Thomas Daniel "Tim" Conway (December 15, 1933 – May 14, 2019)
was an American actor, comedian, writer, and director. From 1966 to 2012 he appeared in more than 100 TV shows, TV series and films. Among his more notable roles, he portrayed the inept
Ensign Parker in the 1960s World War II TV situation comedy ''
McHale's Navy
''McHale's Navy'' is an American sitcom starring Ernest Borgnine that aired 138 half-hour episodes over four seasons, from October 11, 1962, to April 12, 1966, on the ABC television network. The series was filmed in black and white and originate ...
,'' was a regular cast member (1975–1978) on the TV comedy ''
The Carol Burnett Show
''The Carol Burnett Show'' is an American variety/sketch comedy television show that originally ran on CBS from September 11, 1967, to March 29, 1978, for 279 episodes, and again with nine episodes in fall 1991. It starred Carol Burnett, Harvey ...
'' where he portrayed his recurrent iconic characters
Mister Tudball, the
Oldest Man and the Dumb Private, co-starred with
Don Knotts in several films (1975–80), was the title character in the ''
Dorf
Dorf may refer to:
* Dorf (surname)
* Dorf (character), portrayed by Tim Conway
* ''Dorf'', German term for 'village', see Town#Germany
* Dorf, Germany (disambiguation), various settlements
* Dorf, Switzerland, a small town
* DORF (film festi ...
'' series of eight sports comedy direct-to-video films (1987–1996), and provided the voice of
Barnacle Boy
Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy are a duo of fictional characters in the American animated television series, ''SpongeBob SquarePants''. They were respectively voiced by guest stars Ernest Borgnine and Tim Conway, who both previously starred in the ...
in the animated series ''
SpongeBob SquarePants
''SpongeBob SquarePants'' (or simply ''SpongeBob'') is an American animated comedy television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It chronicles the adventures of the title character a ...
'' (1999–2012). Twice, in 1970 and in 1980–1981, he had his own TV series.
Conway was admired for his ability to depart from scripts with humorous ad libs and gestures, which frequently caused others in the skit to break character while attempting to control their surprise and laughter. He won six
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...
s during his career, four of which were awarded for ''The Carol Burnett Show'', including one for writing.
Early life
Conway was born Thomas Daniel Conway on December 15, 1933, in
Willoughby, Ohio
Willoughby is a city in Lake County, Ohio and is a suburb of Cleveland. The population was 22,268 at the time of the 2010 census.
History
Willoughby's first permanent settler was David Abbott in 1798, who operated a gristmill. Abbott and his ...
, a suburb of
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
, and grew up in nearby
Chagrin Falls
Chagrin Falls is a village in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States and is a suburb of Cleveland in Northeast Ohio's Cleveland-Akron-Canton metropolitan area, the 19th-largest Combined Statistical Area nationwide. The village was established and h ...
, the son of Daniel and Sophia (née Murgoiu) Conway. Daniel was a groomer for
polo ponies.
[ His father, who immigrated to the United States in 1927, was born in Ireland to Scottish parents and his mother was a first-generation ]Romanian-American
Romanian Americans are Americans who have Romanian ancestry. According to the 2017 American Community Survey, 478,278 Americans indicated Romanian as their first or second ancestry, however other sources provide higher estimates, which are most ...
.[
Conway's legal name was Thomas, though he was also referred to as Toma, the Romanian language analogue, and was typically known as Tom; he changed his stage name to Tim near the beginning of his acting career (quipping he " dotted the O") to avoid confusion with British actor ]Tom Conway
Tom Conway (born Thomas Charles Sanders, 15 September 1904 – 22 April 1967) was a British film, television, and radio actor remembered for playing private detectives (including The Falcon, Sherlock Holmes, Bulldog Drummond, and The Saint) ...
.[
Conway attended ]Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University (BGSU) is a public research university in Bowling Green, Ohio. The main academic and residential campus is south of Toledo, Ohio. The university has nationally recognized programs and research facilities in the ...
in Bowling Green, Ohio
Bowling Green is a city in and the county seat of Wood County, Ohio, United States, located southwest of Toledo. The population was 30,028 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Toledo Metropolitan Area and a member of the Toledo Metropolitan ...
, where he majored in television and radio and was a disc jockey
A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include Radio personality, radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music f ...
, and a member of the Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta (), commonly known as Phi Delt, is an international secret and social fraternity founded at Miami University in 1848 and headquartered in Oxford, Ohio. Phi Delta Theta, along with Beta Theta Pi and Sigma Chi form the Miami Triad ...
fraternity. When he graduated, Conway enlisted in the United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
, where he served between 1956 and 1958.
Career
Cleveland years
After his discharge from the Army, Conway returned to Cleveland and worked with Ernie Anderson
Ernest Earle Anderson (November 12, 1923 – February 6, 1997) was an American radio and television personality, horror host, and announcer.
Known for his portrayal of "Ghoulardi", the host of late night horror films on WJW Channel 8 on Cleve ...
on KYW-TV, an NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
affiliate, in 1958 and 1959. From 1960 to 1962, he was on WJW-TV
WJW (channel 8) is a television station in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, affiliated with the Fox network. Owned by Nexstar Media Group, WJW maintains studios on Dick Goddard Way (named for the station's late longtime weatherman—previousl ...
(then a CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
affiliate, now a Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
affiliate) on a weekday morning film show (under the ''Ernie's Place'' banner), where he also wrote material for the comedic skits shown during film intermissions. Conway also recorded a comedy album with Anderson, who himself gained national prominence as a voice over announcer for ABC Television ABC Television most commonly refers to:
*ABC Television Network of the American Broadcasting Company, United States, or
*ABC Television (Australian TV network), a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australia
ABC Television or ABC ...
beginning in the 1970s.
WJW-TV dismissed Conway in 1962, in part because he (and Anderson) misled station management into thinking he had experience as a director. Because of this move, which deprived Anderson of his co-host and comic foil, the station asked Anderson if he could host a B-grade (and lower) horror film show on Friday nights instead. Conway continued to make many appearances alongside Anderson's alter ego ''Ghoulardi
Ghoulardi was a fictional character created and portrayed by voice announcer, actor and disc jockey Ernie Anderson as the horror host of ''Shock Theater'' at WJW-TV, Channel 8 (a.k.a. "TV-8") the CBS Affiliate station in Cleveland, Ohio, from J ...
'', in addition to "Big Chuck" Schodowski, a station engineer who Anderson got to assume much of Conway's sidekick status (and who ultimately succeeded Anderson as co-host of the horror film program).
After he became famous, Conway resurfaced periodically on Cleveland television on the ''Hoolihan and Big Chuck
Charles "Big Chuck" Schodowski (born June 28, 1934) and "Lil' John" Rinaldi (born January 19, 1946) – together commonly known as Big Chuck and Lil' John – are a duo of entertainers who served as late-night horror hosts of ''The B ...
'' and ''Big Chuck and Lil' John
Charles "Big Chuck" Schodowski (born June 28, 1934) and "Lil' John" Rinaldi (born January 19, 1946) – together commonly known as Big Chuck and Lil' John – are a duo of entertainers who served as late-night horror hosts of ''The B ...
'' shows on WJW-TV, in guest spots and occasional skits. Conway also made regular guest appearances at numerous "Ghoulardifest" functions held by WJW over the years, along with former Cleveland TV personality Bob "Hoolihan" Wells
Robert D. "Bob" Wells (born September 27, 1933), known as Bob "Hoolihan" Wells, is an American former television and radio personality and actor, who is best known to Cleveland, Ohio television viewers for his appearances on the then-CBS affiliate ...
, in tribute to Anderson, who died in 1997.
''The Steve Allen Show''
Comedic actress Rose Marie
Rose Marie (born Rose Marie Mazzetta; August 15, 1923 – December 28, 2017) was an American actress, singer, comedian, and vaudeville performer with a career ultimately spanning nine decades, which included film, radio, records, theater, night ...
visited WJW in 1961, as part of CBS's promotional practice of sending their major show stars directly to local affiliates: in this case, it was for ''The Dick Van Dyke Show
''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' is an American television sitcom created by Carl Reiner that initially aired on CBS from October 3, 1961 to June 1, 1966, with a total of 158 half-hour episodes spanning five seasons. It was produced by Calvada Product ...
