Well, now. This is strange. An article about subpoenas to the lawyers trying to influence Cohen's testimony and dangle pardons led to comments about Tim Conway!
Oh, well! Conway would have made a much better President and a much more fun one!
25
@Marsha Pembroke
And with Conway, we would all be laughing out loud in a very healing manner versus what we are enduring today!
Laughter is good food for the soul.
7
Growing up in 1960's Cleveland, as teens we were drawn to the ascribed "movie show" on Channel 8, our Mad Magazine tendences were fully developed by watching "Ghoulardi" on Friday nights. Another hometown TV genius, Ernie Anderson, was the twisted personality that presented D-grade Sci Fi movies with comedy segments during the breaks. I was lucky enough to visit Anderson's home because a good friend knew his daughter. The man who coined the phrase Coooool-it went on to be the voice of ABC for many years. The bits that Conway wrote for Ghoulardi were the sillies, grimace-inducing stuff of and for teenage minds, like mine. RIP funnyman and thanks.
9
He was truly the "elephant" noise in the room.
5
Mr.,Conway's old man character was supposedly the genesis of Gene Rayburn's portrayal of "Old Man Perriwinkle," a character who was featured in questions on "Match Game."
For all of his zaniness on "The Carol Burnett Show," the defining moment was his ad-libbed "elephant story" during a sketch with "Eunice and Mama"; the final ad-lib coming from Vicki Lawrence, as "Mama," brought the house down at CBS Television City, like no earthquake ever dared.
14
RIP Tim Conway, you brought millions of laughs to millions of people.
16
Aw, Tim!
6
Funny is funny and Tim Conway was funny and cleaver and nimble and a master of physical comedy. I was blessed to spend some great Saturday nights in the 70s watching him on the Carol Burnett Show. Back then we had a week's wait for more of his antics that broke up his castmates. Now whenever it come to mind you go to YouTube and get a Conway comedy fix. Thank you Mr. Conway and condolences to your family.
16
My father took me and my sister to see The Apple Dumpling Gang when it first was released. I think he laughed way more than me and my sister (and anyone else in the theater, too).
3
Still funny after all these years. Rest in Peace.
11
I'm sure he'll trip,fall,or stumble through the pearly gates! Rest in peace Tim. You were the source of many a hilarious hour of television for me in my youth. Thank you.
7
Didn't he have the record for the most short-lived show? I think Turn-On was canceled at the first commercial break but was allowed to finish the half hour before being permanently killed.
1
Way to miss the point, Jeff Kisseloff.
9
His "dentist" skit was the funniest thing ever shown on TV, in my opinion. He was truly a gift from a God with a sense of humor.
24
Bingo, William Burgess Leavenworth !
4
This morning I'm moving like Tim Conway!
6
another clown has bit the dust/leaving us a bit nonplussed/where TV goofballs once fun made/we now have tweets that hotheads trade
22
Watch Tim Conway’s Elephant Story (link in YouTube)- with the sound off. Try not to laugh.
You can’t.
Neither could Carol, Vicki, or Lyle.
Now that’s the definition of funny.
16
I still treat myself every now and then watching Carol Burnet Show repeat - still terribly funny! RIP Mr. Conway.
13
Gee, I didn’t know he was still living.
I think there is a sort of lost innocence with this generation. While performers like him were savvy and sophisticated they played to an audience of mostly simple people which allowed their skits to be less cynical and sarcastic than the run of the mill stuff of today. I mourn his and that passing.
14
Tim Conway grew up in Greater Cleveland, Ohio, Chagrin Falls in particular. He and Ernie Anderson were good friends and did local comedy together. Baby Boomers from Northeastern Ohio remember Ernie Anderson as Ghoulardie, the Friday late night local TV host to 1940's and 1950's horror movies in the 1960's. Sometime in the mid or late 1960's Tim and Ernie decide to leave Ohio for California. Ernie got a job narrating many commercials in the 1970's and 1980's. Tim got called to a part in McHale's Navy. Later he acted in films with Don Knotts in Disney movies and became a regular member of the Carol Burnett Show. I remember when he came on the "Tonight Show" and got Johnny Carson howling with his character Dorf golfing. Tim Conway had a gift for comedic acting similar to the greats of the Silent Movie Era, Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton.
12
A kind, gentle, funny man is gone, leaving a legacy and example for us all.
Bless your heart Mr. Conway. May we in some small measure live up to your delightful, side-splitting example.
27
Thank you, Mr. Slotnik, for this fine obit.
Thank you, Mr. Conway, for all the laughs through all the years. His ensemble work with Ernest Borgnine and Co. on McHale's Navy was great. And his work with Carol Burnett and Harvey Korman was as great as TV comedy ever got. Brilliant.
And thank you, Ms. Burnett. You and your whole team provided so many wonderful laughs to all of us for many years.
May Tim rest in peace. This may be hard, as wherever he is, the folks will be laughing in the aisles as soon as he shows up.
24
@Dochoch Who's Mr. Slotnik?
As a kid I would watch The Carol Burnett Show and try to impersonate Tim Conway's slow motion tumbling - down the living room stairs. Brilliant comedian.
8
A funny and gentle man.
Sure to get me laughing out loud!
Loved his oldest man, among his other characters!
Thanks for the joy!
11
Rest with God, Tim.
11
Mr Conway was a great great comedian. I remember watching Carol Burnett reruns after school as a kid. Warm, funny, much appreciated. He left the world a better place. That’s something to aspire to.
21
Goodbye, Mr. Conway. Your humor was infectious and instinctual. As a child, I experienced some of my most heartfelt laughs from your collaborations with Don Knotts. These memories have not faded with the years. Thank you.
