bat guano that adorns his castle floor. Staying very close to Bram Stoker's original story, Brooks also pays sly homage to other major vampire film classics, including Nosferatu. Though silly but subtle gags abound in this outing, Brooks has taken great care to recreate the late 19th-century atmosphere in rich detail and harkens back to Hammer horror movies popular during the '50s and '60s. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leslie Nielsen, Peter MacNicol, (more)
The good (if not fully evolved) citizens of Bedrock make their way to the big screen in this live-action adaptation of the popular animated series of the 1960s. Fred Flintstone (John Goodman) and his best friend Barney Rubble (Rick Moranis) work together at the Slate and Company Rock Quarry. When Fred loans Barney some money that allows him and his wife Betty (Rosie O'Donnell) to adopt a child, Barney is looking for a way to show his gratitude. Barney thinks he's found one when the executives at Slate and Company announce that they're giving all their employees intelligence tests to help determine future promotions. When Barney switches his high-scoring test with Fred's, his plan works -- but not quite the way he had hoped: Fred is deemed executive material and given a big promotion, complete with a sexy secretary (Halle Berry) who makes his wife Wilma (Elizabeth Perkins) jealous, while Barney is soon out of a job and can't pay his bills. Bill Hanna and Joseph Barbara, who created the original television series, make cameo appearances here; Elizabeth Taylor gives a fine comic performance as Wilma's nagging mother, and Harvey Korman provides the voice of the Dictabird. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Goodman, Elizabeth Perkins, (more)
A blend of screwball farce and whodunit murder mystery, this madcap period piece was the brainchild of executive producer George Lucas. In 1939, Penny Henderson (Mary Stuart Masterson) is the harried general secretary and de facto manager of a new fourth radio network, WBN. On the night that the Chicago station goes live on the air, a mysterious voice interrupts, and a series of murders soon follows, each one described by the same sonorous phantom. While Penny and her staff desperately try to keep WBN's roster of shows afloat during the unfolding crisis, her estranged husband Roger (Brian Benben), a staff writer, becomes the chief suspect. Roger is forced to dodge a detective, Lieutenant Cross (Michael Lerner), find the real killer, win Penny back, and perform last-minute script rewrites for an unhappy sponsor. As the backstage hysteria reaches a fever pitch, the show goes on with real-life radio-era pros such as George Burns and Rosemary Clooney. Although never explicitly pointed out in the film, Radioland Murders (1994) was a pseudo-prequel to an earlier Lucas feature -- Roger and Penny are the future parents of Curt Henderson (Richard Dreyfuss) from American Graffiti (1973). ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brian Benben, Mary Stuart Masterson, (more)
- 1993
Attempting to take a well-deserved sharp poke at those based-on-a-true-story television movies that have usurped the old B-movies that once fed the public's addiction for exploitation fare, this satire chronicles the tragedy of a perfume magnate whose empire is endangered when she suddenly finds herself unable to smell. Worried, the beautiful Satin (Morgan Fairchild) runs to her longtime friend Varda (Dyan Cannon) for advice and then takes off to find her true roots. This leads her to Velour (Rikki Lake) and Corduroy (Victoria Jackson), her sister from whom she was separated at birth. It is they who finally solve her painful mystery with the odious truth of Satin's past. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1992
Divorcee Helen Slater doesn't mind single life, but she doesn't like being alone either. Her best pal Kelly LeBrock dutifully sets up a blind date. Outwardly charming doctor Billy Zane is Slater's companion for the evening, and things couldn't be rosier. But it turns out that neither Zane nor LeBrock are dealing from the top of the deck, and before long Slater and her daughter Heather Lind are embroiled in a life- threatening situation. This reasonably involving thriller was scripted by actor Robby Benson. Featured in the cast are Harvey Korman and Alan Thicke. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
A group of mischievous teen-agers get a notoriously difficult instructor that becomes their summer driving school teacher. ~ All Movie Guide
Academy Award nominee Paul Winfield stars alongside young Jeff East in this 1974 musical adaptation of Mark Twain's classic Huckleberry Finn. East plays the title character, a whip-smart lad who heads off on a journey down the mighty Mississippi along with his pal Jim (Winfield). The film also stars Harvey Korman and David Wayne. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
- 1987