''. She viewed tapes of some of Anderson and Conway's skits and proceeded to take Conway under her wing. Following his departure from WJW, Conway moved to New York City; where, with Rose Marie's assistance, he auditioned for, and gained a spot on, ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
's ''The Steve Allen Show
''The Steve Allen Show'' was an American variety show hosted by Steve Allen from June 1956 to June 1960 on NBC, from September 1961 to December 1961 on American Broadcasting Company, ABC, '' as a regular player.
''McHale's Navy''
Conway gained a national following from his role as the bumbling, naive Ensign Charles Parker, Executive Officer of the World War II PT-73, in the 1960s sitcom
A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...
''McHale's Navy
''McHale's Navy'' is an American sitcom starring Ernest Borgnine that aired 138 half-hour episodes over four seasons, from October 11, 1962, to April 12, 1966, on the ABC television network. The series was filmed in black and white and originate ...
'', alongside Ernest Borgnine
Ernest Borgnine (; born Ermes Effron Borgnino; January 24, 1917 – July 8, 2012) was an American actor whose career spanned over six decades. He was noted for his gruff but relaxed voice and gap-toothed Cheshire Cat grin. A popular perfor ...
and Joe Flynn. Borgnine became a mentor and a good friend. Conway appeared at Borgnine's 90th birthday celebration and, four years later, paid tribute to his friend at the 7th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on TNT
Trinitrotoluene (), more commonly known as TNT, more specifically 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, and by its preferred IUPAC name 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. TNT is occasionally used as a reagen ...
.
Afterwards, he starred in a string of short-lived television series, starting with 1967's '' Rango'' which starred Conway as an incompetent Texas Ranger.
''Turn-On''
Conway was part of an infamous network TV programming catastrophe; ''Turn-On
''Turn-On'' is an American sketch comedy series that aired on ABC in February 1969. Only one episode was shown, leaving one episode unaired, and the show is considered one of the most infamous flops in TV history.
''Turn-Ons sole broadcast ...
'', a counter-cultural
A counterculture is a culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores.Eric Donald Hirsch. ''The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy''. Hou ...
sketch comedy
Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. The form developed and became popular in vaudeville, and is ...
show on ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
that was derided as a ripoff of NBC's ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'' (often simply referred to as ''Laugh-In'') is an American sketch comedy television program that ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968, to March 12, 1973, on the NBC television network, hosted by comedians Da ...
''. The show was in fact created and directed by ''Laugh-In''s creator George Schlatter
George Schlatter (born December 31, 1932) is an American television producer and director, best known for '' Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'' and founder of the American Comedy Awards.
For his work on television, Schlatter has a star on the Hollywo ...
. Even though Conway was listed only as a guest star on the pilot
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...
, which ABC broadcast on February 5, 1969, it was the only episode that ever aired.
''Turn-On'' received enough immediate, negative reaction to force several ABC affiliates, including WEWS-TV
WEWS-TV (channel 5) is a television station in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, affiliated with ABC. It has been owned by the E. W. Scripps Company since its inception in 1946, making it one of two stations that have been built and signed on by Sc ...
in Conway's hometown of Cleveland, to refuse to return to the program after the first commercial break. WEWS management also sent an angrily-worded telegram to the network's headquarters. Many West Coast affiliates received advance warning and refused to air the show. Conway remarked that the show's premiere party he attended was also the program's cancellation party, but ABC did not officially cancel the program until the 9th of February.
''The Tim Conway Show'' (1970)
In 1970, '' The Tim Conway Show'' paired Conway with Joe Flynn of ''McHale's Navy
''McHale's Navy'' is an American sitcom starring Ernest Borgnine that aired 138 half-hour episodes over four seasons, from October 11, 1962, to April 12, 1966, on the ABC television network. The series was filmed in black and white and originate ...
'' in a sitcom as owner-pilots of a one-plane (a Beechcraft Model 18
The Beechcraft Model 18 (or "Twin Beech", as it is also known) is a 6- to 11-seat, twin-engined, low-wing, tailwheel light aircraft manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas. Continuously produced from 1937 to Novem ...
named ''Lucky Linda'') airline operated by the duo. Having "nowhere to run", this pressurized situation was ideal for the fast repartee
Wit is a form of intelligent humour, the ability to say or write things that are clever and usually funny. Someone witty is a person who is skilled at making clever and funny remarks. Forms of wit include the quip, repartee, and wisecrack.
Form ...
of the lead actors. It debuted in January 1970 and the last new show aired in June 1970. In the fall of the same year, Conway was given his own hour-long variety show, ''The Tim Conway Comedy Hour'', or ''The Tim Conway Comedy House'', which, as his other series had, folded quickly, lasting only 13 weeks. Typical of his self-effacing humor, he ordered his car's license plate to reflect the short duration of the series: "13 WKS". (Conway was given another one-hour variety show ten years later, which revived the title ''The Tim Conway Show''.)
Beginning in 1975, Conway was often paired with Don Knotts in family films from Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
, including ''The Apple Dumpling Gang
''The Apple Dumpling Gang'' is a 1971 novel by Jack Bickham, about a group of orphaned children during the California gold rush. They encounter a gambler who reluctantly helps them, as well as a pair of hapless robbers who are after the gold ...
'' and its 1979 sequel, ''The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again
''The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again'' is a 1979 American comedy-Western film directed by Vincent McEveety. Produced by Walt Disney Productions, it is a sequel to '' The Apple Dumpling Gang'' (1975), starring the comedy duo of Tim Conway and Do ...
.'' They also starred in two independent films, a boxing comedy called ''The Prize Fighter
''The Prize Fighter'' is an American comedy film starring Tim Conway and Don Knotts. Directed by Michael Preece, it was written by Tim Conway and John Myhers, based on a story by Conway. It was released by New World Pictures in November 1979.
P ...
'' in 1979, and a 1980 mystery comedy film called '' The Private Eyes''.
''The Carol Burnett Show'' (1975 - 1978)
Starting with the 1975–76 season, Conway became a regular on ''The Carol Burnett Show
''The Carol Burnett Show'' is an American variety/sketch comedy television show that originally ran on CBS from September 11, 1967, to March 29, 1978, for 279 episodes, and again with nine episodes in fall 1991. It starred Carol Burnett, Harvey ...
'' (replacing Lyle Waggoner
Lyle Wesley Waggoner (; April 13, 1935 – March 17, 2020) was an American actor, sculptor, presenter, travel trailer salesman and model, known for his work on ''The Carol Burnett Show'' from 1967 to 1974 and for playing the role of Steve Trevor ...
), after having been a frequent guest for the show's first eight seasons. Conway's work on the show earned him four Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
s — one for writing and three for performance, one of which was before he became a regular. Two of Conway's memorable characters on the Burnett Show were:
* The Oldest Man, whose shaggy white hair, slow speech, and shuffling gait ran counter to the much-needed energy levels of the various occupations in which he was usually found. His comic inability to get said jobs done — usually with slapstick
Slapstick is a style of humor involving exaggerated physical activity that exceeds the boundaries of normal physical comedy. Slapstick may involve both intentional violence and violence by mishap, often resulting from inept use of props such a ...
results to himself and, with many an ad-lib
In music and other performing arts, the phrase (; from Latin for 'at one's pleasure' or 'as you desire'), often shortened to "ad lib" (as an adjective or adverb) or "ad-lib" (as a verb or noun), refers to various forms of improvisation.
The r ...
— both frustrated and "broke up" his fellow sketch performers.
* Mr. Tudball, a businessman whose intentions of running a "ship-shape" office were usually sunk by the bored indifference of his secretary, Mrs. Wiggins (Burnett). Although the character was widely thought to be Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
, Conway used a Romanian
Romanian may refer to:
*anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania
**Romanians, an ethnic group
**Romanian language, a Romance language
*** Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language
** Romanian cuisine, tradition ...
accent learned from his mother. For example, his attempts to pronounce his secretary's name came out as "Mrs. Uh-whiggins." He also used this accent for other characters, such as an inept dentist.