9
I loved watching him every Saturday night on the Carol Burnett show! What a comic genius! RIP We will miss you but thank goodness your sketches will accessible to future generations.
11
RIP Tim. Tim was a wonderful comedian whose work evokes pure joy to this day. He will be sorely missed.
7
I loved watching Tim Conway when I was little. He made me laugh so much, especially on roller skates. The scene that sticks in my head is when he got his roller skate stuck in a storm drain. (I don't know if the movie was "Roll, Freddy, Roll" or another movie). I loved his goofy, physical humor and kind, gentle manner. I loved him in The CB show with Harvey Korman, but the roller skating scenes were formative. :) Thanks for making me laugh. Best wishes to his friends and family.
8
Another great son of Ohio. So funny and talented. Rest in peace,
6
The line is Dying is easy, Comedy is hard, and Tim made it look effortless, the mark of a true one in a million comedian. I came of age in his heyday and I was lucky to see him perform for years. Thank you Tim for all those great memories.
10
He was a gift to us...Thank You Tim
32
I don't subscribe to TV but watch streaming video- a lot of You Tube and have just recently been watching re-runs of Carol Burnett show- especially the elephant mockery, "dentist" and "star assistant" aiding Korman --where Conway is the best. It can't get any better than the clean comedy shows of Carol Burnett, and Andy Griffith. Still watch these shows (and Seinfeld).
After all these years, these shows continue to have a following. And yes it is the baby boomers era but are classics.
No violence, no profanity, no sex, somewhat silly but still viewed by many.
Saddens me to see these comedians pass. Each generation has its reverence, its mindset and Tim Conway, and as one pointed out, Don Knotts are the top of the list. I don't think I will ever tire from watching these shows as it brings a comfort level to my day.
32
RIP Tim. Thanks for making the world laugh and smile. As a little kid I was always excited to watch the Carol Burnett show- the humor was great for all ages.
24
A funny, sweet man who made millions laugh. God bless you, Tim
19
Tim Conway had to have been an inspiration for Michael Richards' Kramer.
3
Yes, he was amazing on the Carol Burnett show but I love the scenes he did with Joe Flynn and Carl Ballantine on "McHale's Navy".
6
He was right up there with Don Knotts. They were funny and kind.
25
The character wasn't "the old man," it was "the oldest man." C'mon man!
17
During these dark days of our country,I find myself googling shows like the Carol Burnett show.Tim Conway was always so silly and funny.During the 60's, loved watching McHales Navy with my father,who served on a PT boat in the South Pacific.I think we have all forgotten to laugh often.RIP Mr. Conway, and thank you for all of the laughs!
41
@Nora
The economy is humming, the stock market is high, inflation is low, unemployment is nearly nil, and we’re not at war. Dark days indeed.
Cast away that ominous political cloud above your head and step into the light of humor and joy. These are sunny days... even in New England.
4
@Nora
My favorite is the dentist episode. Watching an interview with Tim Conway, he stated that Korman actually wet his pants from laughter while filming that skit.
9
@Chris happiness is not defined by money or lack of war. there is ethical behavior and honor.
Two qualities that are sorely lacking in the upper levels of usa politics these day but were shown and held in high regard every saturday night on the carol burnett show.
True Happy days will be here again.
bet the house on it.
16
If you have ever been on a stage and tried to not laugh at someone trying to break you up, you would appreciate Mr. Conway even more. He had the best laughing out of character even as they tried their best.
27
You forgot to mention "Turn On."
The world just got a bit less funny. And thank you, Mr. Conway, for defending Seattle 1956-58.
24
@Chuck Albertson
"Turn-On." If that was that series that was cancelled in '68 after only one episode, can you BLAME the Times for omitting that show, no less Tim Conway's appearance on same?
I can just picture Harvey Korman waiting for Tim Conway at the entrance to Heaven's version of the Comedy Store, tapping his big foot and saying in his unique nasal tone, "Well, it sure took you long enough . . ." No doubt they will be yucking' it up for all eternity.
Gosh, I miss him. I miss Harvey Korman. I miss that entire cast and their priceless weekly comedy hour on CBS.
64
Back when families actually watched television together on Saturday nights! Tim Conway would have my parents in stitches. A true master of slapstick and physical comedy, and we won't see the likes of him any time soon.
40
The Carole Burnett Show was always great. But the very best part was watching Tim Conway crack the rest of the gang up. Watching Carole and Harvey Korman laugh so hard at Tim's antics they couldn't go on was the highlight of many an episode. He once made Harvey laugh so hard, Harvey fell off the arm of a sofa on the set.
Tim Conway routinely made me laugh until I cried.
The world is not as funny a place tonight as when he was still here. If there is a heaven, the angels must be roaring with laughter.
RIP to a funny, funny man.
48
They don't make comedies-- or comedians-- like that anymore. Why? Imagine all those laughs were generated by dialogue that did not have to refer sex (or rude/crude jokes) in order to get a laugh. Younger people today would be shocked that any such approach to comedy could be successful. You were a true talent, Tim Conway.
45
@freepress2019 my teenagers love to watch reruns of the shows I grew up with: Carol Burnett, Three's Company, Bewitched, Little House, and Tom and Jerry. Each show is always followed by lively discussion and disbelief over the differences between now and then.
8
@freepress2019
It wasn't that they "did not have to" use crude humor, it was that they legally couldn't. As is true of so many creative endeavors, constraints resulted in heightened creativity. We viewers benefited.
7
@freepress2019 Tim Conway was also a master of physical comedy something also that the younger people today are unfamiliar.
