[citation needed] There are also two appearances by Judy Garland in 1968 that still survive. The publicity value of appearing on The Tonight Show was so great, however, that most guests were willing to subject themselves to the risk.[7]. Debuted in 1968. Carson's final television appearance was cameo on the May 13, 1994, Late Show with David Letterman where he handed over a copy of a Top 10 List and sat in Dave's chair for a minute. -Aunt Blabby, testy senior citizen. In 1980, Carson renewed his contract with the stipulation that the show lose its last half-hour. "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" Paul Lynde/McLean Stevenson/Bob Uecker/Carol Wayne (TV Episode 1976) Johnny Carson as Self - Host, Art Fern. Carson's 1992 final appearance as host attracted an estimated 50 million viewers. The comedy came from an unexpected question following a seemingly straightforward answer. For decades, Americans tuned in to "The Tonight Show" to watch Johnny Carson interview musicians and movie stars, perform in silly skits and simply make audiences laugh at the end of each day. He paused long enough for me to recognize my cue, so I asked, "How long is it?" With a career spanning nearly 50 years, Carson was welcomed into the homes of millions each and every night. Carson hinted in his 1993 interview that he did not think he could top what he had already accomplished. Soon after, he underwent quadruple-bypass surgery. Only NBC's flagship local station in New York City, WNBC, had stereo broadcast capability at that time. (1971-79) Print ads: Johnny Carson line of suits from Johnny Carson Apparel Inc. Married men live longer than single men. A joke about a shortage of industrial grade toilet paper caused a national panic and a run on all grades of t.p., with a resulting shortage of the product about which he had kidded. Please Tell Me You Weren't Her First Choice. I am one of the lucky people in the world; I found something I always wanted to do, and I have enjoyed every single minute of it. Carson created a sense of intimacy with his guests and audiences that made him the unvanquished "King of Nighttime TV". [39], The digital multicast network Antenna TV acquired rerun rights to whole episodes of the series in August 2015. [22], In 1979, when Fred Silverman was the head of NBC, Carson took the network to court, claiming that he had been a free agent since April of that year because his most recent contract had been signed in 1972. She was so good at it that she seldom had an opportunity to play anything else. They areThe fictive man created out of men.They are men but artificial men.Wallace Stevens (18791955). [11], Wayne told Johnny Carson in an interview on April 30, 1974, one of 38 appearances, that she enjoyed gardening and growing bonsai trees, and in another interview, breeding Andalusian horses. Featuring interviews with the stars of the latest Hollywood movies or the hottest bands, Carson kept Americans up-to-date on popular culture, and reflected some of the most distinguished personalities of his era through impersonations, including his classic take on President .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Ronald Reagan. The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is an American late-night talk show hosted by Johnny Carson on NBC, the third iteration of the Tonight Show franchise. [43] Harry Belafonte guest hosted for a week in February 1968, and among Belafonte's guests were Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., just months before both men were assassinated (King in April, Kennedy in June). In May 1991, following positive viewer reception during tests in St. Louis (KSDK) and DallasFort Worth (KXAS), NBC reached an agreement with Carson Productions to delay the show's start time by five minutes beginning September 2, allowing its stations to include more commercials during their local newscasts. BURBANK, Calif. (AP) _ Johnny Carson, who is retiring Friday after nearly three decades as host of NBCs Tonight Show, played a variety of comic characters over the years. [20] In response to his demands, NBC created a new comedy/variety series to feed to affiliates on Saturday nights that debuted in October 1975, Saturday Night Live. Wayne said she was "discovered" at a Hollywood party and auditioned for The Tonight Show after appearances as a Las Vegas chorus line dancer.[2][3]. Johnny Carson, the legendary "King of Late Night TV" who dominated the medium's nether hours for three decades, was born in Corning, Iowa, but moved with his family to nearby Norfolk, Nebraska when he was eight years old. .