TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON, THE {SID CAESAR; ART CARNEY; KELLY GARRETT; GUNTHER GEBEL-WILLIAMS; CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER} (TV)
Summary
One in this series of late-night talk/variety programs hosted by Johnny Carson. On this program, the guests include Ringling Brothers animal trainer Gunther Gebel-Williams, actor Christopher Plummer, singer Kelly Garrett, comedian Sid Caesar, and actor Art Carney.
In his opening monologue, Carson comments on the following topics, among others: the show's temporary stay in New York and the city's many quirks; the Watergate hearings; and a recent surfeit of counterfeit money. Carson also briefly discusses his duties as host of the upcoming Emmy Awards with Ed McMahon.
He then welcomes first guest Gebel-William, who discusses the "kindly" tigers with which he works and the need for constant caution when working with wild animals. He shows a film clip of himself working with a dozen circus tigers at once as well as with elephants. He explains that the animals grow more difficult to work with as they age and that he feeds the animals personally on a specific schedule, detailing how he "praises" and "scolds" the tigers for their behavior. Carson then meets three of the tigers, the older Prince and two eight-month-olds.
The next guest, Plummer, takes the stage to discuss his recent role as the title character in "Cyrano de Bergerac" on Broadway; the positive reviews of the show and the "gift" of the role; varying audience reactions and other famous actors' techniques for getting applause; the proper pronunciation of the character's name and his real-life existence; his role as Christian de Neuvillette in a 1955 TV production of "Cyrano" alongside Jose Ferrer as the protagonist; his sense of Canadian pride; and his experience socializing with and hearing tales of hard-drinking U.K. actors, including Richard Burton and Richard Harris.
After Garrett sings "Do You Remember These," Caesar performs a short comedy sketch entitled "Coming Attractions," and sits down with Carson to discuss his first film, "Tars and Spars" (1946), filmed while he was still in the service; his recent Straw Hat Award, presented to him by Cary Grant; his sense of "awe" around famous stars and longtime desire to meet Charlie Chaplin; a comedy bit involving a basket and a pretend poisonous snake; his near-encounter with Albert Einstein, which segues into his "German professor" character; a clip from "Ten From Your Show of Shows" (1973), a compilation of sketches from his famous variety series with Imogene Coca; and his relative lack of rehearsal for a complex comedy/action scene.
The last guest, Carney, takes the stage and performs an impromptu dance, then sits down with Carson to discuss his stage role in "The Prisoner of Second Avenue" by Neil Simon alongside his wife Barbara Isaac; the piano as his "first love"; and a demonstration of comedic "sidewalk takes." He plays a number on the piano, and the show closes with a jam session featuring Carson on drums and Caesar on saxophone. Includes commercials.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: May 18, 1973 11:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:30:00
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:76143
- GENRE: Talk/Interviews
- SUBJECT HEADING: Talk/Interview; Comedy
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1962-1992
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - Cool Whip whipped cream
- TV - Commercials - General Electric Lexan plastics
- TV - Commercials - Keds Grasshoppers shoes
- TV - Commercials - Kodak film
- TV - Commercials - Lennox furnaces
- TV - Commercials - Marriott's Essex House hotel
- TV - Commercials - Mrs. Smith's Thaw-and-Serve pies
- TV - Commercials - Ozite Colony Point carpeting
- TV - Commercials - Pillsbury Streusel Swirl cake mix
- TV - Commercials - Pizza Hut restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Revlon Extra-Long Big Lash mascara
- TV - Commercials - Salad Crispins croutons
- TV - Commercials - Sanka decaffinated coffee
- TV - Commercials - United Airlines
CREDITS
- NBC Orchestra … Music by
- Doc Severinson … Conductor
- Johnny Carson … Host
- Ed McMahon … Co-Host
- Kelly Garrett … Performer
- Sid Caesar … Guest, Performer
- Art Carney … Guest, Performer
- Gunther Gebel-Williams … Guest
- Christopher Plummer … Guest
- Richard Burton
- Charlie Chaplin
- Imogene Coca
- Albert Einstein
- Jose Ferrer
- Cary Grant
- Richard Harris
- Barbara Isaac
- Neil Simon