Beverly is just one of the greats. Always a treat onscreen, she's even better in cabaret (usually with her brother Jeff, playing bass). She's creative, funny, sexy, ballsy (I'm getting lazy, here, so I'll just say...) talented beyond belief.
If you look at her contribution to American comedy and cinema, where she's usually mated with Chevy Chase, and you have to make the judgement about who's more vital to American Comedy, Bev, or Chevy; Chevy bites it. Bev rules.