Gene Seymour : Sid Caesar was explosive , hilarious comic , very popular in TV 's early days . It may help to know something about the wretched excesses of 1950s pre-rock ' n ' roll pop music to recognize what 's being satirized by `` The Three Haircuts , '' a trio of pompous , pompadoured vocalists played by Caesar and sidekicks Carl Reiner and Howard Morris . He had a lot of hits and he didn't care who knew it or what they thought about him. His writers included Carl Reiner , Mel Brooks , Woody Allen , Neil Simon ; he was hugely influential . Seymour : He was impulsive , conquered addictions , lived long to see impact of his work .
Gene Seymour : Sid Caesar was explosive , hilarious comic , very popular in TV 's early days . He had a lot of hits and he didn't care who knew it or what they thought about him. His writers included Carl Reiner , Mel Brooks , Woody Allen , Neil Simon ; he was hugely influential . Seymour : He was impulsive , conquered addictions , lived long to see impact of his work .