Pioneers of Television (2008–…): Season 1, Episode 2 - Late Night - full transcript
In the early years of US television, a new form of entertainment was created: the late night talk show. Steve Allen was the first of his kind and he was noted for its wacky comedy and ...
LET ME CLOSE MY EYES
AND JUST...
EVERY LITTLE INFLECTION
THAT YOU HAVE
IS EXACTLY
THE WAY I WORK.
AND I DON'T THINK
IT'S FAIR.
NOW, WHAT DO YOU DO
FOR EXERCISE?
I STUMBLE, AND THEN
I FALL INTO A COMA.
WE'RE NOT ON TELEVISION, WE'RE
JUST SITTING HERE, CHATTING.
MAY I HAVE SILENCE,
PLEASE?
YOU'VE HAD IT
MANY TIMES BEFORE.
THIS PROGRAM
BY CONTRIBUTIONS
TO YOUR PBS STATION
FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU.
Narrator: THEY ARE
THE INVENTORS
OF LATE NIGHT TELEVISION.
WAIT A MINUTE!
WAIT A MINUTE!
THOSE BANANAS ARE FREEZING!
Jay Leno:
ON THE STEVE ALLEN SHOW,
IT WAS A LIVE SHOW...
ANYTHING REALLY COULD HAPPEN.
I JUST COULDN'T WAIT
TO WATCH THAT
Narrator: THEY COULD CREATE
LAUGHTER FROM ANY SITUATION.
Jonathan Winters: WELL,
STEVE WAS SUCH A...
YOU THROW, THAT WORD AROUND,
"GENIUS," BUT HE WAS.
Narrator: THEY TRANSFORMED
THE ART OF CONVERSATION
ICAN KENNEDYNAL SPECTACLE.
BE DEFEATED IN '64?
WELL, WHICH ONE?
Dick Cavett: WHEN THERE ARE
TWO PEOPLE ON CAMERA,
YOU'RE WATCHING JACK
ALL THE TIME.
IT HAPPENED TO ME.
I KID YOU NOT.
HE WOULD COME IN, A NERVOUS
WRECK, BEFORE THE SHOW.
I HAVE ELASTIC STOCKINGS ON,
WITH GARTERS.
AND HE MADE SMALL TALK
JUST SEEM WONDERFUL.
I WANTED TO DO A TALK SHOW...
AND I WANTED TO OPEN IT
LIKE JACK PAAR.
Narrator: THEY HAD THE POWER
TO CREATE STARS OVERNIGHT.
WE LET YOU
PLAY GAMES WITH US
EVERY TIME WE PLAYED
"SPIN THE BOTTLE."
I WAS THE BOTTLE.
Tommy Smothers: IF YOU WERE
GOOD, YOU WERE A HIT.
AND AFTER THE FIRST
JACK PAAR SHOW,
I COULDN'T
WALK AROUND NEW YORK.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
AND WE'RE DELIGHTED
YOU JOINED US TONIGHT
FOR OUR FIRST SHOW.
Narrator: THEY BECAME
A PART OF THE FAMILY.
HE WAS ALWAYS THAT NICE GUY
FROM NEBRASKA.
YEAH, GOOD TO SEE YA.
HE WAS A VERY UPLIFTING
KIND OF PERSON TO BE AROUND.
HE WAS ALWAYS UP.
HE NEVER WANTED TO BE
THE FANCIEST, THE FLASHIEST.
YOU KNOW, HE WAS ALWAYS
THE CLASSIEST.
HE SPOKE RATHER ELOQUENTLY.
I MEAN, HE KNEW EVERY WORD
IN THE DICTIONARY.
THAT'LLF THAT.
Narrator: THEY TOOK
A SIMPLE IDEA
AND TURNED IT
INTO A NATIONAL PHENOMENON.
THEY DON'T CALL HIM THE KING
FOR NOTHING.
EVEN AS A CHILD,
YOU KNOW WHO THE KING IS.
WE'VE GOT SOMETHING THAT'S GOING
TO BE REALLY, REALLY EXCITING.
Narrator: TOGETHER,
THEY OPENED A NEW FRONTIER
ON THE TELEVISION LANDSCAPE...
AND GAVE US A REASON
TO STAY UP LATE.
THEY ARE THE PIONEERS
OF LATE NIGHT.
HOW FAR IS THAT, ANYWAY?
40 FEET?
I DID NOT REALIZE
IT WAS THAT FAR.
YOU'RE GOING TO HIT THIS
FROM THERE?
I HOPE SO.
ALL RIGHTY.
YANNGAHHHNAANANNAA!
Narrator: FOR 30 YEARS,
JOHNNY CARSON
WAS AMERICA'S
BOY NEXT DOOR.
HIS RATINGS REMAIN THE HIGHEST
IN THE HISTORY
OF LATE NIGHT TELEVISION.
♪ OH, THE ROCKIES
MAY CRUMBLE ♪
Both: ♪ GIBRALTAR
MAY TUMBLE ♪
♪ THEY'RE ONLY MADE
OF CLAY ♪♪
Narrator: THE STAGE
CARSON INHERITED
FROM JACK PAAR AND STEVE ALLEN
WAS ALREADY SUCCESSFUL.
BUT JOHNNY BROADENED
"THE TONIGHT SHOW'S" APPEAL
AND CREATED A NATIONAL TREASURE.
THE THING IS, PEOPLE
DON'T REALIZE...
AS WELL AS JACK PAAR DID
IN THE RATINGS...
WHEN JOHNNY CARSON CAME OUT,
I DON'T KNOW IF
THEY DOUBLED,
BUT IT WAS PRETTY CLOSE TO IT.
Narrator: UNDER CARSON,
LATE NIGHT TELEVISION
BECAME A FIXTURE
OF AMERICAN LIFE...
THE HEARTH WE GATHER AROUND
AT THE END OF THE DAY
TO UNWIND,
REFRESH, LAUGH.
ARE YOU MARRIED?
OH!
I'LL PUT THAT DOWN
AS A NO?
Narrator: ON CARSON'S WATCH,
LATE NIGHT TELEVISION
REACHED ITS PRIME.
BUT HE WASN'T THE ONLY PIONEER
OF THE GENRE.
HE SHARES THAT HONOR
WITH A HANDFUL OF OTHER
CREATIVE TALENTS
WHO LOOKED INTO THE DARK
AND SAW THE LIGHT.
IT'S A STORY THAT BEGINS EVEN
BEFORE TELEVISION ITSELF.
THE FOUNDING FATHER
OF LATE NIGHT TELEVISION
WAS, MORE ACCURATELY,
A MOTHER...
BELLE MONTROSE.
WIDELY ACCLAIMED AS THE FUNNIEST
WOMAN ON THE VAUDEVILLE CIRCUIT,
MONTROSE NEVER HAD
A TELEVISION SHOW.
BUT SHE DID HAVE A SON
NAMED STEVE...
STEVE ALLEN.
SHE HAD A REMARKABLE
SORT OF LOW-KEY
AD-LIB-Y MUTTERED IRISH WIT.
Narrator: STEVE APPLIED
THE FAMILY WIT
TO A NEW FORM OF ENTERTAINMENT,
CALLED RADIO.
BY AGE 24, HE WAS A NATIONAL
FIGURE ON THE CBS RADIO NETWORK.
STEVE WAS PROBABLY
ONE OF THE FUNNIEST PEOPLE
I'VE EVER MET.
STEVE NEVER...
WHEN HE TOLD SOMETHING,
A STORY, A JOKE, OR WHATEVER...
NEVER HAD A WORD
OUT OF SEQUENCE.
Narrator: BUT ALLEN'S PERFECTION
SOON LED TO A BIG PROBLEM.
HE EXHAUSTED ALL
HIS TIGHTLY CRAFTED MATERIAL,
AND HE COULDN'T WRITE NEW BITS
FAST ENOUGH
FOR A DAILY RADIO SHOW.
HE WAS DESPERATE
FOR FRESH COMEDY.
SO I JUST WENT OUT
IN THE AUDIENCE
AND BEGAN TO SPEAK TO PEOPLE
AT RANDOM,
HORSING AROUND, THE WAY
I HAD ALWAYS
IN HIGH SCHOOL
AND AROUND THE HOUSE,
BUT AGAIN, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT
YOU COULD DO THAT FOR A LIVING.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS TOO EASY.
Narrator:
THE TECHNIQUE
WAS A BIG HIT.
ALLEN HAD ACCIDENTALLY INVENTED
A BRAND-NEW APPROACH
TO BROADCAST COMEDY...
AN IDEA THAT WOULD LATER
BECOME A STAPLE
OF LATE NIGHT TELEVISION.
BUT BACK IN THE 1940s,
LATE NIGHT TELEVISION
DID NOT EXIST.
Announcer: AS IN RADIO,
MANY TELEVISION PROGRAMS
WILL COME FROM A SPECIALLY
EQUIPPED STUDIO,
SUCH AS THIS ONE
IN RADIO CITY.
Narrator: TELEVISION
BROADCASTING
HAD A PAINFUL INFANCY.
IN THE 1940s,
TV SETS WERE EXPENSIVE.
AND THE PROGRAMS WERE PRIMITIVE.
I'M SORRY, GIRLS.
WE'LL STAY HERE
FOR A MINUTE.
SPEAK TO ME, YOU.
UM, COULD YOU RHYME
THE WORD "VINCENZA"?
CAN YOU RHYME
THE WORD "VINCENZA"?
YEAH, WITH "CREDENZA."
YOU'RE THE LUCKY MOTHER!
WHEN TELEVISION FIRST APPEARED,
I THOUGHT IT WAS A GIMMICK
LIKE 3-D MOVIES, YOU KNOW,
THAT MIGHT JUST DISAPPEAR.
I DIDN'T TAKE IT SERIOUSLY.
I HAVE A NICE
LETTER FROM...
Narrator: BY 1948, THERE WERE
A FEW SUCCESSES,
BUT OVERALL, THE NEW MEDIUM
WAS STRUGGLING.
IT NEEDED A VISIONARY.
AND THE SAVIOR ARRIVED
JUST IN TIME...
IN THE FORM OF A NEW PRESIDENT
AT NBC,
PAT WEAVER, THE MOST CREATIVE
TELEVISION EXECUTIVE OF THE ERA.
Woman:
MY FATHER ALWAYS FELT
THE AUDIENCE
WAS VERY INTELLIGENT.
BECAUSTHAT TELEVISIONOUGHT
WAS REALLY LIKE YOUR...
AT ITS BEST, IT WOULD BE LIKE
YOUR OWN PERSONAL ROCKET SHIP
AND TO ANY KIND OF KNOWLEDGE
AND INFORMATION.
AND I THINK THAT HE WANTED
TO ENLIST PEOPLE IN THAT.
Narrator: BY 1950,
PAT WEAVER BELIEVED
AMERICA WANTED
A FEW LIGHT MOMENTS
BEFORE GOING TO BED.
ANYONE WHO COULD MAKE YOU LAUGH,
THAT WAS JUST A GIFT,
AND IT WAS SOMETHING
THAT MY FATHER
REALLY THOUGHT PEOPLE NEEDED.
MR. LESTER?
I'M SORRY
I CAME EMPTY HANDED.
Narrator: WEAVER'S FIRST
LATE NIGHT CREATION
WAS A VAUDEVILLE-STYLE
COMEDY SHOW
CALLED "BROADWAY OPEN HOUSE."
AND THE SHOW CREATED
TELEVISION'S
VERY FIRST FEMALE STAR...
THE STATUESQUE SIDEKICK
NAMED DAGMAR.
IN LESS THAN TWO YEARS,
"BROADWAY OPEN HOUSE"
HAD RUN ITS COURSE.
AND BEFORE YOU KNEW IT,
WE WERE DONE.
Narrator: PAT WEAVER WASN'T SURE
WHAT TO DO NEXT
UNTIL THE NIGHT HE CAME ACROSS
A QUIRKY LOCAL TV SHOW
HOSTED BY STEVE ALLEN.
Leno:
AND THERE WAS SOMETHING
SORT OF WONDERFULLY CHILDLIKE
ABOUT STEVE ALLEN.
HE WAS LIKE AN ADULT
WHO ACTED LIKE A KID.
Narrator: WEAVER BROUGHT ALLEN'S
SHOW TO NBC
AND GAVE IT A DIFFERENT NAME...
"TONIGHT."
THE SHOW'S TITLE WAS NEW,
BUT ALLEN WAS FOLLOWING
A FORMULA
HE HAD DEVELOPED YEARS EARLIER,
AN INVENTIVE ARSENAL OF COMEDY
THAT WOULD SERVE HIM WELL
FOR DECADES.
THE ICE CREAM!
Man: AND HE BECOMES
TOTALLY BURIED IN IT,
AND THAT WAS
THE STEVE ALLEN SUNDAE.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW,
I LOOKED AT IT
AND MY JAW DROPPED,
AND I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO THINK.
BUT BOY, WHEN I
WATCHED IT ON TELEVISION
AND THAT CAMERA WENT IN ON HIM,
IT WAS HYSTERICAL, YOU KNOW.
HE WILL NOBODY SAVE ME? NG.
AAH!
Conway:
AND HE DID WILD,
YOU KNOW, YOU'D SHOW UP,
AND STEVE WOULD SAY,
"WELL, WE'RE GOING TO BE
IN A BOWL OF JELLO TONIGHT,
SO JUST PUT ON THAT
BATHING SUIT."
AND YOU GO, "JELLO?"
IT WAS A LIVE SHOW.
ANYTHING REALLY COULD HAPPEN.
A DOOR WOULD OPEN
AND YOU'D SEE SOMEBODY DO THIS
WHO WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE THERE.
AND HE WOULD DO THAT...
"HA HA HA!"
HE'D DO THAT LAUGH,
AND YOU REALIZE, OH,
YOU'RE SEEING SOMETHING
THAT'S HAPPENING LIVE
THAT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN,
AND THAT WAS ALWAYS
THE MOST EXCITING
PART OF THE SHOW FOR ME.
WE'LL GO SWIMMING
LATER, HUH?
YOU DON'T MIND
IF I GO IN, DO YOU?
WELL, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE
SUITS FOR EVERYBODY
IN JUST A FEW MINUTES,
AND I THINK YOU...
WAIT, YOU DON'T
HAVE YOUR SUIT ON!
YOU DON'T...
Conway:
HE PUT ME IN A TANK
WITH A PORPOISE, AND HE SAID,
"YOU GO IN WITH THE PORPOISE,
AND THE PORPOISE
WILL PUSH YOU OVER TO THE SIDE
AND KIND OF SAVE YOU, YOU KNOW."
AND I SAID, "OKAY," AND I SAW
A GUY STANDING THERE WITH A GUN.
AND I SAID, "STEVE, THE GUY
WITH THE GUN, WHAT IS HE DOING?"
Narrator: WITH JUST
A SINGLE-PAGE OUTLINE, A PIANO,
AND A QUICK-WITTED PERSONALITY,
ALLEN AND A FEW FRIENDS
WOULD CREATE
NEARLY TWO HOURS
OF ENTERTAINMENT
Man: HE DIDN'T SPEAK MUCH AT ALL
DURING THE DAY.
AND, YOU KNOW,
I'D SAY, "HI, STEVE."
AND HE'D SAY, "HI, ANDY"
AND THAT WOULD BE ABOUT IT.
AND THEN, WHEN HE GOT
IN FRONT OF A CAMERA,
THEN HE JUST TALKED AND TALKED
AND TALKED AND TALKED.
BUT HE HADN'T SAID ANYTHING
ALL DAY LONG.
WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON THE HIGH
MORAL STANDARDS OF OUR PROGRAMS.
I MEAN THAT SINCERELY.
WE DON'T RESORT TO SEX OR CRIME
BUT OFF, CHARLIE,
LOOK OUT FOR THESE GUYS!
I REMEMBER HE WOULD TAKE
ROCK 'N' ROLL LYRICS
AND READ THEM.
I REMEMBER HIM READING,
"BE BOP A LOO BAH,
SHE'S MY BABY."
IT WAS THE GENE VINCENT SONG,
I THINK IT WAS GENE VINCENT,
"BE BOP A LOO BAH,
I DON'T MEAN MAYBE."
AND THEN HE WOULD LOOK
AT THE CAMERA.
YOU KNOW, AND OF COURSE IT WAS
BUT THOSE WERE THE ACTUAL LYRICS
COMPLETOF THE SONG.ONTEXT,
Narrator: STEVE ALLEN WASN'T
JUST CREATING A SHOW...
HE WAS INVENTING
AN ENTIRE GENRE.
NEARLY ALL HIS IDEAS HAVE SINCE
BEEN ASSIMILATED
INTO THE DNA
OF LATE NIGHT TELEVISION.
FOR EXAMPLE, ONE NIGHT,
SHORT ON MATERIAL,
ALLEN STARTED READING ACTUAL
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
FROM DAILY NEWSPAPERS.
ALL RIGHT, FIRST ONE'S
FROM MANHATTAN AND SAYS,
"I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW
WHERE ZACK MOSLEY,
GETS THE IDEA THAT PEOPLE
CAN TALK WHILE KISSING!"
Leno: THAT'S KIND OF WHERE
"HEADLINES" COMES FROM,
FROM STEVE ALLEN READING LETTERS
OUT OF THE DAILY NEWS.
"AND MR. SO-AND-SO SAYS,
BY GOLLY..."
AND HE WOULD READ
THE ACTUAL LETTER,
AND THEY WERE VERY FUNNY.
Narrator: IN ADDITION
TO THE GOOFINESS,
ALLEN ALSO KNEW
HOW TO PLAY THE STRAIGHT MAN
TO A CAST OF PLAYERS WHO ALL
BECAME FAMOUS
IN THEIR OWN RIGHT.
