Tim Conway plays the world's worst scene partner in a hilarious sketch from season 5, episode 13 of The Carol Burnett Show. The skit aired back in 1972, when variety shows ruled the airwaves. I remember tuning in that Saturday night, probably after finishing up a TV dinner that cost less than a dollar.
The sketch opens with Carol Burnett's character trying to rehearse a community theater production of A Streetcar Named Desire. Her husband, played by Lyle Waggoner, has cast his golfing buddy George (Tim Conway) as Stanley. From the moment Conway shuffles on stage in his rumpled suit, it's clear this ain't gonna be Marlon Brando.
Tim Conway delivers a masterclass in comedy in his favorite T-shirt.
As Carol tries to recreate the famous "Stella!" scene, Conway bumbles through it hilariously. He refuses to take off his jacket, worried about his "favorite" T-shirt getting torn. His attempts at animal magnetism are more sheepish than sexy. And don't get me started on his delivery of "Stella, come to me baby" - I nearly fell off the couch laughing.
The sketch builds as Carol gets more and more frustrated with her incompetent co-star. She even brings in a hunky airline pilot, played by Harvey Korman, to show Conway how it's done. Of course, that backfires spectacularly when Carol gets a little too into the scene with Korman.
In classic Carol Burnett Show fashion, the skit wraps up with some physical comedy as Carol accidentally rips her own blouse instead of Conway's shirt. The live audience was in stitches - you could hear the roars of laughter through the TV speakers.
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