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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTom Davis, Sen. Al Franken's Comedy Partner, Has Died
In 2004, contestants on Jeopardy! were stumped by the clue He was the comedy partner of Al Franken.
Tom Davis, that comedy partner, sighed as he watched. He was so inured to being second fiddle to Mr. Franken, now a Democratic senator from Minnesota, that he called himself Sonny to Mr. Frankens Cher.
But the fact is that Mr. Davis helped shape Mr. Frankens comedy, and vice versa, from the time they entertained students with rebellious, razor-edged humor at high school assemblies in Minnesota.
In 1975, Mr. Davis, brilliant at improvisational comedy, and Mr. Franken, a whiz at plotting funny sequences, became two of the first writers on a new show called Saturday Night Live, which has lasted 37 years. (The two should actually be called one of the shows first writers: they accepted a single salary of $350 a week. Each, singly, was called the guys.)
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/20/arts/television/tom-davis-saturday-night-live-comedy-writer-dies-at-59.html
Very sad. RIP
Yavin4
(35,454 posts)He was truly an original.
Bertha Venation
(21,484 posts)RIP Tom.
SidDithers
(44,228 posts)very sad. Thanks for posting.
Sid
Spazito
(50,590 posts)RIP Mr. Davis.
no_hypocrisy
(46,300 posts)I read his autobiography about three years ago. I feel like I know him.
Ruby the Liberal
(26,219 posts)RIP Tom.
Speck Tater
(10,618 posts)They were hysterically funny. And of course there is their joint appearance as baggage handlers in the movie "Trading Places".
Rhiannon12866
(206,724 posts)Godspeed to a man who made us laugh...
Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)Really sad.
Cooley Hurd
(26,877 posts)Tom Davis was one of the original SNL writers!!!
Man... this is heartbreaking.
Cross gently, Tom.
Vidar
(18,335 posts)tridim
(45,358 posts)Vidar
(18,335 posts)hifiguy
(33,688 posts)You and Al gave me many great laughs over the years.
Iggy
(1,418 posts)Franken & Davis.. I consider this the golden years of SNL... they're not that funny now
Firebrand Gary
(5,044 posts)Brigid
(17,621 posts)Thank you for all the memories and all the laughs.
pam4water
(2,916 posts)So sorry to hear.
calimary
(81,594 posts)And he was indeed outshone by Franken. But they were a great team.
Rest in peace, Tom. We loved your humor.
eppur_se_muova
(36,317 posts)... had one of them waving a big folder with the word "evidence" stenciled on it -- looked just like a bad ad for local political races. Couldn't find it on YouTube, too many other hits for Franken ...
Auggie
(31,230 posts)Aykroyd spoke of Mr. Daviss massive contribution to the (SNL) show, characterizing him as very disciplined and able to herd less focused writers toward something concrete. There was no frivolous waste of time, he said.
ArchTeryx
(221 posts)...go watch the movie Trading Places. They both have extended cameos as stoner Amtrak baggage handlers, and they're both hilarious. Lots of folks recognized Al Franken as one of the baggage handlers, but very, very few people realized that the other one was none other then Tom Davis.
He'll be sorely, sorely missed. Taken from us far too soon.
edhopper
(33,658 posts)they were very funny.
myrna minx
(22,772 posts)The_Casual_Observer
(27,742 posts)Here's some guys named Frank and Dave ... I don't think they're very funny..
madrchsod
(58,162 posts)they were a great comedy team
The Wizard
(12,556 posts)Those who make us laugh make pain dissipate.
nolabear
(42,002 posts)RIP Mr. Davis.
scarletwoman
(31,893 posts)R.I.P. Tom, you were brilliant.
Honeycombe8
(37,648 posts)joeybee12
(56,177 posts)They were recurring on the early SNL's...the funniest one I recall was the Mr. America contest and Tom...for the talent portion...came out in a one-piece black leotard and basically molded his body against these huge cubes...by sitting in different places...set to music. It was so bizarre and so hysterical...I couldn't stop laughing.