I just watched Zero Mostel on The Muppet Show and realized that there are just some performers who never seem to be as good in movies or series TV as they do on stage. Mostel was great in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and The Producers, but most of his films didn’t really capture his genius.
I’ve noticed the same thing with Buddy Hackett. He never struck me as particularly impressive on TV or in movies until I saw his act on HBO. It was hilarious (but very risque).
Jonathan Winters is another case. Groundbreaking comic on variety shows where he was a guest, but never all that impressive when playing a role or in series TV.
Finally, there’s the great Ernie Kovacs, whose TV show was one of the best sketch (if that’s the right term) shows ever, but his roles in movies and elsewhere (which are more likely to be found) are completely unmemorable.
Let’s not count appearances on talk shows or variety shows where people could do their regular acts. Who was great in person but undistinguished in series TV or movies?
I don’t know if it’s fair to include Kovacs on this list because his untimely death in an auto accident when he was only 42. At that time, Kovacs was only just starting to branch out into movies and had he lived longer, he could’ve been as successful in films as his contemporary Mel Brooks was (especially if he had been given creative control). Such is the tragedy of dying prematurely.
Anyway, the first person I thought of for this thread was Richard Pryor. If you had to evaluate this guy just on the basis of his straight narrative movies (his concert films obviously excluded), you’d at best only have a hint as to why in terms of stand-up comedy during the 70’s and early 80’s, he was considered the main man.
The late, great sportscaster Jack Buck said several times that Bobby Darin did the best live show Buck had ever seen. Since I’m only familiar with Darin’s film and TV work, I’ve always been completely baffled by Buck’s fandom.