Existing comment:
Tom Smothers, who portrayed the dumb one of the Smothers Brothers duo (with brother Dick), passed on December 26. Their show "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" (1967-1969) broke new ground in discussing religion, sex, recreational drugs, and the Vietnam War. The continual fight with the CBS censors led to the show being canceled. Tom, the guy who always did the yo-yo tricks on stage, was the creative force that pushed the network and became a beacon for First Amendment rights. Tom was friends with John Lennon (performing with him on the live version of "Give Peace a Chance") and had conflicts with drug-rapist Bill Cosby, who punched Tom in the head during a Playboy Mansion party in 1976. He's shown here with his brother Dick at a Kennedy Center event in 2002 honoring Bob Newhart. |