The scene was scripted as a terrifying WWII interrogation. Harvey Korman, playing the brutal officer, was screaming inches from Tim Conway’s face, demanding secrets. But Tim, standing at rigid attention, decided to wage silent war against an invisible enemy. First, it was a twitch. Then, a desperate puff of air. Tim was battling an imaginary fly on his nose without moving his arms. As Harvey tried to maintain his icy glare, Tim’s tongue began to dart out like a malfunctioning lizard, frantically trying to “lick” the pest away. Harvey’s face went pale. He bit his lip until it turned white, fighting a losing battle against the greatest ad-libber in history. Then, Tim unleashed one final, unscripted move that didn’t just break Harvey—it destroyed the entire scene…
If you grew up watching The Carol Burnett Show, you knew the golden rule: The sketch wasn’t the point. The…