Conway could also get results with no dialogue, such as in a sketch in which he played a tired businessman seeking restful sleep in his hotel — and pestered by a housefly
The housefly (''Musca domestica'') is a fly of the suborder Cyclorrhapha. It is believed to have evolved in the Cenozoic Era, possibly in the Middle East, and has spread all over the world as a commensal of humans. It is the most common fl ...
, created only by a sound effect and Conway's gazing after it. After much struggle, he manages to get the fly out of the room through the window; after returning to bed, he hears a persistent knock on his door, gets up to answer it, and opens the door, letting the fly (who was doing the knocking) back in.
Another skit, also without a word from Conway, featured him playing Simba, a lion raised by humans then released to the wild (based on the lioness Elsa in the film ''Born Free
''Born Free'' is a 1966 British drama film starring the real-life couple Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers as Joy and George Adamson, another real-life couple who raised Elsa the Lioness, an orphaned lion cub, to adulthood, and released her in ...
''). Conway, told of the upcoming eviction from the comfortable home, caused Burnett and Harvey Korman
Harvey Herschel Korman (February 15, 1927May 29, 2008) was an American actor and comedian who performed in television and film productions. His big break was being a featured performer on CBS' ''The Danny Kaye Show'', but he is best remembered f ...
to break up with an interminable process of packing to leave.
A prime example of his ability to make his co-stars laugh uncontrollably involved Lyle Waggoner as a captured American airman, with Conway as a stereotypical blond-haired Gestapo agent charged with his interrogation. Stating that "the Fuhrer" had taken particular interest, Conway produced a small Hitler hand puppet. Conway suggested to the puppet that singing might relax Waggoner's character to the point he is willing to talk. In a long, drawn-out fashion, the Hitler puppet (Conway providing a falsetto voice, with German accent) sings "I've Been Working on the Railroad," and with each passing verse, Waggoner loses more of his composure, finally laughing hysterically when puppet-Hitler screeches, "FEE-FI-Fiddely-I-O!".
1978.
Conway remained a regular cast member of ''The Carol Burnett Show'' until the program's run ended in 1978.
''The Tim Conway Show'' (1980–1981)
In 1980, Conway again was given his own one-hour variety program, titled '' The Tim Conway Show'' (the title that was previously used for his 1970 sitcom
A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...
). It aired on CBS, as his previous shows had, and debuted on March 22, 1980. It was originally a full hour but was reduced to half an hour in summer 1980. It lasted longer than any of his earlier self-titled series, ending in August 1981. The format was similar to that of ''The Carol Burnett Show'', with several regular cast members performing in comedy sketches, interspersed with the occasional musical performance by a guest musician. Among the regulars in the cast were Maggie Roswell
Maggie Roswell is an American actress, comedian, writer and producer from Los Angeles, California. She is well known for her voice work on the Fox network's animated television series ''The Simpsons'', in which she has played recurring characters ...
, Miriam Flynn
Miriam Flynn (born June 18, 1952) is an American voice and character actress. She is best known as Cousin Catherine in the ''National Lampoon's Vacation'' and Grandma Longneck in ''The Land Before Time'' franchises. She has acted in other films ...
, Eric Boardman, Jack Riley, and Dick Orkin
Richard Alan Orkin (July 9, 1933 – December 24, 2017) was an American voice actor and commercial radio producer who created the '' Chickenman'' radio series and ''The Secret Adventures of the Tooth Fairy''. His voice was used in many radi ...
. Former ''Burnett'' cast member Harvey Korman
Harvey Herschel Korman (February 15, 1927May 29, 2008) was an American actor and comedian who performed in television and film productions. His big break was being a featured performer on CBS' ''The Danny Kaye Show'', but he is best remembered f ...
also became a ''Tim Conway Show'' regular in late 1980, after having earlier made guest appearances on the show, as had Carol Burnett
Carol Creighton Burnett (born April 26, 1933) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and writer. Her groundbreaking comedy variety show ''The Carol Burnett Show'', which originally aired on CBS was one of the first of its kind to be hosted ...
and Vicki Lawrence
Vicki Ann Lawrence ( Axelrad; born March 26, 1949), sometimes credited as Vicki Lawrence Schultz, is an American actress, comedian, and singer. She is best known for her character Mama (Thelma Harper). Lawrence originated multitudes of charact ...
.
In the spring of 1983, Conway starred in another situation comedy, '' Ace Crawford, Private Eye''; a spoof of detective shows, it lasted only a month. In the summer of 1990, he starred in ''Tim Conway's Funny America
''Tim Conways Funny America'' is a 1990 American Comedy, comedic television series starring Tim Conway. Its first episode aired as a special on April 29, 1990, and it then was broadcast as a weekly series from July 29, 1990, to September 2, 1990. ...
'', playing pranks in disguise on unsuspecting passersby around the United States while hidden camera
A hidden camera or spy camera is a camera used to photograph or record subjects, often people, without their knowledge. The camera may be considered "hidden" because it is not visible to the subject being filmed, or is disguised as another obje ...
s recorded the results, which Conway presented to a studio audience; it, too, lasted only a few weeks.
''Dorf''
In the 1980s, Conway began appearing in a series of satirical how-to videos in which he played a diminutive, dark-haired Scandinavian known as Dorf
Dorf may refer to:
* Dorf (surname)
* Dorf (character), portrayed by Tim Conway
* ''Dorf'', German term for 'village', see Town#Germany
* Dorf, Germany (disambiguation), various settlements
* Dorf, Switzerland, a small town
* DORF (film festi ...
(a variation on "dwarf"), reprising his goofy Mr. Tudball accent. The Dorf character first appeared on the January 3, 1986, episode of ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' was an American late-night talk show hosted by Johnny Carson on NBC, the third iteration of the ''Tonight Show'' franchise. The show debuted on October 1, 1962, and aired its final episode on May 22, ...
''. In that episode, he portrayed a horse jockey. Dorf also appeared in the 1987 film ''Dorf on Golf
''Dorf on Golf'' is a 1987 comedy short film starring Tim Conway, Vincent Schiavelli and Michele Smith. The film is the first in a series of eight films released by Conway and J2 Communications using the Dorf sporting theme. The film had a tota ...
'' and later appeared in eight other films on a variety of sports from baseball to auto racing. ''Dorf on Golf'' was remastered for DVD in 2007. In 2010, all of the ''Dorf'' films were remastered in a DVD Collection featuring all eight films, a behind-the-scenes with Dorf, and a commentary track by Tim Conway on "The Legend of the Paddle: The Oldie Hollis Story." Dorf also appeared on an episode of ''Tim Conways Funny America'' in the summer of 1990, leading an aerobics
Aerobics is a form of physical exercise that combines rhythmic aerobic exercise with stretching and strength training routines with the goal of improving all elements of fitness (flexibility, muscular strength, and cardio-vascular fitness). It ...
class on his impossibly short legs.
In 2009, Conway's Dorf character started "helping" Santa Claus
Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a Legend, legendary figure originating in Western Christianity, Western Christian culture who is said to Christmas gift-bringer, bring ...
on the website iSpotSanta. Each year, Dorf had three sketches; in 2009, he tried to give Santa his Christmas list, failing and accidentally hitting Santa with a golf ball. Then, in 2010, he tried to give all of the world's letters to Santa directly using jet rockets to fly to his sleigh, cannonballs, and more.
Voice work
In 1973, Conway guest-starred in '' The New Scooby Doo Movies'', voiced himself in the episode "The Spirited Spooked Sports Show". In 1999, Conway and his good friend Ernest Borgnine
Ernest Borgnine (; born Ermes Effron Borgnino; January 24, 1917 – July 8, 2012) was an American actor whose career spanned over six decades. He was noted for his gruff but relaxed voice and gap-toothed Cheshire Cat grin. A popular perfor ...
reunited to become the first guest stars of Nickelodeon's ''SpongeBob SquarePants
''SpongeBob SquarePants'' (or simply ''SpongeBob'') is an American animated comedy television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It chronicles the adventures of the title character a ...