5
The Dental skit on the CB show! https://youtu.be/nF_C3bO8WZ0
15
To see a comedic genius at work late in his career, look up the “30 Rock” video with Tim Conway as “Bucky Bright.” We should always mourn those who bring joy to the world. RIP, Mr. Conway.
13
First Doris Day yesterday, now Tim Conway today--both distinct personalities that were unique--unlike today where everyone seems the same.
20
Tim Conway and Harvey Korman cracking up on live tv was the best and there have been none like them since! Carol Burnett would lose it when those two started - or vice versa!
How I miss laughing at funny stuff. Now it's all mean and demeaning.
19
I still remember a sketch where Carol played Queen Elizabeth, Harvey Norman Prince Philip, both awarding a medal to Conway, a Royal Navy sailor who survived an accident alive but lost all of his innards--with Maggie Smith as Conway's Cockney girlfriend!
What humor!
15
Will there every be anything as good on television as the Saturday night line-up in the early 1970s? And Tim Conway was a big part of that. He made me laugh until my sides hurt.
18
Thanks Tim; you made lots of laughs which in the scheme of things, is a super epitath.
My favorite Conway skit was when he was a minister at the pulpit, preaching about the evils of alcohol. It was on one of the Burnett shows, and had me in stitches. What a natural comedian.
Condolences to his family.
12
I will always remember the countless times he brought tears to my eyes with laughter. Ever since the internet phrase "ROFL Rolling On The Floor Laughing" came out, I still think of Tim Conway. As a kid whose favorite show was "McHale's Navy" every year I was irritated because Don Knotts kept winning the Emmy. Luckily, we have a lot of copies of him and his antics and his skits with Harvey Korman. Laugh On, Mr. Conway. As Keanu Reeves said the other night "You will be missed."
13
A man that made me laugh and cry so often. What a talent. That he enjoyed being funny made him that much better. When he made Carol break script and laugh, he was the picture of happy. I don't know, but my sense is that he died contentedly, knowing that he laughed more than most and that he made the country laugh as few others have done. Can't help but think that he may have cracked a few one liners on his death bed. Some happiness and laughter have left us today and I'm deeply saddened.
30
I've had the (unrecognized) good luck to have suffered a few truly bad secretaries. Tim Conway's brilliant portrayal of "Mr Tudball" suffering as the boss of Carol Burnett's "Miss Whiggins" kept me laughing and sane.
34
My mom sure loved that guy.
11
Watching him with Carol Burnett in that scene from "Gone With the Wind".......it killed me. Rest In Peace, Tim.
43
@Nan
My favorite episode, "Went with the Wind".
"That gown is gorgeous", to which Starlet replies "Thank you, I saw it in the window and I just couldn't resist it".
11
@Marge Keller Oh gosh, Carol wearing the dress made of the drapes - complete with the curtain rod. Can't even look for a second without laughing.
5
Of all the losing Americans have recently suffered, this one hurts the most. I laugh just at thinking the name of Tim Conway. He was a great joy in the American Century and I will never forget the humor. (Misses awhiggens, misses awhiggens!)
123
RIP Tim! Those were the "good ol' days", Now we have Trump and sjw's....not near as much fun as you were!!!
5
One word - fnorki.
21
Comic genius. Anyone remember how, when he was playing the Old Man, the tone of his voice would suddenly change at the end of a sentence? Like when he was playing the Old Man butcher and said to customer Harvey Korman, "You want hotdogs or you want a... weeeeneeeee?"
26
Dang it.
12
The Dentist with Harvey Korman. The ad lib story of the monkey and the siamese elephants.
30
Mr. Tudball -- genius! One of the most hysterical skits he ever did on the Carol Burnett Show was when he "tumbled" UP the stairs in slow motion.
His humor and joy he brought will not be forgotten.
31
What joy and laughter he and his Carol Burnett partners brought to us all. Those were the good old days of comedy. May he rest in peace.
26
Tim Conway and Harvey Korman had a standing bet: $1 for each time that the other guy caused them to break up during taping. The result was so skewed in favor of Conway that Korman used to like to say that he paid for the college tuition of all of Conway's kids.
51
Twenty-nineteen is increasingly becoming ONE OF THOSE YEARS! As was the case in, say, 1998, 2009, 2012 and 2016, celebrities are--THAT'S! right--dropping like flies. Tim Conway was the latest "third celebrity," the other two having been (in reverse order) Doris Day and Peggy Lipton.
5
From an era when the comedy shows were funny and the laughs were real.
44
@From Where I Sit
And the humor wasn't mean or hurtful - simply funny and smart.
5
My son, 13, will be sad to hear this sad news when he comes back from school today. He has been watching the Brunett Show almost daily for the last year or so.
Rest in peace, Tim, and thank you for the gift of laughter you shared with us and which continues after you are gone..
20
Tim Conway was a giant and legend in the field of comedy! He never needed to be crass or vulgar to make us laugh! Now, we are left with the likes of Morgan, Sandler, and Silverman, whose shticks reflect our culture’s rush to the gutter! Rest In Peace, Tim! You will be missed...
10
I can not see a picture or story about him without it bringing a smile to my face. Even tho this is a very sad story I immediately think of Mr. Tudball and smile. That's a great legacy even in his passing you cant help but smile.
22
So sad to hear about Tim Conway's passing. I loved seeing him on "The Carol Burnett Show" and watch the repeats on MeTV.
He was great as Mr. Tudball with Carol as "Mrs. Wiggins". He always made me laugh. I also loved him in "McHale's Navy". We'll never see anyone like him again. My condolences to his family.
15
Tim Conway was a comic genius. From the shuffling old man to Mr. Tudwall. And the way he could make Harvey Korman crack up in the middle of a sketch was comedic gold. Sometimes he made me laugh so hard that I couldn't breathe.