THIS IS DAVE WINKLY
IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,
WITH A DIAMOND EXPERT,
CONDUCTING
A DIAMOND INVENTORY.
NOW BACK TO...
Allen:
YOUR NAME, SIR?
SIR, I CAN'T UNDERSTAND
HOW A MAN CAN FORGET
HIS OWN NAME.
IT ISN'T EASY.
MY NAME IS L.L. MORRISON,
AND I AM A TELEVISION DIRECTOR.
RETIRED.
TEMPORARILY.
Allen:
MR. L.L. MORRISON,
TELL ME, WHAT DOES
THE "L.L." STAND FOR?
LOTSA LUCK.
THAT'S THE TROUBLE
WITH THE CHILDREN OF TODAY.
TOO MANY PARENTS
OUT WALKING ON BRIDGES
WHEN THEY SHOULD BE HOME,
APPLYING A LITTLE DISCIPLINE.
Leno: "WELL, TELL US,
MR. SO-AND-SO..."
WHATEVER IT WAS AND PLAY
THE STRAIGHT MAN
AND THEN CRACK UP
HALFWAY THROUGH THE BIT.
I'M SORRY, SIR,
BUT ISN'T THEREMADE ME LAUGH.
SOME KIND OF A...
SHUT UP!
Harrington:
IT WAS LIKE MATRICULATING
IN A GRADUATE SCHOOL
FOR COMEDY.
WELCOME TO "THE WONDERFUL WORLD
OF VIOLENCE."
EVERYBODY WAS FUNNY.
AND STEVE GAVE EVERYBODY
WHATEVER THEY WANTED.
IF A GUY GOT ON A RIFF,
HE WOULD JUST SIT BACK.
AND THEN LAUGH...
HIS LAUGH KEYED
EVERYONE'S LAUGHTER.
Narrator: STEVE ALLEN
WASN'T JUST FUNNY.
HE WAS ALSO EXTREMELY
INTELLIGENT,
DEEPLY CONCERNED
ABOUT SOCIAL ISSUES,
AND THE AUTHOR
OF MORE THAN A DOZEN BOOKS.
HE WOULD COME TO A PARTY
AT MY HOUSE
AND BE STANDING BY THE
FIREPLACE, RECORDING.
HE WAS ALWAYS WRITING.
HOW YOU DOING?
THINGS ARE JUMPING HERE TONIGHT.
Narrator:
LONG BEFORE ANYONE ELSE,
STEVE ALLEN'S
"TONIGHT SHOW"
FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN
OFFERED PERFORMERS.LATFORM
ALLEN DIDN'T SEE HIMSELF
AS A CRUSADER...
RATHER, HE JUST WANTED
TO SHOWCASE TALENT,
REGARDLESS OF COLOR.
ALLEN WAS AN ESPECIALLY BIG FAN
OF JAZZ.
HIS LIST OF GUESTS READS LIKE
A "WHO'S WHO" OF JAZZ GREATS...
LIONEL HAMPTON...
CAB CALLOWAY...
COUNT BASIE.
♪ WHO'S THAT MAN
IN THE BASIE BAND? ♪
STEVE ALLEN MAY HAVE BEEN
THE MOST VERSATILE PERFORMER
IN THE HISTORY OF TELEVISION.
BUT THE LABEL
OF TALK SHOW HOST
DIDN'T QUITE FIT.
IT'S TRUE ALLEN HAD GUESTS,
BUT CONVERSATION
WASN'T HIS GOAL.
THAT REFINEMENT WOULD BE LEFT
TO ANOTHER PIONEER...
ALLEN'S SUCCESSOR ON "TONIGHT."
YOUNG JACK PAAR LIKED TO TALK.
IN JACKSON, MICHIGAN,
IN THE 1930s,
THERE WAS ONLY ONE WAY A YOUNG
MAN COULD EARN MONEY BY TALKING,
PAAR WAS ONE OF THE VERY, VERY
AND TBEST INTERVIEWERSDIO.
OF ALL TIME, ALL TIME.
HE REALLY LOOKED AT YOU,
AND HE REALLY HEARD YOU.
GOOD MORNING, GOOD MORNING,
MY FRIENDS.
Narrator: PAAR'S STAR
ROSE QUICKLY.
BY THE EARLY 1950s,
HE WAS IN NEW YORK,
HOSTING GAME SHOWS
AND MORNING SHOWS.
COME HERE ONCE
ALREADY, YET.
Narrator: BUT HE HAD YET TO FIND
THE IDEAL VENUE FOR HIS TALENTS.
MEANWHILE, ACROSS TOWN,
OPPORTUNITY WAS BREWING.
Narrator: AT THE TIME,
CBS WAS TROUNCING NBC
ON THE ALL-IMPORTANT
SUNDAY NIGHT RATINGS,
THANKS TO PERENNIAL
FAVORITE ED SULLIVAN.
NBC HAD JUST ONE BIG GUN
IT COULD AIM AT SULLIVAN...
"TONIGHT SHOW" HOST
STEVE ALLEN.
AND SO ALLEN MOVED TO PRIME TIME
OPPOSITE ED.
BUT FIRST, IT OCCURS TO ME THAT
THERE MIGHT BE SOME PEOPLE
WHO DON'T KNOW THAT ED SULLIVAN
IS ON AT THIS TIME.
DO YOU KNOW THAT ED IS?
THERE MIGHT BE
ONE OR TWO.
HE HAS A WONDERFUL
GUEST LIST.
HAVE YOU SEEN THE AD
IN THE PAPER?
HAVE YOU SEEN THE AD,
WITH ALL THE PEOPLE HE HAS ON?
Narrator: WITH STEVE ALLEN
IN PRIME TIME,
LATE NIGHT WAS IN FLUX.
NBC TRIED NEW HOSTS,
NEW FORMATS.
NOTHING WORKED.
FINALLY, IN JULY OF 1957,
THE NETWORK WOULD GIVE IT
ONE MORE TRY,
HANDING THE REINS TO JACK PAAR.
THIS NEWCOMER WAS NOTHING LIKE
STEVE ALLEN.
IN FACT, HE WASN'T LIKE
ANYONE ELSE ON ANY SHOW.
WHEN CRITICS SAY "WELL,
PAAR DOESN'T DO ANYTHING,
"HE DOESN'T SING,
HE DOESN'T DANCE, HE DOESN'T...
I THINK THAT THEY'RE BEING
A LITTLE UNKIND.
YOU COULD MENTION,
IF YOU WERE FAIR,
THAT I'M ALWAYS ON TIME.
Narrator: PAAR KNEW HIS STRENGTH
WAS CONVERSATION...
BOUNDARY-PUSHING CONVERSATION.
SO THERE WERE NO WACKY STUNTS
OR GOOFY CHARACTERS
ON PAAR'S "TONIGHT SHOW."
INSTEAD, PEOPLE TALKED.
IT WAS EMOTIONAL,
CONTROVERSIAL,
AND ALWAYS SPONTANEOUS.
WHAT DO YOU DO
FOR EXERCISE?
I STUMBLE,
AND THEN I FALL INTO A COMA.
AND NOW, HERE'S JACK.
DOING THAT PROGRAM WAS KIND OF
LIKE RIDING A BRONCO, YOU KNOW,
AS OPPOSED TO RIDING A NAG.
BECAUSE YOU NEVER
KNEW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN,
AND IT DID, EVERY NIGHT.
YOU KNOW, THAT WAS EXCITING
TELEVISION.
Cavett: THE SUSPENSE EACH DAY,
WHAT'S HE LIKE TODAY?
ALL OF WHICH WENT INTO
MAKING JACK
THE MOST INTERESTING PERSONALITY
THE SCREEN HAS EVER SEEN.
MAY I JUST ASK
SOME PERSONAL QUESTIONS?
Narrator: UNLIKE
MOST LATER TALK SHOWS,
PAAR'S GUESTS WERE NOT
PRE-INTERVIEWED.
INSTEAD,
THE CONVERSATIONS FLOWED
WITH PAAR'S MOMENTARY WHIMS...
FUN FOR THE AUDIENCE,
BUT A CHALLENGE FOR THE GUESTS.
WITH JACK, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN,
YOU WOULD SAY SOMETHING
IN CONVERSATION,
AND HE WOULD PICK UP ON IT
AND TAKE A TURN
EITHER WAY OVER THIS WAY
OR WAY OVER THAT WAY.
AND YOU HAD TO FOLLOW ALONG,
YOU HAD TO GO
WHEREVER HE WENT.
IF YOU VEER AWAY
FROM THE EXPECTED ANSWER
THEN YOU WATCH THE GUESTS
AND CRESPARK TO IT.G ELSE,
AND HE FEELS BETTER
AND LOOKS BETTER
AND IS A BETTER HOST FOR IT.
SO I THINK THE GUEST HAS GOT
TO KEEP THE HOST INTERESTED.
WHEN DID YOU DECIDE
TO DO THIS?
WELL, I'VE BEEN
IN THE FOREST, AND THE...
YOU'VE BEEN ON 3rd AVENUE,
IS WHERE YOU'VE BEEN,
I THINK.
WHEE!
IT TOOK ME 45 MINUTES
TO GET THAT IN THERE.
I'M SORRY, IN THE FOREST,
WE DON'T CARE.
Winters: I WOULD BE ROLLING
ON A CHARACTER...
A LOT OF TIMES, IT WOULD TAKE ME
A LITTLE WHILE TO ROLL.
IF I WERE DOING MAUDE FRICKERT,
YOU KNOW,
WELL, I JUST, GIVE ME A CHANCE
TO GET INTO THE CHARACTER.
AND HIS PATIENCE WOULD,
BOY, JUST GO OUT THE WINDOW.
IF THINGS WEREN'T HAPPENING,
IN OTHER WORDS, RIGHT AWAY,
"OKAY, LET'S FORGET MAUDE, LET'S
GO RIGHT TO THE SISSY INDIAN."
SISSY INDIAN?
I WANT YOU
TO UNDERSTAND THAT.
I BELIEVE
IN BEING FAIR HERE.
Paar: BE A SURGEON,
BE A SURGEON
IN THE KOREAN WAR,
INCHON.
I WAS JUST BEGINNING
TO BELIEVE IT.
Narrator: PAAR SOON DEVELOPED
A STABLE OF GO-TO GUESTS
LIKE ELSA MAXWELL,
DODY GOODMAN,
FLORENCE HENDERSON,
BETTY WHITE, AND PHYLLIS DILLER.
I WAS SO GOOD WITH HIM.
WE WERE SO GOOD TOGETHER.
IF JACK PARR
LIKED WHAT YOU WERE DOING,
YOU KNOW, THE REST OF THE GUESTS
COULD COME BACK THE NEXT NIGHT.
AND I GOTTA TELL YOU,
ONE LINE JUST GOT HIM.
AND I'M THE SAME WITH COMICS.
I'LL TAKE ONE LINE AND THINK,
"OH, I LOVE THIS PERSON."
THE LINE HE JUST LOVED WAS,
I SAID,
"THIS ISN'T HAIR.
THESE ARE NERVE ENDS."
I HAVE A LITTLE GIRL, 9.
YOUR LITTLE BOY
IS 9. YES, 9, TOO, YES.
Narrator:
PAAR'S SUCCESS WASN'T JUST
THE RESULT
OF GOOD CONVERSATION.
HE WAS A PERSONALITY
WHO KNEW HOW
TO GRAB HEADLINES...
OFTEN BY LASHING OUT
AGAINST HIS CRITICS,
PICKING FIGHTS
WITH THE POWERFUL.
ED SULLIVAN HAS GONE BACK
TO CRACKING HIS KNUCKLES AGAIN.
HE HAD FIGHTS WITH ED SULLIVAN,
AND IT ALL WAS FRONT PAGE.
AND HE WAS TELEVISION'S
BIGGEST STAR.
HE PLAYED THE INNOCENT GUY.
AND I WOULD ALWAYS QUESTION
HOW INNOCENT THIS GUY WAS,
YOU KNOW.
WITH NEWSPAPER COLUMNIST
WALTER WINCHELL
MARKED A MAJOR TURNING POINT
IN AMERICAN MEDIA POWER.
NO ONE HAD EVER DARED
CRITICIZE WINCHELL,
BECAUSE A FEW LINES
IN HIS COLUMN
COULD DESTROY A CAREER.
BUT WHEN WINCHELL DISPARAGED
PAAR IN PRINT,
PAAR FOUGHT BACK,
AND MOCKED WINCHELL REPEATEDLY
ON THE AIR.
I CAN'T VERY WELL
ATTACK WINCHELL,
THERE'S NOTHING LEFT TO ATTACK,
YOU UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU SEE.
BUT I IMAGINE MR. WINCHELL
IS SITTING THERE,
MAKING NOTES WITH HIS CRAYON.
Narrator: PAAR'S CRITICISMS
EFFECTIVELY ENDED
WINCHELL'S CAREER.
THE TABLES HAD TURNED.
NOW, TV HAD THE POWER.
HE WAS VERY, VERY SMART.
BAND I THINK WHAT YOU SAW.
WAS PRETTY MUCH,
PRETTY MUCH JACK.
Narrator: PAAR'S MOST FAMOUS
OUTBURST CAME IN 1960,
WHEN NBC CENSORED
ONE OF HIS JOKES.
THE NEXT DAY
PAAR TURNED THE SLIGHT
INTO A NATIONAL STORY.
Downs: I CAME TO WORK,
AND THE HALLS WERE FILLED
WITH LAWYERS AND REPORTERS
AND EVERYTHING.
AND I WENT AND I FOUND
JACK HAD BEEN...
HE WAS DRESSED RIGHT, AND HE HAD
HAD MAKEUP AND EVERYTHING.
AND HE SAID,
"I'M LEAVING THE SHOW."
AND I SAID,
"I HOPE NOT, JACK."
AND HE SAID, "YES, I'VE HAD IT,
AND I'M GOING TO DEPART."
AND I SAID,
"DON'T LET THEM DRIVE YOU
OFF OF YOUR OWN SHOW,
YOU'RE AT THE PEAK NOW."
AND HE SAID, NO, HE COULDN'T BE
TALKED OUT OF IT.
THERE MUSOF, UH... TTER WAY
MAKING A LIVING THAN THIS.
I THOUGHT, MAYBE THERE'S
A PUNCH LINE,
HE'S GOING TO COME BACK IN
THROUGH THE CURTAINS AND DO...
Narrator: AS PAAR DISAPPEARED
OVERSEAS,
THE PRESS OBSESSED OVER
EVERY DETAIL, EVERY RUMOR.
WOULD HE RETURN?
WEEKS PASSED.
Winters:
WE HAD A LITTLE GET-TOGETHER.
AND HE SAID,
"YOU KNOW, PAL,
"I DON'T KNOW WHETHER
I SHOULD COME BACK.
WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE?"
DON'T BE A CRYBABY.
'CAUSE YOU'RE MAKING
A LOT OF MONEY, SEE,
SO THE GUY OUT NORTH OF TOPEKA,
WHO'S MAKING,
YOU KNOW, A FAST $7,500 A YEAR
AND HE HAS TO SELL HIS EQUIPMENT
TO CUT BACK AND STUFF...
UH... DON'T BE A CRYBABY.
JUST GO OUT THERE
AND JUST HAVE A GOOD TIME.
Narrator: SIX WEEKS
AFTER LEAVING "TONIGHT,"
PAAR DID RETURN.
AS I WAS SAYING
BEFORE I WAS INTERRUPTED...
Narrator:
DESPITE HIS RETURN,
PAAR'S INTENSE STYLE COULDN'T BE
SUSTAINED FOR THE LONG TERM.
IN 1962, HE LEFT
"TONIGHT" FOR GOOD.
BUT JACK PAAR'S LEGACY
IS SECURE,
SETTING THE COURSE
FOR TELEVISION TALK.
HAVING RUN OUT
OF FRESH, EXCITING,
NEW IDEAS TO BRING YOU MYSELF,
I FEEL I SHOULD GIVE
SOMEBODY ELSE A TURN.
I WOULD TELL HIM OVER AND OVER
AGAIN WHAT HE MEANT TO ME,
AND HOW HE HELPED ME, AND HOW I
ADMIRED WHAT HE HAD DONE.
HE DIDN'T WANT TO HEAR IT,
BUT HE DID WANT TO HEAR IT.
AND I TOLD HIM
OVER AND OVER AGAIN
WHAT A WONDERFUL
BROADCASTER HE WAS.
NOTHING LIKE IT ANYWHERE ELSE
IN TELEVISION BEFORE OR SINCE,
A COMBINATION OF NEUROSES
AND WIT AND CURIOSITY.
Narrator: WITH PAAR'S EXIT
IMMINENT,
NBC EXECUTIVES
WERE DEEPLY CONCERNED.
THERE WAS NO JACK PAAR CLONE
IN WAITING.
BUT THE CHOICE THEY FINALLY MADE
WOULD FOREVER
CHANGE THE LANDSCAPE
OF LATE NIGHT TELEVISION.
Narrator: THE WIDE OPEN PLAINS
OF NEBRASKA
ARE A GOOD PLACE TO RAISE A BOY.
PLENTY OF ROOM TO PLAY,
HAVE FUN.
AND THAT MIDWESTERN BOYISH CHARM
NEVER LEFT THE STATE'S
MOST FAMOUS SON,
JOHNNY CARSON.
JOHNNY'S FIRST STEP
INTO THE WORLD OF SHOW BUSINESS
WHEN HE DISCOVERED
A DECK OF MAGICIAN'S CARDS.
