Visiting the Ernie Kovacs Crash Site on Route 66 in Beverly Hills
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- Опубликовано: 27 дек 2022
- Ernie Kovacs was a comedian, actor, and pioneer of television comedy who has been credited as an influence from everyone from Johnny Carson and Chevy Chase to Jim Henson and Captain Kangaroo, among numerous others.
In the early morning hours on January 13, 1962, Kovacs was leaving a baby shower held for Milton Berle's newly adopted son in Beverly Hills. Kovacs drove down Beverly Glen, making a left on Santa Monica Blvd, which was then Route 66, in Beverly Hills and moments later he was dead. His car lost control and struck a pole.
In this video we visit the intersection on Route 66 where Kovacs' fatal crash happened and look to see if there is anything memorializing the site.
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It’s sad how Little people know about Ernie Kovacs today. He deserves so much better.
It was 63 years ago. There isn’t going to be a huge number of people that remember him in his prime on 1950’s tv.
Ernie Kovacs was the greatest human being that ever lived. Of all the TV jews in the world, he was the most jewish. If he were a fish sauce you would want to spray it all over your food and your bedsheets before you went to sleep at night. Check your bank statements though, because he's been pretty chummy with your banker lately.
As I do when I take off my hat, you make a good point!
@@xr6lad lol it's not like we have any recordings of his acts ...but i do agree that perhaps who are so inclined could make a montage of them or something..
I remember dad watching and laughing hard at Ernie Kovacs on t.v. and believe me, anyone who made him laugh was a good thing! And when there is only one t.v. in the house, everyone watches what dad watches. I also remember the morning after he was killed, the announcement on the radio that Ernie Kovacs had died in a car crash was a terrible shock. Both he and his wife were very popular. Four years after his death, my girlfriend let me drive her compact Chevy Corvair on the drag every weekend and that is how I learned to drive. No driving classes at my all-girls high school.
My Dad was a bread delivery driver (Dugan Bakery) for a while in the 1950’s in & around Trenton NJ and Ernie was on his route. Customers didn’t have to pay with each delivery, so when Dad saw that Ernie was home, he’d knock on the door & tell him, “Ernie, I saw your car in the driveway, so I thought I’d stop by to settle your bill today.” Ernie would answer, “I’ll have to get rid of that car; you’re the 4th guy today who saw it & wants my money.” Ernie never had enough cash to pay the bill, so he would search the sofa & chairs looking for coins that had slipped under the cushions, verbally fussing the whole time. Dad said Ernie would always be trying out new material on him too. Dad used to laugh so hard when telling this story. He always remembered Ernie fondly. Good man, gone too soon. My Dad was a good guy too.
I said this was in the 1950's, but it may have been in the 1940's, after the war. Sorry, I'm not sure of the year or years.
Dugan's bakery trucks! We had one at our Catskills bungalow colony. Best black and whites! Thanks for jogging my memory.😊 My parents were big fans of Ernie Kovacs, too.
Bell, Book and Candle. Give it a look?
Why a Corvair when he had all that money?
@@Dills1995I had a red one with a black top. Cute, sporty and nimble. The engine was in the rear and wouldn’t start when it rained.
I was 17 when it happened and Ernie Kovacs was the funniest person around. I never missed his show but I have missed him terribly ever since.
My parents enjoyed his show and howled over the Nairobi Trio skit.🦍
the scene where he walks in in wet tennis shoes (hitop allstars?) that squish with every step!! (lollsies) goes over to the table and picks up a pitcher of water and pours some into a glass, except it doesnt go in the glass but off at an angle ...the room has been tilted but with the camera bolted to the floor lol
Nothing wrong with Corvairs nader was full of himself
I first. saw Ernie Kovacs when the Nairobi Trio was first broadcast. I was 4 or 5 and my dad, a humor enthusiast, let me stay up to watch. It was thrilling and so funny! You almost had to be there
My granddad loved Ernie
I've driven through that intersection hundreds of times over many decades. As the video shows, it's not unusually risky - no hills, blind spots or curves.
My dad died driving a Covair in 1963. Those cars deserved their bad reputation.
