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Ernie Kovacs Collection
We take television for granted now but not all that long ago it was a new, experimental media. Those of us that can recall first hand the programs of the fifties remember some of the men and women who pioneered television as it began to supplant radio as the primary means of home entertainment. This was the time when detective series took hold alongside intense medical and legal dramas setting the stage for TV genres that still dominate the programming schedule sixty years later. It was also the time when comedy was reinvented. It had to migrate from the kind of humor that would come across on the audio restricted format of radio to the implementation of visual humor and sight gags. A significant part of this new trend had its root in Vaudeville and the comic movies of the time but there was a core of comedians that set out to test the limits of this new thing called television and joyously moving beyond them. Men like Sid Cesar, Steve Allen and Carl Reiner reinvented comedy bending it to their wills in order to best utilize that glowing box setting in the living rooms of an increasing number of American homes. One of the most creative, brilliant and downright insane of this new breed of television comedians on the scene back then was Ernie Kovacs. Best known for his moustache and perpetually present cigar he altered the face of television and paved the way for the generations of comedians that would follow. Shout Factory has been an excellent source for vintage television for quite awhile now but they outdid themselves with their release of the definitive Ernie Kovacs Collection. This six disc set provides over thirteen hours that chronicles much of this man’s notable times on television providing a fantastic retrospective of his genius. Some young viewers may see sketches that seem familiar. The one depicted here were the first incarnations of many comic devices that have defined the media for all these decades. Kovacs was an innovator during a time when just about everything done on TV was new. Even then he was a giant of the industry and a master of the format. Unfortunately many hours of Kovacs’ televised work has been lost of destroyed by short sighted network employees but some was rescued by the intervention of Kovacs’ widow, Edie Adams. She was a successful actress on her own appearing on the Broadway stage as well as a frequent costar for her husband. Shout Factory’s Ernie Kovacs’ Collection incorporate video from many different sources so this collection while far from exhaustive is an excellent representation of Kovacs’ oeuvre. It covers some of his very early stint in a local Philadelphia morning show through his years with NBC on a prime time series and his comedy specials created for ABC. Much of the material presented here has remained unseen for over fifty years so it is a truly special treat not only for collectors and media historians but anyone that appreciates innovative comedy. His brand of comedy was experimental and frequently bizarre. Many times it would go past anything expected into the realm of the surreal. Kovacs split his humor between skits that were minutely mapped out to the inclusion of unpredictable, off the cuff improvisation. It was his ability to think on his feet in that twisted way that made him a genius. One example of this perhaps one of his most famous and enduring sketches, ‘The Nairobi Trio’. It started as a running gag where this act was announced but constantly bumped from airing. Finally Kovacs was ready and he presented it. The setup was pure Kovacs in its genius and simplicity. Three men in Bowler hats, long coats and rubber gorilla masks begin playing a tune. One is at a piano, another has drum mallets and the third is keeping time with a banana. With clockwork like movements the one with the mallets pummels the conductor over his heads resulting in rapidly increasing ire. Kovacs plat the put upon ape complete with his cigar sticking out of the mask. There are reports that twice Academy Award winning actor Jack Lemmon wielded the mallets. It remains as silly and hilarious as the first time it was aired. This is part of the surreal nature of Kovacs humor; he didn’t just think outside of the box, he refused to acknowledge its very existence. He was the first video artist, a man that could devise new ways to explore the possibilities of the TV camera. This pioneered camera tricks and techniques that are still in use today. Disc 1: The Early Years Includes bits from 1951, in Philadelphia including ‘It’s Time for Ernie, a fifteen minute filler the ‘Three to get Ready ‘morning show. Some of these shows were considered ostensibly children’s programming. It was the fore runner of such shows that were thinly veiled for adults like ‘Soupy Sales’ and ‘Pee-Wee Herman’. Disc 2: The NBC Morning Show It only ran for five episodes in 1955 but it still holds up as imaginative comedy. Apparently Kovacs wasn’t happy to work before a live audience since it precluded many of the camera tricks he was in the process of developing. Disc 3: The NBC Evening Show Here Kovacs was given the opportunity to cover for Sid Cesar for the summer. This part of his career was highlighted by his many spoofs of TV game shows and Superman. It also furthered his use of camera work and lighting as a comic ploy. Disc 4: The Late 60’s This features some of his most remembered routines. Many will seem exceptionally familiar but that is because these skits were frequently ‘borrowed’ by the generations of comedians that would follow. Disc 5: The ABC Specials Kovacs propensity for cigars made his sponsorship by Dutch Master Cigars perfectly natural. For many fans this period was considered the pinnacle of an illustrious and enduring career. Much of his most memorable video experimentation is represented here. Disc 6: Classic Piece This disc contains a mélange of some of Kovacs most famous pieces including the Nairobi trio and his spoof on an overly commercial ‘Learn to Draw’ show. Extras: Trailers Posted 01/22/12 | ||||||||
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