Tim Conway

Performer


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About
About this interview

Tim Conway (1933-2019) was interviewed for two-and-a-half hours in Beverly Hills, CA. The interview consists of two parts: one hour solo, and one-and-a-half hours with comedy partner Harvey Korman. In his solo interview, Conway talks about his early years in local television at Cleveland's WJW, where he was discovered by Rose Marie. He discusses his appearances on The New Steve Allen Show and describes his role as "Ensign Charles Parker" on McHale's Navy. He also speaks of the notorious variety flop Turn-On, which was canceled after one airing. Conway talks about his work in feature films such as The Apple Dumpling Gang and The Shaggy D.A, and details his work on The Carol Burnett Show in his joint interview with Harvey Korman. Karen Herman conducted the interview on April 20, 2004.

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.

"I don't feature myself as being the head man. I would much rather stand in the background and make small funny things than be up at the head of the class."

People Talking About ...
Highlights
Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on the cast and guest stars on The Carol Burnett Show
04:24
Tim Conway on his 10 year guest appearance on The Carol Burnett Show
02:20
Tim Conway on his favorite sketches on The Carol Burnett Show
00:49
Tim Conway on coming to Hollywood with almost no experience and working with Ernest Borgnine on McHale's Navy
03:23
Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on the "Went with the Wind!" sketch spoofing Gone with the Wind on The Carol Burnett Show
00:55
Tim Conway on how he would like to be remembered
00:33
Full Interview

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Chapter 1

On his childhood and early influences; on three teachers who had a great impact on him; on wanting to be a jockey; on having dyslexia; on majoring in speech and dramatics in college; on volunteering for the Army after college
On his start in show business doing stand-up comedy at a Seattle club; on his first work as a television director; on early appearances on The Steve Allen Show; on working with Ernest Borgnine on McHale's Navy; on McHale's Navy producer Ed Montagne; on appearing on numerous variety shows
On starring in Rango; on hosting the notoriously short-lived show (it was canceled during its premiere) Turn-On; on doing an after school special

Chapter 2

On the show Uncle Tim Wants You with Bernadette Peters; on working in variety on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In and The Flip Wilson Show; on writing sketches; on Disney films The Apple Dumpling Gang and The Shaggy D.A.; on writing the movie Billion Dollar Hobo; on starring in Ace Crawford, Private Eye
On Dorf; on writing; on Tim Conway's Fun With America; on his guest appearances on Newhart, Married... With Children, Coach, Cosby, Ellen, Clueless, and Mad About You; on acting and writing on The Carol Burnett Show; on his current projects - Yes, Dear; on working with Vicki Lawrence
On entertaining; on how people react when they meet him; on advice to aspiring comedians; on his philosophy of comedy; on the highlight of his career and career regrets; on how he'd like to be remembered

Chapter 3

START OF JOINT INTERVIEW with Tim Conway and Harvey Korman: On how the pair first met; on a "Harvey Korman-type" - a straight man; on Korman's first appearance on The Carol Burnett Show; on the atmosphere Carol Burnett created on set; on the evolution of the show
On a production week on The Carol Burnett Show; on out-takes from the show; on a sketch that bombed; on the show's audience; on how Tim Conway became a regular on the show; on Conway writing sketches for Korman; on Conway's improvisations; on audiences loving when Korman breaks up
On a successful detective sketch; on a vasectomy sketch; on Carol Burnett's "Judy Garland sketch;" on their contributions to sketches; on the show's writers; on the importance of music on the show; on Bob Mackie; on Carol Burnett and her husband Joe Hamilton

Chapter 4

On the cast and guest stars of The Carol Burnett Show; on becoming a comedy team; on famous characters they've portrayed - "Mr. Tudball"; on the dentist sketch; on "Carol and Sis," "F. Lee Bunny," on "The Old Man," and Conway's physical comedy talents
On working with directors on the show; on their spoofs of movies and shows; on the "Went with the Wind!" sketch spoofing Gone with the Wind on The Carol Burnett Show; on The Little Foxes sketch; on the show's writing; on Korman leaving the show; on not being "stars;"

Chapter 5

On the end of The Carol Burnett Show; on the final episode; on Korman returning for the last show; on Carol & Company; on the first reunion special of The Carol Burnett Show; on the legacy of The Carol Burnett Show; on directing Eunice; on Mama's Family; on The Tim Conway Special
On Dorf's Family Stump; on Tim and Harvey in the Great Outdoors; on guest appearances on Golden Palace; on their live comedy show; on their success as a comedy team; on being inducted into the TV Hall of Fame; on winning an Emmy and Conway not being present at the ceremony; on stories about Harvey Korman; on Bloopers and Practical Jokes
Shows

Ace Crawford, Private Eye

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Tim Conway on starring in Ace Crawford, Private Eye
00:53

Carol & Company

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Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on Carol & Company
00:46

Carol Burnett Show, The (1967-78)

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Tim Conway on his 10 year guest appearance on The Carol Burnett Show
02:20
Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on The Carol Burnett Show
00:15
Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on their first appearances on The Carol Burnett Show
27:02
Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on the cast and guest stars on The Carol Burnett Show
04:24
Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on some memorable characters they created
09:12
Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on the end of The Carol Burnett Show
03:51

Carol Burnett Show, The (1967-78): "Went with the Wind!" Sketch

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Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on the "Went with the Wind!" sketch spoofing Gone with the Wind on The Carol Burnett Show
00:55

Clueless

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Tim Conway on his guest appearances on Clueless
00:54

Coach

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Tim Conway on his guest appearances on Coach
00:33

Cosby

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Tim Conway on his guest appearances on Cosby
00:34

