Name: Four Smothers Brothers Appearances on The Tonight Show, 1982-1989
Uploaded: 2023-12-27T20:34:06.000Z
Description: Watch the stand-up comedy video 'Four Smothers Brothers Appearances on The Tonight Show, 1982-1989' from Don Giller on Comedy Buff. Published 2023-12-27. Transcript available.

Watch the stand-up comedy video 'Four Smothers Brothers Appearances on The Tonight Show, 1982-1989' from Don Giller on Comedy Buff. Published 2023-12-27. Transcript available.

Four Smothers Brothers Appearances on The Tonight Show, 1982-1989

Tom and Dick are going to be appearing with Joan Rivers from October 21st
through November
30th at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas. Would you welcome, please, Tom and Dick
Smothers.
We'd like to do a song from a wonderful Broadway show like Sammy did. This is
the beautiful Broadway show, The Man from La Mancha, and it's a song I know you're
all familiar with.
To dream the impossible dream, to fight the unbeatable foe, to bear with unbearable
sorrow, to run where the brave dare not go.
This is my quest, to follow that star, no matter how hopeless, no matter how
far, to fight for the right, without question or pause.
To be willing to march into hell for a heavenly cause.
And I know I must always be true, to this glorious quest, that my heart will
lie peaceful and calm when I'm laid to my rest.
The Impossible Dream, from the Broadway show man from La Mancha, the story of
the brave and courageous Don Quixote.
This song, The Impossible Dream, tells of his quest, his impossible dream, his
vision, his courage.
And I think this song has a message for every single person in this entire
world, every single person in this entire world.
What does this song say to you, Tom?
What is the message of this song?
What does this song say to Tom Smothers?
Tell us.
What does it say to your heart and your soul?
It cries, it cries out.
Share the message with everyone here.
It says...
Yes.
Yes.
Tell us.
You tell us.
Me?
Yes.
Okay.
Very simply, the song says, "Fight for what you believe in."
Yes, that's right.
It's simple.
If you believe you're right, you fight for it.
No matter what the odds.
No matter what the outcome.
You stand straight and tall.
And if you do that, then you'll be a man.
You'll be a winner in life.
You will be the victor.
That's what this song says.
Just like Moses.
That's a very good example, Tom.
Tell the people.
Tell everyone about Moses.
You tell us about Moses.
Okay.
Very simply, this song, yes, could be about Moses.
A very brave and courageous man.
Moses, of course, led the children of Israel out of Egypt and into the land of
plenty.
He said, "Follow me."
And they did.
But don't you think, don't you think Moses had his doubts?
Yes, he did.
He had his doubts.
But he also believed.
And they believed in him.
He said, "Follow me."
And they went out into the wilderness with him.
Vast armies pursuing on one side.
The Red Sea as a formidable barrier on the other side.
He couldn't go forwards.
He couldn't go backwards.
Don't you think he felt like quitting?
Don't you?
Don't you?
Don't you?
No, he didn't.
No, he did not.
Don't you think Moses felt like losing his faith?
No.
That's right, Tom.
That's right, Tom.
He did not lose his faith.
And because Moses did not lose his faith, for this holy man Moses, the Red Sea
parted.
And they shouted, "Holy Moses!"
He did it!
That's right.
Holy Moses!
He did it!
Nobody did.
Nobody did.
He didn't shout, "Holy Moses."
Yes, he did.
Nobody did.
Someone did.
Nobody did.
A little kid in the back did.
No, a little kid in the back did not cry, "Holy Moses."
Maybe I did.
Maybe you did.
But it's just not men.
Men throughout history who were brave and gave their lives for what they
believed in.
Women, too, paid that ultimate price.
That's right, like Joan.
Joan of Arc.
Joan of Arc.
That's right.
I'll tell you about Joan of Arc.
Tell us about Joan.
Lovely Joan of Arc.
For 40 days and 40 nights it rained, but did she stop?
Little hands, whoop, whoop, whoop, whoop, whoop!
Building, pounding those nails, sawing the wood to build a ship to carry.