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}James Cameron Keeps Smashing His Own Records, The Cocaine Bear Drug Smuggler Was a Real Person, Meet The Last of Us Creator Neil Druckmann, The Last of Us Cast Guide: Actors and Characters, Biography: Jon Stewart (Community Heroes), Biography: You Need to Know: Dorothy Arzner. Sara Gilbert Keshia Knight Pulliam Drew Barrymore Which "Golden Girls" actress played Eve opposite Johnny Carson as Adam in a 1979 skit? In 2014, Turner Classic Movies would begin rerunning select interviews from the program for a new series called "Carson on TCM" presented by Conan O'Brien, who himself hosted The Tonight Show briefly. NBC claimed that it had signed three agreements since then and Carson was bound to the network until April 1981. She also played on one of the most popular episodes of I Spy (1965) opposite Robert Culp. A year after, the sketch went back on the air, with Teresa Ganzel taking on the role that was previously Carols. The better I did it, the less it appeared as if I was doing it.If I was going to play second fiddle, I wanted to be the Heifetz of second fiddlers.The most difficult thing for me to learn how to do was just sit there with my mouth closed. If a joke (often a very bad pun) generated a negative response, Carnac would give a disapproving look, then cast a comedic "Middle Eastern curse" upon the audience (such as "May your favorite daughter be featured in NFL Films' Sack of the Week", "May a bloated yak change the temperature of your jacuzzi", "May you walk a mile under a diseased camel", "May a demented deer lock horns with your daughter's Kawasaki", "May the fleas of a thousand camels infest the crotch of the person seated next to me, and may his arms be too short to scratch", "May a diseased camel be sick on your prayer rug", or "May your proctologist be a frustrated concert trombonist"). The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson - Wikipedia It was on a Mexico trip with Edward that Carol passed away. James Cameron Keeps Smashing His Own Records, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads, Name: Carson, Birth Year: 1925, Birth date: October 23, 1925, Birth State: Iowa, Birth City: Corning, Birth Country: United States. This was short-lived as a year and a half later, Snyder had quit and Tomorrow Coast to Coast had been canceled. Debuted in 1964. Art Fern," the fast-talking host of a "Tea Time Movie" program, who advertised inane products, assisted by the attractive Matinee Lady, played by Paula Prentiss (late 1960s), Carol Wayne (the most familiar Matinee Lady, 1971-81, 1984), Danuta Wesley (1982), and Teresa Ganzel (1984-92). [32][33] Similarly, the Supremes' May 22, 1967 appearance survives on poor-quality kinescope and an audio recording of their April 5, 1968 appearance honoring the recently slain Martin Luther King Jr. was preserved. Her final onscreen appearance came in the 1984 drama Heartbreakers, for which she received the best reviews of her career. Monday night shows and shows for most of the 15 weeks that Carson had off were hosted by guest hosts. The autopsy also revealed that she did not have any alcohol or drugs in her body. One of television's best-known personalities, Johnny Carson hosted 'The Tonight Show' for 30 years. One of the most memorable audience insults came after the Philadelphia 76ers swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the finals to win the 1983 NBA Championship, when Carnac retorted, "May Dr. J slam dunk your cat." As an aside, many readers may remember the (alleged) LSD related death of Art Linkletters daughter Diane. Debuted in 1964. On one occasion frequently rebroadcast on anniversary shows, Carson's desk was replaced with a lightweight balsa-wood version; this allowed Carson to trip and smash through it. After Carnac said an answer, McMahon would frequently repeat it in a booming voice ostensibly as a help to the audience setting up a sneer, putdown, or some other comic reaction from Carson. [11], Carson almost never socialized with guests before or after the show; frequent interviewee Orson Welles recalled that Tonight Show employees were astonished when Carson visited Welles's dressing room to say hello before a show. was to pretend to panic and say, "I want my nana!" more willing to die. Following high school, in 1943, an 18-year-old Carson joined the U.S. Navy as an ensign and then decoded encrypted messages as a communications officer. Carson was given authority to fill the vacant time slot and used it to create Late Night with