Still enjoying extended binge-watching of TV shows starring Ernie Kovacs and Edie Adams!
Every time it seems like an overdose of Ernie & Edie is imminent, one finds, watches and loves a few more absolutely amazing sketches.
The Ernie & Edie musical sketches are invariably amazing.
"Take A Good Look", still the weirdest of all game shows, absolutely floors me!
Even the commercials crack me up!
Also still flooring me after countless viewings: pretty much everything in the 1961 Kovacs ABC specials which followed Take A Good Look and aired at 10:30 p.m. on Thursday nights.
After first discovering Ernies last TV series back in the 1970's thanks to the Best Of Ernie Kovacs shows, the gang here finds Ernie and crew - Edie Adams, Bill Wendell, Jolene Brand, Bobby Lauher, Joe Mikolas, Maggi Brown - genuinely surreal while hilarious and at times, such as the following piece, also evocative and dramatic.
Ernie and Edie's musical sketches are some of their very best. Here, the dynamic duo skewers "Tannhouser."
Have a funny feeling that Mel Brooks and Madeline Kahn saw Edie's bravura rendition of Victor Herbert's "Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life."
Here, Edie does her best impersonation of the staggeringly tone-deaf vocalist and socialite Florence Foster Jenkins. Could Flo have been the actual prototype for Citizen Kane's doomed (and even more staggeringly tone deaf) Susan Alexander?
Edie went on to host two variety shows in 1962-1964.
Here's Edie and The Edie Adams Show feature talented comics Don Rickles, Dick Shawn) and excellent jazz ensembles.
Edie introduces Duke Ellington!
Is there any film clip that includes Don Rickles, Laurindo Almeida AND Stan Getz? Yes, this one from the Here's Edie show!
Of course, with both series, Edie starred in vintage Muriel Cigars commercials.
Edie went on to appear as a guest star on mid and late 1960s variety programs, including The Dean Martin Show.
She continued as the spokes-model for Muriel Cigars, which led to more terrific commercials.
In the early 1980's, Edie appeared on Late Night With David Letterman several times during its first two seasons on NBC. I give Mr. Letterman tons of credit for having numerous comedy greats on his many programs, starting with his 1980 morning show.
Ernie's announcer and periodic sketch player from his 1950's NBC shows, Bill Wendell, was also the announcer for Late Night With David Letterman.
As he did on the NBC Ernie Kovacs shows, Bill Wendell got to make on-camera appearances.
In closing, here's KOVACS ON MUSIC, the Association For Recorded Sound Collections' centenary tribute to Ernie, presented by Kovacs-philes Seth B. Winner and Ben Model.
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