Ernie Kovacs' Theme Song: "Oriental Blues" by Robert Maxwell

[From "Kovacs Corner" on YouTube.com] - Here is one of Ernie's last productions of his show, complete with his zany theme song and Dutch Masters cigar. The song was actually inspired, if not outright copied, from the George Gershwin ragtime tune "Rialto Ripples Rag". This clip demonstrates his imaginative use of simple "video feedback". This shot was set up with Ernie's hand being televised in front of a TV monitor which, in turn. was looped with the same televised image. Somewhat similar to two mirrors reflecting into each other.

Category:

Comedy

Tags:

• Ernie
• Kovacs
• Classic
• TV
• kinescope
• video
• George
• Gershwin
• Rialto
• Ripples
• ragtime
• Ducth
• Masters
• cigars
• control
• room
• surreal
• dada

[143AC]

Dear Rolko,  I think that a more appropriate time to rerelease Ernie's tv work..would

be in January of 1919..his 100th birthday. I'm hoping the trustees and the lawyer handleing his estate will be agreeable

to rereleasing his work for a new generation of tv comedy fans.

[rolko52]

@143AC As long as the Mayans allow it! ;-)

[fromthesidelines]

If there had been an announcer at the beginning, he would have said, "'THE ERNIE KOVACS SPECIAL', featuring Joe Mikolas, Jolene Brand, Bobby Laugher and Maggi Brown....presented by DUTCH MASTERS- 'Step Up To Finer Smoking Pleasure', with Dutch Masters, 'The Finer Cigar'..."

[rolko52]

@fromthesidelines That would have been the convention, but Ernie was indeed unconventional!

[mrspaz121]

AWESOME!

[rolko52]

Thanks for the response. I hope that all Kovacs fans enjoy these gems as long as possible.

[Martianspider00]

Deeds of The Leeds "Red Dragon" Hannibal LOL

[bobzani]

@jpstenino I said sadly because this stuff is 50 yrs. old and reminds me how old I am!

[jpstenino]

@bobzani Why do you say "Sadly" ???

[TheStanbabe]

Dear Rolko,Wait no more..Ernie's tv work is available once again on DVD.

[143AC]

Dear Bob Zani,

You're right that the critics never appreciated Ernie's work..only his tv fans truly appreciated his visual genius.Hopefully,today's fans of visual comedy(If they're are any left?)will enjoy seeing more of this truly creative and talented gentleman.

[WSenator1]

@bobzani - Why "sadly"? I'm probably about your age, because I first saw EK's stuff live as well. One of my strongest memories of his work was the Eugene "Silent Show." It didn't freak me out that much, after seeing WB Cartoons, Tex Avery cartoons, or The Three Stooges. True, it is a shame that he was underappreciated in his time, but at least he is somewhere knowing that people like us know him as the genius that he was.

[WSenator1]

On another EK site, someone asked a good question - Had he lived longer, what would his career path have been? Think of what would be laid out before him if he lived a normal lifespan (he would have been 81 in the year 2000): improved video tape, VHS, DVD, computer graphics. Had he made it into the 21st Century and still in his right mind - YouTube! It staggers the mind.

[rolko52]

@143AC The year 2012 will be the 50th anniversary of his death. Hopefully we fans could perhaps persuade a media outlet (like Comedy Central) to rerun his classics. I am sure the trustees of his estate would be attuned to perpetuating his legacy.