Description:
The second volume of Shout! Factory's Ernie Kovacs Collection confirms what its predecessor from 2011 proved in spades: that the praise heaped upon television comic Ernie Kovacs over the last half-century was not just a case of nostalgic "pining for the old days" of TV, but genuine respect for one of the medium's true visionary figures. Though slimmer by half than the previous volume, the material contained on volume two's three discs stands up to the better-known sketches and shows on volume one by presenting Kovacs in one of his best showcases: his live morning show on NBC, which ran from 1955 to 1956. Here, he posi
The second volume of Shout! Factory's Ernie Kovacs Collection confirms what its predecessor from 2011 proved in spades: that the praise heaped upon television comic Ernie Kovacs over the last half-century was not just a case of nostalgic "pining for the old days" of TV, but genuine respect for one of the medium's true visionary figures. Though slimmer by half than the previous volume, the material contained on volume two's three discs stands up to the better-known sketches and shows on volume one by presenting Kovacs in one of his best showcases: his live morning show on NBC, which ran from 1955 to 1956. Here, he positively revels in the anarchy inherent to live entertainment, ad-libbing with abandon while gleefully flaunting the rules and regulations of how a TV program should be conducted. He gently mocks the artificiality of a variety format as well as the network powers that be (NBC's then-head of programming Pat Weaver and president Robert Sarnoff) and even his own failed gags. Recurring characters like besotted poet Percy Dovetonsils, Teutonic DJ Wolfgang von Sauerbraten, and the ill-tempered Miklos Molnar are also given the spotlight, as is the talented Edie Adams, whose triple-threat status as singer, comedian, and sounding board for Kovacs (in addition to being his spouse and tireless preservationist of his television output) is confirmed with several lovely musical numbers and a terrific Marilyn Monroe impersonation. A third disc is given over to Kovacs's intentionally baffling game show Take a Good Look, which again finds its host gleefully deconstructing accepted notions of how a quiz program should operate by offering impossible-to-figure-out clues to a host of celebrity guests, including Adams, Tony Randall, and Cesar Romero. The show also features Kovacs's legendary ads for Dutch Masters cigars, which represent a high-water mark for visual humor in the medium. Kovacs's experiments with the technical possibilities of television are less in focus here, save for a charmingly goofy sketch featuring the Kapusta Kid puppets in the abundant extras, which also include a lengthy interview with Kovacs for the CBC; an unaired pilot for a Western comedy called A Pony for Chris, which partnered Kovacs with Buster Keaton; and a lengthy panel discussion from 2011. The discussion features comments on Kovacs's artistry from collaborators and admirers, including Merrill Markoe, Harry Shearer, Bob Odenkirk, producer George Schlatter and wife Jolene Brand (who costarred on Good Look and his ABC specials), Jeff Garlin, and DVD-set curator Ben Model, who also penned the comprehensive liner notes. Trailers for Kovacs's feature work, including Wake Me When It's Over, and color home movies with Kovacs, Adams, and Jackie Gleason round out this essential set for vintage TV fans, comedy history buffs, and armchair anarchists of all stripes. --Paul Gaita
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Manufacturer: Shout! Factory
Release date: 23 October 2012
Number of discs: 3
EAN: 0826663136012 UPC: 826663136012
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