27
Tim Conway was one of the all-time funniest improvisation actors ever. His skits would make people laugh until they cried, like the Siamese Elephant sketch, including the stars, cast and crews of his shows. His main role on the Carol Burnette Show was to get Harvey Korman to break character and "crack-up" laughing. He succeeded, often. RIP Mr. Conway. You will be sorely missed.
22
Mr Conway, thanks for all the laughs. R.I.P.
17
Mr. Tudball -- genius! One of the most hysterical skits he ever did on the Carol Burnett Show was when he "tumbled" UP the stairs in slow motion.
His humor and the joy he brought will not be forgotten.
14
Who can forget him in the film The Aristocrats?
Back-to-back days of losing Ohio greats.
12
I may have been too young to catch Tim Conway's most popular work, but the episode of 30 Rock in which he guest stars was profoundly meaningful to me. This one line was in particular, spoken by Mr Conway (from memory, and may not be exact):
"If you want to make something beautiful, you have to make a mess of it first. It doesn't matter if you're making an omelet, or a baby, or a TV show - things are gonna get weird!"
So true. Thanks, Tim, and rest in peace.
20
One of my favorite comics of all time, for his flawless timing, and his ability to have his body tell the joke.
The dentist bit with Harvey Korman is a treasure. I still laugh out loud every time I watch it.
Thanks, Tim.
15
What a wonderful legacy this wonderful man left behind. I lived in Chagrin Falls, just a block up and over from the house he had lived in. I don't think any of his family members remained in town, even at that time, but the town took great pride in him. Occasionally, on McHale's Navy (I think), he'd wear a Chagrin Falls sweatshirt as a wink to home.
Thank you to Carol Burnett for having the generosity of spirit to let her team truly be a team. She could have hogged the spotlight, but she didn't. The ensemble had such a great time with each other, it was impossible not to share in their pleasure.
RIP, and condolences to his family.
80
@Larry
Tim Conway's close friend Ernie Anderson was better known as the voice-over person for ABC television for many years (the "Lo-o-ove Boat"), as well as a slew of commercials. He went to Hollywood from Cleveland after being urged by Conway.
Anderson also made desultory appearances on the Burnett show, mostly from the audience. Anderson is the father of Oscar-nominated actor Paul Thomas Anderson.
Ernie Anderson as Ghoulardi was a counterculture force during the Industrial Era in Cleveland. His story would make an interesting movie, but only with notes from someone who lived it. In this postmodern era, a millennial would not understand it. In between the beatniks and hippies, there was Anderson, Conway, and Big Chuck Shodowski in a town that was Dickensian in tough guys and pollution.
It is said that Tim Conway's beat up VW bug broke down in the wee hours of a snowy, Cleveland night. Anderson stopped for assistance, and the rest was history.
11
I was just watching an interview with Tim Conway, Harvey Korman and Larry King from more than a few years ago and Conway was explaining that the focus of the Carol Burnett Show was to examine the humor in everyday situations or things, like "saran wrap." Or ordering a coffee from a machine. Or going to the dentist. Indeed.
I once had a long layover in Europe very early in the morning and the television show at all-day cafe put on an edited compilation of skits from The Carol Burnett Show. Word must've gotten around the terminal as more and more people -- all ages, from all over the world -- first smiled, then laughed and started touching/punching each other in hysterics. When it was over, people clapped. Burnett, Korman, Lawerence and Conway: gifts to one and all.
Godspeed Tim Conway. Thanks.
63
@MB
This whole time reading this obituary and these comments I've done nothing but smile, and laugh, but this comment did it, now I've got tears rolling down my cheeks.
That's what the most valuable comedy does. It doesn't just make the audience laugh. It makes the audience family.
My late maternal grandmother and my dad didn't have much in common but the three of us loved The Carol Burnett Show and in particular Tim Conway. It was on early in the evening, and on those Saturday nights when we'd gathered to share a meal (and perhaps the occasional current-events flare-up—it was the Nixon era), we wouldn't drive home until we'd watched it and laughed together.
Oddly enough, the only other series actor I remember the three of us agreeing on was Flip Wilson, and writing this made me think of something Tim and Flip had in common—other than that both had fun with what they were doing—was how hilarious they were to watch just listening to someone else, looking sideways at them.
You viscerally felt them doing the passive acts of listening and thinking. You never knew just what their response would be but you were already laughing when it came.
Thank you Carol, Tim, Harvey, Vicki and the writers, for playfully creating something that united three generations in family-friendly, kind-hearted, stress-relieving laughter when I was a child, which could still unite that diverse European airport in the same affectionate hysterics decades later.
That is priceless, and surely eternal.
16
A great man honoring a great man. Thank you, Bruce Weber. To any of us who were lucky enough to watch Tim Conway through the years, your words breathed life and hilarity into each and every mention.
11
The world had millions of laughs from your brilliant wit.
Laughter is the best medicine.
Rest In Peace, Mr. Conway
14
I have fond memories of looking forward to watching The Carol Burnett show many, many years ago on Saturday nights as a teenage babysitter. Tim Conway sketches with Harvey Korman were pure talent and hilarious, and viewers saw the joy they had together.
13
I loved the times he made Carol Burnett struggle to stay in character, and suppress her laughter. (And I was so happy to see him in a cameo on "30 Rock", interacting, dead-pan, with "Kenneth", perhaps the last time I saw him perform.)
Thanks, Tim Conway.
6
Tim Conway’s humor transcended any potential obstacle: race, sex, religion, politics, etc. He was just plain funny. I remember when Tim went on stage during Harvey Korman’s Emmy acceptance speech. It was a moment that defined both Tim and Harvey. Look it up on YouTube.
