TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON, THE {DIONNE WARWICK, BEAU BRIDGES, CALVIN TRILLIN} (TV)
Summary
One in this series of late-night talk/variety programs hosted by Johnny Carson. Carson's guests for this program are singer Dionne Warwick, actor Beau Bridges, and journalist Calvin Trillin.
In his opening monologue, Carson touches on the following topics, among others: the extremely rainy weather; Burbank's eldery population; a tale of an undercover sting in Los Angeles; the arrival of the Chinese New Year; the "commercialization" of the Olympic Games; Walter Cronkite's upcoming retirement and replacement by Dan Rather instead of his longtime stand-in Roger Mudd; "hard-nosed" former LAPD Chief Ed Davis' plans to run for state senate; and George Washington's upcoming birthday.
Carson then issues a correction regarding the alleged cancellation of "The Wonderful World of Disney," and then relates a harrowing tale from the previous night of flooding inside his home, caused by the heavy rains, which led to a dramatic scene involving his burglar alarm and overflowing swimming pool. Next, in "honor" of Thomas A. Edison's 133rd birthday, Carson discusses his many patents for a variety of famous inventions, and then presents a series of "failed" patents for a number of silly and useless objects.
As the first guest, Warwick sings "Déjà Vu" and "I'll Never Love This Way Again," and then chats with Carson about her Grammy nominations for the songs, both of which she performed live for the first time on "The Tonight Show"; the pros and cons of performing medleys; her upcoming special in Lake Placid, New York; a memorably cold evening performing at Lake Tahoe; and her busy schedule for 1980, including the "Solid Gold 1979" special and other events. Warwick then sings "After You."
Bridges then takes the stage and discusses his given name, Lloyd Vernet Bridges III, and his "Gone With the Wind"-inspired nickname; the involvement of his children in charity events; his youthful looks; blunt advice from younger brother Jeff after a failed audition; his imperfect attempts to satisfy his sons' questions about Santa Claus; and his new NBC series "United States," in which he and Helen Shaver play a down-to-earth married couple with realistic problems, unaided by a studio audience or laugh track. A clip from "States" is then shown.
Finally, Trellin joins the others and comments on his attempts to get back to his "middleweight" for a theoretical boxing match with star Sugar Ray Robinson; his imaginary cousin Harvey, an eccentric "financial wizard"; his travels across the country and views on survivalists; stocking up on food items, including a "bootleg" ham; his former home in Atlanta, Georgia, allegedly the Kremlin's "fourth target" on their list of American cities to attack; Atlanta's Peachtree Plaza Hotel, currently the tallest in the world; and how other similarly tall skyscrapers prevent jumpers. Includes commercials and promos.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: February 15, 1980 11:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:23:16
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:87662
- GENRE: Talk/Interview
- SUBJECT HEADING: Talk/Interview; Comedy/Variety; Music
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1962-1992
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - 7-Up soft drinks
- TV - Commercials - Bell System telephone services
- TV - Commercials - Black & Decker appliances
- TV - Commercials - Campbell's soups
- TV - Commercials - Children's Sucrets throat lozenges
- TV - Commercials - Clairol Final Net hairspray
- TV - Commercials - Colombian coffee
- TV - Commercials - Cup O' Noodles soup
- TV - Commercials - E.F. Hutton financial services
- TV - Commercials - Ford/Lincoln/Mercury automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Gallo wines
- TV - Commercials - Homemade soup starter
- TV - Commercials - Keebler butter pretzel braids snacks
- TV - Commercials - Kellogg's Cracklin' Oat Bran cereal
- TV - Commercials - Lipton chicken noodle soup
- TV - Commercials - Nissin Foods Oodles of Noodles packets
- TV - Promos - "Real People"
- TV - Promos - "The Towering Inferno"
CREDITS
- NBC Orchestra, The … Music by
- Tommy Newsom … Conductor
- Johnny Carson … Host
- Ed McMahon … Announcer
- Dionne Warwick … Guest, Performer
- Beau Bridges … Guest
- Calvin Trillin … Guest
- Jeff Bridges
- Walter Cronkite
- Ed Davis
- Thomas Edison
- Roger Mudd
- Dan Rather
- Helen Shaver
- George Washington