Ernie Kovacs as Matzoh Hepplewhite Saws a Woman in Half!

[From "Kovacs Corner" on KZbin.com] - This clip show an early incarnation of magician Matzoh Hepplewhite. Also featured is Ernie's female sidekick at the time, Barbara Loden.
At the time of her death at the age of 48 from breast cancer, she was married to the director Elia Kazan, by whom she had one child. She was perhaps best-known for her role in Kazan's 1961 film, "Splendor in the Grass", in which she played Warren Beatty's sister, as well as for portraying a fictionalized version of Marilyn Monroe in Kazan's stage production of "After the Fall", written by Monroe's former husband, playwright Arthur Miller.
In 1970, Loden wrote, produced, directed, and starred in the independent film, "Wanda". Innovative in its cinéma vérité style, it was one of the very few American films directed by a woman to be theatrically released at that time. The film won the International Critics' Prize at the Venice Film Festival in 1970 and was presented at the 1971 Cannes Film Festival.
Assisting Ernie as the walk on audience member is actor/singer Bill Hayes. During the Davy Crockett craze in 1955, three recorded versions of the Ballad of Davy Crockett were in the top 30. Hayes' version was the most popular, and reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks. It sold over two million copies, and was awarded a gold record
Getting back to Ernie, you can bet that the stagehands filled that pint bottle with something more substantial than tea!

[@cbrasure925]

I remember watching Ernie Kovaks way back in the day on Comedy Central. He was a comic genius. I'm so happy to find these clips on KZbin.

[@kmd33k]

0:49 Ernie realizes it wasn't tea in the glass...

[@dquartarolo]

The young man is Bill Hayes, who years later would become famous on Days of Our Lives.

[@kali3665]

Jack Lemmon remembered this skit. At some point, the water in his cup is switched for alcohol, and you can tell Ernie knows it too. From that point on, the skit gets ... um, weirder. 🤣🤣

[@poetrychurch]

"I can't saw without sawdust, I'm no magician!"

[@rolko52]

After looking at this video a few times, it sure looks like a paint roller frame on his head!

[@rolko52]

It could be. Ernie's "Caesar's Hour" summer replacement show did feature a "Barbara" in the opening credits.

[@markpollock2324]

So good.

[@kschoeni]

What's amazing is the card I thought of was the 8 of clubs.

[@rolko52]

@broncomatt1 Really??? I'm glad that you brought that to our attention!!!

[@harry1babs]

Barbara Loden..?

[@kathleenotis9]

Yes, Barbara Loden

[@rolko52]

@artytoons Strictly for medicinal purposes. 8-]

[@rolko52]

@Hartm20032004 - Of course we know it's two woman! That is the point of the gag. Kovacs was playing off the absurdity. You and "broncomatt1" are not telling us anything that our sense of humor doesn't already know.

[@artytoons]

I'll have what Matzoh is having...

[@Hartm20032004]

What? Is she 9 feet tall? It's two women

[@snowbeard54]

Was he getting smashed?

[@markschildberg1667]

Yup. The crew put real booze in the flask and didn’t tell Ernie.

[@sachaperry2591]

CANT BRING THE TRAY AND THE CABINET AT THE SAME TIME HUH...

[@rolko52]

"Rummy"...that's a great word. That was thrown around my house alot when I was a kid. Too bad it now bears a disgraceful connotation...Donald Rumsfeld.