If you've driven thru that intersection over many decades, then you know it was configured completely differently in 1962 - much narrower, with railroad tracks running down the south side of the street. Kovacs was known to drive hard, add that together with being drunk and on wet pavement, i.e. "too fast for conditions," thus the inevitable happened, sadly. Kovacs could have been driving his Rolls Royce in the same manner with the same results - it wasn't the car's fault.
Sorry to hear that you lost your dad in 1963. Exactly how was the car to blame for his passing, or was it another case of driving "too fast for conditions?"
When you are coming from Wilshire towards SM Blvd on Bev Glen, you are driving DOWNHILL all the way. You sure you have been to L.A., Friend?
It's a crime how much thanks and kudos Ernie doesn't get for pioneering rudimentary techniques back then while his peers get remembered.
I got to see him in NYC as a kid in 1960 at Radio City Music Hall. He had the Ernie Kovacs Show and he was my favorite comedian at the time. When he came up into the audience to talk to people I said “Hi Ernie!!!” He turned and looked at me and said “Hiya kid!”. Boy that made my trip to NYC! It really made my day. My Dad and I had taken the train in from Stratford, CT and he took me all over to see the sights, Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, etc. and even the Horn & Hardart eating place you put coins in a slot, opened a little door and pulled out your food, even a piece of pie. My Dad was always my hero! What a time that was. It was a big loss when he died in that accident. Edit: Oh yeah, thanks for another good video!
@ Nunca dave...Yes..my dad worked in Manhattan at Mobil Oil
and I would go in from Westwood NJ. and we would go
to Horn + Hardarts , he called it
the AutoMat. This was before
McDonalds was everywhere and
now all the AutoMats are gone,
but they were nice because you
would sit down inside to eat , not
in the car. ...PS..i used to live in
Stratford. and Milford in early 70"s. Went to UB.
Edie said, "Ernie didn't drive a car, he DROVE a car". Your explanation of what happened is exactly correct and kudos to you for getting the story correct. The rain had been only a drizzle and the oil on the pavement had risen making friction less between tire and pavement. The Corvair "Lakewood" was rear engined and at speed it bolted around, pivoting on the center of mass. When it hit the curb it jump and slammed the Corvair into the pole. Ernie's head hit inside the car and his skull fractured. He wasn't wearing a seat belt as they were not standard in cars at that time. Probably on the rebound from impact, Ernie was thrown across the front seat and partially hung out of the car with an unlit cigar on the ground. It's questionable whether he was holding the cigar at the moment of collision. It was Jack Lemmon who identified Ernie at the morgue. Ernie may have had aortic injuries as well.
He was a true genius in his day.
The only thing left out of this videos commentary was the fact that Kovacs was also inebriated at the time of the accident.
I had just turned one. The footage I've seen of Ernie Kovacs is extraordinary. He was way ahead of his time in television. His comedy was "off" in a way that had me laughing so hard, I was gasping for a breath! Incomparable.
I pass this intersection almost every day. I never realized that this happened there. Kovacs really had much influence in using props and wry humor.
One of the most brilliant comedians ever!!!
The early corvairs had a one piece axle on each side. Later models (I had a 65) had split axles on each side like an IRS. This eliminated the roll over tendencies. I loved my Corsa. Wish I still had it.
Any attention to the Great Kovacs is well deserved. In the last 20 years Santa monica Blvd underwent a major redesign construction that included removing the railway tracks and easement, that included all the lights, poles etc. . FYI that intersection is in Los Angeles zip 90064 about 1.4 miles from the Beverly Hills border.
Exactly. But saying "Beverly Hills" three times fast in a row is almost tantamount of an orgasm.... for some.
Correction. The Federal Government required auto makers to install seat belts in the 1966 production models. I remember my dad telling me this in high school. TRUMP VANCE 24. Seat Belts are still not law for School Buses.
90025. It's 90064 S. of Olympic. Beverly Hills starts at the E. end of LA Country Club, about 3/4 mi away.
One of the most innovative comedians of his day. Loved his show! Great video.
Thamk you, I appreciate it.
I heartily concur!