I am fortunate enough to be of the generation that grew up watching Tim on television as his career rose.
Thanks Tim. God bless you and your family.
14
He was such a terrific talent and a brilliant comic; for me, when he was on "McHales's Navy".
In the past 3 days, both TV and the world of film has lost Peggy Lipton from "The Mod Squad", Doris Day from all over yesterday, and Tim Conway this morning.
All will be sorely missed.
7
@Easy Goer
They say that celebrities in general pass away in threes, Easy Goer. Is it just me or is this the possible beginning of a cycle of celebrities "dropping like flies" at a faster rate than even when we lost, for instance, Andre Previn, NBA legend John Havlicek and R&B singer James Ingram earlier this year? One thing's for sure: Peggy Lipton, Doris Day and Tim Conway left us in very quick succession. (Only Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson died in quicker succession. [And that's not counting the passing of Ed McMahon a day or so prior to that of Fawcett.])
1
The man was a genius athlete. Anyone could fall down stairs, but Conway not only did it in incredible slow motion - he also fell UP stairs in incredible slow motion.
15
Oh. Watching the Carol Burnett show each week with my grandparents.
Absolutely delightful memories for a lifetime!
11
There it goes, another piece of my heart broken. Tim was one of the most creative, talented and funniest comedians we've ever had the honor and the great good fun to watch and I will miss him with the same devotion I looked forward to watching him on television. I get the same feeling of anticipation when I play the tapes I have of his creations. The moments of fun and wonder at his subtle talent and the same every time. Goodbye, and thank you Tim!
11
Of course we watched him on the Carol Burnett Show and, when he and Harvey Korman came to Austin, we went to one of two Sunday afternoon matinees. It was hysterical magic and included the dentist sketch. Everyone in the audience was over 50 and we laughed the entire 90 minutes. He lives on in memory and those old Carol Burnett Shows. Thank you, sir.
10
@JanerMP
And in "McHale's Navy" just over a decade to just shy of a decade-and-a-half prior to Conway being part of the cast of "The Carol Burnett Show."
@David I watched this but cannot remember Tim in this. Thanks
I miss him. I enjoyed his shows, "McHale's Navy" and "The Carol Burnett Show," growing up. TV was an event.
There are no more good or truly funny shows being made now. There is not one reason to turn on the TV now except for the news, commentary, or sports.
Another class act from a passing generation who could make us all laugh and enjoy life, at least for a moment or two (with enduring memories of those laughs), without having to be vulgar and/or miserably political.
It is a loss for us all.
13
I still watch reruns of McHale's Navy on YouTube. Ernest Borgnine as Lt. Commander Quinton McHale and his XO, Ensign Charles Parker, Mr. Conway. A funny show you couldn't make today due to a sometimes overly politically correct world.
I miss the crew of the PT-73 pulling fast ones over on old "Lead Bottom", Captain Binghamton, played by Joe Flynn.
Rest in Peace, Ensign Parker. Thanks for the laughs, Tim Conway.
2
On the topic of short-lived series Tim Conway was involved in: He was on "Turn-On," which lasted one episode.
Oh my, he grew up in Chagrin Falls. I mean, the man's whole life was a God-gifted sense of humor. I can't believe he didn't see the humor in that, too. His work made you laugh til your stomach hurt. Lovely man.
6
So so sad to hear this. Sunday nights, watching the Carol Burnett show with my family (parents now gone), cracking up along with the cast. What a great time it was.
8
Hard to believe that his career was picking up just as Doris Day's was winding down. How come I picture them in a movie together? It's a very pleasant thought...
1
The thinking about his old man character, makes me laugh out loud.
Truly, he was a funny, funny man.
8
Few like he could make me cry from laughing so hard. Thank you so much.
9
The Burnett comedy trio of Carol, Tim and Harvey crossed generations. My then little boy adored Mr. Tudball. The last year of the show, SNL had arrived and snatched some awards. But each female star of SNL has to thank the comic timing of the best comic trio on TV. Bless you Mr. Tudball.
6
The dentist was good and a departure from W.C. Fields dentist.
1
Like Jonathan Winters, Tim Conway had me in stitches in my single digit early years. I’d sit myself down at 8pm tuned to cbs channel 2 for carol and her crew. Loved when he shuffled across the floor moving as ‘fast’ as he could. Geesh, this is so sad. My heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.
10
I have missed Tim Conway for years -he brought so much laughter and pure hilarity to Television.Thanks a million for including the spot on The Dentist in your telling of his work in the movies and on TV.I saw it originally and roared with laughter and in seeing it again just now I laughed out loud.It is a classic and I hope that young readers who smile at social media will listen to it and realize just how funny and joyful TV use to be.Carol Burnett, Harvey Korman , and Tim Conway were all comic geniuses -it was a privilege to see their show each week.
89
What a loss. Tim Conway brought so much joy. The dentist sketch and the elephant story from the Carol Burnett show are two of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. They’re on YouTube - I think I’ll watch them again, laugh, and raise a glass.
54
Made us laugh, now we sigh. Thanks Mr. Conway, you were a funny guy.
33
Thanks for the moments of pure joy. Proof of the good in this world.
50
Tim Conway was pure gold as a comic 'second banana', a term that does a disfavor to him. He was a rare find, a star waiting to happen. On his own he could carry a skit but when he and Harvey Korman, another supremely gifted funnyman got together the result was gangbusters. And when Carol Burnett joined them it was a megawatt explosion. I have to add Vicki Lawrence to this triumvirate, she was the fourth jewel in the crown that catapulted the Carol Burnett Show into the History Books.
