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Mel Brooks said that Harvey Korman was a ''dazzling'' comic talent
The director described his collaborator perfectly.
For fans of classic TV, Harvey Korman's legacy is inseparable from The Carol Burnett Show. It's like the show was designed to capitalize on his strengths as a performer. He had impeccable timing and was able to collaborate with the show's ensemble cast to create countless memorable sketches. Korman brought gravity to every role. If he was a sketch's voice of reason, he was believable. Or, if he was the source of comedy, it was all the funnier to see him in undignified situations.
That same skill set translated to the world of movies. Specifically, Korman enjoyed a fruitful relationship with comedy auteur Mel Brooks. Together they made four funny movies, Blazing Saddles, History of the World, Part 1, High Anxiety, and Dracula: Dead and Loving It. Each movie was elevated by Korman's presence, and he made the material shine with his delivery.
When Harvey Korman passed away in 2008, Brooks was just one of Korman's peers to eulogize the late actor in the press. Alongside luminaries like Carol Burnett and Tim Conway, Brooks spoke frankly about his departed friend's aptitude for hilarity. In the quotes that Brooks provided to the Associated Press, the comedy legend succinctly described what it was that made Korman so special.
"I gave him tongue twisters because I knew he was the only one who could wrap his mouth around them," said Brooks. "Harvey was such a good solid actor that he could have done Shakespearean drama just as well and easily as he did comedy."
Brooks said that Korman was a "dazzling" comic talent.
"You could get rock-solid comedy out of him. He could lift the material. He always made it real, always made it work, always believed in characters he was doing," said Brooks.
Do you have a favorite Harvey Korman performance? Let us know in the comments section below!
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