During '84 Olympics in LA, I was drilling monitoring wells in the parkway along Santa Monica Blvd through BH. Never heard about Mr. Kovacs dying nearby. Sure enjoyed his humor when I saw him on TV. Thanks for the video.
Possibly the best information available for the accident. A shame no one ever made the effort since then.Thanks for sharing.
Some good information yes, but one point was left out: Kovacs was inebriated at the time of the accident.
This is what you do best. Bring us the obscure and make it come to life. How many times I’ve been at that intersection and never knew about Mr Kovac’s accident there. I grew up in the San Fernando Valley, and many times we’d travel Beverly Glen over the Hollywood Hills to get into Beverly Hills and the west side. This was before the creation of the San Diego Freeway (the 405). I was seven when he died, but I remember my parents enjoyed Ernie Kovacs and Edie Adams. I have specific memories of Edie Adams during the 60s. She use to do commercials for Muriel Cigars. This was the time when tobacco was advertised on television and in newsprint.
Thank you for the kind words. The street has changed so much over the last 60 years I'm not sure Kovacs would recognize it.
Yeah and he had a skit he did with Dutchmaster Cigars with everyone sitting like in the painting “The Dutchmasters”. They played this instrumental piece and Ernie was in the back with a gorilla mask on. At a certain point in the piece he had xylophone sticks in his hand and hit a rhythm on the head of the guy in front of him. It always cracked me up!!!!!
I adored him when he would be on the panel of, What’s My Line? His smile could light up a room.
Another solid slice of history. Thank you.
I happened to be driven home eastbound on Santa Monica Blvd on that damp night. Not sure exactly what time but I saw a white Corvair that had collided with a wooden telephone pole on the south side of the boulevard. The accident must have just happened moments before I passed. Another driver had stopped to render assistance and, as the collision didn’t appear to be all that terrible, we just continued on and made the left turn into the niche road running between the Beverly Hilton and Robinson parking lot, connecting Santa Monica Blvd. and Wilshire. My memory is that the collision was approximately 300 feet west of the niche road turn.
It wasn’t until the next day I learned who was in that white Corvair.
A sad day and the loss of a huge talent.
Please leave a witness statement for posterity. This stuff is important, and you were there.
They said no one was there to see what happened. My point is why you didn’t call the police the day or even a few days after the incident. A real great time to bring up your eyewitness account 62 later!
The car was wrapped around a pole and you didn’t think
It was nothing?
@@dannovack1364 As I said,
1) I didn’t witness the accident
2) From my point of view the accident wasn’t all that severe. I only saw the right side of the car. Don’t forget this was very late at night.
3) There already was another vehicle stopped and rendering assistance. I was 12 years old.
@@jamesfrank7709 I don't understand, how could you see only the right side of the car if you were traveling eastbound on Santa Monica Blvd? You where more likely to see the LEFT side of the car because Kovacs car WAS FACING EASTBOUND AFTER THE CRASH (the exact same direction you were traveling). Sorry, but it would have been IMPOSSIBLE for you not to have seen the left side of the car. Also, look at the photos, it is clear that accident was a major crash and was IN FACT severe (THE POLE WAS CLEARLY VISABLE TO ALL THOSE DRIVING EAST). Further, you said it yourself, it was late at night, and dark, so how could you see the right side of the car only IN SUCH CONDITIONS? Perhaps your memory is playing tricks on you, but sorry, some things don't add up
Having lived in Hollywood throughout the 1970s, i had no idea until now how he died, or when. Until now. Thanks.
Unfortunately not a lot of people nowadays have even heard of him.
I remember vividly where I was when I heard the news on WCBS radio. I was 10 and had recently discovered Ernie's ABC show. It would be too many years before I saw some of his TV work again, but now I have almost all the DVDs that Josh Mills has issued. Sincere thanks Josh !! 😊
Kovacs had offered a ride home from the party to the famous French actor Yves Montand, who ended up going with someone else. Had Montand accepted he might have died too, or in his presence Kovacs might have driven more safely. We will never know.
One of my earliest television memories was the Nairobi Trio
Kovacs was so inventive & talented - I have lived for 30 years a street away from this intersection. Sadly his daughter Mia also died in a car crash in 1989.
