TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON, THE {DENNIS WEAVER, HARVEY KORMAN, LUCIE ARNAZ} (TV)
Summary
One in this series of late-night talk/variety programs hosted by Johnny Carson. Carson's guests for this program are actor Dennis Weaver, comedian Harvey Korman and actress/singer Lucie Arnaz. In his opening monologue, Carson touches on the following topics, among others: last night's "mean" audience; not-so-tempting programs airing on other networks; First Lady Betty Ford's expensive tastes; Congress' questions about potential Vice-President Nelson Rockefeller's infamous finances; an unusually religious hamburger shop in Allen Park, Michigan; the ongoing Los Angeles bus strike; and the price inflation of automobiles and milk. Carson and co-host Ed McMahon then discuss Carson's upcoming twelfth anniversary as the "Tonight Show" host and a story out of West Germany about a woman's desperation to reunite with her lost dog. Carson then reads out a funny list of bizarrely specific "special interest" magazines and articles for those with unusual hobbies.
The first guest, Weaver, joins Carson onstage and comments on the one-time use of his musical talents on his police drama "McCloud"; the memorable experience of filming on the Queensboro Bridge and stopping traffic; an upcoming episode featuring special guest star Shelley Winters; memories of less expensive times; his affection for diminutive character actor Bob Steele; his childhood habit of imitating motion picture stunts, occasionally leading to injury; his very first "girlfriends," two sisters in his first-grade class; memories of "pie suppers," blind date-like fundraising events at his local church; and stories from his days at a Navy pilot, during which he attained the same rank as Carson.
Next, Korman sits down and discusses his recent bodysurfing accident, in which he injured his neck and nearly drowned; his surprise at receiving a dinner invitation from a concerned Carson, who suffered a similar injury in July, and his belief that the entire evening was a joke, thanks to the comical presence of McLean Stevenson and Tim Conway; his healing process and physical therapy; and his promotion of National Learning Disabilities Week, during which nationwide garage sales aim to raise money for the cause.
The final guest, Arnaz, then joins Carson and the others and comments on her role in the current national tour of the musical "Seesaw"; dealing with occasional bad reviews from critics and why promotion matters more to a show's success; painful memories of her first professional acting role; learning from her comedic "taskmaster" mother Lucille Ball; and her experience as a native Californian playing a Jewish New York girl, Gittel, in "Seesaw." She then performs the show's final number, "I'm Way Ahead / Seesaw (Reprise)". In the final moments of the episode, the guests describe their somewhat unimpressive first stage roles, including Korman's small part in Broadway's "The Tower Beyond Tragedy" alongside Judith Anderson. Includes commercials and promos.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: September 18, 1974 11:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:15:05
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:76786
- GENRE: Talk/Interview
- SUBJECT HEADING: Talk/Interview; Comedy/Variety
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1962-1992
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - Aquafilter cigarette filter
- TV - Commercials - Banquet frozen dinners
- TV - Commercials - Beauty Mist panty hose
- TV - Commercials - Behold furniture polish
- TV - Commercials - Bissell upholstery shampoo
- TV - Commercials - Curad bandages
- TV - Commercials - French's mustard and spreads
- TV - Commercials - Lavoris mouthwash
- TV - Commercials - Maxim freeze-dried coffee
- TV - Commercials - McDonald's restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Nytol sleep tablets
- TV - Commercials - Pepto-Bismal stomach medication
- TV - Commercials - Pledge furniture polish
- TV - Commercials - Revlon Natural Wonder Extra-Long Big Lash mascara
- TV - Commercials - StayFree sanitary pads
- TV - Commercials - United Airlines
CREDITS
- The NBC Orchestra … Music by
- Tommy Newsom … Conductor
- Johnny Carson … Host
- Ed McMahon … Co-Host
- Dennis Weaver … Guest
- Harvey Korman … Guest
- Lucie Arnaz … Guest
- Judith Anderson
- Lucille Ball
- Tim Conway
- Betty Ford
- Nelson Rockefeller
- Bob Steele
- McLean Stevenson
- Shelley Winters