Top 10 Classic Impressions on The Carol Burnett Show

#10: Mickey Rooney & Judy Garland

We don’t feel like it really matters how retro and old school many of the impressions on “The Carol Burnett Show” might feel to viewers of a younger generation. Skits such as the “Babes in Barns” piece feature Ken Berry and Carol impersonating Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland, respectively, with the results being a prime send-up of old school Hollywood musicals. Both Berry and Burnett nail the notable vocal inflections of Rooney and Garland, while the extravagant musical numbers of sets hearken back to how musicals such as these fed the souls of those that were starving during the era of The Great Depression.

#9: Robert Shaw

We love “Jaws.” You love “Jaws.” Heck, everybody loves “Jaws,” but folks back in the ‘70s really loved “Jaws.” This included rampant, unrestrained parodies of Steven Spielberg’s summer blockbuster, and “The Carol Burnett Show” provided a classic one. Harvey Korman did a great impression of Robert Shaw’s Quint character during this sketch late in the series’ run. The opening synth mock-up of John Williams’ iconic score is fun, as is the seriousness that Korman brings to his surly and gruff performance. It’s so good that we forget for a moment that he’s hunting a sewer shark in a bathtub!

#8: Karen Black

We feel that a lot of folks that justifiably love the humor present within Jim Abrahams and The Zucker Brothers’ 1980 parody classic “Airplane!” might not actually be aware of the original source material. The “Airport” series was a successful film franchise that codified many of the tropes parodied not only by “Airplane!” but also here on “The Carol Burnett Show.” This skit lovingly skewers all of the coincidences that wind up dooming the casts of so many disaster pictures that were released in the wake of “Airport.” Burnett does a lot of heavy lifting here with her Karen Black impression, as the skit titled “Disaster ‘75” lampoons the Black/Charlton Heston vehicle “Airport 1975” with hilarious results.

#7: Elsa the Lioness

Tim Conway actually seemed to have a penchant for playing animal characters on “The Carol Burnett Show,” believe it or not. The former guest star and eventual series regular has portrayed everything from a cow to a lion named Simba over the course of his run on the program. This latter performance was a parody of “Born Free,” and featured Conway in a cute little lion suit that’s gotta be seen to be believed. Conway seems to clearly know how ridiculous he looks in the outfit, and the studio audience seems to agree, since he gets a laugh the moment he appears on screen with his impersonation of “Born Free’s” Elsa the Lioness.

#6: Bette Davis

A lot of comedians have entertained us with their impressions of Bette Davis over the years, but Carol Burnett did a great job here with this skit that parodies the 1946 film, “A Stolen Life.” Davis portrayed twin sisters in that film, and Burnett does the same, amplifying each character’s polar opposite personalities. The sketch is long at nearly twenty minutes, but the audience is game for all of the extended vamping and takes on Davis’ acting style. It’s sheer, silly melodrama that chews the scenery for all its worth, while never forgetting to be irreverent with regards to its source material.

#5: Queen Elizabeth II

Carol Burnett was a master of many impressions, but her take on Queen Elizabeth II just has to be one of the most beloved by fans. Burnett often went back to this wellspring of inspiration, portraying The Queen in a number of sketches over the years. Her exasperation at not being able to get into Buckingham Palace was hilarious, as were her attempts at christening a ship. Elsewhere, Burnett’s mastery of Queen Elizabeth II’s vocal cadence and mannerisms could also be seen in the sketch where her Royal Family is lampooned in a manner that’s more befitting an old school, traditional sitcom.

#4: Gloria Swanson

The performance of Gloria Swanson in 1950’s “Sunset Boulevard” has been proclaimed as one of the very best, from any era at any time. That said, Swanson’s decision to use a very specific style of speech (one quite different from her own) made her performance as faded star Norma Desmond one that’s easily ripe for parody. Burnett’s take on Desmond proved to be so iconic that fans of “The Carol Burnett Show” called for the character to return in subsequent sketches. Burnett obliged, and her Gloria Swanson-doing-Norma Desmond impression became a running gag throughout the show.

#3: Joan Crawford

The key to a great impression doesn’t always reside solely within the voice. Sometimes, it’s also about how a performer looks, or the clothes they wear; these elements can sometimes make all the difference. Carol Burnett absolutely nailed Crawford’s old school Hollywood glamour, her fancy wardrobe and iconic eyebrows. “Mildred Fierce” parodies Crawford’s Academy Award winning performance in 1945’s “Mildred Pierce,” taking all of its film noir tropes and running with them for all they’re worth. Meanwhile, Burnett also captures Crawford’s notorious temper with “Torchy Song,” another parody of an older film with plenty of contemporary laughs.

#2: William Shatner

It’s sometimes forgotten how “The Carol Burnett Show” actually made a brief return back in 1991. It was during this era from which this skit parodying “Star Trek” is taken, featuring Burnett doing a stellar Shatner. It would’ve been easy for Burnett simply to take on Shatner’s often-imitated vocal cadence, but the host goes one step further by, well…taking a few steps. Burnett swaggers and saunters around with all of the masculine bravado Shatner brought to “Star Trek” as Captain James T. Kirk, while former “SCTV” alum Andrea Martin more than holds her own as Miss Spock!

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Lucille Ball

Two Queens of Comedy

Charo

Carol Goes a Little Cuchi-Cuchi

#1: Vivien Leigh

It’s one of the most recalled and referenced gags from the entire run of “The Carol Burnett Show.” A sketch that parodies “Gone With the Wind” with a number of great impressions, from Harvey Korman’s Clark Gable to Burnett’s all-time take on Vivien Leigh. The grand, sweeping scale of “Gone With the Wind” has been parodied to death over the years, but “The Carol Burnett Show’s” anarchic, anything-goes sense of humor makes this sketch feel head and shoulders above the competition. Burnett does a great job with Leigh’s extravagant manner of speech as Scarlett O’Hara, while Korman’s Clark Gable serves up the perfect comedic counterpoint.

Did you watch “The Carol Burnett Show” during its original run, or are you just a fan of old school, classic comedy? Let us know in the comments!