Customer Reviews

Ernie Kovacs: Between the Laughter

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Jeff golblum does an excellent job playing the title in the film.the films about a hollywood legend whos wife kidnaps his children and he must do whatever it takes to find them. Well acting job by everybody. Cloris Leachman in an emmy winning performance.Also, Soleil Moon Frye who is in the last ten minutes of the film is charming and probably will make you cry. I thin she was only 7 or so, around that young age. Just a great film.

...but sadly, it's not even close enough for that.

This interesting attempt to illustrate a dramatic chapter in the life of a much-loved comedian is a failure on many counts, and unfortunately is the only filmed(dramatised)biography of Ernie Kovacs we're likely to get for some time.
To start with, it's badly miscast: Jeff Goldblum is a unique actor-perhaps too unique-and well-known as himself-to be acceptable as Kovacs, with whom he shares only overaverage height in common(Kovacs 6'2", Goldblum about 6' 4").
Kovacs was a large man-quite beefy, and his bulk at a young age(he's in his 30s as portrayed in this film)contributed to his imposing appearance and carriage. Goldblum wears his hair in the correct hairstyle, has the ubiquitous pinkie ring on...and looks about as Kovacs-hungarian as Chico Marx did italian. An exceptionally talented unknown in the part would have been much easier to accept.

Apart from that huge flaw, there's the weird choice of story: Ernie Kovacs did have two young daughters who were kidnapped by his first wife after a bitter divorce and custody battle where Kovacs received sole custody of his kids-almost unheard of in the early 50s. But it's very odd to focus as this film does on just this ONE short(3 years or so)period in the life of a man best remembered for his unique, brilliant work on television-work SO different, it's what's kept him remembered at all more than 40 years after his sudden death at age 42 in a car crash. He lived high, fast and quite literally burned himself out at both ends-but remarkably, considering the sort of milieu he was part of, seemed to never lose his basic sweet charm, warm good-fellowship, and cockeyed view of his inner world-a world that gave us "the Nairobi Trio"(3 "apes" acting out to a weird soundtrack), assorted setpieces involving german versions of "Mack the Knife", Esquivel(talk about ahead of his time!), and god knows what else. There are several good video biographies out now(one from the A&E series)that at least give a better context and overview of his life...
And why on earth Edie Adams, Ernie's second wife, partner on TV and apparent "consultant" on this project would cast herself as Mae West is beyond surmise...it's more than a little unsettling to watch her acting as "Mae", sidling up to an actor impersonating her deceased, onetime real-life husband. You don't whether to laugh or cry.

Your best bet is to avoid this and just rent or buy one of Ernie's REAL shows. Then you'll want to know more about the sort of genius who could dream this stuff up.

I remember seeing this film when it premiered on tv and I enjoyed it then because it starred two actors whose work I've admired, Jeff Goldblum and Melody Anderson, as well as being about Ernie Kovacs. A comedian whose work I had heard of and I thought this film gave me a good idea of why. While the film lacked some accuracies I still enjoyed it.

Even though I like Jeff Goldblum he is not Ernie Kovacs. I think they could have found a different and better actor to play him.

I guess it is ok but I've seen much better true story movies.