In particular, Burnett's Eunice, Korman as her beleaguered ,
husband, Conway as the hapless friend and Lawrence as the killjoy mother to end all mothers, that was comic scriptwriting ,directing and acting Made in Heaven. Those skits were small masterpieces where very dark drama lay just below the surface. Human frailty and sadness was never more artfully presented in the name of outright laughter. Just go to You Tube and observe : comedy classics for all time.
72
@mikeo26
And don't forget Lyle Waggoner.
10
@nom de guerre
Tim Conway succeeded Lyle Waggoner on "The Carol Burnett Show," remember. (Or did Conway actually become a member of that show's cast a year after Waggoner left?)
1
@David
They were on the show together. The interrogation sketch et. al.
2
Goodbye to a true comedic genius whose delivery of unrelenting humor left his co-stars and audience breathless with laughter for decades. There will never be another Tim Conway.
30
This one crushes me. The Carol Burnett Show was the best program ever and Tim Conway was the funniest man alive.
The outtakes where he talks about the elephant makes me laugh to tears today.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3qqE_WmagjY
Why do these amazing people have to leave us? I'm gutted.
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@John Harrington
Cannot agree more. Funniest skit I have ever seen. I roll on the floor every time I watch.
Thanks for the memories.
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@John Harrington
I think the siamese elephants was about the best ad-libbed comedy sketch EVER!
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@Ginia
Poor elephants. They could only go norkey!
8
Guess it's time for me to go. I hardly know the name of anyone in showbiz still alive and working.
22
"Mr. Conway’s career had a serendipitous beginning. After mustering out of the Army in the late 1950s, he was working for a television station in Cleveland, writing, directing and occasionally performing, creating characters for comedy spots on a show devoted to movies."
You've got to be kidding! Could you not also have said that he worked with Ernie Anderson, another comic-genius at WJW-TV in Cleveland where they created the Ghoulardi character?
Mr. Conway, you will be missed.
10
@Larry
Anybody who knows a thing about Tim Conway's Cleveland TV roots knows that Ernie Anderson was a co-worker of his at WJW-TV. Every obituary I read about Anderson mentioned--and unless I'm mistaken, the entry about him in a certain online encyclopedia--mentioned Tim Conway and his time at the station.
@Larry I'm from Canton, Ohio and we never missed Ghoulardi on Friday night! So funny! We looked forward to it all week!
4
@Larry I had no idea that Tim Conway was associated with Ghoulardi, wow!
Such a gifted goofball! The immensely talented Carol Burnett owned Conway a lot for what he brought to her show. It was indeed a kinder, gentler time in comedy and Conway was spot on for those times.
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@Clyde
She knew, and always acknowledged him gratefully. And once said, vehemently, that he'd had more bits stolen from him than any comic actor in Hollywood.
13
My mom rented “dwarf on golf” for me when I was home from school one day back in the 80s. A masterpiece of absurd, physical comedy!!!
10
One of the funniest people on the planet. RIP Tim.
28
It is difficult to sum up Conway's achievements in comedy. He is in a class by himself, as are Jonathan Winters and Don Knotts.
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Tim was a great actor
11
I will always remember Mr. Conway cracking up poor Harvey Korman on any given skit on the marvelous Carol Burnet Show. Always a pleasure watching this man.
RIP Mr. Conway, and thank you for all of the laughs.
92
Funny man. RIP.
9
Reading Tim Conway’s obituary broke my heart. I had a difficult time just typing the first sentence.
This one hurts and stings a bit.
I grew up watching Mr. Conway develop his comedic talents, especially his facial expressions and various bodily stunts back in the McHale’s Navy series.
His true brilliance emerged when he became a Carol Burnett Show regular. Her grace and generosity allowed Mr. Conway to take center stage often times which allowed him to explore, expand and create various characters all the while participating in the multi-dimensional comic ensemble. A simple look or gesture would bring Harvey Korman to his knees in tears from laughing. The ad-lib and spontaneity of his humor has been hard matched. The “13 WKS” license plate is a classic!
The best part about Tim Conway was his sweet and gentle nature. He didn’t generate laughs in a mean or cruel way or at someone else’s expense. He was just funny and knew how to bring out the best humor in his colleagues.
Even while watching some of his old 1970s clips on You Tube, he can still generate such laughter that his viewers are roaring. He was so loved and admired and respected.
First we lost Doris Day on Monday and now Tim Conway on Tuesday. I dread what the remainder of the week may bring. What’s truly sad is that there are many generations who don’t have a clue who Tim Conway was or why he was so funny and unique.
Deepest condolences to Mr. Conway’s family, friends, and many, many fans.
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@Marge Keller
And on Sunday, we lost Peggy Lipton, a co-star of the late '60's and early '70's TV series "The Mod Squad." Is it just me or is this the beginning of the latest three-celebrity-deaths-in-a-row at a faster rate than even prior to the passings of, say, Andre Previn and Boston Celtics legend John Havlicek earlier this year?
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@Marge Keller
Concur. He would make himself the joke and humor and was an absolute genius at it.
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@David
Thanks for remembering Ms. Lipton. I feel as if these folks are from my generation, well, pretty close in many ways.
I always imagined movie stars are my pals, hanging out with me on my farm while I played with the dogs and cats.
I realize that sounds goofy, but growing up, these celebrities were always on TV either in movies, comedy shows or series.
Books were really expensive in my house and going to the public library was never an easy task because we lived so far from it. So, for companionship and entertainment, the TV with its many sitcoms, "Early Show" movies at 3:30 p.m. and evening comedy shows, was my outlet for fun, imagination and creativity.
I truly feel as if I've lost some very dear and wonderful friends.
