Actor-comedian Tim Conway (1933-2019)

[jakeem]

Tim Conway, one of television's top second bananas -- and an occasional film star-- died Tuesday at the age of 85. He had been in ill health for some time.

He co-starred with Ernest Borgnine in the 1960s World War II comedy "McHale's Navy" on ABC. A decade later, he won four Primetime Emmys -- three for his performances and one for his writing contributions to the CBS comedy/variety series "The Carol Burnett Show."

He also won Primetime Emmys for guest appearances on the sitcoms "Coach" in 1996 and "30 Rock" in 2008.

"I'm heartbroken," Burnett said in a statement. "He was one in a million, not only as a brilliant comedian but as a loving human being. I cherish the times we had together both on the screen and off. He'll be in my heart forever."

A native of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, Conway worked in local television in Cleveland during the late 1950s. He frequently collaborated with Ernie Anderson -- film director Paul Thomas Anderson's father -- who later became "The Voice of ABC" in the 1970s. Anderson was frequently recognized in the audience by Burnett on her TV show.

Conway left Cleveland to pursue acting on the West Coast. He joined "McHale's Navy" in October 1962, appearing as Ensign Charles "Chuck" Parker --the bumbling sidekick to the PT-boat commander Quinton McHale (Borgnine). Joe Flynn co-starred as their often-exasperated superior officer, Captain Binghamton. The half-hour sitcom was set in the Pacific Theater of World War II for three seasons and in Italy for one. It spawned two feature film versions: "McHale's Navy" (1964) and "McHale's Navy Joins the Air Force" (1965, without Borgnine). The series ended in April 1966. 

In the years after "McHale's Navy," Conway struggled to find television success on his own. His 1967 Western sitcom "Rango" --an ABC tale about an imcompetent Texas Ranger that featured a theme song by Frankie Laine -- was canceled after 17 episodes. He also had the misfortune of being the guest host of "Turn-On," a 1969 ABC sketch comedy series that was canceled after one episode. 

But Conway found a new home for his creativity in 1975 when he became a regular on "The Carol Burnett Show" during its ninth season (he had made guest star appearances since the series' inception in 1967). With his ad-libbing abilities and tendency to crack up his fellow performers during sketches, he became a welcome addition to the cast.

One of Conway's best-remembered sketches on "The Carol Burnett Show" featured him as a first-time dentist working with a patient (Harvey Korman). Conway once said Korman laughed so hard during the bit, he wet his pants.

During the 1970s, Conway appeared in several Disney family comedies, including "The World's Greatest Athlete" (1973), "The Apple Dumpling Gang" (1975, with Don Knotts), "Gus" (1976, also with Knotts), "The Shaggy D.A." (1976, with Dean Jones" and "The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again" (1979).

In 1986, he co-starred with Korman in "The Longshot," a feature film comedy about a horseracing scheme. The movie was directed by Paul Bartel from a screenplay written by Conway.

Conan O'Brien‏Verified account@ConanOBrien

When I was a kid watching "The Carol Burnett Show," no one made me laugh harder than Tim Conway. What a sweet and effortlessly funny man.

 

Patricia Heaton‏Verified account@PatriciaHeaton

Patricia Heaton Retweeted CBS News

Safe travels to my fellow Clevelander Tim Conway. A huge talent. We were once on the same plane and joked about who would get top billing in the news if the plane went down. #RIPTimConway

 

Judd Apatow‏Verified account@JuddApatow

Judd Apatow Retweeted CNN Breaking News

The amount of joy Tim Conway brought my family as a child was immeasurable. The man was pure comedy. Riotously funny. I finally got to see him work when he guest starred on The Larry Sanders show and he was all I dreamed he would be. As kind as he was funny. He will be missed.

Richard Lewis‏Verified account@TheRichardLewis

RIP Master. I was honored to make you laugh and be a friend.

As I spoke at Harvey Korman’s memorial that you oversaw, I said that without question, your work together was right next to Laurel&Hardy in craft and laughs. to your family. RL

 

SpongeBob‏Verified account@SpongeBob

We are sad to learn Tim Conway, the legendary voice of Barnacle Boy, has passed away. Thank you for everything you contributed to Bikini Bottom

[NickAndNora34]

It has been announced that comedian Tim Conway has just died at age 85. Conway died this morning (Tuesday May 14, 2019) after suffering from an illness. The article goes more into detail about his life and his death. 

I think most (if not all) of us know him from "The Carol Burnett Show." He was a very gifted comedian, in my opinion. I think he brought a special something to that show, and it's always a joy seeing him break the cast with his improvisational skills. Rest in peace, Mr. Conway. 

https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/tim-conway-carol-burnett-show-dead-85

[HelenBaby2]

It makes me sad. 

[NickAndNora34]

I just posted the same topic; I was working on mine right as you posted yours apparently... 

He was one of my favorite comedians of all time. 