Twenty years after Mr. Kovacs's accident, his daughter, Mia Susan, met a similar fate.
Thank you, this was excellent. I will definitely think closely about this the next time I drive through the intersection.
I would guess that Santa Monica Blvd. and Beverly Glen are probably in West LA, not technically in Beverly Hills, but referring to it in the general way as Beverly Hills is fair.
The great Percy Dovetonsils.
I hadn't seen a whole lot of him before starting to research for the video. Its amazing how well some of his stuff holds up.
Sidetrack Adventures has become one of my favorite travel, history and biography RUclips channels along with History Hunters, Mobile Instinct, Pin In The Atlas with honorable mention to Wonderhussy Adventures. What makes them all good is great video quality, good sound quality, interesting subject matter and great narration.
If you like Wonderhussy check out her past pre You Tube written vlogs. She is amazing, gifted writer. Her humor comes out more in the written word.
0:02 0:02
Rest In Peace Ernie.
My family had I believe a 1962 or 63 Corvair convertible. I was a 16 year old driving home one rainy night going maybe 50 MPH. A car pulled out from a side street up ahead and I hit my brakes to slow down. Instead I went into an out of control 360 degree spin taking out an entire row of mailboxes on the side of the road. Fortunately nobody was injured. Scariest driving moment of my life. It wasn't till several years later when I read about Ralph Nader's book that I realized that what happened to me was not because of my poor driving skills, but because of the poor design of that car. I bet something similar happened to Ernie Kovacs, as it was noted in this video that the pavement was wet.
I remember when that happened. The NY Daily News had the photo on the front page, you could see him, quite clearly, twisted and mangled in the wreckage. I was just a kid but I was horrified seeing him like that.
Ernie bought Edie Adams a big diamond engagement ring and told her to wear it while she made up her mind on whether or not to marry him -- Ernie was an original.
Ernie was a terrible loss for TV. He was SOOO creative, experimental, unpredictable. So sad young people dont know Ernie. Of course all his videos are easily seen in RUclips, but you have to know about him already to want to look them up!
I enjoyed Kovac’s humor very much. Sadly most who see this will say”Who?”
Thank you for sharing.,..
Thanks. Another very interesting video.
It always struck me as ironic that Mr. “Nothing in Moderation” was killed in an economy car like a Corvair. Very tragic end to an extremely bright individual.
He was driving Edie's car, not his own.
@@dolbra4 Since Mr., Kovacs was cash strapped the Corvair was probably Miss Adams errand car for her convivence .
Good video. So that's how he died, Sad. Rest In Peace Ernie. Your were one funny guy.
Another fab video bringing information to life and the past to the present! So many modern spaces that hold such historic or significant events that you wouldn't know about.
Yeah, so much hidden history out there. What I thought was interesting is if you go to a lot of celebrity death sites, like James Dean or Paul Walker, there is some sort of memorial, but nothing for Kovacs.
Swing-axle suspensions like Corvair had, always were an issue in every car that had them, including Porsches and Mercedes. Czech Tatras were another. If he was going around the corner too fast and lifted off the gas at the wrong time that could have exacerbated oversteer. But due to lack of witnesses or video we won't ever know for certain.
Never imagined Kovaks to be a Corvair man. And a station wagon no less. 😮
The Corvair Lakewood wagon was his wife's car - he normally drove a Rolls Royce (which she drove home from the party they'd been attending.)
@@RustySax1949 I read somewhere that Kovacs was concerned about Miss Adams safety so they switched cars and that Miss Adams left the party before Mr. Kovacs who was a couple of minutes behind her . If so he really was protective of her .
Nice video. I lived about a block from there in the mid-seventies, and often thought about him. However, I'm pretty sure that is West L.A., not Beverly Hills.
I agree. Map indicates its west of BH
@@MyLittlePinhead..Definately
West LA....
Going over railroad tracks that are wet while making a turn will induce a slide at 'normal' speed. I know, slid a car on S-Bahn rails in the middle of the street and it was a sudden snap spin on a slight curve. Assuming that the rails were in the middle of the road, taking that turn at a fast speed and hitting the wet rails would certainly explain the results. RIP Ernie, you were a wonderful entertainer. Thankfully though, he lives on in the re-runs. Loved him "North to Alaska."