David Letterman (19821993). Perhaps lesser-known, Carson also did an uncanny impression of president Ronald Reagan . Her character had the personality of the trademark dumb blonde hottie, and to many, no one portrayed that role better than she did. She was also a frequent guest on The Red Skelton Show, and had many appearances on other popular shows of the time. The catchphrase was heard nightly for 30 years, and ranked top of the TV Land poll of U.S. TV catchphrases and quotes in 2006;[12] it has been referenced in all media going from The Shining to Johnny Bravo to a "Weird Al" Yankovic album cut; it was even used for the character Johnny Cage in the video game series Mortal Kombat. Carson was in and out of relationships throughout his life, marrying four separate times. They've been kept in a mayonnaise jar on Funk and Wagnalls' porch since noon today. The show debuted on October 1, 1962, and aired its final episode on May 22, 1992. [6][7][8], Wayne was married three times. Johnny Carson: The Official Tonight Show Website. Carson had no guests on his final episode of The Tonight Show on May 22, 1992, which was instead a retrospective show taped before an invitation-only studio audience of family, friends, and crew. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. In 1999, Carson suffered a severe heart attack at the age of 74 while he was sleeping in his Malibu, California home. Today, The Tonight Show remains one hour in length and is still followed by Late Night, currently under the title Late Night with Seth Meyers (2014). In terms of career longevity, popularity, peer respect and impact on the medium, Carson ranks with Lucille Ball and Jackie Gleason as a television great. [citation needed]. In the mid-1960s, Carson's agents wanted to trade on his vast popularity to position him in motion pictures as the "New Jack Lemmon", but Carson never made any forays outside of television. Carnac the Magnificent - Wikipedia Even though Ed was never taken to court for these so-called accidents, one cannot think but to question his innocence in these mysterious deaths. [citation needed], In January 1985, Wayne vacationed at the Las Hadas Resort in Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico with companion Edward Durston, a car salesman. Actress: The Toy. He served in World War II in the Navy as an ensign before enrolling at the University of Nebraska in 1947. "He is one of a kind, was one of a kind", De Cordova said in 1995. I want to thank the gentlemen who've shared this stage with me for thirty years. The two would usually interact in a comic spot for a short while before the first guest was introduced. Stuever, Hank (May 13, 2012). Here are some of them: -Carnac the Magnificent, mystical answer-question man. or "May a rabid holy man bless your nether regions with a power tool!". The longest laugh ever recorded was given to "Sis Boom Bah," which was the answer to "Describe the sound made when a sheep explodes" and resulted in both Carson and McMahon breaking character to laugh as well. They are characters beyondReality, composed thereof. Unlike the previous clip shows, Antenna TV's airings feature full broadcasts as they were originally seen, with the only edits being removal of The Tonight Show name, with the show being renamed simply as Johnny Carson (as of January 2018, the broadcasts air opposite the current edition of The Tonight Show in much of the United States, and NBC still owns the trademark on that name), and with bumpers, walk-on music and the closing theme being replaced by generic music cues from the Warner/Chappell Production Music library. It was in Norfolk, where he lived until he was inducted into the U.S. Navy in 1943, that he started his show business career. The program archive is virtually complete from 1973 to 1992. Though assigned to combat in the summer of 1945, Carson never went into battle WWII ended in 1945, following the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, and Carson was sent back to the United States. What is more interesting, however, is that Dianes death might actually be connected to Carols, as Ed Durston was also present the night Diane died. Revered for his affable personality, quick wit and crisp interviews, he guided viewers into the late-night hours with a familiarity they grew to rely on year after year. Following a commercial break, viewers could depend on another gently satiric or slightly zany comedy skit featuring returning fictional characters like Art Fern, Carnac the Magnificent, Aunt Blabby and Floyd R. Turboall underplayed by a