"What crazy stuff is this?" Ernie Kovacs was the missing link between Rod Serling and the Firesign Theatre. Years ahead of his time, his surreal humour would find a home in Monty Python and the Mighty Boosh. His early death robbed the world of a comic genius.
It's Howdy Doody Time, it isn't worth a dime. It is on channel 9, where you'll see Frankenstein. I'm old enough to remember Howdy Doody. I'm old enough to remember Ernie Kovacs, but I don't seem to remember this.
Ernie's sense of timing and facial expression could carry off a situation like nobody else. Just the idea of introducing the kiddies to "Miklos Bor" is so absurd. On the other hand, "If Bor make your father peppy, it make you peppy, too!"
My father was Hungarian and came to Canada in 1956 at age 18. I was born in 1962 and hence never saw this stuff as a child that I can remember (would have been reruns obviously if I did). Ernie's mannerisms here remind me TONS of my father. Even the phrase "Howdy Deedy" is EXACTLY how my father would have mispronounced "Howdy Doody". Kovacs Ernie brought öröm a világnak!!!
I can't tell if the applause is from an actual studio audience or the set crew. I do know that Ernie's crew absolutely loved and admired his true genius. Nothing recorded in terms of effects. This was real humor at its funniest, because it was funny!
@@grabitt.4013 I can't help it if I like comedians that are actually funny! I've watched several episode of Ernie's shows and the ONLY parts of any of them that I liked was The Nairobi Trio! And, of course, after you've seen it 4 or 5 times, it's just not funny, anymore. It's like playing Peek-A-Boo with a baby. After you do it a dozen times, it's not funny anymore and you just wanna tell the kid, "Look, it's ALWAYS gonna be me!". There's just nothing funny about him or Stan Freberg but, of the two, I'd rather listen to Stan. Lucy was never all that funny! Vivian was WAY funnier than Lucy! The only reason I watched The Honeymooners was Art Carney! The only reason I'd watch Carol Burnett was Tim Conway!
3:15: "I was coming down the street, coming here for the time of my life, doing the old Howdy Deedy show, when all of a sudden, I was so BLBLBLBLBLBLBL...!" Gets me every time. :)
I've always admired Ernie Kovacs for his dark, offbeat sense or humor.Few comedians, perhaps Steve Martin in his early career, Andy Kaufman and Emo Phillips, have had a comparable style of humor.
@143AC I stand corrected, sort of. According to The Museum of Broadcast Communications, Dayton Allen was the voice of "Double Doody" and a character name "Traveling".
From his 1956 NBC nighttime series skewering NBC's original cash cow "Howdy,CONAN,uh,Deedy,uh Doody". That thing looks JUST like Conan.....but I digress.... No matter, what ever you call it, it had better ratings than Kovacs which probably tells you all you ever need to know about TV. The Miklos character was one of his best,made funnier by Kovacs' command of the Hungarian language and his dark humor. One fault of Kovacs was often the payoff in a bit was anti climactic and, not here, but often drawn out too long for most viewers accustomed to quick comedic payoffs.
@tallpaul521 This happens to all of us. It's crushing and never seems fair when someone else posts your rare video, it survives and you get thrown off. It's especially aggravating when you put work into a video, like subtitles and translation, someone else gets the credit, you get deleted. I don't know any answer for this.
@clairedelune49 I should have said removed instead of "banned" I had 30 videos taken down by the Sinatra estate due to a video I put up of a Rat Pack concert - which had never been released. Somebody else copied the video on YT before it was taken down and they put it up and it's still there- really fair. Same exact video -I know because it had my titles and edits.
![What's My Line? - Ernie Kovacs & Edie Adams; Tony Randall [panel] (Sep 9, 1956)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/SUBCKEcGFew/mqdefault.jpg)
![What's My Line? - Ernie Kovacs & Edie Adams; Tony Randall [panel] (Sep 9, 1956)](/img/tr.png)
![What's My Line? - Buster Keaton; Ernie Kovacs [panel] (Sep 1, 1957)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/x0mUPzGC8hw/mqdefault.jpg)
His look of "Irritation" at everything is totally priceless and made me bust out laughing sitting here at work. Ernie was a genius!
"What crazy stuff is this?"
Ernie Kovacs was the missing link between Rod Serling and the Firesign Theatre. Years ahead of his time, his surreal humour would
find a home in Monty Python and the Mighty Boosh. His early death robbed the world of a comic genius.
It's Howdy Doody Time, it isn't worth a dime.
It is on channel 9, where you'll see Frankenstein.
I'm old enough to remember Howdy Doody. I'm old enough to remember Ernie Kovacs, but I don't seem to remember this.
Such a joy to return to the old days comedy
There is some serious BBC The Fast Show influence from the Miklos character...!