Thank you for this
I didn't know Kovacs died in a car accident. I've seen his work and he was fantastic.
Correction: Corvair did not really have a "poor safety record," Ralph Nader had a poor accuracy record.
Wrong on that one Jimbo! Corvairs were the dumpster of that day. Tin dumpsters.
@@mawi1172 Really? Ever even ridden in one? I knew several people who had them. They were one of the better cars Chevy ever made. And in the intervening years Ralph Nader has continued to promote a lot of stupid ideas, and made it plain that he's kind of a moron.
You misrepresented “UNSAFE at any Speed”. Nader’s book was about the auto makers reluctance to spend money on safety equipment in all cars not just Corvairs. In fact Corvairs we’re only mentioned in one chapter; they did have a poor safety record. As a result of his book and subsequent studies cars became safer as seat belts, better brakes and all manner of safety equipment was added by every US manufacturer.
Cars do not perform well when they slide sideways into a pole or tree. The government performs crash tests of that sort of impact at only 20 mph, as crashes at higher speeds are likely to be nonsurvivable.
@@R32R38 buddies in HS wrapped a lot of sixties cars around poles, but due to their size and inside room few were hurt. today with all the weight over the front axle these cars are a lot safer until they start doing cartwheels and they're nothing left of them.
I owned both a 1960 and a 1962 Corvair. They had seat belts as standard equipment.
Seat belts were not standard on ANY American car of that period until January1 1964 when all new cars sold were required to have seat belts for two front seat occupants.
Fascinating video! Well done! KUDOS! The early death of Mr. Kovacs was such a horrible tragedy. A true comedy icon.
That’s all new information. Thanks again. 👍☮️🌞❤️
Kovacs was a serious drinker and I have a strong suspicion liquor played a role too.
That, plus rain-soaked pavement, plus driving "too fast for conditions" all came together fatally.
Sadly Ernie died hugely in debt. His wife, Edie Adams, worked hard and eventually paid off all of his debt
I remember only Ernie Kovacs left the industry early forgot he died of a tragic death. Bernie Kovacs was a comedic genius funny guy on par with Jackie Gleason.
A big time TV star driving a Chevy Corvair. One of my best friends in high school got to drive his parents Chevy Corvair week hung out in all the time.
Actually, the Corvair was his wife's car, he also had a Rolls Royce - which is what she drove home after the party.
Corvairs: as far as I know the "unsafe at any speed" was a label pinned to the coupes and sedans, not the station wagons. My 1960's college roommate had a '62 Corvair Spyder. At night we raced around the city of Riverside, CA, sliding around coners, etc. Never had a bad incident. In 1972, our new next door neighbor had a later version of Corvair. He parked it on the street because it leaked so much oil.
Agree. I drove a Corvair in the 1980s and never had any problems with its handling. I recall reading that the author of that book tried to get Kovacs wife to bring charges against Chevrolet and she refused, saying it was not the car’s fault. He had been at a party, the road was wet, and most likely he was driving too fast for the conditions. Since there were no witnesses we will never know what happened. He might have been distracted trying to light a cigar, or he might have swerved trying to avoid a person or animal in the road. It was a tragic loss.
Yeah, I sure liked Kovacs humor. I miss him.@@legiontheatregroup
3@@legiontheatregroup
Of course a boomer wouldn’t understand statistics lol.
L.A. resident since 1973. The intersection of Beverly Glen and Santa Monica Boulevards is a looooong way from the Beverly Hills city limits. He should have simply settled for a more pedestrian "Los Angeles."
Yeah, that isn't BevHills!
Kovacs' car was a 1961 wagon. I learned to drive in an identical car.
My mother had a Corvair station wagon just like the one in the video. It was red. And as for Ralph Nader's book that said that Corvairs were unsafe, that is bunk. If you ever go to a car show and see a guy with a Corvair, ask him about the book. Every one of them will call out that book as fake.
