Tom Smothers: Captured Moments | Vanity Fair

Written by Eve Batey

Tom Smothers, known for his part in the popular comedic pair The Smothers Brothers, passed away at his residence in Santa Rosa, California on Tuesday. He was 86 years old.

People from the Vietnam era would most likely recognize his name. Even today, the impact of his work with his brother, Dick Smothers, can still be felt. In 1937, he was born into a military family. He broke into the comedy scene at San Francisco's well-known Purple Onion comedy club in 1959 through a folk music group dubbed the Smothers Brothers and Gawd. Through their playful disagreements and chit-chat, the brothers were able to develop their act, which eventually became a critique of the folk music movement.

An undated photograph of The Smothers Brothers comedy duo.

At the back row from the left are Mason Williams, Rob Reiner, Bob Einstein, Steve Martin, Glen Campbell, and John Hartford with Tom (L) and Dick Smothers of The Smothers Brothers from The Hollywood Palace taken on February 15, 1964.

Dave Ketchum, Mitzi McCall, Steve Allen, Tina Robin, and Tommy Smothers were photographed during “The New Steve Allen Show” on November 15, 1961.

Smothers reminiscenced to Guy MacPherson in 2006 about their beginnings, “We started out in folk music. I was quite funny in high school so I aspired to be a comedian but I also wanted to be a bandleader. I wasn't good enough. Even though I wasn't a proficient musician, I was decent at it. Besides singing regular songs, we started having fun with folk music when it became popular around '58 with groups like the Kingston Trio and Peter, Paul & Mary. Eventually, this transformed into a continual disagreement between two brothers who sang but never completed a song.”

Following a successful comedy album and appearances on various talk shows and variety shows of the era, CBS became interested, and The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour was broadcasting nationwide by 1967. This show featured monologues, music, and sketches.

Carol Burnett posed with Tom and Dick Smothers for a photo during “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” on February 21, 1967.

Tom Smothers, Judy Collins, and Dick Smothers are pictured on 'The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour on June 23, 1967

Taken on 'The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,' September 1, 1967, Tom Smothers (foreground, playing the guitar) is pictured along with Folk singer Pete Seeger (center) and Dick Smothers (playing the bass).

Photographed on September 29, 1967 for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, standing from the left are Tom Smothers, Dick Smothers, Ricardo Montalban, Diahann Carroll, and Pat Paulsen. Meanwhile, kneeling from the left are Terry Williams, Kenny Rogers, Thelma Camacho, Mike Settle, and Mickey Jones.

In an episode of 'The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,' on February 23, 1968, American country and pop musician Glen Campbell (center) is shown laughing while comedian and musician Tom Smothers (left) plays with his hair as Dick Smothers looks on.

Both brothers had reservations about the Vietnam war and made it a point to express it during their shows. They even had guests like anti-war activist Pete Seeger. Tom, who was the more politically liberal of the pair, had several disagreements with the network's executives and censors. The show was discontinued in 1970, but it is often praised by critics for setting a blueprint for other shows like Saturday Night Live and The Daily Show.

The cancellation of their show led to a lawsuit against CBS, which was covered in detail in the 2002 documentary Smothered: The Censorship Struggles of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. The brothers asked for $31 million but received $775,000.

The comedic duo switched networks for their show, moving to ABC in 1970, NBC in 1975, and CBS again from 1988 to 1989.

A shot from “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” Season Three - 4/23/70, features Tom Smothers and Dick Smothers.

Saturday Night Live-- Episode 7 -- Shows Tom Smothers and Dick Smothers during the monologue on December 1983

From left in the back row are Mason Williams, Rob Reiner, Bob Einstein, Steve Martin, Glen Campbell, and John Hartford. Middle row from left is Tom Smothers, Dick Smothers, Jennifer Warnes. Front row from left is Pat Paulson, Leigh French in “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour 20th Reunion” on February 3, 1988.

After their television appearances, the brothers continued to hold live shows through the 2000s. In 2006 Smothers said, “We used to do about 110 dates a year but now we're getting near the end of our career. We're not on the cutting edge anymore. But we fill our places generally wherever we go.”

After sometime, they eventually retired, only to make another appearance in 2019 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of their show's cancelation. During this time, Smothers mentioned that “People come up to us and say, ‘We love you guys. I wish you were on television now.’ It’s a different world today.”

Tommy Smothers, recipient of the Commemorative award and presenter Steve Martin speak onstage during the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards held at Nokia Theatre on September 21, 2008 in Los Angeles, California.

In 2008, Smothers was awarded an Emmy for his work on the original variety show—as the SF Chronicle reported at the time, his name had been left off the show's writing award entry “fearing the inclusion would draw controversy.” 

“Freedom of expression and freedom of speech aren't really important unless they're heard,” Smothers said from the Emmy stage. '

'The freedom of hearing is as important as the freedom of speaking. It's hard for me to stay silent when I keep hearing that peace is only attainable through war. There's nothing more scary than watching ignorance in action. So I dedicate this Emmy to all people who feel compelled to speak out, not afraid to speak to power, won't shut up and refuse to be silent.'