Danny Kaye Show, The

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Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on how they met - on The Danny Kaye Show
01:25

Ellen

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Tim Conway on his guest appearances on Ellen
00:31

Eunice

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Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on directing Eunice
00:49

Flip Wilson Show, The

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Tim Conway on appearing on The Flip Wilson Show
00:27

Golden Palace, The

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Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on appearing on The Golden Palace
00:54

Hollywood Palace, The

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Actor/comedian Tim Conway on writing his own material for appearances on variety shows, such as The Hollywood Palace
01:24

Mad About You

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Tim Conway on his guest appearances on Mad About You
00:14

Mama's Family

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Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on Mama's Family
01:38

Married… With Children

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Tim Conway on his guest appearances on Married...With Children
00:40

McHale's Navy

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Tim Conway on coming to Hollywood with almost no experience and working with Ernest Borgnine on McHale's Navy
06:29

Newhart

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Tim Conway on his guest appearances on Newhart
00:53

Rango

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Tim Conway on starring in Danny Thomas and Aaron Spelling's Rango
02:10

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In

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Tim Conway on working in variety on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In
00:40

TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes

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Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on Korman getting tricked on Bloopers and Practical Jokes
04:41

Tim Conway Special, The

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Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on The Tim Conway Special
03:15

Turn-On

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Tim Conway on hosting the notoriously short-lived show (it was canceled during its premiere) Turn-On
02:34
Topics

Classic TV series episodes

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Tim Conway on hosting the notoriously short-lived show (it was canceled during its premiere) Turn-On
02:34

Comedy

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Tim Conway on hosting the notoriously short-lived show (it was canceled during its premiere) Turn-On
02:34

Emmy Awards

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Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on being inducted into the TV Hall of Fame and winning Emmys
03:55

Memorable Moments on Television

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Tim Conway on his favorite sketches on The Carol Burnett Show
00:49
Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on "Carol and Sis" on The Carol Burnett Show
00:39

Pop Culture

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Tim Conway on hosting the notoriously short-lived show (it was canceled during its premiere) Turn-On
02:34

We Laughed

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Tim Conway on his favorite sketches on The Carol Burnett Show
00:49
Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on the "Went with the Wind!" sketch spoofing Gone with the Wind on The Carol Burnett Show
00:55
Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on the dentist sketch on The Carol Burnett Show
03:06
Genres

Comedy Series

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Tim Conway on coming to Hollywood with almost no experience and working with Ernest Borgnine on McHale's Navy
06:29

Music Shows & Variety Shows/Specials

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Tim Conway on his 10 year guest appearance on The Carol Burnett Show
02:20
Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on their first appearances on The Carol Burnett Show
27:02
Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on The Carol Burnett Show
28:52
Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on the end of The Carol Burnett Show
03:51
People

Steve Allen

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Tim Conway on Rose Marie liking his first television effort and showing Conway's work to Steve Allen
02:21
Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on The Steve Allen Show
00:40

Ernest Borgnine

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Tim Conway on coming to Hollywood with almost no experience and working with Ernest Borgnine on McHale's Navy
03:23

Carol Burnett

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Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on their first appearances on The Carol Burnett Show
27:02
Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on Carol Burnett and Joe Hamilton
01:34
Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on how difficult it was to break up Carol Burnett
01:41
Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on the end of The Carol Burnett Show
03:51
Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on Mama's Family
01:38

Dick Clark

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Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on Korman getting tricked on Bloopers and Practical Jokes
04:41

Tim Conway

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Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on how Tim Conway became a regular on the show
00:43

Dick Van Dyke

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Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on Dick Van Dyke on The Carol Burnett Show
01:07

Joe Flynn

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Tim Conway on Joe Flynn McHale's Navy
01:06

Joe Hamilton

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Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on a sketch that bombed on The Carol Burnett Show
00:53
Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on Carol Burnett and Joe Hamilton
01:34

Rock Hudson

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Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on guest stars on The Carol Burnett Show
00:08

Alan King

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Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on a sketch that bombed on The Carol Burnett Show
00:53

Don Knotts

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Tim Conway on working with Don Knotts on the Disney film The Apple Dumpling Gang
01:04

Harvey Korman

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Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on what is "a Harvey Korman type"
01:25
Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on Korman leaving the show, and not being a "star"
03:28
Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on Conway's favorite Korman story - the pair are like Jack Benny and George Burns
02:34

Perry Lafferty

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Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on The Tim Conway Special
01:42

Vicki Lawrence

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Tim Conway on working with Vicki Lawrence
01:10
Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on the cast of The Carol Burnett Show
01:42
Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on "Carol and Sis"
00:39
Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on Mama's Family
01:38

Bob Mackie

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Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on Bob Mackie's amazing clothes he created for The Carol Burnett Show
01:05

Rose Marie

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Tim Conway on Rose Marie liking his first television effort and showing Conway's work to Steve Allen
01:00

Roddy McDowall

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Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on guest stars on The Carol Burnett Show
00:25

Edward Montagne

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Tim Conway on McHale's Navy producer Ed Montagne
00:46

Bob Newhart

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Tim Conway on his guest appearances on Newhart
00:53

Dave Powers

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Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on working with directors on the show
00:53

George Schlatter

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Tim Conway on hosting the notoriously short-lived show (it was canceled during its premiere) Turn-On
02:34

Aaron Spelling

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Tim Conway on starring in Danny Thomas and Aaron Spelling's Rango
02:10

Danny Thomas

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Tim Conway on starring in Danny Thomas and Aaron Spelling's Rango
02:10

Lyle Waggoner

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Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on the cast of The Carol Burnett Show
00:20

Betty White

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Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on guest stars on The Carol Burnett Show
00:41

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