Classic impressionists/"Kopycats" <was Most Stereotyped Voice(s)>

[Caro]

Once upon a time, if you shook a tree in Hollywood, a voice impressionist
would fall out. They were everywhere and they were great. The best of them
even had their own TV series called "The Kopycats" back in 1972.

Regular artist Frank Gorshin often did Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster, and
even occasionally had them talking back and forth to each other. Gorshin was
amazing in his prime; he could imitate so many actors. Fred Travalena who
was also on the show could do quite a few impressions of his own but I've
forgotten them now, except for Gomer Pyle, who stands out in my memory...
Marilyn Michaels was the talented regular who did all the impressions of
female artists, including a slightly cock-eyed Barbra Streisand (how did she
do that?), Carol Channing, Judy Garland and lots more - she could sing as
well as the best of them, too.

The "Kopycats" scripts were really good, too. Every week we'd be treated to
strange encounters of the Hollywood fantasy kind, like the retelling of a
scene from a hot movie with two different actors other than the actors who
were actually in the film. (They would have had a lot of fun with "Titanic,"
no doubt about that!)

Reading about the great, unique voices in the Most Stereotyped Voice(s)
thread, I realize that there are so many, many actors whose voices beg for
impersonations today - I wish one of the networks would revive an updated
version of "Kopycats." :"(

~ Caro (Eta.C...@worldnet.att.net)
I know you are. But what am I? Haha. Ha. (~PeeWee Herman)

[MadiHolmes]

>Reading about the great, unique voices in the Most Stereotyped Voice(s)
>thread, I realize that there are so many, many actors whose voices beg for
>impersonations today - I wish one of the networks would revive an updated
>version of "Kopycats." :"(

"Back in the early Nineties" <g>, SNL had some really good actors who did great
impressions- Dana Carvey as Bush and Perot comes to mind. Even later, Norm
MacDonald's impression as Bob Dole was dead on (funniest moment in years was
him meeting The real Dole :)

MadiHolmes

[Mystmoush]

>"Back in the early Nineties" <g>, SNL had some really good actors who did
>great
>impressions- Dana Carvey as Bush and Perot comes to mind. Even later, Norm
>MacDonald's impression as Bob Dole was dead on (funniest moment in years was
>him meeting The real Dole :)
>
>MadiHolmes
>
>

And, of course, the late, great Phil Hartman was a master of impersonation.
What a loss his death was.

One of my fave episodes on SNL was watching Kevin Spacey 'do' Walter Matthau,
Christopher Walken and others 'auditioning' for Star Wars. Dead on and
hysterically funny. Mebbe it's time Mr. Spacey did a comedy.

Eileeeen from Ohio

[Dean Eaton]

I still think the most amazing impression I ever heard was when Rich Little
used to do Jimmy Stewart. It was so dead-on it always killed me. The
runner-up would be Frank Gorshin doing Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster
simultaneously.
I once saw Jim Carrey on the Tonight Show doing "face impressions", not
voices. He'd turn around with his back to the audience, then face the camera
with his face contorted to resemble Charles Bronson, Clint Eastwood or
"Michael Landon smiling" (this had to be seen to be believed). After I
stopped laughing and got back up on the couch, I said "Who the hell was
THAT?" Well, now we know.
Dean
Mystmoush <myst...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20000325014609...@ng-ck1.aol.com...