Harvey Korman, that terrific comic actor whose long and durable career is studded with fine moments in theatrical films (Lord Love a Duck, Blazing Saddles) and for his Emmy-winning stint on the beloved The Carol Burnett Show died on May 29 at UCLA Medical Center from an abdominal aneurysm. He was 81.

He was born Harvey Herschel Korman on February 15, 1927 in Chicago, and began acting in school plays. Ever diligent, he was working professionally on Chicago radio by his early teens. He served briefly in the Navy during World War II, and afterwards, went to New York to study drama and work in theater. It wasn't his most productive time, and after a decade of struggling he relocated to Hollywood and quickly found work for his sharp comic talents with small film roles in Gypsy (1962) and Son of Flubber (1963). More importantly, he found his niche doing sketch comedy for The Red Skelton Show, The Jack Benny Program and The Danny Kaye Show that served him well a few years later on The Carol Burnett Show.

Kicking off a ten year stretch in 1967, Korman had a slew of zany highlights on the hit variety show such as Max, to Carol Burnett's very broad take on Norma Desmond; Ed, Eunice's put upon husband in the "Mama's Family" sketch; his swaggering take as Rhett Butler in the sidesplitting "Went With The Wind" parody; and who could forget the joy in seeing Korman crack up at Tim Conway in the famed "Dentist" sketch where Conway keeps numbing himself with Novocain. It says a lot that more than 30 years after his departure from the show you can check any number of these clips on popular video viewing sites on the web.

Yet, we'd be selling Korman short if we only discussed his small screen accomplishments. He offered great support in a series of diverse comedies: George Axelrod's cultish Lord Love a Duck (1966); those great farces for Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles (1974) and High Anxiety (1977); his robust performance as the desperate MC trying to salvage America's finances in the critically panned Americathon (1979); and as Professor Auguste Balls in Trail of the Pink Panther (1982) and Curse of the Pink Panther (1983).

Korman was still active toward the end of his career, making game appearances on such sitcoms as Ellen (1996) and Suddenly Susan (1997) and livening up middling theatrical fare like Radioland Murders (1994) and The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000). Also, he teamed up with his old castmate Tim Conway and together they hit the dinner theater circuit, reenacting some of their winning sketches from their Carol Burnett heyday; it proved to be very successful until late last year when health complications forced Korman to stop. He is survived by his wife, Deborah; a son, Christopher; three daughters, Laura, Maria and Kate; and three grandchildren.

by Michael T. Toole