THE TRICKS CAME EASY.
BUT THE REAL CHALLENGE
WAS MASTERING THE AUDIENCE...
ENGAGING THEM
WITH THE SPOKEN WORD...
THE MONOLOGUE.
THAT WAS THE KEY
TO ENTERTAINING.
AT THE UNIVERSITY
OF NEBRASKA,
CARSON WROTE HIS THESIS
ON COMEDY,
DISSECTING THE STRUCTURE
OF JACK BENNY'S FAMOUS ROUTINES.
YEARS LATER, HE'D GET THE CHANCE
TO EXPLAIN IT ALL TO BENNY...
IN PERSON.
WELL, THERE IS
ONE MORE THING.
WELL, THEN TELL ME!
TELL ME!
DON'T KEEP ANYTHING
AWAY FROM YOUR IDOL.
OUT WITH IT!
WELL, AS LONG AS I AM
BEING CONSTRUCTIVE, JACK,
THIS I HAVE TO TELL YOU.
NOW, YOU MAY NOT
REALIZE THIS,
BUT EVERY MOVE YOU MAKE...
YOUR DELIVERY,
EVERY LITTLE INFLECTION
THAT YOU HAVE...
IS EXACTLY
THE WAY I WORK.
AND I DON'T THINK
IT'S FAIR.
Narrator: BACK HOME
IN 1951 NEBRASKA,
THE WINDS OF AMBITION WERE
BLOWING JOHNNY CARSON WESTWARD.
AFTER COLLEGE, HE TOOK
HIS CHANCES ON CALIFORNIA.
WITHIN A YEAR, JOHNNY LANDED
A LOW-BUDGET LOCAL TV SHOW
PRODUCED IN A BASEMENT STUDIO.
Announcer: "CARSON'S CELLAR"!
THANK YOU VERY MUCH,
Narrator: THE INVENTIVE
HALF-HOUR
DIDN'T GET HIGH RATINGS,
BUT SHOW BIZ INSIDERS
LOVED THE SHOW.
AND TONIGHT WE'VE GOT A VARIETY
OF THINGS ON THE "CELLAR."
DID YOU SEE THE GAME YESTERDAY?
TELEVISION, THE USC-UCLA?
White:
BACK IN THOSE DAYS...
YOU KNOW HOW TEENAGE BOYS
HAVE LONG WRISTS
AND THEIR BONES HAVEN'T,
THEY HAVEN'T QUITE SETTLED?
THAT'S HOW YOUNG HE WAS.
Narrator: CBS SAW
CARSON'S POTENTIAL
AND GAVE HIM A NATIONAL PRIME
TIME VARIETY SHOW.
NEW STYLES ARE COMING OUT...
THERE'S NYLON, ORLON,
AND DACRON.
AND A FELLOW SOLD ME A SUIT
THE OTHER DAY,
WAS MADE OF 100% SARAN WRAP.
DON'T LAUGH, YOU CAN KEEP
SANDWICHES RIGHT IN THE POCKETS.
AND TONIGHT MEL
IS GOING TO TRY
TO SET
A NEW WORLD'S RECORD.
BUT BEFORE HE TRIES
FOR THAT RECORD,
I'D LIKE BRIEFLY
TO INTERVIEW HIM.
MEL, GOOD TO SEE YOU.
WHAT DO YOU THINK
YOUR CHANCES ARE GOING TO BE
TO BREAK THAT OH, PRETTY GOOD,
MEL? JOHNNY.
WELL, THE BEST
OF LUCK, MEL.
Narrator: ONE OF JOHNNY'S
FIRST SIDEKICKS
WAS A NEWCOMER
NAMED BARBARA EDEN.
Eden: HE WAS WONDERFUL
WITH COMEDY SKETCHES.
AND THAT'S WHAT I DID WITH HIM,
WERE THE SKETCHES.
AND I COULD BE SILLY, AND HE
COULD LAUGH AT WHAT I WAS DOING,
AND, YOU KNOW,
IT WORKED VERY WELL.
BUT I HAVE OTHER PLANS.
READY, BABY?
Narrator:
BUT THE RATINGS SAGGED.
CARSON WOULD LATER REFLECT
THAT PRIME TIME REQUIRED
TOO MUCH STRUCTURE
AND PREPARATION.
IT DIDN'T PLAY TO HIS
FREEWHEELING STRENGTHS.
HIS CAREER DRIFTED
FOR MORE THAN A YEAR.
THEN, WITH NO OTHER OPTIONS,
HE WENT TO NEW YORK
AND TOOK A JOB
HOSTING A DAYTIME GAME SHOW.
IT WAS A COMEDOWN,
BUT IT WAS WORK.
AND ED, WHO'S FIRST?
WE'RE ALL SET...
Narrator:
FOR THE FIRST TIME,
CARSON HAD A CHANCE
TO DO INTERVIEWS
AND AD-LIB WITH GUESTS.
THINGS ARE PICKING UP
AROUND HERE ON THE SHOW.
Narrator:
HE WAS GOOD AT IT.
AND "WHO DO YOU TRUST?"
BECAME A HIT.
JOHNNY CARSON
HAD FOUND HIS NICHE.
DO YOU HAVE ANY TIME
FOR HOBBIES OR ANYTHING?
I'M JUST A BUTCHER.
A BUTCHER?
AND HE HAD THIS INTERVIEW,
AND THAT'S WHERE
ALL THE COMEDY OF JOHNNY CARSON
CAME OUT.
NOW, YOU'RE
A REAL BUTCHER...
Narrator: CARSON'S STAR
WAS RISING AGAIN.
NBC ASKED JOHNNY TO REPLACE
THE EXITING PAAR.
BUT CARSON TURNED DOWN
NBC'S OFFER.
AND MAYBE HE FELT IT WAS JUST
TOO MUCH WORK INVOLVED,
TOO MUCH STRAIN,
TOO DIFFICULT TO DO, YOU KNOW,
Narrator: WHEN CARSON DECLINED
NBC'S OFFER
TO HOST "THE TONIGHT SHOW,"
NBC WENT TO "PLAN B."
THEY ASKED BOB NEWHART...
JACKIE GLEASON...
JOEY BISHOP.
ALL SAID NO.
SO, ON A RAINY MARCH DAY
IN NEW YORK,
NBC INVITED CARSON
TO ROCKEFELLER CENTER
AND GAVE HIM ONE LAST CHANCE.
THIS TIME, JOHNNY AGREED,
SIGNING ON TO FILL
THE "TONIGHT SHOW" VACANCY.
BUT THERE WAS STILL
ONE BIG PROBLEM.
JOHON HIS CBS CONTRACT.THS
NBC'S STOPGAP SOLUTION
WAS TO FILL THE VOID
WITH GUEST HOSTS...
MAKING THE SUMMER OF 1962
ONE OF THE MORE UNUSUAL
IN LATE NIGHT HISTORY.
THE "TONIGHT SHOW" STAFF,
INCLUDING WRITER DICK CAVETT,
STAYED ON
TO PROP UP THE PARADE
OF 17 DIFFERENT HOSTS
WHO FILLED THE CHAIR.
MOST WERE MEDIOCRE.
Cavett: ONE WAS SO BAD
AND WE HATED HIM SO MUCH
THAT AFTER THE SECOND DAY
OF HIS BLOWING ALL OUR JOKES
AND THEN COMPLAINING
THEY WEREN'T FUNNY,
I WENT DOWNSTAIRS AND BOUGHT
A BENNET CERF JOKE BOOK,
AND WE COPIED JOKES OUT
AND HANDED IT TO HIM.
AND HE DIDN'T SEEM
TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.
Narrator: ONE FILL-IN HOST
DID EXCEL,
WINNING OVER AMERICA
FROM THE MOMENT HE STEPPED
ONSTAGE...
MERV GRIFFIN.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
Narrator: GRIFFIN HAD ONLY
MINIMAL TV EXPERIENCE
AS THE HOST
OF A DAYTIME GAME SHOW.
BUT HE MASTERED THE TALK SHOW
ROLE ALMOST INSTANTLY.
HE WAS REALLY GOOD.
AND HE WOULD HAVE BEEN AS GOOD
AS CARSON, I SUSPECT,
HAD HE GONE IN THAT DIRECTION.
WE'RE GOING TO PRESENT TO YOU
Narrator: BUT AFTER
HIS FIRST FIVE MINUTES
AS A LIVE TALK-SHOW HOST,
GRIFFIN WANTED TO QUIT
ON THE SPOT.
HIS PRODUCER PUSHED HIM BACK
ONTO THE STAGE.
AND I SAID, "I DON'T KNOW
HOW TO DO THIS.
"I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO."
HE SAID "MERV,
IT'S UNBELIEVABLE!
GET BACK OUT THERE."
AND I WENT, "WHOA,"
AND WENT BACK OUT
AND SAT DOWN AND DID MY FIRST
SIT-DOWN INTERVIEW,
WHICH OBVIOUSLY WORKED
VERY WELL,
AND THE WHOLE SHOW WAS A SCREAM.
MERV KNEW
JUST WHAT HE WAS DOING.
I MEAN, HE CAME OUT
AND HE KNEW HOW TO DO IT,
AND HE DID IT, AND HE PLAYED IT
BUT THEN THE TRUE TEST CAME...
I WALKED TO WORK THE NEXT DAY,
'CAUSE I DIDN'T LIVE
TOO FAR FROM NBC.
AND AS I WALKED
DOWN THE STREET,
EVERY TAXI DRIVER
WAS YELLING OUT,
AND TRUCK DRIVERS,
"MERV, HEY, THAT WAS GREAT."
AND I GO,
"WOW, I GUESS THAT'S FAME."
HI, KAY!
HOW ARE YOU, DEAR?
WHAT ARE YOU
SUFFERING FROM?
OH, NOTHING...
A LITTLE EXHAUSTION,
Narrator: WHILE MERV WAS
ON THE AIR WINNING OVER AMERICA,
JOHNNY WAS GETTING
MORE AND MORE ANXIOUS,
UNSURE IF HE HAD MADE
THE RIGHT DECISION.
JUST BEFORE HIS PREMIERE,
NBC SCURRIED HIM
OFF TO LAS VEGAS
TO CLEAR HIS MIND.
CARSON'S MANAGER CALLED JOHNNY'S
OLD FRIEND, JACK NARZ.
Narz:
I FLEW INTO LAS VEGAS,
AND THEY HAD A ROOM
AT THE SANDS.
AND TOM SAID, "YOU KNOW,
"JOHNNY'S GETTING
'THE TONIGHT SHOW.'
"HE'S GOING TO DO
'THE TONIGHT SHOW, '
"AND HE IS SCARED TO DEATH.
"HE'S A NERVOUS WRECK.
"AND WE THOUGHT THAT MAYBE
IF THE TWO OF YOU
"WERE TOGETHER FOR A WEEKEND,
YOU COULD KIND OF CALM HIM DOWN.
"AND, YOU KNOW, JUST BE FRIENDLY
WITH HIM,
MAKE HIM... PUT HIM AT EASE."
Narrator: BUT THE LAS VEGAS
STRATEGY DIDN'T SEEM TO WORK.
WHEN CARSON FINALLY
MADE HIS PREMIERE,
HE WAS STILL NERVOUS,
UNCOMFORTABLE.
HIS FIRST COUPLE WEEKS
WERE ROUGH.
THERE WERE COMICS SITTING
BACKSTAGE, SAYING,
"THIS GUY ISN'T MAKING IT,"
YOU KNOW.
IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE
TO BELIEVE THAT NOW.
Narrator: THE PROBLEM WAS
RESOLVED WITHIN A FEW MONTHS
AS CARSON GRADUALLY
CAUGHT HIS STRIDE
AND SETTLED INTO THE JOB
HE WAS BORN FOR.
SENATOR AND MRS. KENNEDY
ARE EXPECTING THEIR 10th CHILD.
IS DEMANDING
IA CIVILIAN REVIEW BOARD.Y
Severinsen:
JOHNNY MADE IT WORK.
JOHNNY MADE EVERYTHING WORK.
THAT SHOW WAS JOHNNY
FROM THE GET-GO.
THAT'S JUST
THE WAY IT WORKS.
Narrator: EARLY ON,
CARSON BELIEVED
THAT THE BEST WAY TO SURVIVE
ON "TONIGHT"
WAS TO MAKE THE SHOW
SEEM RELAXED AND UNREHEARSED...
TO NOT OVERLY EXERT HIMSELF.
THAT MEANT PUTTING THE FOCUS
ON THE GUESTS WHENEVER POSSIBLE,
HELP THEM OUT,
LET THEM SHINE.
HOW LONG DO YOU HAVE TO WEAR
THAT BRACE?
IT'S NOT
LONG.
JOHNNY KNEW HOW TO JUMP IN
WHEN A GUEST WAS BAD
OR WHEN A GUEST WAS QUIET
OR WASN'T DOING WELL.
AND WHEN A GUEST WAS DOING
REALLY WELL,
JOHNNY KNEW HOW
TO JUST LAY BACK.
HE WOULD SORT OF GUIDE YOU,
YOU KNOW,
IN THE DIRECTION THAT HE THOUGHT
WOULD WORK BEST FOR YOU.
THAT'S THE ONE THING THAT I
ALWAYS APPRECIATED ABOUT HIM,
YOU KNOW, HE, WHAT HE REALLY
WANTED YOU TO BE ON HIS SHOW,
HE WANTED YOU TO BE GOOD.
AND HE LOVED BEING
THE STRAIGHT GUY.
HE LOVED BEING THE STRAIGHT GUY.
THAT'S WHAT WAS,
MADE IT SO MUCH FUN.
I ASKED YOU ABOUT THIS
BEFORE, AND I THINK
THEY THOUGHT YOU WERE
MAKING A JOKE.
FIGHTER PILOT... YOU WERE
A PILOT, RIGHT?
OH, YEAH, I FOUGHT
THE WHOLE WAR IN OKLAHOMA.
AND IF YOU THINK BACK...
AND I'M NOT MAD AT ANYBODY
OR ANYTHING,
BUT JUST REMEMBER,
THERE WAS NOT ONE
JAPANESE AIRCRAFT
GOT PAST TULSA.
Narrator: CARSON'S
"TONIGHT SHOW" SOON BECAME
AMERICA'S FAVORITE PARTY.
AND ANYONE JOHNNY INVITED COULD
BECOME A HIT... OVERNIGHT.
HIS STAR-MAKING POWER
WAS UNPRECEDENTED.
OVER AND OVER, CARSON OFFERED
YOUNG TALENT
A SHOT ON HIS STAGE.
AFTER SEVEN MINUTES,
THEY WERE FAMOUS.
AND FROM THE FRONT OF THE COACH
COMES THIS GUY,
AND HE'S HAD A FEW,
AND AS HE APPROACHED THE SECTION
WHERE THE WOMAN WAS
WITH THE BABY,
HE STOPS, AND HE'S STARING,
LIKE THAT.
SHE'S WATCHING HIM
FROM THE CORNER OF HER EYE.
AND SHE SAYS TO HIM,
"WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?"
AND THE GUY SAYS, "I'M LOOKING
AT THAT UGLY BABY."
"THAT'S A BAD-LOOKING
BABY, LADY."
SAYS, "I BET YOU SAVE A LOT
OF MONEY WITH THAT BABY,
"YOU DON'T HAVE TO HIRE
ANY BABYSITTER...
NOBODY'S GOING BOTHER THAT KID."
Hall: THERE WAS A TIME WHEN
JOHNNY WOULD PUT ON A COMIC,
AND IT WOULD CHANGE HIS CAREER,
IT WOULD BREAK HIM.
IF HE WAS ON THE TONIGHT SHOW,
HIS LIFE WAS...
I SEE THE RADAR TONIGHT
IS PICKING UP
A LINE OF THUNDERSHOWERS
WHICH EXTENDS FROM A POINT
NINE MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF
CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA,
ALONG A LINE AND 6 MILES EITHER
SIDE OF A LINE
TO A POINT 8 MILES TO A POINT
NORTH-NORTHEAST
OF SECAUCUS, NEW JERSEY.
HOWEVER, THE RADAR
IS ALSO PICKING UP
A SQUADRON OF RUSSIAN ICBMs...
SO I WOULDN'T SWEAT
THE THUNDERSHOWERS.
JOHNNY ALWAYS WANTED YOU TO DO
WELL, YOU KNOW.
YOU'D HEAR THAT
"HA HA HA!"
YOU'D HEAR HIM LAUGHING
IN THE CORNER WITH ED
OR HE'D POKE ED
OR HE'D HIT THE TABLE.
AND OF COURSE, THIS IS A CUE
TO THE AUDIENCE...
OH, YOU WERE ACCEPTED.
Narrator: JOHNNY CARSON'S
FAVORITE PART
OF "THE TONIGHT SHOW"
WAS THE MONOLOGUE.
BUT THE HUDSON IS BAD...
IT IS REALLY BAD.
I WENT OVER, AND I SAW
A FISHERMAN TODAY.
HE TURNED HIS BACK FOR A SECOND,
AND HIS WORM
MADE A BREAK FOR IT.
I MEAN, THAT'S...
Narrator: CARSON DIDN'T INVENT
THE TALK-SHOW MONOLOGUE.
THAT HONOR GOES TO JACK PAAR.
BUT CARSON MADE IT HIS OWN,
THANKS TO AN INBORN GRASP
OF AMERICAN VALUES.
HE UNDERSTOOD WHAT FOLKS
BACK HOME WOULD LAUGH AT.
AND HE KNEW WHAT BOUNDARIES
NOT TO CROSS.
THE RAIN HAS TRIGGERED
A NEW WAVE OF ADS
WHICH ARE RATHER INTERESTING.