12
Thanks for the smiles, laughs and guffaws. His silly, comedic antics still hold up.
12
There was, is, and never will be anyone one like him.
15
Tim Conway was one of the funniest comedic actors ever. He lit up the TV. Teaming up with Harvey Korman was comedy gold. What else can we say? He was the best of his day. He stands shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Sid Caesar, Jackie Gleason, and Red Skelton. Such joy he brought to millions. That's how you do it.
50
A very likable goof ball performer who seems to have been respected and admired by his co-workers. A second generation American who would not have been here if not for his immigrant parents. Hmmmmm.
14
My goodness; all the great people of film and the arts in general are slowly falling from the world. I adored the skits from the Caril Burnett show. I remember sitting in my livingroom, laughing hysterically at amazing talent. Real talent. Oh, how I long for the days of old. They race by without our permission. I certainly have found memories of the Great Ones.
15
Reading Tim Conway’s obituary broke my heart. I had a difficult time just typing the first sentence.
This one hurts and stings.
I grew up watching Mr. Conway develop his comedic talents, especially his facial expressions and various bodily stunts back in the McHale’s Navy days.
His true brilliance emerged when he became a Carol Burnett Show regular. Her grace & generosity allowed Mr. Conway to take center stage often times thus allowing him to explore, expand & create various characters all the while participating in the multi-dimensional comic ensemble.
A simple look or gesture would bring Harvey Korman to his knees in tears from laughing. The ad-lib and spontaneity of his humor has been hard matched. The “13 WKS” license plate is a classic!
The best part about Tim Conway was his sweet and gentle nature. He didn’t generate laughs in a mean or cruel way or at someone else’s expense. He was just funny and knew how to bring out the best humor in his colleagues.
Even while watching some of his old 1970s clips on You Tube, he can still generate such laughter that his viewers roari. He was so loved and admired and respected.
First we lost Doris Day on Monday and now Tim Conway on Tuesday. I dread what the remainder of the week may bring.
What’s truly sad is that there are many generations who don’t have a clue who Tim Conway was or why he was so funny and unique. He made me laugh by merely standing still.
Deepest condolences to his family, friends & fans.
10
Boy, the Obit Dept of the Times is getting a workout lately.
Sad to hear about Mr. Conway. A genuinely funny man, proved by the fact that he regularly broke up other very funny comic actors, i.e. Ms. Burnett and the late, great Harvey Korman. Even Vicki Lawrence wasn't proof against his timing and talent for ad-libbing.
13
His skit when he plays a dentist that accidentally injects novocaine into his hands is classic.
122
A genuine and timeless funny man. His comedy reminds you how often he made you convulse into a real, can't breathe, wet your pants beet red belly laugh. Who can make you do that today? RIP Tim!
38
What a great loss to the world. He and Robin Williams were the only 2 comedians who could make me laugh until I cried. Both were geniuses at what they did and they gave the world so much laughter in good times and bad. RIP Tim. The Mama's Family sketch on the Carol Burnett Show when Dick Van Dyke was on is still one of the funniest moments on any screen.
21
My favorite sketch was the dentist!! I was fortunate to have met mr Conway and mr Knotts during the first apple dumpling gang filming they were both wonderful and funny as hell... RIP
31
Another great legend gone. I loved him in the Carol Burnett show. He was a true comedic genius.
14
He and my mom were childhood best friends growing up outside of Cleveland and she always talked about how much they cared for each other.
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As a kid growing up in the 70s, I loved watching The Carol Burnett Show with my parents. I will always remember the way my parents howled at Tim Conway's sketches. Their laughter became my laughter, and I am grateful to him for those memories.
More laughter is what the world needs nowadays.
My deepest condolences to his family and friends. May he rest in peace and eternal humor.
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This brings back so many happy memories with my mom — Oh, how we loved watching Tim Conway on the Carol Burnett Show! We used to have “races” across the kitchen floor as The Old Man, and shared many little catch phrases from his characters on the show. Thanks for so many laughs & great memories, Tim Conway!
22
I loved watching the Carol Burnett show with my parents. That Ms. Burnett, Harvey Korman and Tim Conway could nake us all laugh. We all waited to see what he would say or do to break Carol and especially Harvey.
I always wondered if he was the inspiration for the Swedish Chef.
18
Thank you Mr. Conway. My childhood was not always easy, but I could always count on you to crack me up watching the Carol Burnett Show. I looked forward to seeing it every week, and especially because of you.
A unique and comically gifted man. You sensed something tender about him.
May he rest in joyful peace.
85
I watched the Carol Burnett show when I was a teenager, and have many fond memories of laughing til I cried at Tim Conway’s performances.
RIP Mr Conway.
13
Tim Conway was a comedic genius. Many of his skits on The Carol Burnett Show brought me to tears laughing. I’m also old enough to remember his antics on McHale’s Navy. A funny, funny man and it seems quite modest as well.
Condolences to his family.
18
When I was very young in Cleveland, I had the opportunity to work with Mr. Conway, playing opposite him in a short radio spot for the local electric company. It was my first crack at acting and I was very nervous. Tim was very kind and kept me at ease during the session just by being himself. He seemed to consider what we were doing to be as much play as it was work.
To this day, I remember him as being the same person behind the scenes as he was in front of the camera or microphone. He took joy in what he did. I'll miss him.
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Conway and Burnett. Two of the greatest and most thoughtful comics ever.
Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence, Lyle Waggoner were right there with them.
The sketches these cast members and guests put together are simply timeless and they do not lose anything even in the modern day.
They brought a lot of joy to me growing up.
Thank you Tim and Carol and Harvey and Vicki and Lyle, and everyone who joined in on the fun.