'', voicing the roles of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy. Series creator Stephen Hillenburg
Stephen McDannell Hillenburg (August 21, 1961 – November 26, 2018) was an American animator, writer, producer, director, and marine science educator. He is known for creating the Nickelodeon animated television series ''SpongeBob SquarePants' ...
and creative director Derek Drymon
Derek Drymon (born November 19, 1968) is an American animator, writer, storyboard artist, director, comedian, and producer. He has worked on numerous animated cartoon productions of the 1990s and 2000s, best known for his work on '' Rocko's Mo ...
visioned the voices of the characters with the two actors in mind from the very beginning, having been fans of their work in ''McHale's Navy''. Hillenberg and Drymon directly approached Borgnine and Conway, and the actors both accepted.
Conway lent his voice to other television shows including ''The Simpsons
''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...
'', the Disney spin-off ''Hercules
Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures.
The Romans adapted the Gr ...
'', ''Lloyd in Space
''Lloyd in Space'' is an American animated television series, created by '' Recess'' co-creators Joe Ansolabehere and Paul Germain. It premiered on February 3, 2001, on ABC on Saturday mornings.[The Wild Thornberrys
''The Wild Thornberrys'' is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, Steve Pepoon, David Silverman, and Stephen Sustarsic for Nickelodeon. The series portrays an American family of wildlife documentary ...]
'', ''Cybill
''Cybill'' is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre, which aired on CBS from January 2, 1995, to July 13, 1998. Starring Cybill Shepherd, the show revolves around the life of Cybill Sheridan, a twice-divorced single mother of tw ...
'', ''The Proud Family
''The Proud Family'' is an American animated television series created by Bruce W. Smith that originally ran on Disney Channel from September 15, 2001, to August 19, 2005.
A revival, known as '' The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder'', was announ ...
'', ''The New Scooby-Doo Movies
''The New Scooby-Doo Movies'' is an American animated mystery comedy television series produced by Hanna-Barbera for CBS. It is the second animated television series in the studio's ''Scooby-Doo'' franchise, and follows the first incarnation, ''Sc ...
'', ''WordGirl
''WordGirl'' (stylized as ''W✪RD GIRL'') is an American children's Flash animated superhero television series produced by the Soup2Nuts animation unit of Scholastic Entertainment for PBS Kids. The series began as a series of shorts entitled ' ...
'', ''Scooby-Doo! Pirates Ahoy!
''Scooby-Doo! Pirates Ahoy!'' is a 2006 direct-to-DVD animated comedy mystery adventure film, and the tenth in a series of direct-to-video animated films based on the ''Scooby-Doo'' Saturday morning cartoons. It was released on September 19, 200 ...
'', ''Caillou
''Caillou'' () is a Canadian educational children's television series which aired on Teletoon (both English and French versions), with its first episode airing on the former channel on September 15, 1997; it later moved to Treehouse TV, with i ...
'' and ''What's with Andy?
''What's with Andy?'' (''Sacré Andy !'' in French) is an animated children's television series loosely based on the semi-autobiographical ''Just!'' book series by Australian author Andy Griffiths. The animated series was primarily produced by Can ...
''. He also narrated ''The Secret Shortcut'' in ''Reading Rainbow
''Reading Rainbow'' is an American educational children's television series that originally aired on PBS and afterwards PBS Kids and PBS Kids Go! from July 11, 1983 to November 10, 2006, with reruns continuing to air until August 28, 2009. 155 3 ...
'' and hosted ''The Flintstones' 25th Anniversary Celebration
''The Flintstones' 25th Anniversary Celebration'' is a 1986 American live-action/animated television special produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions in association with Robert Guenette Productions, which premiered on CBS on May 20, 1986. Hosted b ...
''.
He also provided the voice of Freddy the Frog in the direct-to-DVD film '' Garfield's Fun Fest''.
From 2003 to 2010, Conway starred as Hermie in Max Lucado
Max Lucado (born January 11, 1955) is an American author
"Lucado set a record by concurrently placing seven differe ...
's animated video series, ''Hermie and Friends
''Hermie and Friends'' is an American Christian video series for children which ran from 2003 to 2010. The show is 3D animated and stars two caterpillars named Hermie and Wormie.
The show started with a 40-minute Max Lucado video special calle ...
'' along side his co-star, Don Knotts as Wormie. His final voice acting role was one of the talking seagulls in '' The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water''.
Other television appearances
In 1963, Conway guest-starred in '' Channing'' playing a job applicant. In 1968, he made two guest appearances on '' That's Life''. From 1970 to 1971, Conway made four appearances on ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'' (often simply referred to as ''Laugh-In'') is an American sketch comedy television program that ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968, to March 12, 1973, on the NBC television network, hosted by comedians Da ...
''. In 1974, he was in the ''ABC Afterschool Special
''ABC Afterschool Special'' is an American television anthology series that aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from October 4, 1972, to January 23, 1997, usually in the late afternoon on weekdays. Most episodes were dramatically presen ...
'' as a janitor in the episode: " The Crazy Comedy Concert". In 1987, Conway guest-starred in ''Faerie Tale Theatre
Faerie Tale Theatre (also known as Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre) is an American live-action fairytale fantasy drama anthology television series of 27 episodes, that originally aired on Showtime from September 11, 1982 until November 14, 19 ...
'' as a mayoral candidate in the episode: "Rip Van Winkle
"Rip Van Winkle" is a short story by the American author Washington Irving, first published in 1819. It follows a Dutch-American villager in colonial America named Rip Van Winkle who meets mysterious Dutchmen, imbibes their liquor and falls aslee ...
". In 1990, he guest-starred in ''Newhart
''Newhart'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on CBS from October 25, 1982, to May 21, 1990, with a total of 184 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons. The series stars Bob Newhart and Mary Frann as an author and his wife, ...
'' as himself in the episode: " Dick and Tim". In 1991, Conway made a cameo appearance
A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly eit ...
in ''Carol & Company
''Carol & Company'' is an American comedy anthology television series starring Carol Burnett, Jeremy Piven, Meagen Fay, Terry Kiser, Anita Barone, Richard Kind and Peter Krause that aired for two seasons on NBC from March 31, 1990, to July 20, ...
'' as an audience member in the episode "That Little Extra Something". From 1995 to 1996, he guest-starred in '' Married... with Children'' as Ephraim Wanker, the hillbilly father of Peg Bundy in four episodes. In 1996 and 1997, Conway guest-starred in ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
's ''Coach
Coach may refer to:
Guidance/instruction
* Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities
* Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process
** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers
Transportation
* Co ...
'', for which he received the , playing Kenny Montague in the 1996 episode "The Gardener."
In 1997, Conway guest-starred in '' Diagnosis: Murder'' as Tim Conrad in the episode: " Comedy Is Murder" where he teamed back up with Dick Van Dyke
Richard Wayne Van Dyke (born December 13, 1925) is an American actor, entertainer and comedian. His award-winning career has spanned seven decades in film, television, and stage.
Van Dyke began his career as an entertainer on radio and telev ...
and Harvey Korman
Harvey Herschel Korman (February 15, 1927May 29, 2008) was an American actor and comedian who performed in television and film productions. His big break was being a featured performer on CBS' ''The Danny Kaye Show'', but he is best remembered f ...
where Conway and Korman (Harvey Huckaby) are former comedy partners. In the episode, a clip of the well-known dentist sketch from ''The Carol Burnett Show'' was used to illustrate their partnership. In 1998, Conway guest-starred in ''Ellen
Ellen is a female given name, a diminutive of Elizabeth, Eleanor, Elena and Helen. Ellen was the 609th most popular name in the U.S. and the 17th in Sweden in 2004.
People named Ellen include:
* Ellen Adarna (born 1988), Filipino actress
* Elle ...