Hosted by the funny lady herself, this compilation video contains four of her favorite vignettes gleaned from her highly-rated, long-running television variety series. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1987
- PG
While on a dig in Peru, a shady archaeologist uncovers a strange creature, which he dubs a "Munchie." He brings the animal home, but it begins to mutate and procreate--with disastrous results--soon after a con artist kidnaps it. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harvey Korman, Charles Stratton, (more)
- 1986
- PG13
With a cast starring such comic veterans as Harvey Korman, Anne Meara, Jack Weston and Tim Conway (who also wrote the script), and executive produced by Mike Nichols, it is normally a safe bet that hiliarity will ensue. Unfortunately, this sure thing does not pay off and is disappointingly dumb as it tells the tale of four luckless gamblers who in desperation borrow a large sum for a local loanshark so they can bet on a particular horse. Unfortunately, they bet on the wrong nag and suddenly the foursome must scramble around for quick cash before the loanshark's thugs show up for some bruising payback. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Conway, Jack Weston, (more)
- 1986
This hilarious comedy video contains performances from some of the funniest stand-up comedians of the 1980s as they do their schtick at the Improv comedy clubs. Performers include funnyman/magician Harry Anderson, Billy Crystal, and Michael Keaton. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1986
This compilation tape is a collection of clips and trailers from low-budget, cult-type movies. The "framing" device of having two guys on a couch (one of whom is future cult-icon Steve Buscemi) watching TV and making cracks about the movies is fairly lame, and many of the films showcased have been included in other compilation tapes. However, there are clips and trailers from some rarely seen gems, such as Al Adamson's sleazo western Five Bloody Graves, Herschell Gordon Lewis' Living Venus (featuring an early appearance by Harvey Korman), and Doris Wishman's "masterpiece," Bad Girls Do Cry. ~ Brian Gusse, All Movie Guide
- 1984
The wacky comedy-melodrama Gone are the Dayes was assembled in 1984 as an "original production" for the Disney cable channel. While dining out at a Japanese restaurant, the Day family witnesses a gangland slaying. Federal agent Mitchell (Harvey Korman) persuades the Daye parents (Susan Anspach, Robert Hogan) to serve as witnesses in the upcoming trial of the gang boss who ordered the hit. Mitchell then puts everyone in protective custody, a decision he comes to regret when he's forced to baby-sit the Dayes' unruly teenaged kids. It's all typical Disney nonsense, right down to the obligatory slapstick chase. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This 1982 made-for-TV version of the Lewis Carroll classic Alice in Wonderland features an all-star cast. Such celebrities as Donald O'Connor, Maureen Stapleton and Eve Arden struggle to perform while buried under mounds of makeup and tons of eccentric costuming as Carroll's alternate-world loonies. Alice in Wonderland was first telecast Oct 3, 1983, on PBS' Great Performances. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1983
In this sci-fi film, a journalist uses her new powers to find the guilty parties behind a million-dollar art theft. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Curse of the Pink Panther was released just after Trail of the Pink Panther with a script that has someone looking for the inept Inspector Clousseau and the fabulous stolen Pink Panther diamond at the same time. In Curse, Clifton Sleigh (Ted Wass) is a New York retread of the bumbling Inspector, chosen to look for him by Clousseau's former boss because Sleigh most certainly will never find him. Although peppered with a few inventive stunts, Curse still falls short of the Sellers classics. In a bizarre side note, David Niven was himself terminally ill at the time of his appearance in Trail of the Pink Panther and unable to speak adequately. His voice was dubbed in by impressionist Rich Little. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ted Wass, David Niven, (more)
- 1983
- R
This made-for-TV comedy postulates that, someday, members of carpools will be selected by computer. The four so anointed herein are Harvey Korman, Peter Scolari, T.K. Carter and Stephanie Faracy. Their lives go along in their usual luckless fashion until the quarter of mismatched "poolers" find themselves in possession of a million dollars that has fallen from an armored car. But ex-cop Ernest Borgnine has his eyes on the loot as well, and the chase is on. Basically a bargain-basement It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, Carpool first aired October 5, 1983. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1983
In this comedy, a clumsy newspaper reporter visits her uncle's lab, accidently spills chemicals on herself, and finds herself invisible. She then uses her opaque state to get the scoop on a major art heist. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
