Smothered - The Great Smothers Brothers Censorship Wars [VHS]

Smothered - The Great Smothers Brothers Censorship Wars [VHS]
by Maureen Muldaur

Smothered - The Great Smothers Brothers Censorship Wars [VHS]

List Price: ~~$19.95~~
Category: VHS Video
See more movie releases

Buy Smothered - The Great Smothers Brothers Censorship Wars [VHS] at Amazon.com

(Click here)

Buy this VHS video movie at online store in your country
Canada

Product details

Actor: David Halberstam, David Steinberg, George Segal, Nancy Nolan, Nicholas Johnson
Director: Maureen Muldaur
Edition: VHS Tape
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
Running Time: 93 minutes
Release Date: 2003-01-28
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Publisher: New Video Group
Studio: New Video Group

VHS Movie Reviews of Smothered - The Great Smothers Brothers Censorship Wars [VHS]

Movie Review: Smothers Brothers history
Summary: 4 Stars

I was watching the night the network pulled the Smothers Brothers off the air. This DVD fills in the blanks, explaining how the comedy team worked their way to the forefront of social commentary in a time that the country was torn by a war, racial demonstrations and censorship. The program is both educational and entertaining. The interviews with the Brothers and the writers is full of anecdotes. If you lived through the 60's, you should take some time to watch this DVD.

Movie Review: The Best Social Comedy--ever!
Summary: 5 Stars

I saw this last night on Public TV, and today I'm buying it. It brought me back! When the SmoBro came to TV in 1967 I'd been a Naval officer for 10 years. When they were cancelled, I'd already resigned and was with the VVAW to "protest U.S. foreign policy, specifically the war in Vietnam," in the words of my March 1968 resignation letter. Along with everyone else in the service, I got locked into active duty till the end of 1968--as officer in charge of all non-Nurse Corps women's recruiting for one of the largest Naval Districts. Tommy Smothers could have made a hilarious skit out of my moral dilemma.

The Brothers had nothing to do with my change in attitude, which was already firm by 1967, caused by analysis of history and current events, and shared by many military people. The mass military resignations and refusals to fight in the field, from the air or from seagoing gun turrets were what brought the war to a close. (See "SIR! NO SIR!") But I surely did admire the SmoBros' kind of comedy--America's closest approach to Britain's brilliant non-commercial BBC comedy like "Monty Python"--and sat on the edge of the chair waiting for the next puncture of hypocrisy and all other oppressions of genuine American ideals. What a show it was. Hip! hip! hurrah! for Tommy and Dickie. And booooos and hisses for all Bottom Line censors.

After the intelligently satirical "Man from U.N.C.L.E.", "Laugh-In", "The Prisoner" and, best of all, "The Smothers Brothers" I turned off commercial TV until "Star Trek--The Next Generation", "Deep Space Nine" and "Max Headroom," which were all thought-provoking. After TNG ended I've stopped watching again. There've been a few rare exceptions, but since the 70s nearly everything on the commercial channels hasn't been worth wasting time on. Some channels are unspeakable for the lies and slanders of their paid talking heads, and I refuse to watch so-called "documentaries" on cable. Give me our three local Public TV channels--plus magazines, YouTube, a few books a week, and lots of good conversation.

Movie Review: censorship in the 60s
Summary: 5 Stars

today these boys would be considered SAINTS, but back then, their innovation and style were very troubling for incompetent incumbent politicians who had their own agenda going, and really didn't give a flip about what America, or the kids they sent out to fight for them thought. This was another fine example of people in the 60s standing up for what they believed trying to make a difference, and they did. The Smothers Bros. are still way cool!

Movie Review: Bitter Dickie
Summary: 2 Stars

Dickie came across a little bitter is this otherwise good video.
I cannot wait for their shows to come out on DVD

Movie Review: Innocence in the guise of two comic singing brothers
Summary: 5 Stars

I watched THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS COMEDY HOUR every Sunday night of my young teenage years;the finest singers of the day,comedians (Pat Paulson) and young artists appeared in this hour variety show. Tom and Dickie Smothers were the All-American collegiate folk singers with their guitar and bass and homey,folksy way!.Their show was a smash....and then CBS canceled it, and none of us knew why!.Well,here it is now for all to see and hear,and if we can just think back three years when NBC bowed to political whim and shelved THE BOOK OF DANIEL then "Smothered" will help us to see that nothing has changed when a network has BIG fears and collapses under certain pressure.Tom Smothers,who actually always appeared as the shy,stupid brother was actually the loose cannon that CBS feared.There is no apology about this documentary.It is an amazing commentary on what the political and social climate was in the 1960's as the country was engaged in the Viet Nam War.It was an Era that I am proud to have influenced me, and I highly suggest this documentary for those who loved the recent film Across the Universe (Two-Disc Special Edition).There is loads of great archival footage from the show.What an Era to have lived.As the song says,"Those were the days my friend,we thought they'd never end." This is a real important piece of '60's Pop Culture that I encourage all to see.

Write your own review

Summary of Smothered - The Great Smothers Brothers Censorship Wars [VHS]

An incredible slice of America's media and pop-culture history, SMOTHERED tells the story of the censorship struggles of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, the Emmy Award winning television program, broadcast on CBS from 1967 until it was prematuredly str

The tribulations of Tommy and Dick Smothers and their popular late-'60s television show are detailed in Maureen Muldaur's interesting 92-minute documentary. Viewing the clips from The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, one might find it hard to imagine that they were considered controversial at the time; indeed, the jabs at censorship, gun ownership, the Vietnam war, and more seem mild by today's raunchy standards. But controversial they were, especially to CBS, who aired (and eventually canceled) the Smothers' show. Turns out that Tommy, the "dumb" one, was in fact a gadfly who turned the program into a cause c?l?bre somewhat beyond its actual significance; and in the end, as one of the talking heads featured here points out, it was the Smothers' decreasing sense of fun that really doomed it. Both brothers are interviewed, as are writers Rob Reiner and Steve Martin and others. DVD extra features include bios and an excerpt from a book on the subject. --Sam Graham

Rob Reiner Video

Video Genres

Movies most talked about in Rob Reiner Video

When Harry Met Sally... [VHS]
MGM (Video & DVD); Release date: 2001-01-09; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $0.99
Price in other shops: ~~$9.94~~

The First Wives Club [VHS]
Paramount; Release date: 1997-08-26; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $0.40
Price in other shops: ~~$14.99~~

Postcards From the Edge [VHS]
Sony Pictures; Release date: 1994-06-24; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $1.66
Price in other shops: ~~$9.95~~

Where's Poppa [VHS]
MGM (Video & DVD); Release date: 1998-09-01; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $9.97
Price in other shops: ~~$19.98~~

Enter Laughing [VHS]
Sony Pictures; Release date: 2000-05-16; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $100.00

This Is Spinal Tap (Special Edition) [VHS]
MGM (Video & DVD); Release date: 2000-09-12; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $0.99
Price in other shops: ~~$17.98~~

Smothered - The Great Smothers Brothers Censorship Wars [VHS]
New Video Group; Release date: 2003-01-28; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Price in other shops: ~~$19.95~~

The American President [VHS]
Turner Home Ent; Release date: 1999-01-12; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $2.75
Price in other shops: ~~$9.98~~

The Princess Bride [VHS]
MGM (Video & DVD); Release date: 1998-02-03; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $1.99
Price in other shops: ~~$9.94~~

North [VHS]
Sony Pictures; Release date: 1995-09-19; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $29.50

Similar Video, DVDs, Audio CDs

"Curb Your Tongue, Knave!" Image

The Smothers Brothers - "Curb Your Tongue, Knave!"
Release date: 2003-01-21; Music CD
Best price: $19.90

The Jerry Lewis Show Collection
Release date: 2009-12-08; DVD
Best price: $14.74
Price in other shops: ~~$29.98~~

Monty Python: Almost The Truth
Uni; Release date: 2009-10-27; DVD
Best price: $17.40
Price in other shops: ~~$29.99~~

"It Must Have Been Something I Said" Image

Smothers Brothers - "It Must Have Been Something I Said"
Published: 2007; Music CD
Best price: $29.99

Rowan & Martin - The Best of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, Vol. 2
Release date: 2004-02-24; DVD
Best price: $29.49
Price in other shops: ~~$49.95~~

The Best of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
LAUGH-IN; Release date: 2003-06-24; DVD
Best price: $29.69
Price in other shops: ~~$49.95~~

Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour"
by David Bianculli
Touchstone; Published: 2009-12-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $15.45
Price in other shops: ~~$24.99~~

Sibling Revelry: The Best of the Smothers Brothers Image

The Smothers Brothers - Sibling Revelry: The Best of the Smothers Brothers
SMOTHERS BROTHERS; Release date: 1998-03-03; Music CD
Best price: $6.80
Price in other shops: ~~$9.98~~

The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour: The Best of Season 2
Release date: 2009-10-20; DVD
Best price: $22.29
Price in other shops: ~~$39.98~~

The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour: Season 3
WEA HOME VIDEO; Release date: 2008-09-16; DVD
Best price: $20.19
Price in other shops: ~~$49.98~~