Ernie Kovacs visual broadcasting original innovative and surreal comic genius that we see the world differently. It 'was a true pioneer of art that he created his unique magic, when the medium was just beginning.
The images evoked Kovacs on the road, has had an enormous influence on a variety of TV programs, as well as individual artists and writers who followed. Among them: "Rowan and Martin Laugh-In," "Monty Python's FlyingCircus "and" Saturday Night Live, "to name a few. In addition, actors and writers, including Steve Allen, Johnny Carson, David Letterman, Chevy Chase, and Mel Brooks, all owe much to this inspiring and creative spirit free.
In 1986, the Museum of Television and Radio (now the Paley Center for Media), an exhibition of works by Kovacs, entitled "The Vision Of Ernie Kovacs." The Museum of the brochure for the show, Pulitzer Prize-winning television critic, William HenryIII wrote:
"Kovacs was mostly wide-eyed, ingratiating himself clown. It was the first major television video artist. ... It was the first Surrealist his boldest and most imaginative writers. It was probably the first and only television 's author, and Kovacs was a genius ... genius was in the realm of art. Here, a genius is someone who has an audience around the world in a new way of looking at the causes. "
Ernie Kovacs MEETING
In 1953, my first encounter with Ernie Kovacs, when I was 12 yearsYears. Ernie is in the early morning TV show, "Kovacs Unlimited", was broadcast on television in New York City WCBS (Channel 2). It 'been on this show that I've heard a lot of visual gags, surreal characters and illusions, which was an essential part of his startlingly original vision. But when at age 12, child, I thought the show was very exciting, fun and really cool!
As a big fan of the show, I immediately joined the first Ernie EyeballFraternity and Marching Society (EEFMS) and officially became a member EEFMS. For years I have proudly worn my card EEFMS in my wallet, and when prompted EEFMS sang the song while greeting (left index finger extended, and placed on the left with eyes closed):
"Hello, oh EEFMS members, you, so brave and strong
Thanks to the warm and cold Decembers Julys EEFMS sing our song.
EEFMS oh EEFMS, EEFMS oh EEFMS,
Now I say this without hesitation,
If you do notEEFMS, you're alive! "
Then he decided on a spring day in 1953, my good friend Arnie Eastman and "crash" Ernie Kovacs WCBS study. Armed with our cards EEFMS and password: "It 'true," we worked the guard over the entrance and came down with the elevator in his studio floor. After knocking on the door of the study Kovacs, we were one of his employees, who said, welcomed him to leave. But my friend, Arnie, was very insistent that he continued to begto this employee to us, we suddenly heard a voice from the study: "what is the problem, Andy?" Then Ernie Kovacs came to the door, and after that we were big fans, and explains EEFMS members, invited us into the studio and sit in two chairs director, in front of the set! (Wow!)
The set consists of a long table in a tilted angle, includes the camera bolted to the floor at the same angle. So when we looked at the TV monitor, theThe table appeared in its normal horizontal position, not in a corner.
Then came one of Kovacs was the character on the set of her lunch and sat at the table tilted. At the other end of the table sat another man reads his newspaper. Then every time the man took a picnic lunch with a voice out of his lunch and tried to put on the table, or would slide or roll the table in the womb the man reading his newspaper. The final gag of this has been seenwhen the man took out his lunch box thermos, and tried to pour the milk into the glass (which was previously attached to the drawing board before the start). The milk flow is moving at an angle bizarre, almost parallel to the table, the glass is completely missing!
It 'was this stunt gags Classic view and many other surreal effects, which shocked and delighted television audiences, and eventually became part of popular visual effectsVocabulary.
After that we stayed with the entire sample of the show, called Ernie Kovacs Arnie and I met for lunch! During lunch, delighted us with delightful anecdotes, such as Arnie and I sat there and hang out in his every word. Then, after lunch, we asked if we would like to see his office! - Arnie and I could not believe our luck as we were, two unidentified 12-year-olds that Mr. Kovacs had never met before, but we were spending the day with Ernie Kovacs!(Wow!)
So after lunch he took me to Arnie and his office on West 57th Street, and spent the afternoon with us, tell us fascinating stories and shows us his collection around the office. - Our favorite memory of the day saw the collection of wild and wonderful tribal artifacts that Ernie had to stay and hang around his government - and the best thing of all was the cornice line dried heads around the whole room!
The early yearsFinding his place
Ernest Edward Kovacs January 23, 1919 in Trenton, New Jersey born. It 'died in a car accident shortly before his 43rd Birthday January 13, 1962.
Father Ernie Kovacs', Andrew, emigrated to the United States in Hungary, at the age of 13 years. After working in various jobs, without success, during Prohibition, smugglers Andrew was a great success, he is able to move his wife Mary and sons, Tom and Ernie, a 20-room palace in afashion section of Trenton. But with the exception of the time during Prohibition, the family went to live in humble surroundings.