'' as a comedian in the episode: " Ellen: A Hollywood Tribute, Part 1". In 1999, he guest-starred again in ''Diagnosis: Murder'' as Tim Conrad in the episode: "The Roast
''The Roast'' was a flagship Australian satirical news show that screened on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) television channel ABC2. The daily ten-minute show was hosted by Tom Glasson and featured Mark Humphries, Clarke Richard ...
". From 2001 to 2005, Conway guest-starred in '' Yes Dear'' as Tom Warner, the father of Greg, with ''Carol Burnett Show'' co-star Vicki Lawrence
Vicki Ann Lawrence ( Axelrad; born March 26, 1949), sometimes credited as Vicki Lawrence Schultz, is an American actress, comedian, and singer. She is best known for her character Mama (Thelma Harper). Lawrence originated multitudes of charact ...
playing his wife. He won another Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as Bucky Bright in the ''30 Rock
''30 Rock'' is an American satirical sitcom television series created by Tina Fey that originally aired on NBC from October 11, 2006, to January 31, 2013. The series, based on Fey's experiences as head writer for ''Saturday Night Live'', takes ...
'' episode " Subway Hero," which initially aired on April 17, 2008. From 2010 to 2014, Conway guest-starred on ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'', also referred to as ''CSI'' and ''CSI: Las Vegas'', is an American procedural forensics crime drama television series that ran on CBS from October 6, 2000, to September 27, 2015, spanning 15 seasons. This wa ...
'', ''Hot in Cleveland
''Hot in Cleveland'' is an American television sitcom on TV Land starring Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, Wendie Malick, and Betty White.
The series, which was TV Land's first original series, premiered on June 16, 2010, and was TV Land's highe ...
'', ''WordGirl
''WordGirl'' (stylized as ''W✪RD GIRL'') is an American children's Flash animated superhero television series produced by the Soup2Nuts animation unit of Scholastic Entertainment for PBS Kids. The series began as a series of shorts entitled ' ...
'', '' Batman: The Brave and the Bold'', ''Wizards of Waverly Place
''Wizards of Waverly Place'' is an American fantasy teen sitcom created by Todd J. Greenwald that aired on Disney Channel for four seasons between October 2007 and January 2012. The series centers on Alex Russo (Selena Gomez), a teenage wiza ...
'', ''Mike & Molly
''Mike & Molly'' is an American television sitcom created by Mark Roberts on CBS. It premiered on September 20, 2010, and aired 127 episodes over six seasons. The series stars Billy Gardell and Melissa McCarthy as the eponymous Mike and Molly ...
'', '' Major Crimes'', ''Two and a Half Men
''Two and a Half Men'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS for twelve seasons from September 22, 2003, to February 19, 2015. Originally starring Charlie Sheen in the lead role alongside Jon Cryer and Angus T. Jones, the ...
'', and ''Glee
Glee means delight, a form of happiness.
Glee may also refer to:
* Glee (music), a type of English choral music
* ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy
* ''Glee'' (Bran Van 30 ...
''.
On his 75th birthday in 2008, Conway was interviewed as a guest on ''The Bonnie Hunt Show
''The Bonnie Hunt Show'' is an American syndicated talk show hosted by Bonnie Hunt. It premiered on September 8, 2008. The show's second and final season premiered on September 8, 2009.
It was announced on December 7, 2009 that ''The Bonnie Hun ...
'' and given a surprise cake by Bob Newhart
George Robert Newhart (born September 5, 1929) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his deadpan and slightly stammering delivery style. Newhart came to prominence in 1960 when his album of comedic monologues, ''The Button-Down Mi ...
. In 2018, Conway was seen promoting ''The Carol Burnett Show'' and other classic television series on the MeTV
MeTV, an acronym for Memorable Entertainment Television, is an American broadcast television network owned by Weigel Broadcasting. Marketed as "The Definitive Destination for Classic TV", the network airs a variety of classic television program ...
television network.
Other film and video
Conway starred in Disney films
This is a list of films produced by and released under the Walt Disney Pictures banner (known as that since 1983, with '' Never Cry Wolf'' as its first release) and films released before that under the former name of the parent company, Wal ...
such as ''The World's Greatest Athlete
''The World's Greatest Athlete'' is a 1973 American sports comedy film directed by Robert Scheerer and starring John Amos, Roscoe Lee Browne, Tim Conway, Dayle Haddon, and Jan-Michael Vincent. Released by Walt Disney Productions, it is one of t ...
'' (1973), ''The Apple Dumpling Gang
''The Apple Dumpling Gang'' is a 1971 novel by Jack Bickham, about a group of orphaned children during the California gold rush. They encounter a gambler who reluctantly helps them, as well as a pair of hapless robbers who are after the gold ...
'' (1975), ''Gus
Gus is a masculine name, often a diminutive for Angus, August, Augustine, or Augustus, and other names (e.g. Aengus, Argus, Fergus, Ghassan, Gustav, Gustave, Gustafson, Gustavo, Gussie).
It can also be used as the adaptation into English of ...
'' (1976), and ''The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again
''The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again'' is a 1979 American comedy-Western film directed by Vincent McEveety. Produced by Walt Disney Productions, it is a sequel to '' The Apple Dumpling Gang'' (1975), starring the comedy duo of Tim Conway and Do ...
'' (1979), his work with the company earning him a Disney Legend award in 2004. He starred in the 1977 comedy film ''The Billion Dollar Hobo
''The Billion Dollar Hobo'' is a 1977 American comedy film starring Tim Conway and Will Geer (in his last role).
Plot
Conway is Vernon Praiseworthy, only heir to his uncle's fortune, who faced poverty and misfortune during the Great Depression b ...
''. Conway also co-starred with Don Knotts in ''The Prize Fighter
''The Prize Fighter'' is an American comedy film starring Tim Conway and Don Knotts. Directed by Michael Preece, it was written by Tim Conway and John Myhers, based on a story by Conway. It was released by New World Pictures in November 1979.
P ...
'' (1979) and '' The Private Eyes'' (1980). He starred in the 1986 equestrian
The word equestrian is a reference to equestrianism, or horseback riding, derived from Latin ' and ', "horse".
Horseback riding (or Riding in British English)
Examples of this are:
* Equestrian sports
*Equestrian order, one of the upper classes i ...
comedy, '' The Longshot''. Conway also appeared with Dick Martin in '' Air Bud: Golden Receiver'' (1998) as Fred Davis, the main announcer for the Timberwolves' final game, with Martin as his co-announcer, Phil Phil. He was postal employee Herman Dooly in the 1996 film, '' Dear God''.
Conway and Harvey Korman
Harvey Herschel Korman (February 15, 1927May 29, 2008) was an American actor and comedian who performed in television and film productions. His big break was being a featured performer on CBS' ''The Danny Kaye Show'', but he is best remembered f ...
created a Collector's Edition DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
of new comedy sketches, titled ''Together Again''; it was produced by Pasquale Murena and sold through Conway's official website. Starting in 2003, Conway teamed up with good friend Don Knotts again to provide voices for the direct-to-video children's series ''Hermie and Friends
''Hermie and Friends'' is an American Christian video series for children which ran from 2003 to 2010. The show is 3D animated and stars two caterpillars named Hermie and Wormie.
The show started with a 40-minute Max Lucado video special calle ...
'', which continued with both until Knotts died in 2006. Conway continued to do the series afterwards. In 2007, he hosted ''Thou Shalt Laugh 2: The Deuce'', a collection of Christian stand-up comedians. In 2012–13, he voiced the character Mulch in DreamWorks' ''DreamWorks Dragons
''Dragons'', commonly referred to as ''DreamWorks Dragons'', is an American computer-animated television series based on the 2010 film ''How to Train Your Dragon''. The series serves as a bridge between the first film and its 2014 sequel.
Jay ...
'' subtitled Riders of Berk series. In 2016, he played Professor VanVanguard, a knowledgeable character of the lives, characteristics and treating of zombies in the award-winning feature film ''Chip & Bernie's Zomance''.
Collaborators
Conway collaborated with many notable performers and maintained long-term professional relationships with many of them.
