Pat Paulsen

Pat Paulsen was an American comedian and satirist whose appearances on the Smothers Brothers television shows brought him national recognition. Born in South Bend, Washington, he moved to California at age 10, later attended San Francisco City College, joined an acting group and formed a comedy trio. He developed a solo act as a comedic guitarist in clubs along the West Coast and in New York City, and met the Smothers Brothers during a San Francisco appearance. Hired for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, which premiered in 1967, he was first cast as its editorialist, and he became known for deadpan, double-talk remarks on the issues of the day, work that earned him an Emmy Award in 1968. He headlined Pat Paulsen's Half a Comedy Hour in 1970, appeared often on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and co-starred in Night Patrol in 1984.