2020 Paley Archive Elements 3840x1536 Banner2

TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON, THE {FERNANDO LAMAS; RICHARD PRYOR; ROBYN HILTON; WILLIAM PETER BLATTY} (TV)

Summary

One in this series of late-night talk/variety programs hosted by Johnny Carson. On this program, the guests include actress Robyn Hilton, actor Fernando Lamas, comedian Richard Pryor and author William Peter Blatty. In his opening monologue, Carson comments on the following topics, among others: the ongoing Watergate scandal and the infamous eighteen minutes missing from the Nixon White House tapes; why bandleader Tommy Newsom can be "a little dull" in his personal life; rising prices of meat; and John Wayne's involvement with the satirical Harvard Lampoon newspaper, which presented the notoriously right-wing actor with a sarcastic award of "merit." Carson then questions Newsom about an upcoming concert and "clinic" for students at the University of Wisconsin, and chats with Doc Severinsen, who is sitting in for Ed McMahon, about a number of funny topics, including: questionable mailing "sweepstakes," featuring a letter from a viewer who unexpectedly received a check for ten cents; a newspaper item about exotic dancers forced to dress and perform by candlelight; a bizarre tale of two British toddlers' unintentionally drunken New Year's celebrations; a report about female Coast Guard officers' daily routines; a "slow news day" report about the "thirty-fifth busiest" airport in the world; and rules about unsolicited marketing from mail-order companies.

Hilton then joins Carson onstage and discusses the following: her childhood in Idaho and move to California to become an actress; her admiration for Carole Lombard and other Hollywood stars; her conservative upbringing on a farm; her new film "Blazing Saddles" (1974), originally titled "Black Bart," and its "crazy, insane script"; her role as an inept-but-attractive secretary, in which she was very quickly cast by director Mel Brooks; her interest in astrology and belief in reincarnation; her decision not to pose in Playboy Magazine and her views on nudity and sexuality; and her upcoming role in "Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze" (1975).

The second guest, Lamas, then joins Carson and discusses the following: the flirtatious "advantage" of a foreign accent; how so-called "mysterious" people are frequently simply boring; his preference for going "right to the moment of truth" in romancing someone; his former violent temper and opinions on men and women striking one another; how he now handles negative emotions; his feelings on reincarnation and in the superior strength of women; and his sense that he would choose to share a living space for six months with someone who is "spiritually highly evolved" – but only if he was physically incapacitated.

Pryor then performs a stand-up routine in which he expertly imitates his friends' boisterous drunken antics, and then sits down with Carson to discuss the following: his childhood in Peoria, Illinois and the "semi-race riots" that occurred there; his role as co-writer on "Blazing Saddles"; his first live concert in Washington D.C. and fear that it would be poorly attended; his youthful love of Western action star Alfred "Lash" LaRue; and his earliest comedy "routines" performed for friends and family.

The final guest, Blatty, author of the 1971 novel "The Exorcist" and producer of the new film adaptation, then sits down and comments on: the strongly-divided reactions to the graphic and highly frightening film; his belief that it should not be viewed alone and sense that doing so prompted many critics' negative responses; his strongly unfavorable view of "elitist" New Yorker critic Pauline Kael and the "personal poison" in her writing; reports of audience members fainting while watching the film, which indicate that it has "done what it's supposed to do"; the "psychologically sturdy" young lead actress Linda Blair; the film's extremely high ticket sales and word-of-mouth popularity; its appeal to young people and "neurotics," some of whom may believe themselves to be possessed after viewing it; the novel's basis in real exorcism cases and a disturbing audio recording of one such incident, which is played for Carson and the audience; and how the ending of the novel and the film is often misinterpreted by viewers. Includes commercials.

Details

  • NETWORK: NBC
  • DATE: January 17, 1974 11:30 PM
  • RUNNING TIME: 1:15:12
  • COLOR/B&W: Color
  • CATALOG ID: B:76240
  • GENRE: Talk/Interview
  • SUBJECT HEADING: African-American Collection - Comedy; Talk/Interview; Comedy
  • SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1962-1992
  • COMMERCIALS:
    • TV - Commercials - Alpo dog food
    • TV - Commercials - Banquet frozen chicken
    • TV - Commercials - Behold furniture polish
    • TV - Commercials - Excedrin P.M. painkillers
    • TV - Commercials - Kimbles diapers
    • TV - Commercials - La Choy Chinese food
    • TV - Commercials - Liv-a Snaps dog snacks
    • TV - Commercials - McDonald's restaurants
    • TV - Commercials - One-a-Day vitamins
    • TV - Commercials - Revlon Milk Plus 6 shampoo and conditioner
    • TV - Commercials - Stayfree sanitary pads
    • TV - Commercials - Taster's Choice freeze-dried coffee
    • TV - Commercials - Vicks Formula 44 cough medicine
    • TV - Commercials - Vicks Sinex nasal spray
    • TV - Commercials - Viva paper towels

CREDITS

  • Johnny Carson … Host
  • Doc Severinsen … Co-Host
  • Tommy Newsom … Conductor
  • Robyn Hilton … Guest
  • Fernando Lamas … Guest
  • Richard Pryor … Guest
  • William Peter Blatty … Guest
  • Linda Blair
  • Mel Brooks
  • Pauline Kael
  • Alfred "Lash" LaRue
  • Carole Lombard
  • Richard Nixon
  • John Wayne