Ernie Anderson
Conway first pitched the idea of Ernie Anderson
Ernest Earle Anderson (November 12, 1923 – February 6, 1997) was an American radio and television personality, horror host, and announcer.
Known for his portrayal of "Ghoulardi", the host of late night horror films on WJW Channel 8 on Cleve ...
and himself doing a late night show together in Cleveland during the 1960s. That is where Rose Marie
Rose Marie (born Rose Marie Mazzetta; August 15, 1923 – December 28, 2017) was an American actress, singer, comedian, and vaudeville performer with a career ultimately spanning nine decades, which included film, radio, records, theater, night ...
found Conway and got him a role on ''The Steve Allen Show''. Before that, the duo recorded two comedy albums together: ''Are We On?'' (1966) and ''Bull'' (1967). Anderson turned to doing voiceovers after Conway moved on, but their collaborations continued with Conway's string of shows and Anderson's career as "The Voice of ABC". Anderson performed on sketches and was the voiceover talent for ''The Carol Burnett Show''.
Anderson become a cult icon in Cleveland as the character Ghoulardi during his own late night television show, where he showed horror B movie
A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double feature ...
s to viewers. In 2013, Conway went to the Ghoulardi Fest to promote his book and show his love for his friend Anderson.
Harvey Korman
Conway first met Harvey Korman
Harvey Herschel Korman (February 15, 1927May 29, 2008) was an American actor and comedian who performed in television and film productions. His big break was being a featured performer on CBS' ''The Danny Kaye Show'', but he is best remembered f ...
in 1966 during the first of Conway's three appearances on ''The Danny Kaye Show
''The Danny Kaye Show'' was an American variety show, hosted by the stage and screen star Danny Kaye, which aired on Wednesday nights from September 25, 1963, to June 7, 1967, on the CBS television network. Directed by Robert Scheerer, it premi ...
''. Korman was a four-year series regular on Kaye's CBS variety hour. 1967 saw the end of the Kaye show and the debut of ''The Carol Burnett Show
''The Carol Burnett Show'' is an American variety/sketch comedy television show that originally ran on CBS from September 11, 1967, to March 29, 1978, for 279 episodes, and again with nine episodes in fall 1991. It starred Carol Burnett, Harvey ...
''. With Korman available, he stepped into a regular role there. Conway appeared as a guest during that first Burnett season and the two men immediately became friends starting a lifetime of working together until Korman's death in 2008. One of their most famous sketches was from ''The Carol Burnett Show'' called "The Dentist Sketch." In this sketch, Korman goes to the just-graduated dentist Conway for a toothache. Conway proceeds to remove Korman's tooth, but before he can inject the novocaine
Procaine is a local anesthetic drug of the amino ester group. It is most commonly used in dental procedures to numb the area around a tooth and is also used to reduce the pain of intramuscular injection of penicillin. Owing to the ubiquity of ...
into Korman, he injects it into himself, causing his hand, leg, and head to go numb.
Korman and Conway performed together for 10 years on ''The Carol Burnett Show'' before Korman left to pursue his own show. Korman joined Conway on Conway's shows and then later on in the 1986 film '' The Longshot'', which Conway wrote for the two men. Conway also wrote the direct-to-video films ''Tim and Harvey in The Great Outdoors'' and ''Together Again with Tim and Harvey'', which the comedy pair starred in together. The duo also toured the U.S. performing together. The DVD ''Together Again with Tim and Harvey'' is a recording of their touring stage show that ran over 10 years to sold out markets until Korman's death in 2008. When interviewed in 2004, Conway said of Korman, "We're friends; He's a bright guy; he can do The New York Times crossword puzzle in about five minutes, but he can't tie his shoes."
Don Knotts
When Conway was starting his career in Hollywood, so was Don Knotts. Both men were regulars on ''The Steve Allen Show
''The Steve Allen Show'' was an American variety show hosted by Steve Allen from June 1956 to June 1960 on NBC, from September 1961 to December 1961 on American Broadcasting Company, ABC, '', though at different times. They didn't have the chance to work together until Disney Studios
The Walt Disney Studios is an American film and entertainment studio, and is the Studios Content segment of the Walt Disney Company. Based mainly at the namesake studio lot in Burbank, California, the studio is best known for its multifacete ...
paired the two men on the Apple Dumpling Gang series of films, and their comedy clicked; Knotts's boisterous, Barney Fife
Bernard "Barney" Fife is a fictional character in the American television program ''The Andy Griffith Show'', portrayed by comic actor Don Knotts. Barney Fife is a deputy sheriff in the slow-paced, sleepy southern community of Mayberry, North C ...
-style bungling both contrasted and meshed with Conway's quieter form of physical comedy. The first film starred Bill Bixby and Susan Clark
Susan Clark (born Nora Golding; March 8, 1943) is a Canadian actress, known for her movie roles such as ''Coogan's Bluff'' and '' Colossus: The Forbin Project'', and for her role as Katherine Papadopolis on the American television sitcom ''Web ...
in 1975 and was called ''The Apple Dumpling Gang
''The Apple Dumpling Gang'' is a 1971 novel by Jack Bickham, about a group of orphaned children during the California gold rush. They encounter a gambler who reluctantly helps them, as well as a pair of hapless robbers who are after the gold ...
''. In it, Bixby is tricked into taking care of a trio of orphans as a pair of lovable holdup men named Amos Tucker (Conway) and Theodore Ogelvie (Knotts) attempts to steal a gold nugget the children find. The film was a commercial success and a sequel, starring the pair, was made in 1979, called ''The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again
''The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again'' is a 1979 American comedy-Western film directed by Vincent McEveety. Produced by Walt Disney Productions, it is a sequel to '' The Apple Dumpling Gang'' (1975), starring the comedy duo of Tim Conway and Do ...
''. The sequel did not have the other cast members but was hugely profitable for Disney.
Conway wrote two other films for the pair to star in together starting with ''The Prize Fighter
''The Prize Fighter'' is an American comedy film starring Tim Conway and Don Knotts. Directed by Michael Preece, it was written by Tim Conway and John Myhers, based on a story by Conway. It was released by New World Pictures in November 1979.
P ...
'' in 1979 and '' The Private Eyes'' in 1980. Both were independently produced and the highest grossing independent films of those years. They had a cameo in the ''Cannonball Run II
''Cannonball Run II'' is a 1984 action comedy film starring Burt Reynolds and an all-star cast, released by Warner Bros. and Golden Harvest. Like the original '' Cannonball Run'', it is set around an illegal cross-country race.
This was the l ...
'' film together and in later years voiced the characters of Hermie and Wormie the caterpillars
Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths).
As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Symp ...
in numerous shows from Max Lucado
Max Lucado (born January 11, 1955) is an American author
"Lucado set a record by concurrently placing seven differe ...
's Christian children's series, "Hermie and Friends
''Hermie and Friends'' is an American Christian video series for children which ran from 2003 to 2010. The show is 3D animated and stars two caterpillars named Hermie and Wormie.
The show started with a 40-minute Max Lucado video special calle ...
".
Pasquale Murena
In 2007, Conway met filmmaker Pasquale Murena when Murena was brought in to direct additional scenes and edit the direct-to-DVD film ''Legend of the Paddle'', starring Conway. The two men subsequently worked together on numerous productions, including Murena producing the DVD releases of ''Together Again with Tim and Harvey'', the re-releases of ''Tim and Harvey in The Great Outdoors'', ''Dorf on Golf
''Dorf on Golf'' is a 1987 comedy short film starring Tim Conway, Vincent Schiavelli and Michele Smith. The film is the first in a series of eight films released by Conway and J2 Communications using the Dorf sporting theme. The film had a tota ...
'', and '' Dorf Goes Fishing''. Murena directed, produced and co-wrote with Conway six ''Dorf'' comedy sketches for the DVD release of ''The Ultimate Dorf DVD Collection'', which has sold over 3 million copies.
