Ernie Kovacs was a comedian, actor, and writer who hosted his own television shows in the 1950s and influenced many later TV hosts and comedians. He was known for his visually experimental and often spontaneous comedic style, which used props, special effects, and camera tricks. He was also a popular guest on other shows, such as The Tonight Show and The Ed Sullivan Show. He was married to actress and singer Edie Adams, who often appeared with him on his shows.
The Tragic Accident that Ended His Life
On January 13, 1962, Kovacs was driving his Chevrolet Corvair station wagon in Los Angeles, California, after attending a baby shower for his friend and fellow comedian Billy Wilder. It was a rainy day and the roads were slippery. As he was turning fast at the corner of Beverly Glen and Santa Monica Boulevards, he lost control of his car and crashed into a power pole. He was thrown halfway out the passenger side of the car and died almost instantly from chest and head injuries. He was only 42 years old.
According to Wikipedia, Kovacs was found by police with an unlit cigar in his hand, leading to speculation that he had been reaching for the cigar and lost control of his vehicle. However, according to History.com, this was not the case. They claim that Kovacs had been smoking a cigar earlier but had put it out before getting into his car. They also state that the Corvair he was driving had a faulty suspension system that made it prone to rollovers, especially at high speeds and on wet surfaces. This was later exposed by consumer advocate Ralph Nader in his book Unsafe at Any Speed: The Designed-In Dangers of the American Automobile.
The Legacy He Left Behind
Kovacs’s death was a shock to the entertainment industry and his fans. He had been working on several projects at the time of his accident, including a movie, a Broadway show, and a new TV series. He had also signed a contract with ABC to produce 32 new specials over four years. His widow, Edie Adams, took over his estate and tried to preserve his work and legacy. She bought the rights to his shows and films from various networks and studios and kept them in storage until they could be released to the public. She also paid off his debts, which amounted to over $500,000.
Kovacs’s work has been recognized and celebrated by many awards and honors over the years. He received an Emmy for Outstanding Electronic Camera Work and a Directors’ Guild award posthumously in 1962. He was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame in 1987. He also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in television. In 1986, the Museum of Broadcasting (now the Paley Center for Media) presented an exhibit of Kovacs’s work, called The Vision of Ernie Kovacs. The Pulitzer Prize-winning television critic William Henry III wrote for the museum’s booklet: “Kovacs was more than another wide-eyed, self-ingratiating clown. He was television’s first significant video artist.”
Kovacs’s influence can be seen in many television shows and comedians that followed him, such as Johnny Carson, Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In, Saturday Night Live, Monty Python’s Flying Circus, Jim Henson, Max Headroom, Chevy Chase, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Captain Kangaroo, Sesame Street, The Electric Company, Pee-wee’s Playhouse, The Muppet Show, Dave Garroway, Andy Kaufman, You Can’t Do That on Television, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Uncle Floyd , among others . Chase even thanked Kovacs during his acceptance speech for his Emmy award for Saturday Night Live .
Ernie Kovacs was a visionary who pushed the boundaries of television comedy and created memorable characters and sketches that still make people laugh today. He died too soon but left behind a legacy that will never be forgotten.