From everything I've read over the last 30 years or so it WAS in fact Kovacs trying to light a cigar which caused the crash. Supposedly, he took his eyes off the road to either strike a match or reach for the cigar lighter on the dash. Because the road was in fact wet, the car slid, he lost control because he wasn't watching and the crash happened.
The Corvair needed an anti sway or anti roll bar installed. Early models didn’t have it. Being rear engined the rear end had a tendency to oversteer when a rear wheel tucked under. Early Porsche and VW had the problem, but didn’t get the coverage.
Owning a Corvair the vehicle had one thing the VW didn’t. Sufficient horsepower and a real heater. Ask anyone who owned a VW beetle in freezing weather.
Interesting to see if there are any photos of this intersection as it was back then. Not wanting to see any gruesome photos of the actual accident scene but actual historical photos of that time, possibly aerial ones so that viewers can get a better visual of the intersection. Thanks for the retrospective of a great talent, gone way too soon.
I haven't seen one. The photos taken at the scene are all at night, so you can't see much away from the car and pole. I did see some pictures taken down the street from around the same time period, and you can see the train tracks down the middle, but I haven't found any of the intersection.
At my age Steve, this is one who passed completely under my radar. I'd heard the name a bit. But never thought of it again until now. His short 15 minutes of fame were when I was too little to care and grew into the turbulence of the 60's. His name never crossed my lips. Very interesting stuff tho', Steve. ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Ernie Kovacs = funniest man who ever lived.
I drove one in the 70’s and it’s hard to imagine speed had anything to do with a Corvair wreck!
Ernie 's sight gags and comedic skits also influenced Soupy Sales,Johnny Ginger,Rowan and Martin and Chuck McCann.
I remember when I was a little kid (in the 70s) I saw one of his shows in which he cracked an egg into a cast iron skillet and the egg went right through the skillet, leaving a gaping hole behind. Fascinated me at the time.
Maybe a movement to get a plaque mounted there somewhere? At least the local government could name the intersection in his memory even without a marker.
Alcohol? Maybe- drinking and driving was common back then and the usual penalty just a small fine if you didn't cause any harm. In society you were expected to drink and most people smoked too. Ut was normal for those times.
On the car's safety, there was nothing wrong with the Corvair after they began fitting sway bars as standard, but earlier versions could experience "axle jacking" and flip the car. Ernie's didn't flip so that wasn't the issue. Likely wet roads and too much speed were the culprits. Ralph Nader never had a driver's license- check it out yourself. All his book did was speculate and relate certain parts of what certain "learned" people said about the Corvair and never mentioned that the cars they tested had overinflated front tires magnifying the rear-heavy handling all rear-engined cars have.
When I was a kid, my family and I used to watch Ernie's show ALL TE TIME.
Every week it was fresh and hilarious.
I like to drive and take road trips.
The absolute best trip I ever drove was getting on Rte 66 at its beginning at Michigan Ave in downtown Chicago and driving it all the way to the Santa Monica pier.
This was well before they ruined it with the boring interstate system.
i also lived in San Francisco and around Van Nuys in the valley.
I never knew about this location or I would have visited it.
There was a transmission pole line that ran along tracks.
I never knew this. I have driven down that road and thru that intersection numerous times.
Leaving a party, that time of night, that era…….alcohol
3:05 - Don't you just love it when people come to this country and proudly fly the flag of another country??
Great video, thanks.
He was a Comedy Legend.
Ernie Kovacs was a comedy God!
Wow. The first generation of the Corvair feautred a type of rear suspension that was prone to movements that weren't normal in a car. Combine that with the fact that the Corvair's engine was in the rear and a wet road, and it's easy to see the crash. Cars of that era did not have any crash protection built in and were prone to collapsing and caving in as passenger protection wasn't a priority. Definitely no seat belts.
Plus Kovacs was inebriated and known to drive quite fast. Thus alcohol + excessive speed + wet roads = tragedy. Not the car's fault, it was "operator error."