Starting in 2009, the two men collaborated on their first sketches for the website iSpotSanta, where Dorf helps Santa deliver presents, and works at the North Pole as Santa's #1 elf. The two men did over 25 comedy sketches and three short films for the website, while garnering over 35 million viewers. Conway was quoted in an interview on the Disney Channel, stating that, "Pasquale has done more with Dorf than I ever imagined. We love making these films for kids." Continuing their success, Murena cast Conway as Professor VanVanGuard in his award-winning first feature film in 2014 called, ''Chip & Bernie's Zomance'', with Conway adding his unique humor to this zombie film.
Personal life
Family
Conway was married to Mary Anne Dalton from 1961 until 1978, and they had six children together. He was married to Charlene Fusco from May 18, 1984 until his death. Her daughter, Jacqueline "Jackie" Beatty, became Tim's stepdaughter, giving him seven children altogether.
Autobiography
Conway's memoir ''What's So Funny?: My Hilarious Life'' was on ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' Best Seller list its first week on sale.
Religion
Tony Rossi interviewed Conway on November 20, 2013, on his podcast ''Christopher Closeup'' (on ''Patheos
Patheos is a non-denominational, non-partisan online media company providing information and commentary from various religious and nonreligious perspectives.
Upon its launch in May 2009, the website was primarily geared toward learning about re ...
''), and Conway revealed that he had converted to Catholicism
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
. This was also reported in an interview with Raymond Arroyo
Raymond Arroyo (born September 20, 1970) is an American author, journalist, and producer. He is the news director and lead anchor of EWTN News, the news division of the Eternal Word Television Network. He is creator and host of the news program ...
on his EWTN
The Eternal Word Television Network, more commonly known by its initials EWTN, is an American basic cable television network which presents around-the-clock Catholic-themed programming. It is not only the largest Catholic television network in ...
program ''The World Over''.
Philanthropy
In June 2010, Conway returned to his hometown of Chagrin Falls, Ohio
Chagrin Falls is a village in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States and is a suburb of Cleveland in Northeast Ohio's Cleveland-Akron-Canton metropolitan area, the 19th-largest Combined Statistical Area nationwide. The village was established and h ...
, to put on fund-raising performances at the Chagrin Valley Little Theatre Chagrin Valley Little Theatre is a community theater located in Chagrin Falls, Ohio in the United States. The theater has been in existence since 1930, and is one of the oldest community theaters in the country (the oldest being the Little Theatre ...
to kick off its capital campaign.
He was a spokesperson for the United Leukodystrophy
Leukodystrophies are a group of usually inherited disorders characterized by degeneration of the white matter in the brain. The word ''leukodystrophy'' comes from the Greek roots ''leuko'', "white", ''dys'', "abnormal" and ''troph'', "growth". Th ...
Foundation.
Interests
A fan of thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...
horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...
and an occasional racehorse owner, Conway was the co-founder and vice-president of the board of directors of the Don MacBeth Memorial Jockey Fund.
Illness and death
In September 2018, ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' showrunner Vincent Waller
Vincent Paul Waller (born September 30, 1960) is an American writer, storyboard artist, animator, and technical director. He has worked on several animated television shows and movies, the most notable ones being ''The Ren & Stimpy Show'' and ' ...
commented that during the time Conway was recording dialogue for the seagull in '' The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water'' (which was released in 2015), he was having trouble recording due to health issues. These issues led to his retirement from playing Barnacle Boy and from acting as a whole in 2016.
In 2018, Conway was diagnosed with dementia
Dementia is a disorder which manifests as a set of related symptoms, which usually surfaces when the brain is damaged by injury or disease. The symptoms involve progressive impairments in memory, thinking, and behavior, which negatively affe ...
due to normal pressure hydrocephalus
Normal-pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), also called malresorptive hydrocephalus, is a form of communicating hydrocephalus in which excess cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) occurs in the ventricles, and with normal or slightly elevated cerebrospinal fluid p ...
. He had surgery to have a ventricular shunt placed. His daughter Kelly and his wife Char both wanted sole conservatorship over his health and a suit was filed at the Superior Court of Los Angeles. Kelly wanted him to be in his home, not in a facility, for privacy reasons. Char was not allowing his daughter Kelly to visit him or talk to doctors and caregivers regarding his health. It was discovered that his care was being neglected by his wife Char and her daughter. Judge Robert Wada ruled against Kelly and in March 2019 his wife was granted conservatorship because she was named power of attorney. After a long legal battle, mediation was necessary to put rules in place to allow Kelly visitation.
Conway died on May 14, 2019, at the age of 85 from complications of normal pressure hydrocephalus at a care facility in Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
.
Tributes
Numerous actors and celebrities paid tribute to Conway following his death, including Dick Van Dyke
Richard Wayne Van Dyke (born December 13, 1925) is an American actor, entertainer and comedian. His award-winning career has spanned seven decades in film, television, and stage.
Van Dyke began his career as an entertainer on radio and telev ...
, Patton Oswalt
Patton Peter Oswalt (born January 27, 1969) is an American stand-up comedian, actor and writer. He is known as Spence Olchin in the sitcom ''The King of Queens'' (1998–2007) and for narrating the sitcom '' The Goldbergs'' (2013–present) as ...
, Ben Stiller
Benjamin Edward Meara Stiller (born November 30, 1965) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is the son of the comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. Stiller was a member of a group of comedic actors colloquially known as ...
, Billy Gardell
William Gardell Jr. (born August 20, 1969) is an American actor and stand-up comedian. Gardell played Chicago police officer Mike Biggs on ''Mike & Molly.'' He also had a recurring role as Billy Colivida on ''Yes, Dear'' and appeared in a dozen e ...
, Ed Asner
Eddie Asner (; November 15, 1929 – August 29, 2021) was an American actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild. He is best remembered for portraying Lou Grant during the 1970s and early 1980s, on both ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' an ...
, Buzz Aldrin
Buzz Aldrin (; born Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr.; January 20, 1930) is an American former astronaut, engineer and fighter pilot. He made three spacewalks as pilot of the 1966 Gemini 12 mission. As the Lunar Module ''Eagle'' pilot on the 1969 A ...
, Neil Patrick Harris
Neil Patrick Harris (born June 15, 1973) is an American actor, singer, writer, producer, and television host. Primarily known for his comedic television roles and dramatic and musical stage roles, he has received multiple accolades throughout ...
, Tom Kenny
Thomas James Kenny (born July 13, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for voicing the titular character in ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' and associated media. Kenny has voiced many other characters, including Heffer Wolfe in ''R ...
, Jamie Lee Curtis
Jamie Lee Curtis (born November 22, 1958) is an American actress, producer, children's author, and activist. She came to prominence with her portrayal of Lt. Barbara Duran on the ABC sitcom '' Operation Petticoat'' (1977–78). In 1978, she m ...
, Larry King
Larry King (born Lawrence Harvey Zeiger; November 19, 1933 – January 23, 2021) was an American television and radio host, whose awards included 2 Peabodys
The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program ...
, Judd Apatow
Judd Apatow (; born December 6, 1967) is an American comedian, director, producer, and screenwriter, best known for his work in comedy and drama films. He is the founder of Apatow Productions, through which he produced and directed the films '' ...
, Wayne Brady
Wayne Alphonso Brady (born June 2, 1972) is an American television personality, comedian, actor, and singer. He is a regular on the American version of the improvisational comedy television series ''Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' He was the host of ...
, Marlee Matlin
Marlee Beth Matlin (born August 24, 1965) is an American actress, author, and activist. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for a ...
, Al Jean
Alfred Ernest Jean III (born January 9, 1961) is an American screenwriter and producer. Jean is well known for his work on ''The Simpsons''. He was raised near Detroit, Michigan, and graduated from Harvard University in 1981. Jean began his wri ...
, John Scalzi
John Michael Scalzi II (born May 10, 1969) is an American science fiction author and former president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. He is best known for his ''Old Man's War'' series, three novels of which have been nom ...
, Richard Lewis Richard, Rich, Richie, Rick, Ricky or Dick Lewis may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Richard Field Lewis Jr. (1907–1957), American radio network owner
* Dick "Rocko" Lewis (Richard Henry Lewis III, 1908–1966), American entertainer
* Rich ...