Animals two by two.
Come on in there.
Move it.
People said you cannot build that arc, Joan.
No.
You cannot build it.
But she believed.
Mama would not.
Because she had an impossible dream.
It was impossible.
She moved those animals in and set sail.
It was impossible.
She didn't build the arc.
Noah built the arc.
I don't know who she was hanging out with at the time.
She's building the arc.
Now, I don't want to tell you a bit.
See, Joan of Arc was a lovely maiden of France, and she led the armies of
France into battle for
what they believed in.
She built the arc.
Now, Noah, on the other hand, built the arc.
Though his name was not an arc.
It was Noah.
Noah's arc, Joan of Arc, had nothing to do with an arc.
You see, she led the armies of France into battle.
Noah built the arc.
Noah's arc, Joan of Arc.
Now, think about it.
You got him confused.
Noah's arc, Joan of Arc.
Are you thinking?
You're, you know, you're wrong.
What?
Joan built the arc.
That's why they called her Joan of Arc.
No, no, no, you're wrong.
They built the arc.
Well, don't be stupid, Tommy.
I believe I'm right.
You said if you're right, if you believe, fight for what you believe, and I
believe she
built the arc.
That's why they called her Joan of Arc.
Just be quiet.
Let me, let me, let me finish the song.
And this world.
What do you think?
Her hands were all gnarly from hammer and song.
She said build an arc.
She built an arc.
Scorned and scorned and scorned.
Covered with scars.
You never liked me.
You never liked my ideas.
Still strong with his last ounce of courage.
To dream.
You know in your heart I'm right.
I'd love you.
The impossible dream.
We'll be right back.
Stay where you are.
Good to see you.
Thank you.
Nice to see you.
It's a funny piece of material.
I've never seen you do that.
It's one of the few times you'll ever say that again.
Why?
We always do our old stuff.
It's hysterical.
Thanks.
So it's a wonderful piece and it's also a very uplifting piece.
It is.
It's given me the strength to go on.
What do you have?
I got a note here.
I just want to make sure.
Getting near the end of the show.
I want to make sure that I get this over with.
But there's this coming Saturday up in Berkeley at the Greek theater in
Berkeley.
Right.
Northern California.
Right.
There's a benefit.
Right.
And I want to mention benefit.
It's Mimi Farina who has put together a thing called Bread and Roses and they
do a big major concert.
Robin Williams and Peter Paul and Mary Hoyt Axton, good friend.
Right.
And Roomful of Blues and Howard Hessman, Michael Pritchard and Father Guido Sarducci
are going to be in this benefit Saturday up in Berkeley.
And the reason they do this, they raise this money for this one concert.
Right.
And it's an afternoon from one o'clock until seven out there.
And they take all the money and then they, since 1974, they do seven, no, 40
free concerts a month for people who are institutionalized.
Cannot go out and see live entertainment.
Prisons.
That's great.
People in hospitals and stuff like that.
So it's a work.
That's wonderful.
And we need to get some people out there.
Can we give them your address?
Hm?
What?
Can we give them your address?
Would you like to do a show for some prisoners, John?
Why don't you?
I do that every night.
Well, it's kind of, I thought I'd mention that.
They're nice people and that's Saturday and there's not many.
Oh, by the way.
Did you go on a tour since?
Yeah.
We went on tour, but I'll give this to you later.
It's just a receipt for my airline fare.
And I sometimes forget that these lay around in my clothes.
And they said that you've covered the fare.
So I just, I give you the ticket.
You know who to give it to.
And sometimes they pile up.
Oh, you mean for coming on the show?
Yeah.
Oh, yeah.
We normally, uh.
Anyway.
Well.
And here's a, here's a, as long as I got you here.
This is a cleaning thing for our jackets.
So we're only going to clean them for another, another month.
Well, no, we could have taken care of this, you know, backstage.
Yeah, but you always split right after the show and I never, I say, where'd he
go?
I don't got any.
So this is the airline ticket and this is a clean.
And this is for my haircut.
That's for you.
Well, what's, what do you mean?