I SAW ONE TODAY THAT SAID,
"GIRL WITH WET RUMPUS ROOM"...
"WISHES TO MEET MAN
WITH SUMP PUMP."
HE HAD A GREAT COMMON TOUCH.
HE KNEW EXACTLY
WHAT WAS TOO MUCH,
WHAT WAS NAUGHTY
AND WHAT WAS DIRTY.
HE HAD A GREAT SENSE OF THAT.
I MEAN, IF YOU HEARD
THE MONOLOGUE,
YOU PRETTY MUCH KNEW WHAT WAS
GOING ON IN THE COUNTRY,
WHAT THE FEEL
OF THE COUNTRY WAS.
THAT'S ABSOLUTELY TRUE.
FIRST THE WOMAN HAS TO QUALIFY
TO MAKE THE TEAM.
THEN THEY GO TO MONTREAL
AND HAVE TO PROVE
THAT THEY ARE A WOMAN.
AND THEY ARE SUBJECTING
THE WOMEN ATHLETES UP THERE
TO A SEX TEST
TO PROVE
THAT THEY ARE ACTUALLY...
THEY HAVE TWO WAYS OF DOING IT.
NOW, LET ME...
LET ME POINT THEM OUT.
YOU MAY HAVE YOURS.
I GOT MINE.
THEY CAN EITHER TAKE
THE PHYSICAL EXAM BY A DOCTOR,
OR THEY CAN GO ON A DATE
WITH ONE OF OUR CONGRESSMEN.
Narrator: UNDER CARSON,
THE "TONIGHT SHOW" MONOLOGUE
GAINED TREMENDOUS POWER.
AND I PROBABLY
SHOULDN'T SAY THIS,
BECAUSE WE HAD
THE VICE PRESIDENT ON,
YOU KNOW, HUBERT HUMPHREY,
ON OUR SHOW...
Narrator: A JOKE BY CARSON COULD
END A POLITICAL CAREER.
BUT JOHNNY NEVER SEEMED TO HAVE
AN AGENDA.
HE MADE FUN OF EVERYONE
IN POWER.
YET HE HAD LIMITS.
THERE WERE LINES
CARSON WOULD NOT CROSS.
WHEN RICHARD NIXON WAS
APPARENTLY
STUMBLING AROUND THE WHITE HOUSE
WITH A DRINK IN HIS HAND,
YOU KNOW, JUST FALLING APART,
HE SAID, "YOU KNOW, ED,
NO MORE NIXON JOKES.
HE'S A SICK MAN, AND WE JUST
CAN'T DO THAT."
Narrator: LIKE STEVE ALLEN,
JOHNNY DEVELOPED A SERIES
OF SKETCH CHARACTERS
AND REGULAR BITS...
FLOYD TURBO,
ART FERN,
AND CARNAC.
CARNAC IS ATTEMPTING
TO DIVINE AN ANSWER
WHILE YOU'RE SITTING HERE,
GIGGLING.
MAY I HAVE SILENCE,
PLEASE?
YOU'VE HAD IT
MANY TIME BEFORE.
McMahon:
NO REHEARSAL, YOU KNOW,
WE DIDN'T REHEARSE ANYTHING.
WE JUST WENT AHEAD AND DID IT.
AND THOSE WERE GREAT TIMES.
Narrator: BY THE LATE 1960s,
JOHNNY CARSON HAD BECOME
A NATIONAL PHENOMENON...
THE MOST POPULAR PERSON
ON TELEVISION
AND THE BEST-PAID.
BUT OFF-STAGE, CARSON WAS
SOMETHING OF A MYSTERY...
A SHY MAN
WHO TRIED TO STAY
OUT OF THE LIMELIGHT.
JOHNNY WAS
A VERY SHY GUY.
HE WAS A VERY PRIVATE PERSON,
HE HAD ABSOLUTELY NO USE
FOR SMALL TALK.
AT A PARTY, HE WOULD BE
IN A CORNER,
TALKING TO ED McMAHON,
IF HE WENT AT ALL.
I FELT SORRY FOR JOHNNY,
IN THAT HE WAS SO
SOCIALLY UNCOMFORTABLE.
I'VE HARDLY EVER MET ANYBODY WHO
HAD AS HARD A TIME AS HE DID.
Narrator: BUT SHYNESS SHOULD
NEVER BE CONFUSED WITH WEAKNESS.
CARSON KNEW EXACTLY
WHAT HE WANTED
FROM EACH PERSON ON THE SHOW.
WHEN HE ARRIVED ON THE NBC LOT,
EVERYONE KNEW WHO WAS IN CHARGE.
WE'RE OVER THERE PLAYING
AND THINKING
NOBODY'S LISTENING TO US,
AND THEN I'D GET A LITTLE NOTE
FROM FREDDIE DE CORDOVA
THAT SAYS,
"JOHNNY SAID, DON'T EVER
PLAY THAT SONG AGAIN
AS LONG AS YOU LIVE."
IF YOU DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING
FROM JOHNNY CARSON,
YOU WERE DOING A GREAT JOB.
THAT MEANT THAT YOU WERE DOING
IT JUST THE WAY HE WANTED IT.
HE CERTAINLY EXPRESSED
HIS DISLIKE AND CHANGED THINGS.
AND HE MAJORED IN LOGIC
IN COLLEGE.
SO HE COULD REALLY
HANDLE HIMSELF
IN FACT, HE WOULD TELL YOU,
"OKAY, YOU WANT
TO ARGUE ABOUT IT?
YOU PICK THE SIDE
YOU WANT."
AND HE'D TAKE THE OTHER SIDE
AND JUST DEMOLISH YOU.
Narrator: SUCCESS
LIKE JOHNNY CARSON'S
OVER THE YEARS, MORE THAN
A DOZEN CHALLENGERS
POPPED UP ON OTHER NETWORKS
AND IN SYNDICATION.
ONE OF THE FIRST
WAS THE MAN
WHO ALMOST GOT
"THE TONIGHT SHOW" HIMSELF...
MERV GRIFFIN.
BORN THE SAME YEAR AS CARSON,
GRIFFIN WAS A BIG HIT
ON "TONIGHT"
IN THE MONTHS BEFORE JOHNNY
TOOK OVER.
IN THE LATE '60s,
CBS SLOTTED MERV
DIRECTLY OPPOSITE CARSON.
SO THAT HE GOT MAXIMUM LAUGHS
AND DOUBLE,
MERV,
THERE'S NO GOING BACK, RIGHT?
OH, JANE,
DON'T SAY THAT.
Narrator: GRIFFIN HANDLED
CELEBRITY INTERVIEWS WITH SKILL.
BUT HE DIFFERENTIATED HIMSELF
BY ALSO BOOKING CONTROVERSIAL
ANTI-WAR FIGURES
AND BUILDING THEME SHOWS
AROUND TABOO SUBJECTS...
AN IDEA REGULARLY
RIDICULED BY CARSON.
AND SO JOHNNY USED TO GO ON
IN HIS MONOLOGUE,
AND HE'D SAY,
"HEY, EVERYBODY, BE SURE
"YOU TUNE IN MERV
RIGHT OPPOSITE ME TONIGHT,
"HE HAS ON SEVEN LITHUANIAN NUNS
WHO WANT TO BE PROCTOLOGISTS."
AND THE AUDIENCE WOULD SCREAM.
BUT LITTLE DID HE KNOW THAT
PEOPLE CAME OVER,
AND THE RATINGS WOULD JUMP.
AND THE GUARD
ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE CELLS
WERE WALKING BY,
WATCHING THEM ALL DAY.
Narrator: ABC MOUNTED ITS OWN
CHALLENGE TO CARSON IN 1967
BY INSTALLING COMEDIAN
JOEY BISHOP
AND HIS SIDEKICK,
REGIS PHILBIN.
JOEY BISHOP WAS
A TERRIFIC COMEDIAN,
A GREAT COUNTERPUNCHER.
IN OTHER WORDS, WHATEVER
YOU THREW UP TO HIM,
HE COULD MAKE A JOKE
OUT OF THAT.
HE WAS VERY, VERY GOOD AT THAT.
Narrator: A COUNTERPUNCHER NEEDS
A SETUP MAN...
AND SO BISHOP
WOULD COAX PHILBIN
OUT ONTO THE STAGE
DURING THE MONOLOGUE.
SOON THE OPENING MINUTES
BECAME A TWO-MAN SHOW.
REGIS HE WOULD BRING ME OUT...
TO TELL HIM WHAT WAS
GOING TO HAPPEN ON THE SHOW.
BUT EVENTUALLY IT BECOME MORE
THAN THAT...
IT BECAME...
I KNEW WHAT HE WANTED.
HE WANTED TO BE FED
THE STRAIGHT LINE
BECAUSE OF HIS COUNTERPUNCHING.
Narrator:
THE UNIQUE MONOLOGUE
WASN'T JOEY BISHOP'S
ONLY INNOVATION.
HIS SHOW WAS SHOT
IN LOS ANGELES,
WHICH MEANT A STEADY STREAM
OF HOLLYWOOD GUESTS.
IT TURNED OUT TO BE
QUITE A GOOD SHOW,
BUT IT NEVER DID GET THE RATING
THAT ABC WANTED.
YOU KNOW,
JOHNNY WAS TOUGH COMPETITION.
Narrator: AFTER A FEW YEARS,
ABC ABANDONED JOEY BISHOP
AND REPLACED HIM WITH A VERY
DIFFERENT CHALLENGER...
DICK CAVETT.
IF YOU DON'T LAUGH,
STAY TUNED ANYWAY...
IT MIGHT HELP OUR RATING.
I THINK I SAID,
IT'S A GREAT JOB FOR PEOPLE
WHO HAVEN'T HAD
A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN
BUT WOULD LIKE TO SEE
WHAT IT FEELS LIKE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROS DO
IN A CASE LIKE THIS,
BUT MY SHOE IS UNTIED.
WILL YOU EXCUSE ME?
OH, THAT'S EXCITING.
THERE, THANK YOU.
Narrator: CAVETT'S SHOW FEATURED
A BROADER RANGE OF GUESTS
THAN HIS PREDECESSORS...
FROM OLD-SCHOOL FAVORITES
LIKE GROUCHO MARX
TO YOUTH CULTURE ICONS
LIKE JOHN LENNON AND YOKO ONO.
YOU'VE SAID,
SOMEWHERE YOU SAID
YOU'D LIKE TO BE FORGOTTEN.
BUT NOW YOU SAY YOU'D
LIKE TO GO OUT
AND PERFORM AGAIN,
SO YOU CAN'T REALLY...
WELL, I CAN STILL BE
FORGOTTEN WHEN I'M DEAD.
I DON'T REALLY CARE
WHAT HAPPENS
WHEN I'M DEAD,
IF THAT'S WHAT YOU MEAN.
Narrator: PERHAPS CAVETT'S
MOST ENDURING EPISODE
WAS A 1971 DEBATE
ON THE VIETNAM WAR
FEATURING TWO VETERANS...
NIXON SUPPORTER JOHN O'NEILL
AND AN ANTIWAR ACTIVIST
NAMED JOHN KERRY.
TO THE HAGUE
AND GENEVA CONVENTIONS
AND TO THE LAWS
OF WARFARE.
Narrator:
KERRY WAS PERSUASIVE.
THE WHITE HOUSE WAS FURIOUS
AND BLAMED CAVETT.
THE PRESIDENT'S SECRET TAPES
REVEALED HIS ANGER.
Narrator:
BY THE END OF 1972,
DICK CAVETT AND MERV GRIFFIN
HAD BOTH LEFT LATE NIGHT.
JOHNNY CARSON WOULD REIGN
WITHOUT SERIOUS RIVALS
UNTIL A FRESH COMPETITOR FINALLY
CAME UP WITH A NEW ANGLE.
AND IT DAWNED ON ME, THERE IS
AN ENTIRE WORLD OF ENTERTAINMENT
THAT HAD BEEN IGNORED
BY "THE TONIGHT SHOW."
Narrator: ARSENIO HALL'S
LATE NIGHT VENTURE
WAS AN IMMEDIATE HIT,
AIMING AT A YOUNGER,
URBAN AUDIENCE.
I DIDN'T WANT JOHNNY'S AUDIENCE.
I WANTED THE CHILDREN
OF HIS AUDIENCE,
AND THAT'S HOW
I REMAINED FRIENDS...
OR THAT'S HOW I REMAINED
NOT HATED...
BY THE CARSON REGIME,
BECAUSE THEY KNEW
THEIR NUMBERS
WEREN'T GOING TO CHANGE.
I WAS GOING TO BRING PEOPLE
TO TELEVISION
THAT WEREN'T WATCHING.
Narrator: BY THE TIME
ARSENIO HIT,
JOHNNY WAS ALREADY
PLANNING HIS RETIREMENT.
A NEW GENERATION
WOULD SOON TAKE THE REINS.
BUT THEY WERE BUILDING
ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS.
AND EVERYBODY,
WHEN THEY START OUT,
THEY'RE GOING TO BE
DIFFERENT.
THEY'RE GOING TO PUT
THE CHAIR
OVER THERE
AND THE DESK UP HERE.
BUT EVENTUALLY, IT COMES DOWN
TO THIS, THIS BASIC FORMAT.
PEOPLE LIKE TO CLOSE OUT
THEIR DAY
WITH SOME HUMOR, SOME LAUGHS,
AND SEE SOME FIGURE
THAT THEY ADMIRE,
SOME PERFORMER
THAT THEY LIKE.
I THINK IT'LL GO ON
FOREVER.
Narrator: TOGETHER, THIS SMALL
GROUP OF ENTERTAINERS
CREATED SOMETHING NEW,
SETTING THE TEMPLATES
THAT STILL ENDURE.
HE WAS TELEVISION'S
BIGGEST STAR.
YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL.
THEY DRY YOUR SINUSES
AND, YOU KNOW,
AND YOUR, WHAT ARE THESE THINGS?
SINUSES?
NOT ADENOIDS.
WHAT ARE THESE?
Man: FINGERS.
FINGERS, YES.
White:
AND YOU'D COME ON,
WHAT YOU WERE
ANDGOING TO TALK ABOUT.LUE
AND WE WOULD JUST TAKE OFF
AND SOMEHOW
YOU'D GET INTO A DIALOGUE,
AND IT WOULD BE,
ALL OF WHICH WENT INTO MAKING
JACK THE MOST INTERESTING
PERSONALITY THE SCREEN
HAS EVER SEEN.
HE WOULD COME UP WITH ALL THESE,
THESE CRAZY, WILD THINGS.
I THINK HE WAS BRILLIANT.
ALL RIGHT, HERE WE GO!
NOW.
HE LAUGHED TILL SPITTLE CAME OUT
OF HIS MOUTH.
I MEAN, HE JUST,
HE LOVED THAT KIND OF STUFF.
AND THEN CRACK UP
AHALFWAY THROUGH THE BIT.,
THAT AL LAUGH.
SO, ON THE WAY DOWN THE STEPS,
I SAID,
"JOHNNY, HOW DO YOU SEE MY ROLE
DOWN HERE TONIGHT?"
AND HE LOOKED AT ME,
HE SAID,
"ED, I DON'T KNOW
HOW I SEE MY OWN ROLE.
LET'S JUST GO DOWN AND ENTERTAIN
THE HELL OUT OF THEM."
AND THAT WAS THE GREATEST ADVICE
I EVER COULD GET.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE DID.
I MEAN, THAT WAS HIS ATTITUDE,
THAT'S WHAT HE DID FOR 30 YEARS.
HE ENTERTAINED THE HELL
OUT OF THEM.
JOHNNY WAS AMERICA.
HE WAS THE MIDWEST.
JOHNNY WAS GREAT
BECAUSE HE NEVER LOST
HIS SENSE OF PROPORTION.
YOU SMASH IT AGAINST
A MAN'S HEAD,
AND HE WON'T EVEN
FEEL IT... LIKE THIS.
HE'S THE BEST THING THAT EVER
HAPPENED TO TELEVISION.
HE IS A SUPERSTAR.
NOT JUST ONE OF THE GOOD
TALK SHOW HOSTS.
AND HE MADE SOMETHING
OUT OF THAT JOB AND THAT SHOW
THAT NO ONE ELSE EVER DID
OR EVER WILL.
Narrator: IT'S A FORMAT
THAT REMAINS SOLID
TO THIS DAY,
AN ART FORM SCULPTED
BY A SMALL GROUP
OF TALENTED PERFORMERS
IN A CLASS BY THEMSELVES.
THEY ARE
THE PIONEERS OF TELEVISION.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
ON "PIONEERS OF TELEVISION"
AND OTHER PBS PROGRAMS,
NEXT TIME, ON
"PIONEERS OF TELEVISION"...
HERE IT COMES, FOLKS.
MOM LIKED YOU BEST!
WHAT YOU SEE
IS WHAT YOU GET.
I'M WEARING
A LIVE RACCOON.
THAT TAKES GUTS.
GEE, IT'S NICE
TO SEE Y'ALL AGAIN.
LET ME HAVE
THAT MICROPHONE DOWN HERE.
DO IT RIGHT NOW?
I CAN... OOH!
♪ THEY CALL HER
HARD-HEARTED HANNAH ♪
THE SHOW IS OVER,
WE HAVE IT TIMED OUT
TO A SCIENCE...
I SIMPLY SAY,
"GOOD NIGHT,"
AND THAT'S IT.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH
FOR BEING WITH US,
AND GOOD NIGHT.
GOOD NIGHT.
GOOD NIGHT.
GOOD NIGHT.
GOOD NIGHT!
GOOD NIGHT.
GOOD NIGHT.
THIS PROGRAM
BY CONTRIBUTIONS
TO YOUR PBS STATION
FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU.
AND JUST...
EVERY LITTLE INFLECTION
THAT YOU HAVE
IS EXACTLY
THE WAY I WORK.
AND I DON'T THINK
IT'S FAIR.
NOW, WHAT DO YOU DO
FOR EXERCISE?
I STUMBLE, AND THEN
I FALL INTO A COMA.
WE'RE NOT ON TELEVISION, WE'RE
JUST SITTING HERE, CHATTING.
MAY I HAVE SILENCE,
PLEASE?
YOU'VE HAD IT
MANY TIMES BEFORE.
THIS PROGRAM
BY CONTRIBUTIONS
TO YOUR PBS STATION
FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU.
Narrator: THEY ARE
THE INVENTORS
OF LATE NIGHT TELEVISION.
WAIT A MINUTE!
WAIT A MINUTE!
THOSE BANANAS ARE FREEZING!
Jay Leno:
ON THE STEVE ALLEN SHOW,
IT WAS A LIVE SHOW...
ANYTHING REALLY COULD HAPPEN.
I JUST COULDN'T WAIT
TO WATCH THAT
Narrator: THEY COULD CREATE
LAUGHTER FROM ANY SITUATION.
Jonathan Winters: WELL,
STEVE WAS SUCH A...
YOU THROW, THAT WORD AROUND,
"GENIUS," BUT HE WAS.
Narrator: THEY TRANSFORMED
THE ART OF CONVERSATION
ICAN KENNEDYNAL SPECTACLE.
BE DEFEATED IN '64?
WELL, WHICH ONE?
Dick Cavett: WHEN THERE ARE
TWO PEOPLE ON CAMERA,
YOU'RE WATCHING JACK
ALL THE TIME.
IT HAPPENED TO ME.
I KID YOU NOT.
HE WOULD COME IN, A NERVOUS
WRECK, BEFORE THE SHOW.
I HAVE ELASTIC STOCKINGS ON,
WITH GARTERS.
AND HE MADE SMALL TALK
JUST SEEM WONDERFUL.
I WANTED TO DO A TALK SHOW...
AND I WANTED TO OPEN IT
LIKE JACK PAAR.
Narrator: THEY HAD THE POWER
TO CREATE STARS OVERNIGHT.
WE LET YOU
PLAY GAMES WITH US
EVERY TIME WE PLAYED
"SPIN THE BOTTLE."
I WAS THE BOTTLE.
Tommy Smothers: IF YOU WERE
GOOD, YOU WERE A HIT.
AND AFTER THE FIRST
JACK PAAR SHOW,
I COULDN'T
WALK AROUND NEW YORK.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
AND WE'RE DELIGHTED
YOU JOINED US TONIGHT
FOR OUR FIRST SHOW.
Narrator: THEY BECAME
A PART OF THE FAMILY.
HE WAS ALWAYS THAT NICE GUY
FROM NEBRASKA.
YEAH, GOOD TO SEE YA.
HE WAS A VERY UPLIFTING
KIND OF PERSON TO BE AROUND.
HE WAS ALWAYS UP.
HE NEVER WANTED TO BE
THE FANCIEST, THE FLASHIEST.
YOU KNOW, HE WAS ALWAYS
THE CLASSIEST.
HE SPOKE RATHER ELOQUENTLY.
I MEAN, HE KNEW EVERY WORD
IN THE DICTIONARY.
THAT'LLF THAT.
Narrator: THEY TOOK
A SIMPLE IDEA
AND TURNED IT
INTO A NATIONAL PHENOMENON.
THEY DON'T CALL HIM THE KING
FOR NOTHING.
EVEN AS A CHILD,
YOU KNOW WHO THE KING IS.
WE'VE GOT SOMETHING THAT'S GOING
TO BE REALLY, REALLY EXCITING.
Narrator: TOGETHER,
THEY OPENED A NEW FRONTIER
ON THE TELEVISION LANDSCAPE...
AND GAVE US A REASON
TO STAY UP LATE.
THEY ARE THE PIONEERS
OF LATE NIGHT.
HOW FAR IS THAT, ANYWAY?
40 FEET?
I DID NOT REALIZE
IT WAS THAT FAR.
YOU'RE GOING TO HIT THIS
FROM THERE?
I HOPE SO.
ALL RIGHTY.
YANNGAHHHNAANANNAA!
Narrator: FOR 30 YEARS,
JOHNNY CARSON
WAS AMERICA'S
BOY NEXT DOOR.
HIS RATINGS REMAIN THE HIGHEST
IN THE HISTORY
OF LATE NIGHT TELEVISION.
♪ OH, THE ROCKIES
MAY CRUMBLE ♪
Both: ♪ GIBRALTAR
MAY TUMBLE ♪
♪ THEY'RE ONLY MADE
OF CLAY ♪♪
Narrator: THE STAGE
CARSON INHERITED
FROM JACK PAAR AND STEVE ALLEN
WAS ALREADY SUCCESSFUL.
BUT JOHNNY BROADENED
"THE TONIGHT SHOW'S" APPEAL
AND CREATED A NATIONAL TREASURE.
THE THING IS, PEOPLE
DON'T REALIZE...
AS WELL AS JACK PAAR DID
IN THE RATINGS...
WHEN JOHNNY CARSON CAME OUT,
I DON'T KNOW IF
THEY DOUBLED,
BUT IT WAS PRETTY CLOSE TO IT.
Narrator: UNDER CARSON,
LATE NIGHT TELEVISION
BECAME A FIXTURE
OF AMERICAN LIFE...
THE HEARTH WE GATHER AROUND
AT THE END OF THE DAY
TO UNWIND,
REFRESH, LAUGH.
ARE YOU MARRIED?
OH!
I'LL PUT THAT DOWN
AS A NO?
Narrator: ON CARSON'S WATCH,
LATE NIGHT TELEVISION
REACHED ITS PRIME.
BUT HE WASN'T THE ONLY PIONEER
OF THE GENRE.
HE SHARES THAT HONOR
WITH A HANDFUL OF OTHER
CREATIVE TALENTS
WHO LOOKED INTO THE DARK
AND SAW THE LIGHT.
IT'S A STORY THAT BEGINS EVEN
BEFORE TELEVISION ITSELF.
THE FOUNDING FATHER
OF LATE NIGHT TELEVISION
WAS, MORE ACCURATELY,
A MOTHER...
BELLE MONTROSE.
WIDELY ACCLAIMED AS THE FUNNIEST
WOMAN ON THE VAUDEVILLE CIRCUIT,
MONTROSE NEVER HAD
A TELEVISION SHOW.
BUT SHE DID HAVE A SON
NAMED STEVE...
STEVE ALLEN.
SHE HAD A REMARKABLE
SORT OF LOW-KEY
AD-LIB-Y MUTTERED IRISH WIT.
Narrator: STEVE APPLIED
THE FAMILY WIT
TO A NEW FORM OF ENTERTAINMENT,
CALLED RADIO.
BY AGE 24, HE WAS A NATIONAL
FIGURE ON THE CBS RADIO NETWORK.
STEVE WAS PROBABLY
ONE OF THE FUNNIEST PEOPLE
I'VE EVER MET.
STEVE NEVER...
WHEN HE TOLD SOMETHING,
A STORY, A JOKE, OR WHATEVER...
NEVER HAD A WORD
OUT OF SEQUENCE.
Narrator: BUT ALLEN'S PERFECTION
SOON LED TO A BIG PROBLEM.
HE EXHAUSTED ALL
HIS TIGHTLY CRAFTED MATERIAL,
AND HE COULDN'T WRITE NEW BITS
FAST ENOUGH
FOR A DAILY RADIO SHOW.
HE WAS DESPERATE
FOR FRESH COMEDY.
SO I JUST WENT OUT
IN THE AUDIENCE
AND BEGAN TO SPEAK TO PEOPLE
AT RANDOM,
HORSING AROUND, THE WAY
I HAD ALWAYS
IN HIGH SCHOOL
AND AROUND THE HOUSE,
BUT AGAIN, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT
YOU COULD DO THAT FOR A LIVING.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS TOO EASY.
Narrator:
THE TECHNIQUE
WAS A BIG HIT.
ALLEN HAD ACCIDENTALLY INVENTED
A BRAND-NEW APPROACH
TO BROADCAST COMEDY...
AN IDEA THAT WOULD LATER
BECOME A STAPLE
OF LATE NIGHT TELEVISION.
BUT BACK IN THE 1940s,
LATE NIGHT TELEVISION
DID NOT EXIST.
Announcer: AS IN RADIO,
MANY TELEVISION PROGRAMS
WILL COME FROM A SPECIALLY
EQUIPPED STUDIO,
SUCH AS THIS ONE
IN RADIO CITY.
Narrator: TELEVISION
BROADCASTING
HAD A PAINFUL INFANCY.
IN THE 1940s,
TV SETS WERE EXPENSIVE.
AND THE PROGRAMS WERE PRIMITIVE.
I'M SORRY, GIRLS.
WE'LL STAY HERE
FOR A MINUTE.
SPEAK TO ME, YOU.
UM, COULD YOU RHYME
THE WORD "VINCENZA"?
CAN YOU RHYME
THE WORD "VINCENZA"?
YEAH, WITH "CREDENZA."
YOU'RE THE LUCKY MOTHER!
WHEN TELEVISION FIRST APPEARED,
I THOUGHT IT WAS A GIMMICK
LIKE 3-D MOVIES, YOU KNOW,
THAT MIGHT JUST DISAPPEAR.
I DIDN'T TAKE IT SERIOUSLY.
I HAVE A NICE
LETTER FROM...
Narrator: BY 1948, THERE WERE
A FEW SUCCESSES,
BUT OVERALL, THE NEW MEDIUM
WAS STRUGGLING.
IT NEEDED A VISIONARY.
AND THE SAVIOR ARRIVED
JUST IN TIME...
IN THE FORM OF A NEW PRESIDENT
AT NBC,
PAT WEAVER, THE MOST CREATIVE
TELEVISION EXECUTIVE OF THE ERA.
Woman:
MY FATHER ALWAYS FELT
THE AUDIENCE
WAS VERY INTELLIGENT.
BECAUSTHAT TELEVISIONOUGHT
WAS REALLY LIKE YOUR...
AT ITS BEST, IT WOULD BE LIKE
YOUR OWN PERSONAL ROCKET SHIP
AND TO ANY KIND OF KNOWLEDGE
AND INFORMATION.
AND I THINK THAT HE WANTED
TO ENLIST PEOPLE IN THAT.
Narrator: BY 1950,
PAT WEAVER BELIEVED
AMERICA WANTED
A FEW LIGHT MOMENTS
BEFORE GOING TO BED.
ANYONE WHO COULD MAKE YOU LAUGH,
THAT WAS JUST A GIFT,
AND IT WAS SOMETHING
THAT MY FATHER
REALLY THOUGHT PEOPLE NEEDED.
MR. LESTER?
I'M SORRY
I CAME EMPTY HANDED.
Narrator: WEAVER'S FIRST
LATE NIGHT CREATION
WAS A VAUDEVILLE-STYLE
COMEDY SHOW
CALLED "BROADWAY OPEN HOUSE."
AND THE SHOW CREATED
TELEVISION'S
VERY FIRST FEMALE STAR...
THE STATUESQUE SIDEKICK
NAMED DAGMAR.
IN LESS THAN TWO YEARS,
"BROADWAY OPEN HOUSE"
HAD RUN ITS COURSE.
AND BEFORE YOU KNEW IT,
WE WERE DONE.
Narrator: PAT WEAVER WASN'T SURE
WHAT TO DO NEXT
UNTIL THE NIGHT HE CAME ACROSS
A QUIRKY LOCAL TV SHOW
HOSTED BY STEVE ALLEN.
Leno:
AND THERE WAS SOMETHING
SORT OF WONDERFULLY CHILDLIKE
ABOUT STEVE ALLEN.
HE WAS LIKE AN ADULT
WHO ACTED LIKE A KID.
Narrator: WEAVER BROUGHT ALLEN'S
SHOW TO NBC
AND GAVE IT A DIFFERENT NAME...
"TONIGHT."
THE SHOW'S TITLE WAS NEW,
BUT ALLEN WAS FOLLOWING
A FORMULA
HE HAD DEVELOPED YEARS EARLIER,
AN INVENTIVE ARSENAL OF COMEDY
THAT WOULD SERVE HIM WELL
FOR DECADES.
THE ICE CREAM!
Man: AND HE BECOMES
TOTALLY BURIED IN IT,
AND THAT WAS
THE STEVE ALLEN SUNDAE.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW,
I LOOKED AT IT
AND MY JAW DROPPED,
AND I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO THINK.
BUT BOY, WHEN I
WATCHED IT ON TELEVISION
AND THAT CAMERA WENT IN ON HIM,
IT WAS HYSTERICAL, YOU KNOW.
HE WILL NOBODY SAVE ME? NG.
AAH!
Conway:
AND HE DID WILD,
YOU KNOW, YOU'D SHOW UP,
AND STEVE WOULD SAY,
"WELL, WE'RE GOING TO BE
IN A BOWL OF JELLO TONIGHT,
SO JUST PUT ON THAT
BATHING SUIT."
AND YOU GO, "JELLO?"
IT WAS A LIVE SHOW.
ANYTHING REALLY COULD HAPPEN.
A DOOR WOULD OPEN
AND YOU'D SEE SOMEBODY DO THIS
WHO WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE THERE.
AND HE WOULD DO THAT...
"HA HA HA!"
HE'D DO THAT LAUGH,
AND YOU REALIZE, OH,
YOU'RE SEEING SOMETHING
THAT'S HAPPENING LIVE
THAT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN,
AND THAT WAS ALWAYS
THE MOST EXCITING
PART OF THE SHOW FOR ME.
WE'LL GO SWIMMING
LATER, HUH?
YOU DON'T MIND
IF I GO IN, DO YOU?
WELL, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE
SUITS FOR EVERYBODY
IN JUST A FEW MINUTES,
AND I THINK YOU...
WAIT, YOU DON'T
HAVE YOUR SUIT ON!
YOU DON'T...
Conway:
HE PUT ME IN A TANK
WITH A PORPOISE, AND HE SAID,
"YOU GO IN WITH THE PORPOISE,
AND THE PORPOISE
WILL PUSH YOU OVER TO THE SIDE
AND KIND OF SAVE YOU, YOU KNOW."
AND I SAID, "OKAY," AND I SAW
A GUY STANDING THERE WITH A GUN.
AND I SAID, "STEVE, THE GUY
WITH THE GUN, WHAT IS HE DOING?"
Narrator: WITH JUST
A SINGLE-PAGE OUTLINE, A PIANO,
AND A QUICK-WITTED PERSONALITY,
ALLEN AND A FEW FRIENDS
WOULD CREATE
NEARLY TWO HOURS
OF ENTERTAINMENT
Man: HE DIDN'T SPEAK MUCH AT ALL
DURING THE DAY.
AND, YOU KNOW,
I'D SAY, "HI, STEVE."
AND HE'D SAY, "HI, ANDY"
AND THAT WOULD BE ABOUT IT.
AND THEN, WHEN HE GOT
IN FRONT OF A CAMERA,
THEN HE JUST TALKED AND TALKED
AND TALKED AND TALKED.
BUT HE HADN'T SAID ANYTHING
ALL DAY LONG.
WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON THE HIGH
MORAL STANDARDS OF OUR PROGRAMS.
I MEAN THAT SINCERELY.
WE DON'T RESORT TO SEX OR CRIME
BUT OFF, CHARLIE,
LOOK OUT FOR THESE GUYS!
I REMEMBER HE WOULD TAKE
ROCK 'N' ROLL LYRICS
AND READ THEM.
I REMEMBER HIM READING,
"BE BOP A LOO BAH,
SHE'S MY BABY."
IT WAS THE GENE VINCENT SONG,
I THINK IT WAS GENE VINCENT,
"BE BOP A LOO BAH,
I DON'T MEAN MAYBE."
AND THEN HE WOULD LOOK
AT THE CAMERA.
YOU KNOW, AND OF COURSE IT WAS
BUT THOSE WERE THE ACTUAL LYRICS
COMPLETOF THE SONG.ONTEXT,
Narrator: STEVE ALLEN WASN'T
JUST CREATING A SHOW...
HE WAS INVENTING
AN ENTIRE GENRE.
NEARLY ALL HIS IDEAS HAVE SINCE
BEEN ASSIMILATED
INTO THE DNA
OF LATE NIGHT TELEVISION.
FOR EXAMPLE, ONE NIGHT,
SHORT ON MATERIAL,
ALLEN STARTED READING ACTUAL
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
FROM DAILY NEWSPAPERS.
ALL RIGHT, FIRST ONE'S
FROM MANHATTAN AND SAYS,
"I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW
WHERE ZACK MOSLEY,
GETS THE IDEA THAT PEOPLE
CAN TALK WHILE KISSING!"
Leno: THAT'S KIND OF WHERE
"HEADLINES" COMES FROM,
FROM STEVE ALLEN READING LETTERS
OUT OF THE DAILY NEWS.
"AND MR. SO-AND-SO SAYS,
BY GOLLY..."
AND HE WOULD READ
THE ACTUAL LETTER,
AND THEY WERE VERY FUNNY.
Narrator: IN ADDITION
TO THE GOOFINESS,
ALLEN ALSO KNEW
HOW TO PLAY THE STRAIGHT MAN
TO A CAST OF PLAYERS WHO ALL
BECAME FAMOUS
IN THEIR OWN RIGHT.
THIS IS DAVE WINKLY
IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,
WITH A DIAMOND EXPERT,
CONDUCTING
A DIAMOND INVENTORY.
NOW BACK TO...
Allen:
YOUR NAME, SIR?
SIR, I CAN'T UNDERSTAND
HOW A MAN CAN FORGET
HIS OWN NAME.
IT ISN'T EASY.
MY NAME IS L.L. MORRISON,
AND I AM A TELEVISION DIRECTOR.
RETIRED.
TEMPORARILY.
Allen:
MR. L.L. MORRISON,
TELL ME, WHAT DOES
THE "L.L." STAND FOR?
LOTSA LUCK.
THAT'S THE TROUBLE
WITH THE CHILDREN OF TODAY.
TOO MANY PARENTS
OUT WALKING ON BRIDGES
WHEN THEY SHOULD BE HOME,
APPLYING A LITTLE DISCIPLINE.
Leno: "WELL, TELL US,
MR. SO-AND-SO..."
WHATEVER IT WAS AND PLAY
THE STRAIGHT MAN
AND THEN CRACK UP
HALFWAY THROUGH THE BIT.
I'M SORRY, SIR,
BUT ISN'T THEREMADE ME LAUGH.
SOME KIND OF A...
SHUT UP!
Harrington:
IT WAS LIKE MATRICULATING
IN A GRADUATE SCHOOL
FOR COMEDY.
WELCOME TO "THE WONDERFUL WORLD
OF VIOLENCE."
EVERYBODY WAS FUNNY.
AND STEVE GAVE EVERYBODY
WHATEVER THEY WANTED.
IF A GUY GOT ON A RIFF,
HE WOULD JUST SIT BACK.
AND THEN LAUGH...
HIS LAUGH KEYED
EVERYONE'S LAUGHTER.
Narrator: STEVE ALLEN
WASN'T JUST FUNNY.
HE WAS ALSO EXTREMELY
INTELLIGENT,
DEEPLY CONCERNED
ABOUT SOCIAL ISSUES,
AND THE AUTHOR
OF MORE THAN A DOZEN BOOKS.
HE WOULD COME TO A PARTY
AT MY HOUSE
AND BE STANDING BY THE
FIREPLACE, RECORDING.
HE WAS ALWAYS WRITING.
HOW YOU DOING?
THINGS ARE JUMPING HERE TONIGHT.
Narrator:
LONG BEFORE ANYONE ELSE,
STEVE ALLEN'S
"TONIGHT SHOW"
FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN
OFFERED PERFORMERS.LATFORM
ALLEN DIDN'T SEE HIMSELF
AS A CRUSADER...
RATHER, HE JUST WANTED
TO SHOWCASE TALENT,
REGARDLESS OF COLOR.
ALLEN WAS AN ESPECIALLY BIG FAN
OF JAZZ.
HIS LIST OF GUESTS READS LIKE
A "WHO'S WHO" OF JAZZ GREATS...
LIONEL HAMPTON...
CAB CALLOWAY...
COUNT BASIE.
♪ WHO'S THAT MAN
IN THE BASIE BAND? ♪
STEVE ALLEN MAY HAVE BEEN
THE MOST VERSATILE PERFORMER
IN THE HISTORY OF TELEVISION.
BUT THE LABEL
OF TALK SHOW HOST
DIDN'T QUITE FIT.
IT'S TRUE ALLEN HAD GUESTS,
BUT CONVERSATION
WASN'T HIS GOAL.
THAT REFINEMENT WOULD BE LEFT
TO ANOTHER PIONEER...
ALLEN'S SUCCESSOR ON "TONIGHT."
YOUNG JACK PAAR LIKED TO TALK.
IN JACKSON, MICHIGAN,
IN THE 1930s,
THERE WAS ONLY ONE WAY A YOUNG
MAN COULD EARN MONEY BY TALKING,
PAAR WAS ONE OF THE VERY, VERY
AND TBEST INTERVIEWERSDIO.
OF ALL TIME, ALL TIME.
HE REALLY LOOKED AT YOU,
AND HE REALLY HEARD YOU.
GOOD MORNING, GOOD MORNING,
MY FRIENDS.
Narrator: PAAR'S STAR
ROSE QUICKLY.
BY THE EARLY 1950s,
HE WAS IN NEW YORK,
HOSTING GAME SHOWS
AND MORNING SHOWS.
COME HERE ONCE
ALREADY, YET.
Narrator: BUT HE HAD YET TO FIND
THE IDEAL VENUE FOR HIS TALENTS.
MEANWHILE, ACROSS TOWN,
OPPORTUNITY WAS BREWING.
Narrator: AT THE TIME,
CBS WAS TROUNCING NBC
ON THE ALL-IMPORTANT
SUNDAY NIGHT RATINGS,
THANKS TO PERENNIAL
FAVORITE ED SULLIVAN.
NBC HAD JUST ONE BIG GUN
IT COULD AIM AT SULLIVAN...
"TONIGHT SHOW" HOST
STEVE ALLEN.
AND SO ALLEN MOVED TO PRIME TIME
OPPOSITE ED.
BUT FIRST, IT OCCURS TO ME THAT
THERE MIGHT BE SOME PEOPLE
WHO DON'T KNOW THAT ED SULLIVAN
IS ON AT THIS TIME.
DO YOU KNOW THAT ED IS?
THERE MIGHT BE
ONE OR TWO.
HE HAS A WONDERFUL
GUEST LIST.
HAVE YOU SEEN THE AD
IN THE PAPER?
HAVE YOU SEEN THE AD,
WITH ALL THE PEOPLE HE HAS ON?
Narrator: WITH STEVE ALLEN
IN PRIME TIME,
LATE NIGHT WAS IN FLUX.
NBC TRIED NEW HOSTS,
NEW FORMATS.
NOTHING WORKED.
FINALLY, IN JULY OF 1957,
THE NETWORK WOULD GIVE IT
ONE MORE TRY,
HANDING THE REINS TO JACK PAAR.
THIS NEWCOMER WAS NOTHING LIKE
STEVE ALLEN.
IN FACT, HE WASN'T LIKE
ANYONE ELSE ON ANY SHOW.
WHEN CRITICS SAY "WELL,
PAAR DOESN'T DO ANYTHING,
"HE DOESN'T SING,
HE DOESN'T DANCE, HE DOESN'T...
I THINK THAT THEY'RE BEING
A LITTLE UNKIND.
YOU COULD MENTION,
IF YOU WERE FAIR,
THAT I'M ALWAYS ON TIME.
Narrator: PAAR KNEW HIS STRENGTH
WAS CONVERSATION...
BOUNDARY-PUSHING CONVERSATION.
SO THERE WERE NO WACKY STUNTS
OR GOOFY CHARACTERS
ON PAAR'S "TONIGHT SHOW."
INSTEAD, PEOPLE TALKED.
IT WAS EMOTIONAL,
CONTROVERSIAL,
AND ALWAYS SPONTANEOUS.
WHAT DO YOU DO
FOR EXERCISE?
I STUMBLE,
AND THEN I FALL INTO A COMA.
AND NOW, HERE'S JACK.
DOING THAT PROGRAM WAS KIND OF
LIKE RIDING A BRONCO, YOU KNOW,
AS OPPOSED TO RIDING A NAG.
BECAUSE YOU NEVER
KNEW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN,
AND IT DID, EVERY NIGHT.
YOU KNOW, THAT WAS EXCITING
TELEVISION.
Cavett: THE SUSPENSE EACH DAY,
WHAT'S HE LIKE TODAY?
ALL OF WHICH WENT INTO
MAKING JACK
THE MOST INTERESTING PERSONALITY
THE SCREEN HAS EVER SEEN.
MAY I JUST ASK
SOME PERSONAL QUESTIONS?
Narrator: UNLIKE
MOST LATER TALK SHOWS,
PAAR'S GUESTS WERE NOT
PRE-INTERVIEWED.
INSTEAD,
THE CONVERSATIONS FLOWED
WITH PAAR'S MOMENTARY WHIMS...
FUN FOR THE AUDIENCE,
BUT A CHALLENGE FOR THE GUESTS.
WITH JACK, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN,
YOU WOULD SAY SOMETHING
IN CONVERSATION,
AND HE WOULD PICK UP ON IT
AND TAKE A TURN
EITHER WAY OVER THIS WAY
OR WAY OVER THAT WAY.
AND YOU HAD TO FOLLOW ALONG,
YOU HAD TO GO
WHEREVER HE WENT.
IF YOU VEER AWAY
FROM THE EXPECTED ANSWER
THEN YOU WATCH THE GUESTS
AND CRESPARK TO IT.G ELSE,
AND HE FEELS BETTER
AND LOOKS BETTER
AND IS A BETTER HOST FOR IT.
SO I THINK THE GUEST HAS GOT
TO KEEP THE HOST INTERESTED.
WHEN DID YOU DECIDE
TO DO THIS?
WELL, I'VE BEEN
IN THE FOREST, AND THE...
YOU'VE BEEN ON 3rd AVENUE,
IS WHERE YOU'VE BEEN,
I THINK.
WHEE!
IT TOOK ME 45 MINUTES
TO GET THAT IN THERE.
I'M SORRY, IN THE FOREST,
WE DON'T CARE.
Winters: I WOULD BE ROLLING
ON A CHARACTER...
A LOT OF TIMES, IT WOULD TAKE ME
A LITTLE WHILE TO ROLL.
IF I WERE DOING MAUDE FRICKERT,
YOU KNOW,
WELL, I JUST, GIVE ME A CHANCE
TO GET INTO THE CHARACTER.
AND HIS PATIENCE WOULD,
BOY, JUST GO OUT THE WINDOW.
IF THINGS WEREN'T HAPPENING,
IN OTHER WORDS, RIGHT AWAY,
"OKAY, LET'S FORGET MAUDE, LET'S
GO RIGHT TO THE SISSY INDIAN."
SISSY INDIAN?
I WANT YOU
TO UNDERSTAND THAT.
I BELIEVE
IN BEING FAIR HERE.
Paar: BE A SURGEON,
BE A SURGEON
IN THE KOREAN WAR,
INCHON.
I WAS JUST BEGINNING
TO BELIEVE IT.
Narrator: PAAR SOON DEVELOPED
A STABLE OF GO-TO GUESTS
LIKE ELSA MAXWELL,
DODY GOODMAN,
FLORENCE HENDERSON,
BETTY WHITE, AND PHYLLIS DILLER.
I WAS SO GOOD WITH HIM.
WE WERE SO GOOD TOGETHER.
IF JACK PARR
LIKED WHAT YOU WERE DOING,
YOU KNOW, THE REST OF THE GUESTS
COULD COME BACK THE NEXT NIGHT.
AND I GOTTA TELL YOU,
ONE LINE JUST GOT HIM.
AND I'M THE SAME WITH COMICS.
I'LL TAKE ONE LINE AND THINK,
"OH, I LOVE THIS PERSON."
THE LINE HE JUST LOVED WAS,
I SAID,
"THIS ISN'T HAIR.
THESE ARE NERVE ENDS."
I HAVE A LITTLE GIRL, 9.
YOUR LITTLE BOY
IS 9. YES, 9, TOO, YES.
Narrator:
PAAR'S SUCCESS WASN'T JUST
THE RESULT
OF GOOD CONVERSATION.
HE WAS A PERSONALITY
WHO KNEW HOW
TO GRAB HEADLINES...
OFTEN BY LASHING OUT
AGAINST HIS CRITICS,
PICKING FIGHTS
WITH THE POWERFUL.
ED SULLIVAN HAS GONE BACK
TO CRACKING HIS KNUCKLES AGAIN.
HE HAD FIGHTS WITH ED SULLIVAN,
AND IT ALL WAS FRONT PAGE.
AND HE WAS TELEVISION'S
BIGGEST STAR.
HE PLAYED THE INNOCENT GUY.
AND I WOULD ALWAYS QUESTION
HOW INNOCENT THIS GUY WAS,
YOU KNOW.
WITH NEWSPAPER COLUMNIST
WALTER WINCHELL
MARKED A MAJOR TURNING POINT
IN AMERICAN MEDIA POWER.
NO ONE HAD EVER DARED
CRITICIZE WINCHELL,
BECAUSE A FEW LINES
IN HIS COLUMN
COULD DESTROY A CAREER.
BUT WHEN WINCHELL DISPARAGED
PAAR IN PRINT,
PAAR FOUGHT BACK,
AND MOCKED WINCHELL REPEATEDLY
ON THE AIR.
I CAN'T VERY WELL
ATTACK WINCHELL,
THERE'S NOTHING LEFT TO ATTACK,
YOU UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU SEE.
BUT I IMAGINE MR. WINCHELL
IS SITTING THERE,
MAKING NOTES WITH HIS CRAYON.
Narrator: PAAR'S CRITICISMS
EFFECTIVELY ENDED
WINCHELL'S CAREER.
THE TABLES HAD TURNED.
NOW, TV HAD THE POWER.
HE WAS VERY, VERY SMART.
BAND I THINK WHAT YOU SAW.
WAS PRETTY MUCH,
PRETTY MUCH JACK.
Narrator: PAAR'S MOST FAMOUS
OUTBURST CAME IN 1960,
WHEN NBC CENSORED
ONE OF HIS JOKES.
THE NEXT DAY
PAAR TURNED THE SLIGHT
INTO A NATIONAL STORY.
Downs: I CAME TO WORK,
AND THE HALLS WERE FILLED
WITH LAWYERS AND REPORTERS
AND EVERYTHING.
AND I WENT AND I FOUND
JACK HAD BEEN...
HE WAS DRESSED RIGHT, AND HE HAD
HAD MAKEUP AND EVERYTHING.
AND HE SAID,
"I'M LEAVING THE SHOW."
AND I SAID,
"I HOPE NOT, JACK."
AND HE SAID, "YES, I'VE HAD IT,
AND I'M GOING TO DEPART."
AND I SAID,
"DON'T LET THEM DRIVE YOU
OFF OF YOUR OWN SHOW,
YOU'RE AT THE PEAK NOW."
AND HE SAID, NO, HE COULDN'T BE
TALKED OUT OF IT.
THERE MUSOF, UH... TTER WAY
MAKING A LIVING THAN THIS.
I THOUGHT, MAYBE THERE'S
A PUNCH LINE,
HE'S GOING TO COME BACK IN
THROUGH THE CURTAINS AND DO...
Narrator: AS PAAR DISAPPEARED
OVERSEAS,
THE PRESS OBSESSED OVER
EVERY DETAIL, EVERY RUMOR.
WOULD HE RETURN?
WEEKS PASSED.
Winters:
WE HAD A LITTLE GET-TOGETHER.
AND HE SAID,
"YOU KNOW, PAL,
"I DON'T KNOW WHETHER
I SHOULD COME BACK.
WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE?"
DON'T BE A CRYBABY.
'CAUSE YOU'RE MAKING
A LOT OF MONEY, SEE,
SO THE GUY OUT NORTH OF TOPEKA,
WHO'S MAKING,
YOU KNOW, A FAST $7,500 A YEAR
AND HE HAS TO SELL HIS EQUIPMENT
TO CUT BACK AND STUFF...
UH... DON'T BE A CRYBABY.
JUST GO OUT THERE
AND JUST HAVE A GOOD TIME.
Narrator: SIX WEEKS
AFTER LEAVING "TONIGHT,"
PAAR DID RETURN.
AS I WAS SAYING
BEFORE I WAS INTERRUPTED...
Narrator:
DESPITE HIS RETURN,
PAAR'S INTENSE STYLE COULDN'T BE
SUSTAINED FOR THE LONG TERM.
IN 1962, HE LEFT
"TONIGHT" FOR GOOD.
BUT JACK PAAR'S LEGACY
IS SECURE,
SETTING THE COURSE
FOR TELEVISION TALK.
HAVING RUN OUT
OF FRESH, EXCITING,
NEW IDEAS TO BRING YOU MYSELF,
I FEEL I SHOULD GIVE
SOMEBODY ELSE A TURN.
I WOULD TELL HIM OVER AND OVER
AGAIN WHAT HE MEANT TO ME,
AND HOW HE HELPED ME, AND HOW I
ADMIRED WHAT HE HAD DONE.
HE DIDN'T WANT TO HEAR IT,
BUT HE DID WANT TO HEAR IT.
AND I TOLD HIM
OVER AND OVER AGAIN
WHAT A WONDERFUL
BROADCASTER HE WAS.
NOTHING LIKE IT ANYWHERE ELSE
IN TELEVISION BEFORE OR SINCE,
A COMBINATION OF NEUROSES
AND WIT AND CURIOSITY.
Narrator: WITH PAAR'S EXIT
IMMINENT,
NBC EXECUTIVES
WERE DEEPLY CONCERNED.
THERE WAS NO JACK PAAR CLONE
IN WAITING.
BUT THE CHOICE THEY FINALLY MADE
WOULD FOREVER
CHANGE THE LANDSCAPE
OF LATE NIGHT TELEVISION.
Narrator: THE WIDE OPEN PLAINS
OF NEBRASKA
ARE A GOOD PLACE TO RAISE A BOY.
PLENTY OF ROOM TO PLAY,
HAVE FUN.
AND THAT MIDWESTERN BOYISH CHARM
NEVER LEFT THE STATE'S
MOST FAMOUS SON,
JOHNNY CARSON.
JOHNNY'S FIRST STEP
INTO THE WORLD OF SHOW BUSINESS
WHEN HE DISCOVERED
A DECK OF MAGICIAN'S CARDS.
THE TRICKS CAME EASY.
BUT THE REAL CHALLENGE
WAS MASTERING THE AUDIENCE...
ENGAGING THEM
WITH THE SPOKEN WORD...
THE MONOLOGUE.
THAT WAS THE KEY
TO ENTERTAINING.
AT THE UNIVERSITY
OF NEBRASKA,
CARSON WROTE HIS THESIS
ON COMEDY,
DISSECTING THE STRUCTURE
OF JACK BENNY'S FAMOUS ROUTINES.
YEARS LATER, HE'D GET THE CHANCE
TO EXPLAIN IT ALL TO BENNY...
IN PERSON.
WELL, THERE IS
ONE MORE THING.
WELL, THEN TELL ME!
TELL ME!
DON'T KEEP ANYTHING
AWAY FROM YOUR IDOL.
OUT WITH IT!
WELL, AS LONG AS I AM
BEING CONSTRUCTIVE, JACK,
THIS I HAVE TO TELL YOU.
NOW, YOU MAY NOT
REALIZE THIS,
BUT EVERY MOVE YOU MAKE...
YOUR DELIVERY,
EVERY LITTLE INFLECTION
THAT YOU HAVE...
IS EXACTLY
THE WAY I WORK.
AND I DON'T THINK
IT'S FAIR.
Narrator: BACK HOME
IN 1951 NEBRASKA,
THE WINDS OF AMBITION WERE
BLOWING JOHNNY CARSON WESTWARD.
AFTER COLLEGE, HE TOOK
HIS CHANCES ON CALIFORNIA.
WITHIN A YEAR, JOHNNY LANDED
A LOW-BUDGET LOCAL TV SHOW
PRODUCED IN A BASEMENT STUDIO.
Announcer: "CARSON'S CELLAR"!
THANK YOU VERY MUCH,
Narrator: THE INVENTIVE
HALF-HOUR
DIDN'T GET HIGH RATINGS,
BUT SHOW BIZ INSIDERS
LOVED THE SHOW.
AND TONIGHT WE'VE GOT A VARIETY
OF THINGS ON THE "CELLAR."
DID YOU SEE THE GAME YESTERDAY?
TELEVISION, THE USC-UCLA?
White:
BACK IN THOSE DAYS...
YOU KNOW HOW TEENAGE BOYS
HAVE LONG WRISTS
AND THEIR BONES HAVEN'T,
THEY HAVEN'T QUITE SETTLED?
THAT'S HOW YOUNG HE WAS.
Narrator: CBS SAW
CARSON'S POTENTIAL
AND GAVE HIM A NATIONAL PRIME
TIME VARIETY SHOW.
NEW STYLES ARE COMING OUT...
THERE'S NYLON, ORLON,
AND DACRON.
AND A FELLOW SOLD ME A SUIT
THE OTHER DAY,
WAS MADE OF 100% SARAN WRAP.
DON'T LAUGH, YOU CAN KEEP
SANDWICHES RIGHT IN THE POCKETS.
AND TONIGHT MEL
IS GOING TO TRY
TO SET
A NEW WORLD'S RECORD.
BUT BEFORE HE TRIES
FOR THAT RECORD,
I'D LIKE BRIEFLY
TO INTERVIEW HIM.
MEL, GOOD TO SEE YOU.
WHAT DO YOU THINK
YOUR CHANCES ARE GOING TO BE
TO BREAK THAT OH, PRETTY GOOD,
MEL? JOHNNY.
WELL, THE BEST
OF LUCK, MEL.
Narrator: ONE OF JOHNNY'S
FIRST SIDEKICKS
WAS A NEWCOMER
NAMED BARBARA EDEN.
Eden: HE WAS WONDERFUL
WITH COMEDY SKETCHES.
AND THAT'S WHAT I DID WITH HIM,
WERE THE SKETCHES.
AND I COULD BE SILLY, AND HE
COULD LAUGH AT WHAT I WAS DOING,
AND, YOU KNOW,
IT WORKED VERY WELL.
BUT I HAVE OTHER PLANS.
READY, BABY?
Narrator:
BUT THE RATINGS SAGGED.
CARSON WOULD LATER REFLECT
THAT PRIME TIME REQUIRED
TOO MUCH STRUCTURE
AND PREPARATION.
IT DIDN'T PLAY TO HIS
FREEWHEELING STRENGTHS.
HIS CAREER DRIFTED
FOR MORE THAN A YEAR.
THEN, WITH NO OTHER OPTIONS,
HE WENT TO NEW YORK
AND TOOK A JOB
HOSTING A DAYTIME GAME SHOW.
IT WAS A COMEDOWN,
BUT IT WAS WORK.
AND ED, WHO'S FIRST?
WE'RE ALL SET...
Narrator:
FOR THE FIRST TIME,
CARSON HAD A CHANCE
TO DO INTERVIEWS
AND AD-LIB WITH GUESTS.
THINGS ARE PICKING UP
AROUND HERE ON THE SHOW.
Narrator:
HE WAS GOOD AT IT.
AND "WHO DO YOU TRUST?"
BECAME A HIT.
JOHNNY CARSON
HAD FOUND HIS NICHE.
DO YOU HAVE ANY TIME
FOR HOBBIES OR ANYTHING?
I'M JUST A BUTCHER.
A BUTCHER?
AND HE HAD THIS INTERVIEW,
AND THAT'S WHERE
ALL THE COMEDY OF JOHNNY CARSON
CAME OUT.
NOW, YOU'RE
A REAL BUTCHER...
Narrator: CARSON'S STAR
WAS RISING AGAIN.
NBC ASKED JOHNNY TO REPLACE
THE EXITING PAAR.
BUT CARSON TURNED DOWN
NBC'S OFFER.
AND MAYBE HE FELT IT WAS JUST
TOO MUCH WORK INVOLVED,
TOO MUCH STRAIN,
TOO DIFFICULT TO DO, YOU KNOW,
Narrator: WHEN CARSON DECLINED
NBC'S OFFER
TO HOST "THE TONIGHT SHOW,"
NBC WENT TO "PLAN B."
THEY ASKED BOB NEWHART...
JACKIE GLEASON...
JOEY BISHOP.
ALL SAID NO.
SO, ON A RAINY MARCH DAY
IN NEW YORK,
NBC INVITED CARSON
TO ROCKEFELLER CENTER
AND GAVE HIM ONE LAST CHANCE.
THIS TIME, JOHNNY AGREED,
SIGNING ON TO FILL
THE "TONIGHT SHOW" VACANCY.
BUT THERE WAS STILL
ONE BIG PROBLEM.
JOHON HIS CBS CONTRACT.THS
NBC'S STOPGAP SOLUTION
WAS TO FILL THE VOID
WITH GUEST HOSTS...
MAKING THE SUMMER OF 1962
ONE OF THE MORE UNUSUAL
IN LATE NIGHT HISTORY.
THE "TONIGHT SHOW" STAFF,
INCLUDING WRITER DICK CAVETT,
STAYED ON
TO PROP UP THE PARADE
OF 17 DIFFERENT HOSTS
WHO FILLED THE CHAIR.
MOST WERE MEDIOCRE.
Cavett: ONE WAS SO BAD
AND WE HATED HIM SO MUCH
THAT AFTER THE SECOND DAY
OF HIS BLOWING ALL OUR JOKES
AND THEN COMPLAINING
THEY WEREN'T FUNNY,
I WENT DOWNSTAIRS AND BOUGHT
A BENNET CERF JOKE BOOK,
AND WE COPIED JOKES OUT
AND HANDED IT TO HIM.
AND HE DIDN'T SEEM
TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.
Narrator: ONE FILL-IN HOST
DID EXCEL,
WINNING OVER AMERICA
FROM THE MOMENT HE STEPPED
ONSTAGE...
MERV GRIFFIN.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
Narrator: GRIFFIN HAD ONLY
MINIMAL TV EXPERIENCE
AS THE HOST
OF A DAYTIME GAME SHOW.
BUT HE MASTERED THE TALK SHOW
ROLE ALMOST INSTANTLY.
HE WAS REALLY GOOD.
AND HE WOULD HAVE BEEN AS GOOD
AS CARSON, I SUSPECT,
HAD HE GONE IN THAT DIRECTION.
WE'RE GOING TO PRESENT TO YOU
Narrator: BUT AFTER
HIS FIRST FIVE MINUTES
AS A LIVE TALK-SHOW HOST,
GRIFFIN WANTED TO QUIT
ON THE SPOT.
HIS PRODUCER PUSHED HIM BACK
ONTO THE STAGE.
AND I SAID, "I DON'T KNOW
HOW TO DO THIS.
"I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO."
HE SAID "MERV,
IT'S UNBELIEVABLE!
GET BACK OUT THERE."
AND I WENT, "WHOA,"
AND WENT BACK OUT
AND SAT DOWN AND DID MY FIRST
SIT-DOWN INTERVIEW,
WHICH OBVIOUSLY WORKED
VERY WELL,
AND THE WHOLE SHOW WAS A SCREAM.
MERV KNEW
JUST WHAT HE WAS DOING.
I MEAN, HE CAME OUT
AND HE KNEW HOW TO DO IT,
AND HE DID IT, AND HE PLAYED IT
BUT THEN THE TRUE TEST CAME...
I WALKED TO WORK THE NEXT DAY,
'CAUSE I DIDN'T LIVE
TOO FAR FROM NBC.
AND AS I WALKED
DOWN THE STREET,
EVERY TAXI DRIVER
WAS YELLING OUT,
AND TRUCK DRIVERS,
"MERV, HEY, THAT WAS GREAT."
AND I GO,
"WOW, I GUESS THAT'S FAME."
HI, KAY!
HOW ARE YOU, DEAR?
WHAT ARE YOU
SUFFERING FROM?
OH, NOTHING...
A LITTLE EXHAUSTION,
Narrator: WHILE MERV WAS
ON THE AIR WINNING OVER AMERICA,
JOHNNY WAS GETTING
MORE AND MORE ANXIOUS,
UNSURE IF HE HAD MADE
THE RIGHT DECISION.
JUST BEFORE HIS PREMIERE,
NBC SCURRIED HIM
OFF TO LAS VEGAS
TO CLEAR HIS MIND.
CARSON'S MANAGER CALLED JOHNNY'S
OLD FRIEND, JACK NARZ.
Narz:
I FLEW INTO LAS VEGAS,
AND THEY HAD A ROOM
AT THE SANDS.
AND TOM SAID, "YOU KNOW,
"JOHNNY'S GETTING
'THE TONIGHT SHOW.'
"HE'S GOING TO DO
'THE TONIGHT SHOW, '
"AND HE IS SCARED TO DEATH.
"HE'S A NERVOUS WRECK.
"AND WE THOUGHT THAT MAYBE
IF THE TWO OF YOU
"WERE TOGETHER FOR A WEEKEND,
YOU COULD KIND OF CALM HIM DOWN.
"AND, YOU KNOW, JUST BE FRIENDLY
WITH HIM,
MAKE HIM... PUT HIM AT EASE."
Narrator: BUT THE LAS VEGAS
STRATEGY DIDN'T SEEM TO WORK.
WHEN CARSON FINALLY
MADE HIS PREMIERE,
HE WAS STILL NERVOUS,
UNCOMFORTABLE.
HIS FIRST COUPLE WEEKS
WERE ROUGH.
THERE WERE COMICS SITTING
BACKSTAGE, SAYING,
"THIS GUY ISN'T MAKING IT,"
YOU KNOW.
IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE
TO BELIEVE THAT NOW.
Narrator: THE PROBLEM WAS
RESOLVED WITHIN A FEW MONTHS
AS CARSON GRADUALLY
CAUGHT HIS STRIDE
AND SETTLED INTO THE JOB
HE WAS BORN FOR.
SENATOR AND MRS. KENNEDY
ARE EXPECTING THEIR 10th CHILD.
IS DEMANDING
IA CIVILIAN REVIEW BOARD.Y
Severinsen:
JOHNNY MADE IT WORK.
JOHNNY MADE EVERYTHING WORK.
THAT SHOW WAS JOHNNY
FROM THE GET-GO.
THAT'S JUST
THE WAY IT WORKS.
Narrator: EARLY ON,
CARSON BELIEVED
THAT THE BEST WAY TO SURVIVE
ON "TONIGHT"
WAS TO MAKE THE SHOW
SEEM RELAXED AND UNREHEARSED...
TO NOT OVERLY EXERT HIMSELF.
THAT MEANT PUTTING THE FOCUS
ON THE GUESTS WHENEVER POSSIBLE,
HELP THEM OUT,
LET THEM SHINE.
HOW LONG DO YOU HAVE TO WEAR
THAT BRACE?
IT'S NOT
LONG.
JOHNNY KNEW HOW TO JUMP IN
WHEN A GUEST WAS BAD
OR WHEN A GUEST WAS QUIET
OR WASN'T DOING WELL.
AND WHEN A GUEST WAS DOING
REALLY WELL,
JOHNNY KNEW HOW
TO JUST LAY BACK.
HE WOULD SORT OF GUIDE YOU,
YOU KNOW,
IN THE DIRECTION THAT HE THOUGHT
WOULD WORK BEST FOR YOU.
THAT'S THE ONE THING THAT I
ALWAYS APPRECIATED ABOUT HIM,
YOU KNOW, HE, WHAT HE REALLY
WANTED YOU TO BE ON HIS SHOW,
HE WANTED YOU TO BE GOOD.
AND HE LOVED BEING
THE STRAIGHT GUY.
HE LOVED BEING THE STRAIGHT GUY.
THAT'S WHAT WAS,
MADE IT SO MUCH FUN.
I ASKED YOU ABOUT THIS
BEFORE, AND I THINK
THEY THOUGHT YOU WERE
MAKING A JOKE.
FIGHTER PILOT... YOU WERE
A PILOT, RIGHT?
OH, YEAH, I FOUGHT
THE WHOLE WAR IN OKLAHOMA.
AND IF YOU THINK BACK...
AND I'M NOT MAD AT ANYBODY
OR ANYTHING,
BUT JUST REMEMBER,
THERE WAS NOT ONE
JAPANESE AIRCRAFT
GOT PAST TULSA.
Narrator: CARSON'S
"TONIGHT SHOW" SOON BECAME
AMERICA'S FAVORITE PARTY.
AND ANYONE JOHNNY INVITED COULD
BECOME A HIT... OVERNIGHT.
HIS STAR-MAKING POWER
WAS UNPRECEDENTED.
OVER AND OVER, CARSON OFFERED
YOUNG TALENT
A SHOT ON HIS STAGE.
AFTER SEVEN MINUTES,
THEY WERE FAMOUS.
AND FROM THE FRONT OF THE COACH
COMES THIS GUY,
AND HE'S HAD A FEW,
AND AS HE APPROACHED THE SECTION
WHERE THE WOMAN WAS
WITH THE BABY,
HE STOPS, AND HE'S STARING,
LIKE THAT.
SHE'S WATCHING HIM
FROM THE CORNER OF HER EYE.
AND SHE SAYS TO HIM,
"WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?"
AND THE GUY SAYS, "I'M LOOKING
AT THAT UGLY BABY."
"THAT'S A BAD-LOOKING
BABY, LADY."
SAYS, "I BET YOU SAVE A LOT
OF MONEY WITH THAT BABY,
"YOU DON'T HAVE TO HIRE
ANY BABYSITTER...
NOBODY'S GOING BOTHER THAT KID."
Hall: THERE WAS A TIME WHEN
JOHNNY WOULD PUT ON A COMIC,
AND IT WOULD CHANGE HIS CAREER,
IT WOULD BREAK HIM.
IF HE WAS ON THE TONIGHT SHOW,
HIS LIFE WAS...
I SEE THE RADAR TONIGHT
IS PICKING UP
A LINE OF THUNDERSHOWERS
WHICH EXTENDS FROM A POINT
NINE MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF
CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA,
ALONG A LINE AND 6 MILES EITHER
SIDE OF A LINE
TO A POINT 8 MILES TO A POINT
NORTH-NORTHEAST
OF SECAUCUS, NEW JERSEY.
HOWEVER, THE RADAR
IS ALSO PICKING UP
A SQUADRON OF RUSSIAN ICBMs...
SO I WOULDN'T SWEAT
THE THUNDERSHOWERS.
JOHNNY ALWAYS WANTED YOU TO DO
WELL, YOU KNOW.
YOU'D HEAR THAT
"HA HA HA!"
YOU'D HEAR HIM LAUGHING
IN THE CORNER WITH ED
OR HE'D POKE ED
OR HE'D HIT THE TABLE.
AND OF COURSE, THIS IS A CUE
TO THE AUDIENCE...
OH, YOU WERE ACCEPTED.
Narrator: JOHNNY CARSON'S
FAVORITE PART
OF "THE TONIGHT SHOW"
WAS THE MONOLOGUE.
BUT THE HUDSON IS BAD...
IT IS REALLY BAD.
I WENT OVER, AND I SAW
A FISHERMAN TODAY.
HE TURNED HIS BACK FOR A SECOND,
AND HIS WORM
MADE A BREAK FOR IT.
I MEAN, THAT'S...
Narrator: CARSON DIDN'T INVENT
THE TALK-SHOW MONOLOGUE.
THAT HONOR GOES TO JACK PAAR.
BUT CARSON MADE IT HIS OWN,
THANKS TO AN INBORN GRASP
OF AMERICAN VALUES.
HE UNDERSTOOD WHAT FOLKS
BACK HOME WOULD LAUGH AT.
AND HE KNEW WHAT BOUNDARIES
NOT TO CROSS.
THE RAIN HAS TRIGGERED
A NEW WAVE OF ADS
WHICH ARE RATHER INTERESTING.
I SAW ONE TODAY THAT SAID,
"GIRL WITH WET RUMPUS ROOM"...