Ernie's sense of timing and facial expression could carry off a situation like nobody else. Just the idea of introducing the kiddies to "Miklos Bor" is so absurd. On the other hand, "If Bor make your father peppy, it make you peppy, too!"
Ernie Kovacs did Howdy Doody? How did I *not* know this? I just wish I wasn't sick. laughing so hard put me in a coughing fit. Oh well. Worth it.
Before Mariska Hargitay, Ernie Kovacs was the well-known Hungarian-American television star.
My father was Hungarian and came to Canada in 1956 at age 18. I was born in 1962 and hence never saw this stuff as a child that I can remember (would have been reruns obviously if I did). Ernie's mannerisms here remind me TONS of my father. Even the phrase "Howdy Deedy" is EXACTLY how my father would have mispronounced "Howdy Doody". Kovacs Ernie brought öröm a világnak!!!
I can't tell if the applause is from an actual studio audience or the set crew. I do know that Ernie's crew absolutely loved and admired his true genius. Nothing recorded in terms of effects. This was real humor at its funniest, because it was funny!
That surely is an audience. It’s too many people to be a set crew.
Thank you for bringing this cip back to You Tube. It was banned before.
1950's television had two true geniuses. One was Sid Caesar. The other was Ernie Kovacs.
Why? What makes Ernie funny?
@@RedVynil you can't qualify humor like that, dude. it's subjective.
If it's not funny, why would I want to watch it? Sid was very funny! Ernie wasn't.
@@RedVynil It's your misfortune for not realizing it.
@@grabitt.4013 I can't help it if I like comedians that are actually funny! I've watched several episode of Ernie's shows and the ONLY parts of any of them that I liked was The Nairobi Trio! And, of course, after you've seen it 4 or 5 times, it's just not funny, anymore. It's like playing Peek-A-Boo with a baby. After you do it a dozen times, it's not funny anymore and you just wanna tell the kid, "Look, it's ALWAYS gonna be me!". There's just nothing funny about him or Stan Freberg but, of the two, I'd rather listen to Stan. Lucy was never all that funny! Vivian was WAY funnier than Lucy! The only reason I watched The Honeymooners was Art Carney! The only reason I'd watch Carol Burnett was Tim Conway!
3:15: "I was coming down the street, coming here for the time of my life, doing the old Howdy Deedy show, when all of a sudden, I was so BLBLBLBLBLBLBL...!" Gets me every time. :)
Dayton Allen also played live characters and he manipulated and voiced puppets on"Howdy Doody".
Like a lot of great comedians, he was first a great actor.
I've always admired Ernie Kovacs for his dark, offbeat sense or humor.Few comedians, perhaps Steve Martin in his early career, Andy Kaufman and Emo Phillips, have had a comparable style of humor.
*sense OF humor, sorry.
I agree. Way ahead of our time. Miss him and the comic intelligence.
TV should be this creative/funny today! Back when the snow fell fell on our heads and knocked us out .......blah blah blah
a Genius.....
Demented Genius!
@WSenator1 - It's great to know of your appreciation for Ernie's work. Enjoy the reset of the vidoes on the channel.
@143AC I stand corrected, sort of. According to The Museum of Broadcast Communications, Dayton Allen was the voice of "Double Doody" and a character name "Traveling".
Of all the times the kid with the glasses appeared, no one can figure out who he was!!
From his 1956 NBC nighttime series skewering NBC's original cash cow "Howdy,CONAN,uh,Deedy,uh Doody".
That thing looks JUST like Conan.....but I digress....
No matter, what ever you call it, it had better ratings than Kovacs which probably tells you all you ever need to know about TV.
The Miklos character was one of his best,made funnier by Kovacs' command of the Hungarian language and his dark humor.
One fault of Kovacs was often the payoff in a bit was anti climactic and, not here, but often drawn out too long for most viewers accustomed to quick comedic payoffs.
I updated this video's informatin concerning Kovacs actually hosting the REAL Howdy Doody Show. Click on the video's link for more info!
@tallpaul521 The video wasn't banned. My entire account was destroyed by 3 copyright complaints and my post of this went along with it.
@tallpaul521 This happens to all of us. It's crushing and never seems fair when someone else posts your rare video, it survives and you get thrown off. It's especially aggravating when you put work into a video, like subtitles and translation, someone else gets the credit, you get deleted. I don't know any answer for this.
@clairedelune49 I should have said removed instead of "banned" I had 30 videos taken down by the Sinatra estate due to a video I put up of a Rat Pack concert - which had never been released. Somebody else copied the video on YT before it was taken down and they put it up and it's still there- really fair. Same exact video -I know because it had my titles and edits.
I still don't think he was very funny. The Nairobi Trio was his best bit.