, Marsha Warfield
Marsha Francine Warfield (born March 5, 1954) is an American actress and comedian. She grew up on Chicago's South Side, graduating from Calumet High School. She is best known for her 1986–92 role of Roz Russell on the Top 10 rated NBC sitcom ...
, Patricia Heaton
Patricia Helen Heaton (born March 4, 1958) is an American actress and comedian. She is best known for her work on sitcoms, having played Debra Barone on ''Everybody Loves Raymond'' (1996–2005) as well as Frances "Frankie" Heck on '' The Middl ...
, Tony Hale
Anthony Russell Hale (born September 30, 1970) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his role in the Fox comedy series ''Arrested Development'' as Buster Bluth. Hale played Gary Walsh on the HBO comedy ''Veep'' from 2012 until its ...
, Larry Wilmore
Elister Larry WilmoreThe name Elister L. Wilmore is given at This matches the birth date and birthplace for "Larry Wilmore" at (born October 30, 1961) is an American comedian, writer, producer, and actor. He served as the "Senior Black Correspo ...
, Vicki Lawrence
Vicki Ann Lawrence ( Axelrad; born March 26, 1949), sometimes credited as Vicki Lawrence Schultz, is an American actress, comedian, and singer. She is best known for her character Mama (Thelma Harper). Lawrence originated multitudes of charact ...
, Yvette Nicole Brown
Yvette Nicole Brown (born August 12, 1971) is an American actress, comedian, writer and host. She starred as Shirley Bennett on the NBC sitcom ''Community'', as Dani in the 2015 version of ''The Odd Couple'' on CBS and as Dina Rose on the ABC sit ...
, Andy Richter
Paul Andrew Richter (born October 28, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and talk show announcer. He is best known as the sidekick for Conan O'Brien on each of O'Brien's talk shows: ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Late Night'' and ' ...
and Conan O'Brien.
Close friend Bob Newhart
George Robert Newhart (born September 5, 1929) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his deadpan and slightly stammering delivery style. Newhart came to prominence in 1960 when his album of comedic monologues, ''The Button-Down Mi ...
made the following statement:
Close friend Carol Burnett
Carol Creighton Burnett (born April 26, 1933) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and writer. Her groundbreaking comedy variety show ''The Carol Burnett Show'', which originally aired on CBS was one of the first of its kind to be hosted ...
made the following statement:
Filmography
Accolades and recognition
References
Notes
# ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' has his name as Toma Daniel Conway. All other sources, including the Ohio Birth Index, state Thomas Daniel Conway.
# Shared with Ed Simmons, Roger Beatty
Roger Beatty (January 24, 1933 – April 6, 2020) was an American director, screenwriter and stage manager.
Beatty began his career in 1966, as a stage manager for the television series ''The Danny Kaye Show''. He later stage-managed for ''The ...
, Rick Hawkins, Liz Sage
Liz is a female name of Hebrew origin, meaning "God's Promise". It is also a short form of Elizabeth, Elisabeth, Lisbeth, Lizanne, Liszbeth, Lizbeth, Lizabeth, Lyzbeth, Lisa, Lizette, Alyssa, and Eliza.
People
* Liz Balmaseda (born 1959), Puli ...
, Bob Illes, James R. Stein
James R. Stein is an American screenwriter and television producer. For his work on ''The Carol Burnett Show
''The Carol Burnett Show'' is an American variety/sketch comedy television show that originally ran on CBS from September 11, ...
, Franelle Silver, Larry Siegel
Lawrence H. Siegel (October 29, 1925 – August 20, 2019) was an American comedy writer and satirist who wrote for television, stage, magazines, records, and books. He won three Emmys as Head Writer during four seasons of ''The Carol Burnett Show ...
, Bill Richmond
Bill Richmond (5 August 1763 – 28 December 1829) was a British boxer, born into slavery in Richmondtown, New York. Although born in Colonial America, he lived for the majority of his life in England, where all his boxing contests took p ...
, Gene Perret, Dick Clair
Dick Clair (November 12, 1931 – December 12, 1988) was an American television producer, actor and television and film writer, best known for the television sitcoms ''It's a Living'', '' The Facts of Life'', and ''Mama's Family''.
Early life
...
, and Jenna McMahon
Mary Virginia Skinner (May 24, 1925 – March 2, 2015), known professionally as Jenna McMahon, was an American writer, producer, actress and comedian. She was best known for her Emmy Award-winning work as a writer on the variety/sketch comedy p ...
. The episode with Eydie Gormé
Eydie Gormé ( ; born Edith Gormezano; August 16, 1928 – August 10, 2013) was an American singer who had hits on the pop and Latin pop charts. She sang solo and in the duo Steve and Eydie with her husband, Steve Lawrence, on albums and telev ...
.
# Shared with Ed Simmons, Roger Beatty, Rick Hawkins, Liz Sage, Bob Illes, James R. Stein, Franelle Silver, Larry Siegel, Bill Richmond, Gene Perret, Dick Clair, and Jenna McMahon. The episode with Ken Berry
Kenneth Ronald Berry (November 3, 1933 – December 1, 2018) was an American actor, dancer, and singer. Berry starred on the television series ''F Troop'', ''The Andy Griffith Show'', '' Mayberry R.F.D.'' and ''Mama's Family''. He also appe ...
.
# Shared with Ed Simmons, Roger Beatty, Rick Hawkins, Liz Sage, Bob Illes, James R. Stein, Franelle Silver, Larry Siegel, Bill Richmond, Gene Perret, Dick Clair, and Jenna McMahon.
# Shared with Roger Beatty, Rick Hawkins, Liz Sage, Bob Illes, James R. Stein, Franelle Silver, Larry Siegel, Bill Richmond, Gene Perret, Dick Clair, Jenna McMahon, and Ed Simmons (supervising). The episode with Steve Martin and Betty White guest-star.
# Shared with Bob Arnott (screenwriter), Bob Arnott, Roger Beatty, Dick Clair, Ann Elder, Arnie Kogen, Buz Kohan, Jenna McMahon, and Kenny Solms. The episode with Sally Field.
# Shared with Harvey Korman
Harvey Herschel Korman (February 15, 1927May 29, 2008) was an American actor and comedian who performed in television and film productions. His big break was being a featured performer on CBS' ''The Danny Kaye Show'', but he is best remembered f ...
.
# Shared with Carol Burnett
Carol Creighton Burnett (born April 26, 1933) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and writer. Her groundbreaking comedy variety show ''The Carol Burnett Show'', which originally aired on CBS was one of the first of its kind to be hosted ...
, Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence
Vicki Ann Lawrence ( Axelrad; born March 26, 1949), sometimes credited as Vicki Lawrence Schultz, is an American actress, comedian, and singer. She is best known for her character Mama (Thelma Harper). Lawrence originated multitudes of charact ...
, Lyle Waggoner
Lyle Wesley Waggoner (; April 13, 1935 – March 17, 2020) was an American actor, sculptor, presenter, travel trailer salesman and model, known for his work on ''The Carol Burnett Show'' from 1967 to 1974 and for playing the role of Steve Trevor ...
, and Bob Mackie (costume designer).
Citations
Sources
*
External links
*
*
*
*
Disney Legends profile
*
Q&A with Tim Conway
Tim Conway Quotes
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Conway, Tim
1933 births
2019 deaths
20th-century American comedians
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American comedians
21st-century American male actors
American male comedians
American male film actors
American male television actors
American male voice actors
American people of Scottish descent
American people of Romanian descent
American racehorse owners and breeders
American sketch comedians
Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe (television) winners
Bowling Green State University alumni
Burials at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
Catholics from California
Catholics from Ohio
Converts to Roman Catholicism
Disney people
Male actors from Ohio
Military personnel from Ohio
Neurological disease deaths in California
People from Chagrin Falls, Ohio
People from Greater Los Angeles
People from Willoughby, Ohio
Primetime Emmy Award winners
United States Army soldiers