Their own television variety show, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, became one of the most controversial American TV programs of the Vietnam War era. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the brothers frequently appeared on television variety shows and issued several popular record albums of their stage performances. Tommy's signature line was, "Mom always liked you best!" Tommy (the elder of the two) acted "slow", and Dick, the straight man, acted "superior". ![]() The brothers' trademark double act was performing folk songs (Tommy on acoustic guitar, Dick on string bass), which usually led to arguments between the siblings. The Smothers Brothers are Thomas ("Tom" – born February 2, 1937) and Richard ("Dick" – born November 20, 1939), American folk singers, musicians, and comedians. The official Laurel and Hardy appreciation society is known as The Sons of the Desert, named after a fictitious fraternal society featured in the film of the same name. In 2005, they were voted the seventh-greatest comedy act of all time by a UK poll of fellow comedians. Since the 1930s, the works of Laurel and Hardy have been released in numerous theatrical reissues, television revivals, 8-mm and 16-mm home movies, feature-film compilations, and home videos. On December 1, 1954, the pair made their one American television appearance, when they were surprised and interviewed by Ralph Edwards on his live NBC-TV program This Is Your Life. They also made 12 guest or cameo appearances, including the Galaxy of Stars promotional film of 1936. They appeared as a team in 107 films, starring in 32 short silent films, 40 short sound films, and 23 full-length feature films. They made their last film in 1950, a French-Italian co-production called Atoll K. After finishing their movie commitments at the end of 1944, they concentrated on performing in stage shows and embarked on a music hall tour of England, Ireland, and Scotland. They remained with the Roach studio until 1940 and then appeared in eight "B" movie comedies for 20th Century Fox and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer from 1941 to 1945. Laurel and Hardy officially became a team in 1927 when they appeared together in the silent short film Putting Pants on Philip. However, they were not a comedy team at that time and it was not until 1926 that they appeared in a short movie together, when both separately signed contracts with the Hal Roach film studio. The two comedians had previously worked together as cast members on the film The Lucky Dog in 1921. Laurel had appeared in over 50 films as an actor (while also working as a writer and director), while Hardy had been in more than 250 productions. Prior to emerging as a team, both actors had well-established film careers. It was played over the opening credits of their films and has become as emblematic of the duo as their bowler hats. The duo's signature tune is known variously as "The Cuckoo Song", "Ku-Ku", or "The Dance of the Cuckoos". They became well known during the late 1920s to the mid-1940s for their slapstick comedy, with Laurel playing the clumsy and childlike friend of the pompous bully Hardy. ![]() ![]() The team was composed of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–1957). Laurel and Hardy were a comedy duo act during the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema.
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