You don't have to study him now.
Just give him to the, uh.
What haircut?
$175?
Well, it's a, it's a, it was a, I wanted to have a, it was a special haircut to
be.
I want to look really good for your anniversary show.
Well, this totals.
The anniversary show was, it was Sunday night.
Well, then I'll, I won't, I won't make you pay for this haircut then, but.
Well, this comes about well over $2,000.
Don't you think that's.
No.
Well, the airline fare was, was from San Francisco to Burbank.
Yeah, but what is, what is Tahiti on here?
It's just, it's just San Francisco.
What's one of those triangle fares, you know what you've got?
Look, you've got Tahiti on here.
Okay.
We'll, we'll be right back.
Tahiti, San Francisco, the Tahiti.
The, uh, the Riviere Hotel.
That's right, Bajoni.
October 21st through, uh, November 3rd.
Bajoni Rivers.
In Tacoma and Everett, Washington, too.
Then up in Tacoma and Everett, Washington.
Yeah, in Far East.
Yeah, in Far East.
And Sammy opens, uh, with Count Basie at Harrah's, uh, November the 3rd.
Yeah.
The 20th.
Thanks, Sam, for being here.
My pleasure.
We'll see you tomorrow night with, uh, Will Schreiner,
martial arts expert Al Thomas,
and the reigning Miss America will be here.
Thank you.
Good night.
Next on Late Night with David Letterman,
meet funny man Jerry Lewis.
Then get a head start on tomorrow's headlines with NBC News.
There are two marvelous entertainers,
and, and Tom and Dick are going to be appearing with Doc Severinsen
at the Desert Inn in Las Vegas starting the day after tomorrow,
Thursday through November the 5th.
Would you welcome the Smothers Brothers?
and welcome the Smothers Brothers.
I am weary, and low, and low, and low, and low.
I am a lonesome traveler. Take it now. I am weary, and a lonesome traveler. I
am weary, and a lonesome traveler. I am weary, and a lonesome traveler. I've
been a traveler in all. Take it. Take it. Take it. Take it.
Take it.
Great. That was just beautiful. Thank you very much. Hell of a way to start the
show.
Thank you very much.
What?
I said, thank you very much.
I don't think you understand what I just said.
That was, excuse me, that was a compliment. A lot of times, brothers or
families, or anybody who has, a lot of people out there, a lot of people in the
audience, I'm sure, are members of families.
Or know people who are members of families. And a lot of times, you know, we go
through life, very seldom we get a confront, a...
What?
A confront?
No.
A compliment?
Thank you very much.
You didn't get...
A compliment. Yes, I did. Just let me finish this up. A lot of times, you don't
get a compliment, but I got a compliment, and it's a surprise, and it's kind of
an interesting thing, because...
Life is a series of times, doing your job and going through, and sometimes you
don't get a compliment.
That was not a compliment.
That was a compliment.
That was not a compliment.
What do you mean? What did you say?
You said congratulations.
No, just a second. You said congratulations.
Hey, people did not come here to hear us argue.
Some of them did.
You're not helping, you're not helping anything at all. That was not a
compliment.
That was a compliment. You said congratulations, great way...
That's exactly what I said.
...to start the show, and that's... to start the show, and I'm not used to...
That's exactly what I said. You didn't...
...understand what I was talking about.
You said congratulations.
You heard the words. You don't know the meanings. Why...
Why in the world?
Why in the world would I give you a compliment?
I'm as surprised as anyone. I really...
I didn't expect it, so why...
You didn't get it.
You said congratulations.
I did not give you a compliment.
You said congratulations.
I said take it. You ignored me.
I didn't hear you say take it.
This is...
What?
I said I didn't hear you say take it.
Are you saying you didn't hear me say take it, or I didn't say take it?
Did you hear me say that I didn't hear you say take it?
I heard you say that, but I don't know if you meant what you said.
Now, what do you think you thought I said?
I didn't think you said...
I didn't think you said take it. I didn't hear you say take it.
Did you think I said anything?
Yes, I thought you said something.
Okay,