Interview: Tim Conway

Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com

Great comedians are like boxers. A straight face is their opponent and the goal is to knock you out—also known as getting you to laugh uncontrollably. Interviewing Tim Conway two weeks ago for my "House Call" column in today's Mansion section of the Wall Street Journal (go here or please buy the paper), Tim went to work on me from the outset. We talked about his family's series of odd homes during the Depression, but over the course of 40 minutes, I also was able to study how he inflicts humor on unwitting interviewers.

Like a boxer, Tim wants to have you leaning one way and he uses a mix of serious answers and light quips to get you there. Then, when he senses you're leaning a little too far, he delivers a knockout blow that knocks the laughs out of you. You simply can't help it. Much has to do with Tim's straightface delivery. He tends to be dry and playful at first but quickly becomes uproarious as you grow acclimated to his humor. Tim had me laughing so hard at one point tears were coming down my face. Oh, before I forget: He has a new book out: What's So Funny?: My Hilarious Life (Howard Books). You'll find it here. Here's what I mean about Tim...

Here's Tim being interviewed...

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Used with permission by Marc Myers