cover story WRITTEN BY Kelly L. Watson
double trouble
LONG BEFORE SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE and The Simpsons, families gathered around the television to watch The Smothers Brothers Comedy
Hour. The stars of the show, Tom and Dick Smothers, made sibling rivalry an art form. Dick was the straight man whose seriousness heightened the humor of Tom’s smart-aleck antics. Tom was the comedian, whose bumbling non sequiturs sparked caustic arguments and countless laughs.
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“Cable wasn’t even on, so when we talk about people watching the Smothers Brothers at 9 o’clock on Sunday, we’re talking about 20 million people.” The Smothers Brothers never intended to be
to meet a lot of people I never would have met—
singers, but their onstage dynamic personalities
people of stature … leaders and politicians and
created so many laughs, the duo could rarely finish a
other stars.”
song. Tom and Dick began playing comedy clubs, and
The show finally ended its three-year run in 1969,
released several albums. Soon they caught the
giving the brothers time to pursue other interests.
attention of television executives, who were looking
Dick became the first celebrity racecar driver, and
for an act to fill the timeslot opposite Bonanza.
used the experience as fodder for a column in Car
“When we were on television … there were only
Dick and Tom shown at their California winery “Remick Ridge.”
“I loved being onstage,” Tom said. “It allowed me
comedians. They started out in the late ’50s as folk
and Driver magazine. He also opened a winery that
three networks,” Tom said during a telephone
went on to win numerous awards. Originally called
interview from Nevada. “Cable wasn’t even on, so
Smothers Brothers, the winery was later renamed
when we talk about people watching the Smothers
Remick Ridge as a tribute to Tom and Dick’s
Brothers at 9 o’ clock on Sunday, we’re talking about 20 million people.” Comedy Hour was an immediate hit. When the brothers weren’t bickering, the series played out like a “Who’s Who” of the mid-20th century. Guest stars included the Beatles, Liberace, and Jefferson Airplane. Comedian Steve Martin and director Rob Reiner each got their start on the Smothers Brothers show.
grandfather, Ed Remick. “Dickie’s a bit of a dilettante,” Tom said. “He gets to a certain level where he’s really confident, and then he’ll move on to something else. I’m kind of a one-trick pony. Everything I’ve ever done has basically been show business.” Tom does take an active interest in the vineyards. In ’86, he built a wine-tasting room in nearby Kenwood, California. He’s also a golf pro, and has played a number of pro-am tournaments over the years. Both men, when not pursuing other passions, continue to perform. Sure, their hairlines have receded, and their faces have grown lined with age. But people who see the Smothers Brothers onstage often leave swearing the two comedians haven’t changed a bit. Tom described their touring comedy act as a little gem with some vaudeville and improvisation. When he and Dick aren’t serenading the crowd, the Kingston Trio provides background music. Music lovers can look forward to folk songs, a Broadway showstopper, and some country western tunes. For those in the audience who crave nostalgia, the Smothers Brothers’ act includes a 12-minute video with highlights from the The Smothers Brothers
Comedy Hour.
Dick and Tom, as seen in their television show, which ran from 1966 through 1969.
“People really like to see when we were young,” Tom said. “Steve Martin had black hair, and Kenny Rogers was a guest star with his black beard and black hair.” The act also features Yo-Yo Man (pictured above), a character Tom developed after a Comedy Hour writer mentioned a song about a traveling yo-yo demonstrator. The yo-yo was undergoing a resurgence during the ’60s, thanks to a successful advertising campaign by the Duncan Toy Company. Tom remembered playing with the toy as a child, and the song inspired him to relearn. “I wasn’t very good,” Tom said, “but all the old yo-yo guys in their 80s—the ones who were around when the yo-yo was a big toy—would come out and see me and teach me tricks.” During Smothers Brothers performances, Dick acts as Yo-Yo Man’s play-by-play announcer. Tom, meanwhile, harnesses the “power of Yo” to show off his yo-yoing skills. He ends his demonstrations by tossing a yo-yo high into the air, then catching it in his back pocket. This onstage energy belies the fact that Tom, 70, and Dick, 68, are the longest-lived comedy duo in American history. Celebrating their 50th anniversary in comedy, they plan to release DVDs, album box sets, and a biography. The landmark occasion has inspired Tom to reflect upon the years past. His relationship with Dick hasn’t always been full of laughs. The two bickered offstage as well. Dick wouldn’t want to rehearse as long as his brother, or Tom’s flights of fancy would push him over the edge. Often, the sheer volume of their fights could clear a room. “Arguments that worked for us onstage were uncomfortable if taken too far,” Tom said. “Being
siblings, you’re in each other’s faces all the time. If you have a sister or brother who’s close in age, you know you’re always elbowing each other, arguing about stuff … We love each other, but we’re abrasive also.” About a decade ago, Tom and Dick decided to work through their famous sibling rivalry. They scheduled a 12-hour session with a man and woman who were popular counselors of big corporations. The experience was therapeutic, and it left Tom wishing they had tried it
Comedian
years ago.
Steve
Today, the Smothers Brothers still quarrel, but it doesn’t bother them like it did in the past. Now, they can critique each other’s performances without inciting a fight. And even when they do argue, neither of them carries resentment around for long. Tom labels that as their biggest achievement—staying together through the good times and the bad. While their improved
Martin and director Rob Reiner each got their start
relationship has made performing less stressful,
on the
it hasn’t ruined the brothers’ senses of humor. “People ask, ‘What’s it like working with a brother for so long?’” Tom said. “Dickie replies, ‘It’s kind of like an old marriage. It’s a lot of
Smothers Brothers show.
fighting and no sex.’”
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