[Movie Collector OH]

My kind of actor.  Now there is another less of them.  RIP

[sagebrush]

What endeared me to Tim Conway was that he was simultaneously funny to adults and children without having to change his humor to accommodate either one.

~RIP

[yanceycravat]

One of my all-time comedic heroes! "Missus A-Wiggahns..." RIP Mr. Conway, thanks so much for making life a happier one.

[lavenderblue19]

Tim Conway's skits with Carol Burnett were so funny and his skits with Harvey Korman were priceless. A very funny, talented man and seems like he was a very nice man.

RIP Tim Conway

[cigarjoe]

R.I.P.

[David Guercio]

Really wonderful job everyone.  Including all the messages from all the stars too.  Including Carol Burnett herself too.  It was so much fun reading all the messages from all of you just now speaking about Mr Tim Conway.  Whow.  I just really loved and really enjoyed it a whole lot.  Now it’s my turn.  Tim Conway was so funny.  Wasn’t he?  On The Carol Burnett Show.  In all the movies he did.  Including the ones he did with Don Knotts too and they were also really great friends too and I think they also had an act together too and they went on tour too.  They were a really great team and I was so sad to hear this morning that he had passed away.  Just like you all.  I will really miss him so much too.  He was a really wonderful man.  He will be missed.  RIP Mr Tim Conway.  We all really love you a whole lot.  Also.  My very best wishes to Carol Burnett and the rest of the cast of The Carol Burnett Show.  Anyone also remember when he presented the Life Achievement Award to Ernest Bordinine when he received it a few years ago?

[David Guercio]

Oh.  I forgot to ask.  Will TCM be paying tribute to him too?

[Princess of Tap]

1 hour ago, David Guercio said:

Oh.  I forgot to ask.  Will TCM be paying tribute to him too?

You can see him on Me-TV TV every night.

[speedracer5]

Conway also did a voice cameo on The Simpsons.  The Simpsons are doing a variety show, complete with "Fake Lisa."  

While I haven't seen a lot of episodes of The Carol Burnett Show, from what I have seen, Conway was hilarious and seemed like a very nice man.  Someone has already posted the hilarious video of his elephant story.  Vicki Lawrence's comment at the end is what completely pushes this scene over the top.  

I am very sorry to hear that Conway suffered from dementia in his last years.  Dementia is such a horrible disease.

I have set The Carol Burnett Show on ME-TV on a series recording and I look forward to seeing Conway's hilarious humor. 

RIP Tim Conway. 

[Wayne]

The summer of '75.  The older kids were digging Jaws, but eight-year-old me was obsessed with Disney's new comedy team --- Don Knotts and Tim Conway in The Apple Dumpling Gang.

 

[hamradio]

Will miss him. RIP   Got his movie with Don Knotts.

 

Love his "old man" character in "The Carol Burnett Show".

Love his "old man" character in "The Carol Burnett Show".

[Sepiatone]

Certainly a rough week( so far) for show business.  Now I'm waiting for that THIRD SHOE to drop. 

Conway surely was a true comic genius, and came by it naturally as it always seemed it took little effort on his part to get people doubled over with laughter.  Two things I recall concerning him....

In a Reader's Digest excerpt of an interview, Conway attributed his "off-center" sense of humor to his Father, citing a story from his childhood.  Claiming at one time, in the Ohio town he grew up in, a tornado went through, and on his block it destroyed every OTHER house on his street leaving those in-between unharmed, including his.  When the storm cleared, he and his Father were standing on the front porch, his Father surveying the wreckage left behind.  He was silent for a few minutes, and Conway said, "after a few minutes, I heard my Dad mutter..."Damn KIDS!"     

Back in the very early '70's, MERV GRIFFIN had a early evening talk show, and the most frequent guests on the show were Charo and JOE FLYNN( David Frye did a hilarious take on it once).  On one of these shows, Flynn talked a bit about his time on McHALE'S NAVY and working with Borgnine, Conway and the rest of the cast, at one point(and in mock disgust) saying, 

"It still bothers me that me and the rest of the cast didn't get special Emmy's for being able to keep STRAIGHT FACES whenever Conway was in a scene!"  

Thank God for the advent of videotape and all those CAROL BURNETT CDs I have!  

Rest in peace, Tim.  My last 50+ years have been enriched by your being around for that time.   

Sepiatone

[EricJ]

8 hours ago, hamradio said:

Will miss him. RIP   Got his movie with Don Knotts.

An early 80's generation can't recall a single line from either of the Apple Dumpling Gang movies, but can discuss the habits of Wookelars at length.  Don't say Conway never found immortality in feature films.

10 hours ago, David Guercio said:

Oh.  I forgot to ask.  Will TCM be paying tribute to him too?

(Er, yes, we did wonder what took you so long...)  😓

8 hours ago, speedracer5 said:

Someone has already posted the hilarious video of his elephant story.  Vicki Lawrence's comment at the end is what completely pushes this scene over the top.  RIP Tim Conway. 

