Ernie Kovacs - "Mack the Knife" including magician Matzoh Hepplewhite

[From "Kovacs Corner" on YouTube.com] - One of Ernie's most remembered video sequences involved the Kurt Weill/Bertolt Brecht song "Mack the Knife" (or "Die Moritat von Mackie Messer") sung by the late German comedian and actor Wolfgang Neuss. While running the audio through an oscilloscope, Ernie had a television camera record it's synchonized wave form display. It was a pioneering effort to combine an artistic, musical, and a comedic context to a technical aspect of video production. Appearing this video are Kovacs regulars Bobby Lauher, who plays among others the Scottish character, and Joe Mikolas as the baratone. Jolene Brand makes an appearance as magician Matzoh Hepplewhite's assistant. Ernie, of course, is costumed as Matzoh and he also makes a straightforward appearance as the carpenter driving the nail into Joe's head.

Category:

Comedy

Tags:

• Ernie
• Kovacs
• Classic
• TV
• kinescope
• Threepenny
• Opera
• Kurt
• Weill
• Bertolt
• Brecht
• magician
• Matzoh
• Hepplewhite
• Wolfgang
• Neuss
• Bobby
• Lauher
• Joe
• Mikolas
• surreal
• dada
• occiliscope

[rbrbran277]

Wow this guy is truly a forgotten part of TV history.

And so rightfully so.

[rolko52]

@rbrbran277 - Ernie's name and reputation will be held longer and in much higher degree than the names of the game developers who's works plaster your YT page.

[WSenator1]

I still have fond memories of Ernie Kovacs' show on when I was a boy.  I especially remember "Mack the Knife."

[rolko52]

@WSenator1 His death occured way too soon. So much potential will never be realized.

[conservativefloozie]

Ernie was a true genius.

[jjk1412]

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...........

[9696286]

@Setebos Yes, so many interesting things to see. Very different.

[Setebos]

@9696286 --- The "Mackie Messer" segment also used to give me the willies when I was very young. Kovacs was obviously way ahead of his time.

[bobzani]

Ernie had to be the "Father" of special effects on TV. I remember his shows from my childhood.

[9696286]

I remember this show and how some parts of it were nightmarish to me. This rendition, I forgot until now (creepy) and there was also a scene I remember where a hand came up out of a bathtub drain.

To this very day, if I take a bath (I prefer showers) I keep my feet away from the drain because I'm afraid of a hand grabbing me. Weird....I know.

[alto100]

There was quite a bit going on in the early '50's, like Hugh Hefner and Lenny Bruce growing in popularity. Psychedelic drugs were circulating around as legal as you please in the light of day. My guess is Ernie gave it a try and discovered nothing unusual...

[davidb2989]

genius....pure genius

[soundpro67]

Ernie would probably approve of the Tea Party, because Ernie hated the IRS and the ridiculous tax code we have in the US