Dangerously Funny - David Bianculli - 4 stars

[Booknblues]

I was in high school in the late 1960s and every Sunday Night looked forward to watching the Smothers Brothers. I appreciated that they pushed the envelop, that they had performers I loved and following their regulars.

I thought they were really funny, but after reading Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, I realized that there was much of their humor that I probably missed.

This book delves into almost every show which the Smothers Brothers did, so if you are not that interested in them, you should probably avoid it.

I wanted to read it to honor the memory of Tom Smothers who recently died. It turns out that there was much more to the man than I realized. He was the older brother who was combative and brilliant and had an eye for recognizing and generously encouraging talent. Writers for the Smothers Brothers included Mason Williams, Steve Martin, Bob Einstein, Pat Paulsen and Rob Reiner among others.

I recommend the book for those truly interested in the Smothers Brothers.