TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON, THE {FLORENCE HENDERSON; GEORGE CARLIN, ORSON BEAN, DR. MELVIN ANCHELL} (TV)
Summary
One in this series of late-night talk/variety programs hosted by Johnny Carson. Carson's guests for this program are actress/singer Florence Henderson, comedian George Carlin, actor/comedian Orson Bean, and author/sex researcher Dr. Melvin Anchell.
In his opening monologue, Carson touches on the following topics, among others: Carson's recent wedding to third wife Joanna Holland; presidential hopeful George McGovern's meeting with Cardinal Terence Cooke; Richard Nixon's likely upcoming victory over McGovern; Ozzie and Harriet Nelson's 37th wedding anniversary; and Los Angeles Ram quarterback Roman Gabriel's recent experience with acupuncture.
Carson and announcer Ed McMahon then discuss a letter from a fan who recently "viewed" the show via radio, after which first guest Bean joins Carson and discusses whether his current facial hair renders him a "ninny"; debate about the "political statement" implied by a beard; his current residence in Florida in a full-sized bus, which has been transformed into a camper of sorts; his old nightclub act in which he'd read oddball stories from newspapers; his upcoming role in the musical "Promises, Promises" in New Jersey, having also appeared in the show in Australia; how he and wife Carolyn Maxwell became their own contractors when renovating a home together; and his decision to embrace "being a bum" and taking jobs and roles only when financially necessary.
Next, Henderson takes the stage and congratulates Carson on his marriage, then discusses her son's memorable comments to the priest at her daughter's baptism; having to make an emergency landing after a bomb scare on a plane; a near-disaster with the camera boat while shooting ocean scenes for the Hawaii-based episodes of "The Brady Bunch"; and a close call with a malfunctioning set in "The Girl Who Came to Supper," for which Bean shares a similar stage "faux pas" that resulted in a broken arm. Henderson then sings a medley of "That Face," "I Feel the Earth Move" and "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face."
Carlin then chats about his recent legal troubles in Milwaukee, where he was arrested for "disorderly conduct and profanity" after sharing his famous "seven dirty words" routine with an enthusiastic audience; and the importance of the First Amendment and following one's "intuitive feeling" about the right moments to use profanity. He then performs a stand-up routine about his origins in an Irish neighborhood of "White Harlem" in New York City; the true meanings of certain inner-city insults; the positive effects of marijuana on gang violence; his "class clown" persona and desire to impersonate a priest in order to eavesdrop on confessions; and his observations on racial dialects, including the "musical" sounds of Puerto Rican baseball fans.
Finally, Carson welcomes Anchell, the "Barry Goldwater of sex" and author of the book "Sex and Sanity," who offers thoughts on the social and psychological dangers of the current climate of "free love and perversion." Carson and Carlin attempt to understand why sexual acts between consenting adults are inherently "disgusting and shameful," and Anchell's argues that going against one's instinctive revulsion to said acts contributes to the "moral decay" of society. Includes commercials.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: October 11, 1972 11:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:15:45
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:73276
- GENRE: Talk/Interview
- SUBJECT HEADING: Talk/Interview; Comedy/Variety; Music; Sexuality
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1962-1992
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - Dinty Moore beef stew
- TV - Commercials - Dupont Lucite wall paint
- TV - Commercials - Electrolux vacuum cleaners
- TV - Commercials - ExxonMobil corporation
- TV - Commercials - Fisher-Price toys
- TV - Commercials - Gaines Prime dog food
- TV - Commercials - General Electric Soft White lightbulbs
- TV - Commercials - Hormel chili
- TV - Commercials - Pfeiffer salad dressing
- TV - Commercials - Purina Cat Chow cat food
- TV - Commercials - Reynolds Brown-in-Bag turkey bags
- TV - Commercials - Scott's Liquid Gold wood cleaner
- TV - Commercials - Sheraton-Universal hotels
- TV - Commercials - Social Security services
- TV - Commercials - Sunbeam Shavemaster electric shavers
- TV - Commercials - Vanquish pain reliever
- TV - Commercials - Volkswagen automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Whirlpool appliances
CREDITS
- NBC Orchestra, The … Music by
- Doc Severinsen … Conductor
- Johnny Carson … Host
- Ed McMahon … Announcer
- Florence Henderson … Guest, Performer
- George Carlin … Guest, Performer
- Orson Bean … Guest
- Melvin Anchell … Guest
- Terence Cooke
- Roman Gabriel
- Joanna Holland
- Carolyn Maxwell
- George McGovern
- Ozzie Nelson
- Harriet Nelson
- Richard Nixon