TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON, THE {JERRY LEWIS; ALLAN BURSKY; JULIE BUDD; SAM BLOTNER, JAMES HAMPTON} (TV)
Summary
One in this series of late-night talk/variety programs hosted by Johnny Carson. Carson's guests for this program are comedian Jerry Lewis, singer Julie Budd, retiree world traveler Sam Blotner, stand-up comedian Allan Bursky, and actor James Hampton.
In his opening monologue, Carson touches on the following topics, among others: recent "important weeks," according to the Chamber of Commerce; the arrival of the Salvation Army Founder's Day; changes to the fall television lineup; the invention of a nuclear-powered Pacemaker that will last ten years; the possibility of Sunday racing at the Hollywood Park Racetrack; a possible surplus of doctors by the 1980s; former madam Xaviera Hollander's new music album; a scientific study into lobsters' memories; and the strange disappearance of a Los Angeles bus driver.
Carson then chats with announcer Ed McMahon about McMahon's recent fall on a boat, and then reads out a list of diet fads, to which he adds several "little-known" diet suggestions.
The first guest, Lewis, takes the stage and accepts a signed photograph from Carson for several of his friends, as requested, and discusses his concern over McMahon's condition; his recent one-man show and an awkward faux pax in front of famed stylist Vidal Sassoon; his recent two-week trip to Tasmania, during which he mildly injured an eager fan during a charity golf tournament; his positive impressions of the Tasmanian people, including their televised local singing competitions; and his position as a "mechanical nut," demonstrated when he repeatedly photographs Carson with a high-tech camera.
Carson and Lewis then take a variety of questions from audience members, including banter about "the mistake on the lake" (a pejorative term for Cleveland, Ohio); their views on the American educational system; and their true salaries, which they both write down and exchange privately, for the sake of decorum.
Budd then performs "Love Me Tonight" and "Music Man," after which Blotner takes the stage and offers Carson some fancy coffee from Costa Rica, where he currently lives, and discusses why the country is beginning to suffer from inflation, thanks to American tourists; his current troubles with a water shortage, which has caused his electricity to be intermittently shut off; and his experiences with putting his horses out to stud, all of which amuse Lewis greatly, in part thanks to Blotner's strong Maine accent.
Eighteen-year-old Bursky then takes the stage and jokes about his youthfulness; his basketball scholarship and the challenges of playing against Japanese teams; why his New York family chose to move out to California; his parents' romantic regard for the beach, contrasted with his own dislike of it; living in the San Fernando Valley alongside a "terrific amount of old people"; California's characteristic smog and heavy winds; and the long-term effects of the state's Mexican culture.
Finally, Hampton joins Carson and discusses his small role in the "reverse anti-establishment" picture "The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing" (1973); his childhood in Dallas and his desire to be a street-car conductor; moving out to New York and landing his first acting role in the short film "The Cliff Dwellers" (1962), which was nominated for an Academy Award; and his troublemaking reputation in high school. Includes commercials.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: April 11, 1973 11:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:15:58
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:73432
- GENRE: Talk/Interview
- SUBJECT HEADING: Talk/Interview; Comedy/Variety
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1962-1992
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - Armour Golden Star ham
- TV - Commercials - Budweiser beers
- TV - Commercials - Calgon bath oil beads
- TV - Commercials - Celanese Arnel apparel
- TV - Commercials - Cling-Free fabric softener spray
- TV - Commercials - Kellogg's Special K cereal
- TV - Commercials - Maxim freeze-dried coffee
- TV - Commercials - Revlon Touch & Glow cosmetics
- TV - Commercials - Scott's Liquid Gold wood cleaner
- TV - Commercials - Sears Easy Living house paint
- TV - Commercials - Sears trash compactor
- TV - Commercials - Shakey's pizza restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Spray 'n Vac carpet cleaner
CREDITS
- NBC Orchestra, The … Music by
- Doc Severinsen … Conductor
- Johnny Carson … Host
- Ed McMahon … Announcer
- Julie Budd … Guest, Performer
- Allan Bursky … Guest, Performer
- Jerry Lewis … Guest
- Sam Blotner … Guest
- James Hampton … Guest
- Xaviera Hollander
- Vidal Sassoon