Tom Smothers of the famed comedy duo The Smothers Brothers, has passed away at 86. Early reports indicate he was suffering from cancer. Along with his younger brother Dick, he became an icon of American comedy in the 1960s. The duo started off spoofing the blossoming folk music scene and incorporating it into their standup act, which quickly drew packed houses. In 1967, the brothers were signed by CBS for their own Sunday night show "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour". Despite their physical appearance as short-haired, squeaky clean squares, the brothers used the clout of their successful show to emphasize political humor. It made for "must-see" TV in an era defined by the protest movements over racial injustice and the Vietnam War. CBS began to get anxious when conservative viewers complained that the political humor was going to far. Although Tom Smothers was a self-defined liberal, the brothers satirized both Republicans and Democrats. As with any incumbent President, Lyndon. B. Johnson was often the prime target, as the brothers vehemently opposed his Vietnam War policies. In one instance, the President himself called CBS to complain about how he was being portrayed. In 1967, CBS deleted a performance by Pete Seeger of his thinly-veiled anti-Vietnam War song, "Waist Deep in the Big Muddy". Tom Smothers and his brother were not intimidated and continued the barbed humor when Richard Nixon was inaugurated as President in January, 1969. The brothers showcased impersonator David Frye, whose satirical portrayal of Nixon was as amusing as it was controversial, even though Frye had also satirized President Johnson in an equally barbed manner. By then, CBS had enough of the controversy and canceled the show that April. Officially, the reason was over a dispute about a preview tape of the next show that the network said Tom had not delivered, an accusation he always denied. The brothers sued the network and won the case. Although they were awarded sizeable damages, the show could not be revived.
As with Ed Sullivan, whose variety show also aired on CBS on Sunday nights, the brothers used their image as squares for comedic effect. But, also like Sullivan, they proved to be the hippest guys around when it came to showcasing emerging talents in the rock and soul music world. It was an era in which teenagers would actually stay home to watch variety shows if it gave them a chance to see their favorite groups perform. The brothers also had a talent for finding other young talent. Their staff of writers included newcomers Steve Martin, Rob Reiner and Mason Williams, whose instrumental song "Classical Gas" would become a late-1960s hit. Even Carl Gottlieb, who went on to write the screenplay for "Jaws", started as a writer on the show. They also showcased promising comedy acts such as George Carlin and Pat Paulsen, whose quixotic tongue-in-cheek run for President in the 1968 election made him a pop culture phenomenon at the time.
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Ryan O'Neal, the star of "Love Story" and "Barry Lyndon", has died from unspecified causes at the age of 82. He had been experiencing health issues since being diagnosed with leukemia and prostate cancer over a decade ago. O'Neal learned the craft of acting on his own, never having taken a lesson. He entered the film industry as a teenager, performing stunts. In 1964 he received his first major role, starring in "Peyton Place", the successful TV series based on the hit feature film and its sequel. His career went into high gear when he was cast with another up-and-coming actor, Ali MacGraw, in the 1970 screen adaptation of Eric Segal's bestselling novel "Love Story". Segal had adapted his own screenplay to form the basis of the wafer-thin novel about a doomed romance between a young couple at Harvard University. The novel sold millions and paved the way for Paramount's big screen version, which was both a critical and financial success. O'Neal and MacGraw both earned Oscar nominations. O'Neal's post-Oscar career skyrocketed and he worked in with some of the industry's top directors including Richard Attenborough, Peter Bogdanovich and Stanley Kubrick, who raised eyebrows by casting the American actor in the leading role in his opulent 1975 epic "Barry Lyndon". The film won enormous acclaim but much of it didn't rub off on O'Neal, as some critics voiced the opinion that Kubrick, who was not known as an "actor's director" had cast him simply because he was a bland screen presence who wouldn't distract from the more spectacular aspects of the production. Nevertheless, O'Neal had been riding high with hits like "What's Up, Doc?", in which he co-starred with Barbra Streisand, "The Main Event"and "Paper Moon", in which he starred with his pre-teen daughter Tatum, who became the youngest actor to receive an Oscar. O'Neal also had a major role in Attenborough's 1977 WWII epic "A Bridge Too Far". His misfires included the starring
role in an ill-fated 1978 big screen sequel to "Love Story" titled
"Oliver's Story" which he personally denounced as "a complete-off" that
he did for the money.One of his last major big screen hits was "The Main Event" in 1979, which teamed him again with Streisand.
