When people mention a member of a university’s alumni, the administration rarely expects to hear a chuckle or a laugh. When it comes to Bowling Green State University, that’s not only what’s expected, but what’s hoped for when you mention Tim Conway. Never a leading man, the BGSU alum made a career out of making people laugh and he did it with the best of them. When he passed away on May 14, the world lost a lot of laughter. Luckily for us, there’s plenty to remind us of his comic genius.
What’s So Funny? My Hilarious Life The story of BGSU’s comedic treasure covers a lot of ground. There are a lot of behind-the-scenes stories, the kind of inside stuff that is often even funnier than the comedy we all saw on screen. His characters were legendary, as was his ability to improvise to the point where his partners couldn’t keep a straight face. He excelled in the McHale’s Navy television series and with a vast array of characters in Carol Burnett’s sketch comedy show. Speaking of Burnett, she wrote a very warm and personal foreword to the book and claims “there’s no one funnier” than Tim Conway. High praise from one of the queens of comedy. More about the book
The Apple Dumpling Gang How can any movie featuring Tim Conway and Don Knotts not be hilarious? It did so well that it led to a sequel and two different television pilots. In addition to the two aforementioned comic heavyweights, you’ll find Bill Bixby who played Dr. Bruce Banner in The Incredible Hulk (1977-1982) long before Mark Ruffalo transformed the character in the Marvel Comic Universe. Bixby plays a bachelor who inherits three orphans and Conway and Knotts play two bumbling Wild West Outlaws who probably coined the phrase “shoot yourself in the foot.” If you want a mindless, G-rated comedy, this one’s for you. Watch it on Amazon Prime | DVD & other options | The book that inspired the movie | The sequel
On the Carol Burnett Show Sketch comedy shows have come and gone (Saturday Night Live has been around a long time, but many years we wish it would go away), but few were as consistently funny for as long as The Carol Burnett Show. And Tim Conway played a pivotal role. Yes, Carol Burnett was a comic genius. Yes, there were other ensemble members that were quite hilarious (Harvey Korman, for sure). And the string of A-list celebrities kept it interesting. But Conway’s ability to create distinctive characters and improvise on a dime made the show a must-watch event every week. If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you can get a few side-splitting laughs at no cost. Watch it on Amazon Prime
Video featuring Tim Conway When you watch bits of Conway’s comedy you laugh – sometimes uncontrollably. But when you see how he adapted his comedy over time and across genres, you have to be amazed. He hosted his own TV show and starred on Carol Burnett’s show. He played a supporting role TV’s McHale’s Navy. He made a splash in movies. This is a nifty collection that displays the depth and diversity of his work and it’s all hilarious. And if you’re an Amazon Prime member, you can watch it for free. Free & funny. Nice combo. Watch it on Amazon Prime
Dorf: The Enduring Legend If a writer walked into a pitch meeting today and said want to put shoes on their knees for a character that gets into all sorts of hilarious predicaments, well, they’d probably be out of job. In the hands of a comedic genius like Tim Conway, it became Dorf, who starred in eight films in the 1980s, then reappeared in the late 2000s on the iSpotSanta website, more than 20 years after Dorf debuted on the legendary Johnny Carson Show. Talk about staying power. Check out all 8 classic Dorf videos
Fun fact: Did you know that Tim Conway was Barnacle Boy on the SpongeBob TV show AND the seagull in the SpongeBob movie, Sponge Out of Water?
