Professor Irwin Corey had some of the best timing in the world, and that is something you can't steal. He talked nonsense, not punch-lines, per se. It was a great performance thing he did and his timing was impeccable. Pat Paulsen was a master of comedy too. The Smothers Brothers' strength was not in the content, but how it was said. We had a couple of our albums, including the Purple Onion album, translated in script form. It didn't work at all. It is no wonder that writers had a hard time writing for the Smothers Brothers, because they wrote impressions, but there was something else.
Tommy SmothersWhen you don't know what you're talking about, it's hard to know when you're finished.
Tommy SmothersYou can say the dirty words now, but there is no content - political satire is limited to small podiums and little soap boxes.
Tommy Smothers