And Tim you were utterly unique!
28
Still laughing every day at Tim Conway on McHale's Navy (metv) and Carol Burnett (attv). He and Harvey Korman are priceless together. Thank you for all the laughs through all the years. The best gift you can give a person. R.I.P.
12
Noooo--not Tim Conway, too. As though losing our democracy and Doris Day weren't enough.
I had a Pavlovian response to Tim Conway--I started laughing as soon as I saw his face.
To his family, my sincere condolences. I hope knowing how much joy your father/grandfather brought to this planet will be of some comfort. It was certainly of comfort to me.
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@AH
I, too, would start laughing before he even SAID anything. His appearance is the final.scene is "The Aristocrats " and, in a very funny movie already, he just KILLS it in his quiet, inimitable way.
10
@AH
Pavlovian response! Awesome.
It really was like that because you simply knew that the gut busting, tear inducing, roll on the floor laughter was coming and your body and psyche simply could not wait!
9
One of the funniest people ever to appear on a TV screen. He seemed to relish not just being funny for the audience, but also for his fellow performers. There is a little less laughter in the world today.
53
A bad week for falling icons of old. Very fond memories watching Tim Conway on The Carol Burnet Show with my late parents. My father would literally cry with laughter...His favorite was the dentist/novocaine skit.
I doubt many of the streaming shows will last as long or reverberate as deeply.
12
Look up the "Newscast" bit on youtube. I was traveling with my father in 1970 from Texas to Massachusetts and we saw this in our motel room. I don't think we'd ever laughed so hard together. Thanks, Tim, for the laughs and the memories.
10
I always felt his humour cut across all cultures.
Thank you for all the laughs Mr. Conway.
26
Mr. Conway was a brilliant comic actor. He seemed so kind and funny you wished he could be your friend. So sorry for this news, it makes an already strange world less habitable.
16
Count the pantheon of '20 and '21st century comedians and Tim Conway is well within the top ten. Here was a face that alone make you smile. More times than not, once he opened his mouth, I was howling. He was the master unique physical humor. Long live Tim, who brought us joy and tearful laughter.
9
Funniest physical comedian since Jacques Tati, and before him, Chaplin, Keaton, and Stan Laurel.
And he was no slouch as a verbal comedian.
15
When I really, really need a laugh, he's the one who can do it for me. Absolutely amazing comic timing and I'd say not a mean bone in his body. For me, that was his crowning achievement - making me laugh without making fun of anybody.
14
Props to the late Mr. Conway, who for decades showed that a television comedian did not have to be crude and vulgar in order to be entertainingly funny.
21
I remember Tom Conway in Cleveland on local television from shortly after graduating from high school. Later, like everyone else, I remember Tim Conway from his various sidekick roles with Ernest Borgnine and Carol Burnett.
There is one thing which I did not know about Tim Conway, but learned from Bruce Weber’s excellent obituary of him. It typifies Tim Conway’s self-deprecatory humor. At the time of his death, he had a publicist named Bragman.
10
Tim Conway cracking up Carol Burnett and Harvey Korman week after week on camera was the greatest comedy I've ever seen on television.
Thank you, Tim....(and Carol and Harvey).
243
@Socrates. I knew if I kept reading your comments I would one day find one I could agree with, and I couldn’t agree with you more on Mr. Conway. He will be missed.
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@Thomas Smith @Socrates
I agree with virtually ALL OF Socrates' comments, especially those of a political nature, which I have a difficult time finding these days.
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@Socrates
I just watched the dentist skit and was laughing to tears.
It is so nice to see Socrates back!
6
Funniest moments on TV were when he'd make Carol and Harvey lose it!
17
I’ve seen it dozens of times but his dentist skit on Carol Burnett still makes me laugh to the point of pain. Who do we have these days who can do that?
14
"Mr. Conway was not unaware that as a headliner he wasn’t exactly money; he once had a vanity license plate reading '13 WKS.'"
It's a shame that the meaning of that will probably have to be explained to just about anyone under the age of forty. But farewell, Tim. We will miss you.
13
One of just a few 'comics' that could bring tears to my eyes I'd be laughing so much.
9
I hate to see any of our great entertainers pass, but this one hurts and it hurts bad. Conway was a sweet, loving man, as was his comedy - always.
Watching him work, you could tell his fellow professionals knew HE was the one who would turn a good skit into something historic. The force was with him.
God speed Tim Conway.
14
Tim Conway was so funny I realized that there had to be some evolutionary advantage for humans to have a sense of humor.
11
Ah! Tim Conway. How great the gift is the one of making people laugh. Laughter that made your ribs ache but, at the same time made you feel good inside-good about yourself. May he rest in joyous peace.
12
Thank you Mr. Conway for years of laughter and delight. You were a part of my childhood as my family gathered each week to watch "The Carol Burnett Show". Your talent, timing and characters were remarkable and you will never be forgotten. Godspeed.
10
I loved the reruns of McHale's Navy as a kid (I am 52) and cherish the memory of seeing my parents belly laughing at Tim Conway's and Harvey Korman's characters on Saturday nights (early-mid 70s.) May he rest in laughter.
8
What an amazing and underrated comedic talent. I feature a number of Tim's sketches from his days with Carol and Harvey as part of a TV retrospective lecture and they never fail to engender huge laughs no matter how often an audience member has seen them. The dentist routine belongs in the pantheon of greatest sketch comedy moments along with Lucy and the Chocolate Factory. Tim will be greatly missed.
14
The memory of gathering with my family to watch the Carol Burnett show and dissolving in laughter (along with the cast) at Tim's comic genius warms my heart. So grateful he shared his gift with us all.
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