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TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON, THE {JOEY BISHOP, BETTY GARRETT, RAY JOHNSON, FREDDIE PRINZE} (TV)

Summary

One in this series of late-night talk/variety programs hosted by Johnny Carson. Carson's guests for this program are actor Joey Bishop, comedian Freddie Prinze, actress Betty Garrett and ex-convict-turned-activist Ray Johnson. In his opening monologue, Carson touches on the following topics, among others: the second divorce of famed Hollywood actors Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor; the New Hampshire primary and speculation about Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan's chances with voters; former president Nixon's trip to China and meeting with Chairman Mao Zedong; and a rumor about President Kennedy's secret recreational habits. Carson then chats with Doc Severinsen, serving as temporary co-host, and reads an amusing list of rules for airplane pilots from 1920. He adds a number of "au courant" rules for 1976, and he turns the list into a paper airplane when the jokes fail to impress the audience.

The first guest, Bishop, takes the stage and comments on his past guest-host appearances on "The Tonight Show"; his role as an insult comic on an upcoming episode of "Chico and the Man," starring Prinze; the relative difficulty of different types of comedy; his former heavy smoking habit and how he finally quit; his experience with diets; his upcoming appearance in Las Vegas and the challenge of performing right after the famously ribald Buddy Hackett; his views on current television programs; his political involvement and strange suspicions about the people of Switzerland; and his enjoyment of his new role as grandfather.

Next, Prinze takes the stage and performs a stand-up routine about New York's Puerto Rican Day parade; odd gender rules about car insurance; the lack of diversity at the Olympic Games; the bicentennial and a surprising fact about George Washington; Nixon's visit to China; and why he dislikes flying. He sits down with Carson and discusses the upcoming birth of his first child; his nervousness and plans to be in the delivery room with his wife; the surprising expense of raising children; and a recent fight with his wife over his late-night movie habit.

Garrett joins the others onstage and comments on her upcoming one-woman show "Betty Garrett and Other Songs," which explores the "large spectrum" of her life so far; embarrassing on-stage moments, including forgotten lyrics; and her relative lack of talent on the ukulele. She then performs the 1930 song "Goofus."

The final guest, Johnson, sits down and comments on his plans to run for office in California; the many jobs from which he is forbidden because of his time in prison; encounters and misunderstandings with apprehensive strangers; an odd tale from a would-be bar robbery; his expert suggestions for improvements to a new burglar alarm; the social structure of prison; and his popularity in Celina, Ohio, thanks to Carson's on-air comments. Includes commercials and promos.

Details

  • NETWORK: NBC
  • DATE: February 24, 1976 11:30 PM
  • RUNNING TIME: 1:16:01
  • COLOR/B&W: Color
  • CATALOG ID: B:82064
  • GENRE: Talk/Interview
  • SUBJECT HEADING: Talk/Interview; Comedy/Variety
  • SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1962-1992
  • COMMERCIALS:
    • TV - Commercials - AMC Pacer automobiles
    • TV - Commercials - Beautyrest mattresses
    • TV - Commercials - General Foods International Coffees
    • TV - Commercials - Green Giant Le Sueur Combinations vegetables
    • TV - Commercials - La Choy Chinese food
    • TV - Commercials - Lipton Cup-a-Soup
    • TV - Commercials - Ore-Ida frozen potatoes
    • TV - Commercials - Purina Kitten Chow
    • TV - Commercials - Revlon Natural Wonder make-up
    • TV - Commercials - SuperScope tape recorders
    • TV - Commercials - Swift Premium Brown 'N Serve beef sausage
    • TV - Commercials - Tropicana orange juice
    • TV - Commercials - Vicks Formula 44 cough medicine
    • TV - Commercials - WaterPik shower massager
    • TV - Promos - "The Dean Martin Roast"
    • TV - Promos - "The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case"
    • TV - Promos - "Tomorrow"

CREDITS

  • The NBC Orchestra … Music by
  • Tommy Newsom … Conductor
  • Johnny Carson … Host
  • Doc Severinsen … Co-Host
  • Freddie Prinze … Guest, Performer
  • Betty Garrett … Guest, Performer
  • Joey Bishop … Guest
  • Ray Johnson … Guest
  • Richard Burton
  • Gerald Ford
  • John F. Kennedy
  • Buddy Hackett
  • Richard Nixon
  • Ronald Reagan
  • Elizabeth Taylor
  • George Washington
  • Mao Zedong