Tim Conway’s “accidental mayhem” costume disaster sends Harvey Korman into uncontrollable shaking laughter, turning a simple scene into one of the most iconic breakdowns in TV history.
What starts as a tiny wardrobe gag erupts into full-blown chaos as Conway twists, tugs, and battles his outfit like he’s fighting gravity itself, while Korman’s attempts to stay serious crumble frame by frame. Even 50 years later, fans say their chemistry “hurts your face from laughing,” proving this legendary meltdown hasn’t just aged well it’s become the gold standard of what real, timeless comedy looks like.
There’s a special kind of magic in the world of comedy — the kind you can’t script, can’t rehearse, and definitely can’t predict. And that magic always seemed to follow Tim Conway and Harvey Korman wherever they went. Their chaos wasn’t just funny… it was timeless.
Tim once admitted he “had no idea it would turn into total mayhem,” and watching the clip today, you can feel exactly what he meant. It starts off simple, almost harmless: a quick costume adjustment, a tiny onstage mix-up. But within seconds, it unravels into full-blown hysterical chaos. Conway tugs, twists, and pulls like a man wrestling a ghost, while Harvey Korman tries — and fails — to maintain even a shred of dignity. His shoulders shake, his face crumbles, and that famous half-burst laugh escapes before he can stop it.
That laugh is what fans still talk about. Because when Korman lost it, you felt like you were part of an inside joke with two men who genuinely loved making each other break. It wasn’t polished. It wasn’t perfect. It didn’t need to be. Every mistake became the joke. Every stumble became comedy gold.
The beauty of their performances is how human they were. There was no ego, no competition — just pure joy in trying to push each other over the edge. And somehow, decades later, the laughter still feels fresh. Modern comedy has sharper scripts, bigger sets, louder punchlines… but very few acts have the warmth and spontaneity Conway and Korman carried so effortlessly.
