The Great Gazoo Speaks!

 The later seasons of The Flintstones are known by now to have a somewhat divided reputation among fans. Fans are split on everything from the direction the show went in to the introduction of Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm, but nothing stirs up more debate than the character of the Great Gazoo. Voiced by comedy legend Harvey Korman, this little green alien showed up in a dozen episodes of the final season, and has since gone on to be the franchise's Scrappy-Doo for many. However, there are plenty of others who like the little guy, and I just so happen to be one of them. Does his character feel out of place in a series like The Flintstones? Absolutely? Do I particularly care? Not really! I'd honestly take him over either Pebbles or Bamm-Bamm, and the fact that he was voiced by Korman makes the character even more entertaining.

Speaking of Korman, he's the real subject of today's post! This day marks what would have been his 97th birthday, and to celebrate, I'm sharing this short chat he had with The Province on October 13th, 1995. Beyond looking back on the series, the piece also celebrates his collaborations with Mel Brooks and advertises a signing event Korman was participating in later on that day. 

Korman's a cult, only thanks to Flintstones

The Great Gazoo Still Remembered

By Damian Inwood

    You'd think that after doing ten years on the Carol Burnett Show and working with Danny Kaye, Harvey Korman would command quite a following.
    But it's his role as the voice of a little green spaceman on The Flintstones that has given the veteran actor a cult following.
    "I did only eight or nine episodes of the Great Gazoo, 25 or 30 years ago," laughs Korman. "Now, I sign a picture of me with Barney or Fred and people pay $500 to $700."
    The 68-year-old actor just finished a film with Mel Brooks, which is due out at Christmas.
    "It's called Dracula: Dead and Loving It, with Leslie Nielsen as Dracula," says Korman, who made Blazing Saddles, High Anxiety and History of the World Part 1 with Brooks.
    "It was great to get back together with Mel. He's as brilliant and beautiful and crazy as ever."
    Korman says he keeps busy playing golf and playing with his kids, aged 10 and 12. He says he's bothered by the laugh track on today's sitcoms.
    "It becomes a very synthetic experience," he says. "It's like, 'Please let me alone, let me decide when to laugh.'"
    Korman bemoans the fact that, in Hollywood, actors become disposable when they get older. 
    "In other professions - doctors, lawyers, accountants - when you get into your 50s or 60s you're better than ever, you know the terrain, you're smarter than ever, and you're more valuable," he says.
    "In my business, you have some peak years and bang, you're not marketable anymore. There are so many men that I know in Hollywood that are really funny and have nowhere to go. It's quite a sad commentary."
    Korman is signing animation cels at the World of Animation Gallery, 1140 Robson Street at 7 p.m. today.