Kovacs, Ernie

Kovacs, (Ernest) Ernie

(1919–62) television comedian; born in Trenton, N.J. After high school, he studied acting, appearing with Long Island, N.Y. stock companies in the 1930s. He wrote a column for the New Jersey Trentonian (1945–50). He did much of the writing and producing as well as performing for his three television series—Time for Ernie (National Broadcasting Company, 1951), The Ernie Kovacs Show (CBS, 1953), and Kovacs Unlimited (CBS, 1952–54). He utilized the medium imaginatively through sight gags and apparently improvised zaniness. He brought his slightly wacky personality to the ten movies he appeared in before he died prematurely in a car crash.