Cheech and Chong

Tommy Chong |
Tommy
Chong Bio: Canadian born Tommy
Chong could boast a curious mixed lineage: Chinese, French, Scotch and
Irish. A musician by inclination, Chong dropped out of high school
as a sophomore, frequently working as a band member to support himself. At
one point, Chong was playing with The Vancouvers, for whom
he helped write a hit song, "Does Your Mama Know About Me?" Chong
was exposed to quite a few improvisational comedy groups during his
musical career; he developed a knack for getting laughs on his own,
forming an improv group called City Works, which performed at a Vancouver
nitery run by Tommy's brother. It is here that Chong met
erstwhile humorist Richard "Cheech" Marin, who'd left his
native Los Angeles for Canada in order to avoid the draft. Breaking away
from City Works two years later, Cheech and Chong (as the
act was now known) developed several routines built around the characters
of two dim-witted dopers who aspired to nothing more than "good
grass." By 1972, the team had won a Grammy award for their
scatologically hilarious comedy albums. Cheech and Chong's
record producer Lou Adler decided that the boys were movie
material. The team's first film Up in Smoke (1978) turned out to be
one of Warner Bros.' highest grossing films (in every sense of the word).
Subsequent Cheech and Chong films didn't do quite so well;
perhaps their time had passed, or perhaps their material was just too thin
for a stream of comedy hits. In recent years, Cheech and Chong
have worked separately and together with variable success, and both have
contributed their vocal talents to Disney cartoon features. Chong is the
father of actress Rae Dawn Chong. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide |