warrrreagl

This news hit me hard today, because Howard Morris was part of a television team that I nearly worship to this day.



Most of you will remember him as Ernest T. Bass, the rock-throwing nut on Andy Griffith. However, to me he will always be the little comic relief guy in what I consider to be the greatest ensemble cast and crew ever assembled in television history; the Admiral Broadway Revue, Your Show of Shows, and Caeser's Hour. The regular cast (before it was split up) included Sid Caesar, Carl Reiner, Imogene Coca, and Howard Morris.

Besides the cast, the unbelievable writing crew included Mel Brooks, Larry Gelbart (creator of M*A*S*H), Neil Simon, and Woody Allen just to name a few. The movie "My Favorite Year" was created as a kind homage to Sid Caesar's three shows.

To talk about these old shows is meaningless. But to watch even one sketch is unbelievable. Although they never performed the usual, typical gags of the 1950's (like take-offs on Humphrey Bogart or Eward G. Robinson), they instead performed stuff that nobody else thought of, like an old Jewish bakery owner on his way to a Baker's Union strike meeting (always talking half in English and half in Yiddish). Their comedy was always human nature studies and never cheap laughs.

Consider briefly the make-up of Seinfeld. Jerry Seinfeld didn't accidentally surround himself with the famous cast of Seinfeld; he molded them after Sid Casear's shows.

First of all, the lead comic is the star of the show:
Jerry Seinfeld = Sid Caesar

Next, one of the golden rules in comedy is that the Second Banana must, must, MUST be taller than the lead comic. Therefore:
Kramer = Carl Reiner

Thirdly, there must be a lady:
Elaine = Imogene Coca

Finally, there must be a short-statured comic relief:
George = Howard Morris


If you find the time, treat yourself and watch some old Sid Caesar sketches.


Goodbye, Howard Morris.

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