Ernie interest in theater began in high school. Trenton Central High School, Ernie came under the influence of his great teacher, drama teacher, Harold Van Kirk. Ernie received a scholarship to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1937, with the support of Mr. Van Kirk. While working at summer camp in Vermont in 1939, ErnieSeriously ill with pleurisy and lung, and spent the next year and a half in very serious condition in different hospitals.
It 'was during this time to show her comic talent started when he inspires his escapades with nurses, doctors and patients. (The doctors do not think he would have lived). In addition, while in the hospital Ernie developed a great love and appreciation of classical music, and has consistently maintained his radio WQXR, the classical music channel set in NewYork. In the coming years, Kovacs often used classical music in many of his drawings.
In 1941, Ernie took his first paying job in the entertainment industry working as a disc jockey, in Trenton is the radio WTTM. He spent the next nine years with the station WTTM, director of special events. During this time, Kovacs was experimenting with a variety of events "live" to see how crazy, what is to be operated by a train (leaving traces the last minute), Rundfunkfrom the cockpit of a plane (for which he took flying lessons).
During this time, Ernie was in a local theater group, the Players Guild in Trenton, took part in the spring of 1941, doing some directing for the group. In June 1945, offered the Trentonian, a local weekly, Kovacs, who has a column called "Kovacs Unlimited", where he found his voice as the local wag.
Ernie married his first wife, Betty Wilcox, August 13, 1945. They had two daughters together, Elizabeth(Bette) and Kip Raleigh (Kipp). The marriage was unhappy, and finally the 11 Divorced in February 1954. When the marriage ended, Ernie had full custody of her two daughters, given the decision of the court that his ex-wife mentally unstable base. That same year, she married Ernie Edith (Edie) Adams, 12 September 1954.
In 1950, Kovacs had his first opportunity to get into television. He was at his hearing before NBC affiliate WPTZ Philadelphia (now KYW-TV)Wear shorts and a barrel, and got the job! Ernie first job was a show called "Choose your ideal", a fashion and advertising for the Ideal Manufacturing Company. In a short time, was also the host of "Time for dinner" was a show, where chefs cook with local tips and tricks. One night, did not show up, the guest chef, said Ernie was in action ad-lib in the 11 ° indicated hours, and improvised his recipe for eggs Scavok (Kovacs spelled backwards).
Shortly after,Ernie hosted and, finally, show a standard format for the innovative, "Three To Get Ready" (Ttgr). This show was the first regular early morning (7 hours to 9) in a major television market. Previously, it was believed that no one watching TV at that time soon. Although the show was advertised as the morning news and weather, provided that Ernie, along with its crowds and original approach. If the rain in the forecast, Kovacs will be on a high platform,Spray water on the person reporting the weather. On one occasion, the goats were auditioned for a local theater production.
It 'was the Ttgr show that Ernie began to develop his improvised, experimental style that would become his reputation. Among his many innovations at an early stage, allowing Kovacs called the fourth wall to be breached, set to go beyond the boundaries of the show, seated behind the scenes action at once shocking and fascinating as the audience,Those who had never seen anything like this before, when he learned of the interaction with the TV crew a tour of the control room and chatting with the technicians went. And sometimes went outside the studio. Once decided, spontaneously, to wear a gorilla suit and walked through a restaurant in downtown Philadelphia.
If Ernie could no longer endure his prop meager budget of $ 15 per week for the show, has solved the problem by sending his viewers nothingwanted no more about Channel 3, WPTZ. The same day, the entire studio lobby was full of all the things that had sent its discarded viewers!
It 'been on this show that Kovacs found its environment. Ironically, the failure of the event excellent, "Kovacs On The Corner" were to find its place. It was gradually discovered that his real environment has been a television studio space, free of cutesy way down with the polls twisted barber (the setting for "Kovacs inCorner, "where there are too many creative employees) unadorned studio, he could run free, to give the flow of ideas, in contrast to blends surreal agenda and the unusual, could only see the -. He had to keep control.
Be up to Ernie, the check was "the vision", said she left her severely team of experts, composed of its special effects technicians, set designers, staff, cameramen, sound technicians and others who have worked many of them with himFrom the beginning, and knew his moods, whims and rhythms so well they are able to anticipate and improvise a time have been - at times inspired, or even saving a drawing, which was in difficulty.
The process of creating new shows, with a unique approach and original material, working with scripts minimal and very little time to rehearse, in a format "live" from this moment on television (there was no videotape, they are not states of the network) to realize, it's always been a dauntingPoints of view. Were due to its nature, the experimental performance. Ernie has no limits for themselves, always improvise and take risks. Sometimes the results were brilliant and very funny, and sometimes they were just stupid and boring. Ernie visibility was all fun - or break - it was just a big guy, and the team were his playmates.
But in the conventional world of television producers and the public is not sophisticated, where high ratings were the badgeErnie Kovacs had success against the current, the inevitable for such an innovative vision swam.
During his career in television, Ernie Kovacs, has always had a strong following of fans, and has received constant praise from critics. But ironically, perhaps because the style and imaginative and experimental, has never been able to sustain consistently larger in the public television, which was caused by traditional sitcoms and variety of styleVaudeville.