"WISHES TO MEET MAN
WITH SUMP PUMP."
HE HAD A GREAT COMMON TOUCH.
HE KNEW EXACTLY
WHAT WAS TOO MUCH,
WHAT WAS NAUGHTY
AND WHAT WAS DIRTY.
HE HAD A GREAT SENSE OF THAT.
I MEAN, IF YOU HEARD
THE MONOLOGUE,
YOU PRETTY MUCH KNEW WHAT WAS
GOING ON IN THE COUNTRY,
WHAT THE FEEL
OF THE COUNTRY WAS.
THAT'S ABSOLUTELY TRUE.
FIRST THE WOMAN HAS TO QUALIFY
TO MAKE THE TEAM.
THEN THEY GO TO MONTREAL
AND HAVE TO PROVE
THAT THEY ARE A WOMAN.
AND THEY ARE SUBJECTING
THE WOMEN ATHLETES UP THERE
TO A SEX TEST
TO PROVE
THAT THEY ARE ACTUALLY...
THEY HAVE TWO WAYS OF DOING IT.
NOW, LET ME...
LET ME POINT THEM OUT.
YOU MAY HAVE YOURS.
I GOT MINE.
THEY CAN EITHER TAKE
THE PHYSICAL EXAM BY A DOCTOR,
OR THEY CAN GO ON A DATE
WITH ONE OF OUR CONGRESSMEN.
Narrator: UNDER CARSON,
THE "TONIGHT SHOW" MONOLOGUE
GAINED TREMENDOUS POWER.
AND I PROBABLY
SHOULDN'T SAY THIS,
BECAUSE WE HAD
THE VICE PRESIDENT ON,
YOU KNOW, HUBERT HUMPHREY,
ON OUR SHOW...
Narrator: A JOKE BY CARSON COULD
END A POLITICAL CAREER.
BUT JOHNNY NEVER SEEMED TO HAVE
AN AGENDA.
HE MADE FUN OF EVERYONE
IN POWER.
YET HE HAD LIMITS.
THERE WERE LINES
CARSON WOULD NOT CROSS.
WHEN RICHARD NIXON WAS
APPARENTLY
STUMBLING AROUND THE WHITE HOUSE
WITH A DRINK IN HIS HAND,
YOU KNOW, JUST FALLING APART,
HE SAID, "YOU KNOW, ED,
NO MORE NIXON JOKES.
HE'S A SICK MAN, AND WE JUST
CAN'T DO THAT."
Narrator: LIKE STEVE ALLEN,
JOHNNY DEVELOPED A SERIES
OF SKETCH CHARACTERS
AND REGULAR BITS...
FLOYD TURBO,
ART FERN,
AND CARNAC.
CARNAC IS ATTEMPTING
TO DIVINE AN ANSWER
WHILE YOU'RE SITTING HERE,
GIGGLING.
MAY I HAVE SILENCE,
PLEASE?
YOU'VE HAD IT
MANY TIME BEFORE.
McMahon:
NO REHEARSAL, YOU KNOW,
WE DIDN'T REHEARSE ANYTHING.
WE JUST WENT AHEAD AND DID IT.
AND THOSE WERE GREAT TIMES.
Narrator: BY THE LATE 1960s,
JOHNNY CARSON HAD BECOME
A NATIONAL PHENOMENON...
THE MOST POPULAR PERSON
ON TELEVISION
AND THE BEST-PAID.
BUT OFF-STAGE, CARSON WAS
SOMETHING OF A MYSTERY...
A SHY MAN
WHO TRIED TO STAY
OUT OF THE LIMELIGHT.
JOHNNY WAS
A VERY SHY GUY.
HE WAS A VERY PRIVATE PERSON,
HE HAD ABSOLUTELY NO USE
FOR SMALL TALK.
AT A PARTY, HE WOULD BE
IN A CORNER,
TALKING TO ED McMAHON,
IF HE WENT AT ALL.
I FELT SORRY FOR JOHNNY,
IN THAT HE WAS SO
SOCIALLY UNCOMFORTABLE.
I'VE HARDLY EVER MET ANYBODY WHO
HAD AS HARD A TIME AS HE DID.
Narrator: BUT SHYNESS SHOULD
NEVER BE CONFUSED WITH WEAKNESS.
CARSON KNEW EXACTLY
WHAT HE WANTED
FROM EACH PERSON ON THE SHOW.
WHEN HE ARRIVED ON THE NBC LOT,
EVERYONE KNEW WHO WAS IN CHARGE.
WE'RE OVER THERE PLAYING
AND THINKING
NOBODY'S LISTENING TO US,
AND THEN I'D GET A LITTLE NOTE
FROM FREDDIE DE CORDOVA
THAT SAYS,
"JOHNNY SAID, DON'T EVER
PLAY THAT SONG AGAIN
AS LONG AS YOU LIVE."
IF YOU DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING
FROM JOHNNY CARSON,
YOU WERE DOING A GREAT JOB.
THAT MEANT THAT YOU WERE DOING
IT JUST THE WAY HE WANTED IT.
HE CERTAINLY EXPRESSED
HIS DISLIKE AND CHANGED THINGS.
AND HE MAJORED IN LOGIC
IN COLLEGE.
SO HE COULD REALLY
HANDLE HIMSELF
IN FACT, HE WOULD TELL YOU,
"OKAY, YOU WANT
TO ARGUE ABOUT IT?
YOU PICK THE SIDE
YOU WANT."
AND HE'D TAKE THE OTHER SIDE
AND JUST DEMOLISH YOU.
Narrator: SUCCESS
LIKE JOHNNY CARSON'S
OVER THE YEARS, MORE THAN
A DOZEN CHALLENGERS
POPPED UP ON OTHER NETWORKS
AND IN SYNDICATION.
ONE OF THE FIRST
WAS THE MAN
WHO ALMOST GOT
"THE TONIGHT SHOW" HIMSELF...
MERV GRIFFIN.
BORN THE SAME YEAR AS CARSON,
GRIFFIN WAS A BIG HIT
ON "TONIGHT"
IN THE MONTHS BEFORE JOHNNY
TOOK OVER.
IN THE LATE '60s,
CBS SLOTTED MERV
DIRECTLY OPPOSITE CARSON.
SO THAT HE GOT MAXIMUM LAUGHS
AND DOUBLE,
MERV,
THERE'S NO GOING BACK, RIGHT?
OH, JANE,
DON'T SAY THAT.
Narrator: GRIFFIN HANDLED
CELEBRITY INTERVIEWS WITH SKILL.
BUT HE DIFFERENTIATED HIMSELF
BY ALSO BOOKING CONTROVERSIAL
ANTI-WAR FIGURES
AND BUILDING THEME SHOWS
AROUND TABOO SUBJECTS...
AN IDEA REGULARLY
RIDICULED BY CARSON.
AND SO JOHNNY USED TO GO ON
IN HIS MONOLOGUE,
AND HE'D SAY,
"HEY, EVERYBODY, BE SURE
"YOU TUNE IN MERV
RIGHT OPPOSITE ME TONIGHT,
"HE HAS ON SEVEN LITHUANIAN NUNS
WHO WANT TO BE PROCTOLOGISTS."
AND THE AUDIENCE WOULD SCREAM.
BUT LITTLE DID HE KNOW THAT
PEOPLE CAME OVER,
AND THE RATINGS WOULD JUMP.
AND THE GUARD
ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE CELLS
WERE WALKING BY,
WATCHING THEM ALL DAY.
Narrator: ABC MOUNTED ITS OWN
CHALLENGE TO CARSON IN 1967
BY INSTALLING COMEDIAN
JOEY BISHOP
AND HIS SIDEKICK,
REGIS PHILBIN.
JOEY BISHOP WAS
A TERRIFIC COMEDIAN,
A GREAT COUNTERPUNCHER.
IN OTHER WORDS, WHATEVER
YOU THREW UP TO HIM,
HE COULD MAKE A JOKE
OUT OF THAT.
HE WAS VERY, VERY GOOD AT THAT.
Narrator: A COUNTERPUNCHER NEEDS
A SETUP MAN...
AND SO BISHOP
WOULD COAX PHILBIN
OUT ONTO THE STAGE
DURING THE MONOLOGUE.
SOON THE OPENING MINUTES
BECAME A TWO-MAN SHOW.
REGIS HE WOULD BRING ME OUT...
TO TELL HIM WHAT WAS
GOING TO HAPPEN ON THE SHOW.
BUT EVENTUALLY IT BECOME MORE
THAN THAT...
IT BECAME...
I KNEW WHAT HE WANTED.
HE WANTED TO BE FED
THE STRAIGHT LINE
BECAUSE OF HIS COUNTERPUNCHING.
Narrator:
THE UNIQUE MONOLOGUE
WASN'T JOEY BISHOP'S
ONLY INNOVATION.
HIS SHOW WAS SHOT
IN LOS ANGELES,
WHICH MEANT A STEADY STREAM
OF HOLLYWOOD GUESTS.
IT TURNED OUT TO BE
QUITE A GOOD SHOW,
BUT IT NEVER DID GET THE RATING
THAT ABC WANTED.
YOU KNOW,
JOHNNY WAS TOUGH COMPETITION.
Narrator: AFTER A FEW YEARS,
ABC ABANDONED JOEY BISHOP
AND REPLACED HIM WITH A VERY
DIFFERENT CHALLENGER...
DICK CAVETT.
IF YOU DON'T LAUGH,
STAY TUNED ANYWAY...
IT MIGHT HELP OUR RATING.
I THINK I SAID,
IT'S A GREAT JOB FOR PEOPLE
WHO HAVEN'T HAD
A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN
BUT WOULD LIKE TO SEE
WHAT IT FEELS LIKE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROS DO
IN A CASE LIKE THIS,
BUT MY SHOE IS UNTIED.
WILL YOU EXCUSE ME?
OH, THAT'S EXCITING.
THERE, THANK YOU.
Narrator: CAVETT'S SHOW FEATURED
A BROADER RANGE OF GUESTS
THAN HIS PREDECESSORS...
FROM OLD-SCHOOL FAVORITES
LIKE GROUCHO MARX
TO YOUTH CULTURE ICONS
LIKE JOHN LENNON AND YOKO ONO.
YOU'VE SAID,
SOMEWHERE YOU SAID
YOU'D LIKE TO BE FORGOTTEN.
BUT NOW YOU SAY YOU'D
LIKE TO GO OUT
AND PERFORM AGAIN,
SO YOU CAN'T REALLY...
WELL, I CAN STILL BE
FORGOTTEN WHEN I'M DEAD.
I DON'T REALLY CARE
WHAT HAPPENS
WHEN I'M DEAD,
IF THAT'S WHAT YOU MEAN.
Narrator: PERHAPS CAVETT'S
MOST ENDURING EPISODE
WAS A 1971 DEBATE
ON THE VIETNAM WAR
FEATURING TWO VETERANS...
NIXON SUPPORTER JOHN O'NEILL
AND AN ANTIWAR ACTIVIST
NAMED JOHN KERRY.
TO THE HAGUE
AND GENEVA CONVENTIONS
AND TO THE LAWS
OF WARFARE.
Narrator:
KERRY WAS PERSUASIVE.
THE WHITE HOUSE WAS FURIOUS
AND BLAMED CAVETT.
THE PRESIDENT'S SECRET TAPES
REVEALED HIS ANGER.
Narrator:
BY THE END OF 1972,
DICK CAVETT AND MERV GRIFFIN
HAD BOTH LEFT LATE NIGHT.
JOHNNY CARSON WOULD REIGN
WITHOUT SERIOUS RIVALS
UNTIL A FRESH COMPETITOR FINALLY
CAME UP WITH A NEW ANGLE.
AND IT DAWNED ON ME, THERE IS
AN ENTIRE WORLD OF ENTERTAINMENT
THAT HAD BEEN IGNORED
BY "THE TONIGHT SHOW."
Narrator: ARSENIO HALL'S
LATE NIGHT VENTURE
WAS AN IMMEDIATE HIT,
AIMING AT A YOUNGER,
URBAN AUDIENCE.
I DIDN'T WANT JOHNNY'S AUDIENCE.
I WANTED THE CHILDREN
OF HIS AUDIENCE,
AND THAT'S HOW
I REMAINED FRIENDS...
OR THAT'S HOW I REMAINED
NOT HATED...
BY THE CARSON REGIME,
BECAUSE THEY KNEW
THEIR NUMBERS
WEREN'T GOING TO CHANGE.
I WAS GOING TO BRING PEOPLE
TO TELEVISION
THAT WEREN'T WATCHING.
Narrator: BY THE TIME
ARSENIO HIT,
JOHNNY WAS ALREADY
PLANNING HIS RETIREMENT.
A NEW GENERATION
WOULD SOON TAKE THE REINS.
BUT THEY WERE BUILDING
ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS.
AND EVERYBODY,
WHEN THEY START OUT,
THEY'RE GOING TO BE
DIFFERENT.
THEY'RE GOING TO PUT
THE CHAIR
OVER THERE
AND THE DESK UP HERE.
BUT EVENTUALLY, IT COMES DOWN
TO THIS, THIS BASIC FORMAT.
PEOPLE LIKE TO CLOSE OUT
THEIR DAY
WITH SOME HUMOR, SOME LAUGHS,
AND SEE SOME FIGURE
THAT THEY ADMIRE,
SOME PERFORMER
THAT THEY LIKE.
I THINK IT'LL GO ON
FOREVER.
Narrator: TOGETHER, THIS SMALL
GROUP OF ENTERTAINERS
CREATED SOMETHING NEW,
SETTING THE TEMPLATES
THAT STILL ENDURE.
HE WAS TELEVISION'S
BIGGEST STAR.
YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL.
THEY DRY YOUR SINUSES
AND, YOU KNOW,
AND YOUR, WHAT ARE THESE THINGS?
SINUSES?
NOT ADENOIDS.
WHAT ARE THESE?
Man: FINGERS.
FINGERS, YES.
White:
AND YOU'D COME ON,
WHAT YOU WERE
ANDGOING TO TALK ABOUT.LUE
AND WE WOULD JUST TAKE OFF
AND SOMEHOW
YOU'D GET INTO A DIALOGUE,
AND IT WOULD BE,
ALL OF WHICH WENT INTO MAKING
JACK THE MOST INTERESTING
PERSONALITY THE SCREEN
HAS EVER SEEN.
HE WOULD COME UP WITH ALL THESE,
THESE CRAZY, WILD THINGS.
I THINK HE WAS BRILLIANT.
ALL RIGHT, HERE WE GO!
NOW.
HE LAUGHED TILL SPITTLE CAME OUT
OF HIS MOUTH.
I MEAN, HE JUST,
HE LOVED THAT KIND OF STUFF.
AND THEN CRACK UP
AHALFWAY THROUGH THE BIT.,
THAT AL LAUGH.
SO, ON THE WAY DOWN THE STEPS,
I SAID,
"JOHNNY, HOW DO YOU SEE MY ROLE
DOWN HERE TONIGHT?"
AND HE LOOKED AT ME,
HE SAID,
"ED, I DON'T KNOW
HOW I SEE MY OWN ROLE.
LET'S JUST GO DOWN AND ENTERTAIN
THE HELL OUT OF THEM."
AND THAT WAS THE GREATEST ADVICE
I EVER COULD GET.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE DID.
I MEAN, THAT WAS HIS ATTITUDE,
THAT'S WHAT HE DID FOR 30 YEARS.
HE ENTERTAINED THE HELL
OUT OF THEM.
JOHNNY WAS AMERICA.
HE WAS THE MIDWEST.
JOHNNY WAS GREAT
BECAUSE HE NEVER LOST
HIS SENSE OF PROPORTION.
YOU SMASH IT AGAINST
A MAN'S HEAD,
AND HE WON'T EVEN
FEEL IT... LIKE THIS.
HE'S THE BEST THING THAT EVER
HAPPENED TO TELEVISION.
HE IS A SUPERSTAR.
NOT JUST ONE OF THE GOOD
TALK SHOW HOSTS.
AND HE MADE SOMETHING
OUT OF THAT JOB AND THAT SHOW
THAT NO ONE ELSE EVER DID
OR EVER WILL.
Narrator: IT'S A FORMAT
THAT REMAINS SOLID
TO THIS DAY,
AN ART FORM SCULPTED
BY A SMALL GROUP
OF TALENTED PERFORMERS
IN A CLASS BY THEMSELVES.
THEY ARE
THE PIONEERS OF TELEVISION.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
ON "PIONEERS OF TELEVISION"
AND OTHER PBS PROGRAMS,
NEXT TIME, ON
"PIONEERS OF TELEVISION"...
HERE IT COMES, FOLKS.
MOM LIKED YOU BEST!
WHAT YOU SEE
IS WHAT YOU GET.
I'M WEARING
A LIVE RACCOON.
THAT TAKES GUTS.
GEE, IT'S NICE
TO SEE Y'ALL AGAIN.
LET ME HAVE
THAT MICROPHONE DOWN HERE.
DO IT RIGHT NOW?
I CAN... OOH!
♪ THEY CALL HER
HARD-HEARTED HANNAH ♪
THE SHOW IS OVER,
WE HAVE IT TIMED OUT
TO A SCIENCE...
I SIMPLY SAY,
"GOOD NIGHT,"
AND THAT'S IT.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH
FOR BEING WITH US,
AND GOOD NIGHT.
GOOD NIGHT.
GOOD NIGHT.
GOOD NIGHT.
GOOD NIGHT!
GOOD NIGHT.
GOOD NIGHT.
THIS PROGRAM
BY CONTRIBUTIONS
TO YOUR PBS STATION
FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU.