This hilarious clip from a long-lost episode of The Carol Burnett Show starring Tim Conway and Harvey Korman hasn’t been seen in almost 40 years. It’s brief, but it’s long enough to make anyone giggle.
The Carol Burnett Show was one of America’s most successful series during its first run, which lasted from 1967 through 1978. It has been on numerous “Best/Greatest TV Shows of All Time” lists and was consistently among the top 30 most-watched shows each season.
Tim Conway and Harvey Korman, two of the most well-known comedians of all time, were regulars on the show. Despite the fact that they were not a comic partnership like Abbott and Costello, they were frequently used in skits due to their popularity with viewers. Tim dresses up as a lady in this episode, which is only available on DVD, and he and Harvey go undercover as a couple. Tim warns Harvey not to hold “her” too closely, but Harvey insists that they must appear to be a real pair in order to complete the task.
Tim concurs, adding it’s great as long as they remain professional. Now it becomes very funny: Harvey can’t fathom why Tim would assume this was for anything other than work. Tim then flicks his hair like the comedic genius that he is, causing both performers to break character and giggle, though they try to keep it in as much as they can. The audience isn’t much assistance either; everyone in the studio was laughing at this point.
Harvey combs his bangs before pulling out his compact powder and rubbing it on his mustache and chin, making everyone, including Harvey, laugh even harder.
“I don’t know which is funnier: Tim flicking his hair back or Harvey making a fist to stop himself from laughing,” one commenter writes. Words cannot express how amusing this is. You must witness it for yourself.
The Carol Burnett Show won eight Golden Globes and 25 Emmys in just eleven years. It also aided the rise of several comedians. It is still regarded as one of the most prestigious shows to have ever shown on television. This degree of flair and humorous confidence is the result of geniuses who understand how to turn a simple skit into a remarkable comedy act.