CHARACTERS and gags
As an incorrigible prankster, Kovacs also encouraged to follow his crew and to improvise and take risks. So, at least in one case, the team turned the tables on Ernie. On this day, Kovacs appeared as inept magician Matzoh Hepplewhite. The plan Hepplewhite, struck a gong frequently. This was the signal for a sexy assistant, will appear with a tray with a bottle of brandy and a glass. Ernie (Hepplewhite) wasis a puff, he had to take tea. But the real drivers replaced alcohol instead of tea. Ernie snort when he took the liquor, the expression on his face was priceless: the realization, of course, that every time you must answer the bell, he drank another sip of brandy rang true! Since television is the "live", was still on the drawing. So at the end of the show, Ernie staggered out from the crowd completely drunk.
Since the actor crazy that he, Ernieplayed a variety of roles have been many recurring characters. Among them, the Chaplin silent, Eugene, of the character, the milk from his thermos that never reaches the glass was poured on the table tilted. Ernie was one of three monkeys derby-hat, such as the Nairobi Trio, the amount of their antics mechanic Robert Maxwell made known "Solfeggio." They were regulars on the show in the morning, "Kovacs Unlimited."
One of my favorite characters wasthe effeminate court poet, Percy Dovetonsils by Kovacs, who spoke with a lisp represented, and often recited poems between sips of his martini dry (once the driver a gold fish slipped into his glass, while it was " go live "on air).
In addition to the many signs that Ernie represented, there was a very expensive gimmicks that wants to run, which often lasted only a few seconds. One of my favorites is found underwater with Ernie plays himself, as theinveterate cigar smoker. In the sketch, Ernie is actually under the water, sits in his chair with a cigar in his mouth, reading her newspaper. He then removed the cigar from his mouth and breathed a whiff of white smoke! (The trick is that the "smoke" was actually a small amount of milk that filled his mouth before submerged).
Kovács vision and technology
In the early days, when television was in its infancy - the early years from 1940 to 1950 - the radio was stillThe reigning champion of the media. As a result, television as a medium was thinking, very conventional. Television production managers would just special effects, such as cuts or fades or dissolves itself, similar to techniques commonly used in the films of that time. The more sophisticated visual techniques that were available, such as Super Impose (an image from a camera on a second camera image from another post) was rarely used except in the most conventional manner. AlsoReverse polarity (positive roll and fold in the negative) and reverse-scanning (where the images could be flipped upside down) were not used, because they usually put first television realism. Most TV productions shot in that moment was like the theater or vaudeville. Administration would only run the establishment of a fixed camera and let them go.
In the ongoing debate on the Ernie Kovacs is a unique form of visual comedy, was involved a lot of technological wizardry, and the factthat he was ahead of his time. It is true that Kovacs was enthralled with these new electronic toys that had never been used before. He and his crew freely experimented with the technology, and realized that these techniques offered great possibilities. But, what was most important was determining what they would be used for. So the technology played a part, but the process always began, first, with Ernie visualizing a particular scene in his mind. According to the writer, Mike Marmer, who eventually worked for Kovacs:
"Ernie really saw pictures more than anything else. I don't know where they came from, or why - they were just bizarre - but the point is, that that's what he saw. He saw the shock of something."
So for example: let's say that Ernie had an idea for a sketch. He first saw a picture of a man (character) who sees a sign that says: "fly man wanted." Then, Ernie saw a picture of the man walking upside down into the studio. Finally, the technology followed: by using the reverse scan function, the image of the man is flipped upside down, and "the vision" was complete.
FINALLY - RECOGNITION
Recognition of Ernie Kovacs's artistic achievements has been woefully slow in coming. It was not until nearly 25 years after his death, that he began to receive the recognition that he deserved.
As I mentioned in greater detail at the beginning of this article, in 1986, the Museum of Television and Radio (now the Paley Center for Media) mounted a four-months long series "The Vision of Ernie Kovacs," which showcased the diversity of his work. In 1987, Ernie Kovacs was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences's Hall of Fame. In 1989, on the occasion of television's 50th anniversary, in a special issue of New York Magazine, Ernie Kovacs was named one of the medium's top 25 stars of all time.
In the closing remarks in her wonderful book, "Kovacsland: a Biography of Ernie Kovacs," Diana Rico wrote:
"The recognition is well-earned and long overdue. In his lifetime, despite a loyal contingency of fans and a supportive critical establishment, Ernie's insistence on swimming against the mainstream tide prevented him from achieving the high prime time ratings that are regarded as the badge of success in network TV. But the same qualities that kept him from reaching the high numbers were what made him a special talent -the endlessly curious intellect, the love of experimentation, the boundless imagination, the subversive and surreal wit. Ernie Kovacs loved nothing more than to create his bizarre visions for the world to enjoy. We are fortunate that for a dozen years at the beginning of the most important medium of our time, he was able to do just that."