straight-faced Johnny Carson. [1] Ed McMahon served as Carson's sidekick and the show's announcer . Take our quiz to see how much you remember about the guests, characters, moments and skits that helped transform Johnny Carson into a late-night legend. Carson played the lecherous character "Art Fern" who would make references to Carol's ample bosom. Teresa Ganzel - IMDb [10] They divorced in 1980. [8] When asked about intellectual conversation on The Tonight Show, Carson and his staff invariably cited "Carl Sagan, Paul Ehrlich, Margaret Mead, Gore Vidal, Shana Alexander, Madalyn Murray O'Hair" as guests;[7] one television critic stated, however, "he always presented them as if they were spinach for your diet when he did [feature such names]. Carol Wayne - IMDb His farewell show in 1992 drew 50 million viewers. [7] Carson influenced the scheduling of reruns (which typically aired under the title The Best of Carson) in the mid-1970s and, in 1980, the length of each evening's broadcast, by threatening NBC with, in the first case, moving to another network, and in the latter, retiring altogether. Many nights I'd be listening to Johnny and in my mind I'd reach the same ad lib just as he said it. 1932), The major menThat is different. The curse concept was created by "Tonight Show" head writer and Woody Allen collaborator Marshall Brickman. Wayne is one of those supporting characters who helped make Carson the legend of late night -- the jokes in an Art Fern sketch could be corny, and his delivery was self-consciously stiff, but rapport between the lecherous Fern and faux-innocent Matinee Lady, the double-takes and eye-rolling, made the sketches more than jokes read off a cue-card. Her death was ruled "accidental".[6][8]. His tempestuous love-life, which included two high-profile divorces, became the fodder of such celebrity staples as "The National Enquirer" and later "People Magazine", and he was even the subject of a roman a clef pulp novel in the early 1970s. I have not fact checked this info so readers beware. In October 1962, Carson replaced Jack Paar as host of The Tonight Show and, following wavering ratings his first year, Carson became a prime-time hit. "Question: What do you use to gift wrap a zipper?". Thus, it was "The Tonight Show" that remains his creative legacy. Johnny Carson - SIS BOOM BAH - Carnac Complete Segment Rick OnTheDrums 1.03K subscribers 2.5K Share 543K views 9 years ago Here is a the classic "Sis Boom Bah" skit from The Tonight Show. "[9] Family therapist Carlfred Broderick appeared on the show ten times,[10] and psychologist Joyce Brothers was one of Carson's most frequent guests. I did the audience warm-up, I did commercials, for a brief period I co-hosted the first fifteen minutes of the show, and I performed in many sketches. [citation needed]. She is perhaps best remembered for her re-occurring role as The Matinee Lady on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Carol Marie Wayne (September 6, 1942 January 13, 1985) was an American television and film actress. She married her first husband, Loreto "Larry" Cera, on May 1, 1965; they divorced in June 1967. The January 31, 2005, episode of the Late Show with David Letterman, which featured a tribute to Carson, began with a monologue by Letterman composed entirely of jokes written by Carson himself after his retirement. Due to this shorter time slot, some sketches had to go, and Carols skit suddenly did not make the cut. How Much Do You Know About Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show? [citation needed] The later shows that exist in full were stored by Carson in a bomb-proof underground salt mine outside Hutchinson, Kansas. He told his crew, "Everything comes to an end; nothing lasts forever. 1970). Jon Lovitz Appears as the Pathological Liar on Johnny Carson - YouTube Beginning in 2020, the museum began working with the National Comedy Center to preserve the archive. In the fall of 1945, Carson began studying at the University of Nebraska, and received a bachelor's degree in radio and speech four years later. For the entire Tonight Show franchise, see. (1956) from 1957-62, teaming up with longtime sidekick, Ed McMahon, in 1958.Before his triumph on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962), Carson tried his hand at dramatic acting, appearing in Playhouse 90: Three Men on a Horse (1957) (episode # 1.29) during the inaugural season of Playhouse 90 (1956) in 1957. Audiences found comfort in Carsons calm and steady presence in their living rooms each evening. Jokes would also be topical; for