My generation knows him best as his ever-failing stuntman character, SuperDave Osbourne but Bob comes from Comedy royalty, his brother is the master Albert Brooks and their father was Harry Einstein, aka Parkyakarkus. However, he got his start alongside Steve Martin writing for The Smother Brothers show in the late Sixties. Little did I know, Bob had a cameo in at least one of Albert’s movies too. I need to hunt it down.
As for SuperDave, I first saw the bit as a kid on The Redd Foxx show (Thursday nights on ABC) and was puzzled. I wasn’t old enough to understand parodies or satire yet. The only stunt I remembered then was him calling New York Yankees manager Billy Martin a foul name, then getting beaten up. The character then returned on the Showtime adult comedy show Bizarre in which he tried to hit a Dwight Gooden (the most popular pitcher in the mid-Eighties) fastball, blindfolded. Obviously we know what follows or as SuperDave responded to the announcer if he was alright, “What do you think? I’ve Rawlings imprinted on my nuts!”
Thanks for all the off-beat jokes Bob. You helped me widen my tastes.