Harvey Korman (Feb. 15, 1927 – May 29, 2008) was born in Chicago to salesman Cyril Raymond Korman and his wife Ellen Blecher. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After his discharge he studied drama at the Art Institute of Chicago and at HB Studio. He was a member of the Peninsula Players during three summer theatre seasons. His first TV role was as a headwaiter in an episode on The Donna Reed Show. He appeared in numerous other TV shows, including several appearances on The Danny Kaye Show and The Munsters, and was the voice of the Great Gazoo in the animated series The Flintstones.
Sketch comedy on The Carol Burnett Show, where he appeared for ten years as a regular with Burnett, Vicki Lawrence, and Lyle Waggoner, and with frequent guest Tim Conway, brought Korman four Primetime Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe. He left the show in 1977 for a short-lived Harvey Korman Show on ABC. He also appeared in four Mel Brooks’ movie comedies: Blazing Saddles, High Anxiety, History of the World, Part 1; and Dracula: Dead and Loving It. In 1980, he was in the Disney comedy Herbie Goes Bananas. The Burnett cast reunited in the movie Eunice as well as in a spin-off TV series Mama’s Family. Korman made guest appearances on The Tim Conway Show, and the two comedians went on tour together throughout the U.S.
Korman was married to Donna Ehlert in 1960, a union that produced two children, Maria and Christopher. In 1982, he married Deborah Fritz with whom he remained until his death in 2008. They had two daughters Kate and Laura.
Tomorrow, February 16: Barbara Meyerhoff.
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