TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON, THE: ROBERT F. KENNEDY TRIBUTE (TV)
Summary
One in this series of late-night talk/variety programs hosted by Johnny Carson. Carson's guests for this special program, in which he has an extended conversation about the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy, assassinated on June 6, are actor Orson Bean, journalist Jimmy Breslin, trial lawyer Louis Nizer, journalist Sander Vanocur, and actor Alan King.
Carson and his guests touch on such topics as: Kennedy's belief in distributing opportunity, not simply wealth, and producing as well as consuming happiness; how the "orgy of emotionalism" in response to his death conflicts with Kennedy's own pragmatic nature; how the "controversial" Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. taught his sons to seek and use power; why Robert was likely the "most public" and divisive member of the famous family; his reputation as being "ruthless," in both his personal life and his career as a prosecutor; how his brother John's death transformed his religious views from "Calvinist" to belief in a compassionate God; stories of the Kennedy family's famous loyalty and closeness to one another; the lighthearted and affectionate nature of Irish wakes; Kennedy's shyness when talking one-on-one, contrasted with his comfort in crowds; Vanocur's trip to Africa with Kennedy and his family; Kennedy's role as the "runt" of the family and his reckless desire to prove himself, with comparisons to imaginative everyman Walter Mitty; how his shocking death has prompted many to consider their own mortality; whether the nature of his assassination will incite change in campaign techniques and politicians' close physical contact with citizens, which Kennedy considered "essential"; the "gross negligence" surrounding John Kennedy's death, as determined by the Warren Commission; why politicians must accept the loss of their personal privacy; debate about whether Kennedy's murder can be blamed on a "sick" overall society; Nizer's views on the right to dissent and why "the majority must not shut the mouth of the minority"; why the current generation is "killing its best young men," namely the Kennedys, Martin Luther King Jr., Medgar Evers, and other "disturbers of the peace"; the natural "belligerence" of the human race and references to the so-called Kennedy family curse; the anger of the "New Left"; King's memories of Kennedy's meaningful conversation with a group of social leaders, then derided in the press as a "cocktail party," the night before Dr. King's funeral; Kennedy's interest in Native American rights and education; whether his interest in minorities' causes helped or harmed his campaign; reconciling the "man and the myth"; his connection with the African-American community, including his memorable announcement of Dr. King's death at a rally in Indianapolis; his sense of himself as a "conscience" and his willingness to be challenged on his actions and beliefs; his preference for spending time with children and animals; his pursuit of politics out of a sense of obligation, rather than out of a "lust" for power; memories of his informal but hard-working career as United States Attorney General; the "remarkable impact" on young people who have witnessed several high-profile assassinations in a short amount of time; how Kennedy would presumably like to be remembered, including his interest in children and commitment to civil rights causes; and why other idealists like Kennedy will advance his goals in his memory. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: June 7, 1968 11:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:19:50
- COLOR/B&W: B&W
- CATALOG ID: B:59077
- GENRE: Talk/Interview
- SUBJECT HEADING: Talk/Interview; Kennedy family; Assassination - Kennedy; Politicians
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Johnny Carson … Host
- Orson Bean … Guest
- Jimmy Breslin … Guest
- Louis Nizer … Guest
- Sander Vanocur … Guest
- Alan King … Guest
- Medgar Evers
- John F. Kennedy
- Joseph P. Kennedy
- Robert F. Kennedy
- Martin Luther King Jr.