Last Friday I decided that we would end every work week from now on (and forever and I mean it) with a little Ernie Kovacs material from his various 1950s and 60s TV specials. (See also last Monday and Wednesday as well for a little Kovacs catch-up). This is a piece called ‘Musical Office’ in which the various furnishings and gadgets in a very mid-century looking office become an orchestra of sorts. Considering the technology available at the time (which was zero) I can’t imagine how Kovacs accomplished this. Clearly there are no in-camera tricks so all of this had to have been done manually. I love the look of the video of the period–it’s Monochrome Quad videotape–and the decision to use the music of space-age pop master Esquivel is very Kovacs-ian and incredibly appropriate. Enjoy your pre-Memorial day weekend actor-free Kovacs treat. And don’t forget to consider the true meaning of memorial day; all those young men died in all those wars so that people could go to the Hamptons for three days.
June 17, 2024
5 Responses
Hear, hear!
My first job in TV was in the Art Dept at Turner Broadcasting mid 70s. We had a “whacky” late night news between all night movies. I made a dancing TV out of foam rubber once on a little set. TED loved it. So watching the effects here was such a treat as I too have some idea how they did some of it, but NO idea how they did A LOT OF IT.
Kooky Kovaks, thanks.
That’s an amazing piece. It’s like advanced puppetry. Kovacs was a genius who needs more credit for his vision.
BTW my friend Yvonne Rodriguez was a singer with Esquivel. Unfortunately, she just passed this month. She was the wife of trumpeter Dr. Bobby Rodriguez.
Did a movie in the early 80’s with Jeff Goldblum About Ernie Kovacs and we did a few of his bit’s. Regrettably not this one