Ernie was awesome 😎
In my view, the only way this accident could have happened is that Kovacs, in his turn left onto Santa Monica Blvd. took the turn too fast, drove upon the sidewalk on Santa Monica for a bit and then turned the wheel left intending to get back on the blvd, however in the dark he never saw the pole. Notice he didn't hit the pole head on, but to the left of the front door. The car didn't skid into the pole, he drove into it attempting to get back onto the street. That's what I think happened. In an ironic twist, his daughter was also killed in a car cash years later (I think in tHe Hollywood Hills)
Loved him with Kim Novak and Jimmy Stewart in "Bell,Book and Candle"😂
Corvair got that reputation as an unsafe car because of an opinion expressed by Ralph Nader who was absolutely unqualified to do so. Later tests showed the corvair to be as safe as other contemporary automobiles but by then the damage was done.
In those days, there was actually two streets, which had the same name. The main Santa Monica Blvd was 4 lanes. Little Santa Monica was one lane in each direction and to the south of the rail line. An architectural firm moved to that corner and it paid for the removal of the bridge.
You're not far from Mulholland Drive where my uncle, Sandy Nelson, lost part of his right leg in a motorcycle accident.
I think I saw it recently. Stuff collects in the gutters, hubcaps and such.
Ernie was also in the John Wayne movie NORTH TO ALASKA.He played swindler
It was a favorite pastime to drink almost anywhere especially back then. Okay, he had four things going against him, drinking ,the wet roads , trying to light his cigar and one dangerous car . All those factors most certainly claimed his life that night
In 1973 the U.S. Congress investigated the Corvair. It was found to handle as well as other cars of the day. Actually better than a lot of them. Every year at the National Corvair Convention they compete in an autocross. They have never had any issues. I owned a Corvair many years and they are very fun to drive. Alcohol was a factor? Most likely. Not the car.
BULLSHIT
@@chadhaire1711 I was gonna say BULLOBAMA...Same thing.
I had a 62 coupe, and I loved it. But I did spin it twice.
New Christmas Cap! Great video.
Thank you.
Very informative. 👍🏻
Only 43 when he died - looked a lot older.
It feels like people of the past always look so much older to me too.
Joe, In 1962 the avg. man died at the age of 70.2 in our time 2022 it is age 79.05. back then most people smoked and had bad eating habits. which made them look older. Kovacs was a heavy smoker and drinker as were most entertainers back in the day. Have a good new Years.
@@jerrysullivan8424 watching these old movies and smoking was some kind of Olumpic event. Lost a lot of my smoker friends by the time they hit early forties.
Side note: the Corvair wasn't inherently dangerous. The rear engine design made it handle *very* differently than what American drivers were used to. IMHO, Chevy was negligent in not explaining this, in depth, to buyers.
What a very sad tragedy!!
You're actually in Westwood. I lived on Beverly Glen for 5 years. Going north from Westwood, it goes through Holmby Hills and Bel Air. Not actually in Beverly hills. Its a half mile or so west of BH.
Thank you.
He played a great character in "Strangers When We Meet". Great movie.
My dad was in the veterans hospital at Richmond Va with Mr Kovacs a few months before he was killed.
This wasn’t the only accident that happened with Corvairs,in fact no car was above reproach as concerns for safety standards back then.
Bell, Book and Candle good movie w/Kovacs.
Great satellite zoom shot, I can't believe someone rich & famous would buy a Corvair. 🤔
Unfortunately Mr. Kovacs was a big spender, was broke and owed the IRS a lot of back taxes at the time of his death. Friends helped his wife Eddie Adams to get a major role in It's a Mad, Mad, World because of these serious financial problems. Eddie got herself out of that hole and became a very successful business woman.
@@zeppelinkiddy I just saw that movie last month. It was a lot better than what I remembered and so, so, so, so many cameos of big stars at the time.
It was his wife's car, she drove the Rolls Royce home.
I was going to talk about his refusal to pay taxes and the state he left his wife in, but I ended up cutting it. His daughter is a sad story too. His death was really the first domino in a lot of tragedy.
Interesting story🥸, thanks Steve!
The damage to the car and him seems worse than when one makes a left hand turn even if not stopped as the speed just isn't there.
Newsflash…. THAT IS NOT IN BEVERLY HILLS