instance, "Over 105 in Los Angeles" (presumably referring to the temperature) instead led to "Under the Reagan plan, how old would you have to be to collect Social Security?" Carol also had guest appearances onThe Red Skelton Show, portraying a similar role. His farewell show in 1992 drew 50 million viewers. To this day, the cause of her death is still a mystery. Recurring character on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, May the Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose, "Ed McMahon,'Tonight Show' Stalwart, Dies", "STERNAC THE IMPROBABLE RETURNS WITH ANSWERS ABOUT NASCAR, GAMESTOP, AND JASON KAPLAN'S DIET", Here's Johnny: Magic Moments from the Tonight Show, Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carnac_the_Magnificent&oldid=1065449461, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 13 January 2022, at 16:15. NO ONE [at this shout, Carnac always acts startled] knows the contents of these envelopes but you, in your mystical and borderline divine way, will ascertain the answers having never before heard the questions. I had to make sure I wasn't too funnyalthough critics who saw some of my other performances will claim I needn't have worried. January 2, 1967 September 12, 1980: MondayFriday 11:30p.m.1:00a.m. September 15, 1980 August 30, 1991: MondayFriday 11:30p.m.12:30a.m. September 2, 1991 May 22, 1992: MondayFriday 11:35p.m.12:35a.m. Johnnys original Matinee Lady was the voluptuous Carol Wayne who expertly portrayed the dumb blonde sex kitten. That same year, Carson married third wife Joanna Hollandfrom whom he filed for divorce in 1983. [6][7][12] After an argument, Wayne reportedly took a walk on the beach. [34] Carson Productions has also made clips available on YouTube and Antenna TV. At age 14, Carson began appearing as the magician "The Great Carsoni" at local venues. NBC executives had been proposing the five-minute delay idea to Carson since 1988, only to be repeatedly rebuffed, amid concerns that some of its affiliatesparticularly those that had unsuccessfully sought permission to delay the Tonight Show by a half-hourwould begin preempting the program entirely and replace it with syndicated reruns to generate extra revenue from local advertising. It was in Norfolk, where he lived until he was inducted into the U.S. Navy in 1943, that he started his show business career. Carol Wayne, Johnny Carson's 'Art Fern' Sidekick: A Late Night Icon Factory launched a 24/7 streaming channel devoted to the series in August 2020, which is distributed through free over-the-top platforms including Stirr, Xumo and Pluto TV. Free shipping for many products! He eventually hired Danuta Wesley and later Teresa Ganzel to be his new Matine Lady. Carson cited a California law barring certain contracts from lasting more than seven years. She played opposite Carson in over 100 sketches. Rivers, on the other hand, disagreed. One of Carson's most well-known characters, Carnac was a "mystic from the East" who could psychically "divine" unknown answers to unseen questions. The success of the Tonight Show, helped lead to her ultimate professional downfall. Her character had the personality of the trademark dumb blonde hottie, and to many, no one portrayed that role better than she did. By the mid-1970s Tonight was the most profitable show on television, making NBC $50 to $60million ($210 to $250million in 2021) each year. He married Jody Wolcott in 1948, and they had three sons. More famously known as the "Matinee Lady," Carol Wayne was a model and an actress who worked with Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show. This led to a stint as the host of the quiz show Earn Your Vacation (1954) and the variety showcase The Johnny Carson Show (1953) in 1955-56. [8], Since the 1980s, Howard Stern has paid tribute to Carnac the Magnificent, with his own skit called Sternac the Improbable.[9]. After Carson's death in 2005, Rivers told CNN that Carson never forgave her for leaving, and never spoke to her again, even after she wrote him a note following the accidental death of Carson's son Ricky in June 1991. However, this appearance on The Tonight Show, which Carson and Randi had orchestrated to debunk Geller's claimed abilities, backfired. Born in Chicago, Wayne began her show business career as a teenage figure skater in the Ice Capades along with her younger sister, Nina. For a year, Tom Snyder's existing talk show, Tomorrow, was expanded to 90 minutes and forced to change its format, adding gossip reporter Rona Barrett as a co-host and taking on the name Tomorrow Coast to Coast.