And I already jumped the gun and posted his German-interrogator sketch with Lyle Waggoner over on the TCM Memorials thread...Didn't realize there'd be a GD thread.  (The whole sketch ran about ten minutes, but it's the three minutes of Tim with his Hitler hand-puppet that became TV history.)

In all the YouTube clips of Tim Conway's Emmy speeches, I'm trying to find the one where he shows how much  support he had for the award by reading a letter from his hometown to the Emmy audience:  "Best of luck on your award, Tim, from your friends at Gary's Miniature Golf....Hey!  Fun for the whole family!  Bring the kids to Gary's Miniature Golf!  Family night every Tuesday, kids under 12 admitted half price!  Coming soon, look for our Mark Twain hole, with a rotating paddlewheel, and music of the old South!"  And so on, for three minutes.  

[Janet0312]

Sad to see him go, but what a legacy of laughter he left us. My absolute favorite skit he did with Harvey Korman was the Oldest Man as the Wardrobe Master. Harvey Korman completely loses it and nearly falls to his knees laughing at Tim. I honestly have tears in my eyes every time I watch it because it is so wicked funny.

https://1funny.com/the-oldest-wardrobe-manager/

[scsu1975]

It's hard to pick out one sketch on The Carol Burnett Show that was his best - they were all so funny. How about the time he was an old butler, and he couldn't open a door, which had this huge knob, because his hands kept slipping off? So he mounted the knob, and became a human wrench with his legs. Man, that had to hurt.

[NipkowDisc]

I don't understand why Tim Conway was never afforded the opportunity to reprise one of the funniest recurring characters in american variety show history...

mickey hart! whenever Conway did mickey he owned that show!...and I think carol burnett knew it.

first there is the CBS primetime special 'Eunice' which eventually led to the syndicated sitcom 'mama's family' with one person conspicuously missing: the incomparable Tim Conway as mickey hart...

now...

either Conway was not interested in reprising the character or he was locked out!...which is it?

if he was not interested than I'm all wrong about carol burnett but...

if I'm right I think it stinks that the great tim Conway was never allowed to play such a hilarious character again.

and of course his slow old man character was priceless.

[NipkowDisc]

my favorite tim Conway moment from the carol burnett show is when ed drags Eunice and mama over to mickey's apartment to celebrate his five years working for ed at the hardware store...

so he goes out to get the Chinese food takeout...

he comes back and when sitting at the table turns to mama (whom he starts calling Thelma) and lets out with...

"I HOPE YOU LIKE CHINESE FOOD, THELMA!"

what a priceless moment.

[filmnoirguy]

On 5/15/2019 at 6:55 AM, Sepiatone said:

Certainly a rough week( so far) for show business.  Now I'm waiting for that THIRD SHOE to drop. 

Conway surely was a true comic genius, and came by it naturally as it always seemed it took little effort on his part to get people doubled over with laughter.  Two things I recall concerning him....

In a Reader's Digest excerpt of an interview, Conway attributed his "off-center" sense of humor to his Father, citing a story from his childhood.  Claiming at one time, in the Ohio town he grew up in, a tornado went through, and on his block it destroyed every OTHER house on his street leaving those in-between unharmed, including his.  When the storm cleared, he and his Father were standing on the front porch, his Father surveying the wreckage left behind.  He was silent for a few minutes, and Conway said, "after a few minutes, I heard my Dad mutter..."Damn KIDS!"     

Back in the very early '70's, MERV GRIFFIN had a early evening talk show, and the most frequent guests on the show were Charo and JOE FLYNN( David Frye did a hilarious take on it once).  On one of these shows, Flynn talked a bit about his time on McHALE'S NAVY and working with Borgnine, Conway and the rest of the cast, at one point(and in mock disgust) saying, 

"It still bothers me that me and the rest of the cast didn't get special Emmy's for being able to keep STRAIGHT FACES whenever Conway was in a scene!"  

Thank God for the advent of videotape and all those CAROL BURNETT CDs I have!  

Rest in peace, Tim.  My last 50+ years have been enriched by your being around for that time.   

Sepiatone

Peggy Lipton, Doris Day, I think Tim Conway was the third shoe to drop.

[NipkowDisc]

putting peggy lipton in the same class with doris day and tim Conway is laughable.

 

[jakeem]

17 minutes ago, NipkowDisc said:

putting peggy lipton in the same class with doris day and tim Conway is laughable.

 

But only one of them gave us the lovely and talented Rashida Jones, the former "Parks & Recreation" star who won a Grammy this year for the Netlflix documentary about her father, Quincy Jones.

[Princess of Tap]

1 hour ago, NipkowDisc said:

putting peggy lipton in the same class with doris day and tim Conway is laughable.

 

I have to say that The Mod Squad was a very revolutionary TV show and for its time it was important in American pop culture.

As an individual, Peggy Lipton may not be on the same level as those other two icons, however The Mod Squad was such a revolutionary piece of television drama that is definitely at the top of the list of innovative and groundbreaking TV series in the 20th century.

And as Clarence Williams the III would say: man, it was solid!