By the 1980s, O'Neal's career was in a tailspin. He still found work but the better roles and films eluded him. Attempts to move into television did not have successful results. He also suffered an endless stream of sensational stories in the press about his personal behavior, most of it centered on his mercurial temper. He was once arrested for beating his son Griffin, though charges were eventually dropped and years later would be arrested on drug charges along with another son, Redmond. He had been married and divorced twice when he began a long relationship with actress Farrah Fawcett, who was married to actor Lee Majors at the time. The couple never married but Ms. Fawcett was mother to Redmond O'Neal. O'Neal and Fawcett split up but eventually reconciled and he saw her through her traumatic battle against terminal cancer. He worked in television with little success before landing a recurring role on the popular series "Bones". The O'Neal family's personal problems had long been regular fodder for gossip columns. He was estranged from Tatum for most of her life and the two never fully reconciled, even though the two had co-starred on a reality show that portrayed their relationship favorably. Characteristically, O'Neal would later say that the show was sanitizing what was still a very volatile relationship. He proclaimed that one of his most satisfying late-in-life highlights was reuniting with Ali MacGraw to co-star in the moving stage play "Love Letters".
Writer/Producer Norman Lear has died at the tender of 101. Lear was one of the few remaining people in the entertainment industry that could truthfully be called a legend. His background is far too detailed and remarkable to summarize here but we should remember he was a veteran of the U.S. Army Air Forces and flew over 50 combat missions in Europe in WWII. His admirers may also be surprised to know that he was an Oscar nominee, having been nominated for his screenplay for the acclaimed 1967 comedy "Divorce, American Style". But Lear was best known for transforming the face of American television and, along the way, bringing about important social changes. Lear was a life-long liberal who wanted to address controversial issues through his work. The 1971 premiere of "All in the Family" brought a sea change that no one saw coming. Until then, most American sitcoms were safely following the rule book of presenting non-controversial scenarios. It was rule followed by even the greatest and most beloved comedy shows such as "The Honeymooners" and "The Andy Griffith Show". With "All in the Family", Lear introduced the character of Archie Bunker, played in immortal style by Carroll O'Connor. Archie was a working class stiff from the working class borough of Queens, New York. He was rude, crude, selfish and bigoted. However, Lear was wise enough to also give him redeeming qualities, 'lest audiences would quickly tire of tuning in each week to simply be offended. The scripts caught the tensions of the era, in which dinner time conversation was often a battle between generations.The show was a huge hit that ran for many years and even spawned a successful follow-up series, "Archie Bunker's Place". Lear was also conscious of representing minorities in a humorous but dignified manner. There were predecessors: Diahann Carroll played a Black single working mother a few years earlier in "Julia" and post- "I Spy" Bill Cosby had his own short-lived sitcom years before his legendary 1980s series. But both of these series played it safe in terms of taking on any subjects that might make white viewers uncomfortable. With "Good Times", "Sanford and Son" and "The Jeffersons", Lear brought Black sensibilities to TV for the first time. Audiences of all backgrounds tuned in. Lear's minority characters weren't saints. They were flawed human beings. Audiences appreciated Lear's determination not to be patronizing to the characters.The result probably went a long way to bring about racial understanding, though there's no way to measure the impact. He also produced "Maude", which was also a major hit and show that
promoted women's liberation and touched upon the most sensitive issues
of the day. Norman had his share of flops, but, fittingly, no one remembers them. Only the hits come to mind.
I only spent time with Norman Lear on one occasion, ten years ago at a party he and Carl Reiner hosted for our friend producer David V. Picker in Beverly Hills. Lear was a spry young 91 years-old at the time and listening to him and Reiner engage in hilarious banter, you felt he was immortal. Now he, Carl and David are gone. It's hard to believe they are no longer with us but their work and achievements live on and Norman's legacy is a towering one. Perhaps writer Mike Barnicle expressed it best today on the "Morning Joe" chat show: "He brought America into people's living rooms."