TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON, THE {FLIP WILSON; PAT BOONE; TOM DREESEN; LENDON SMITH} (TV)
Summary
One in this series of late-night talk/variety programs hosted by Johnny Carson. Carson's guests for this program are comedian Flip Wilson, singer Pat Boone, comedian Tom Dreesen and pediatric expert Dr. Lendon Smith. In his opening monologue, Carson touches on such topics as: some tips for tourists; the latest adventures of the Viking 1 Mars spacecraft; President Carter's return to New York; rivals Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford's mutual confidence that they can secure the Republican nomination; and suggestions for a movie about the life of infamous political secretary Elizabeth Ray.
Carson announces that NBC Orchestra pianist Ross Tompkins is to perform at the Concord Summer Festival, and he and McMahon chat about Princess Anne's idiosyncratic Received Pronunciation accent and about a Cosmopolitan magazine article that recommends a number of free-spirited "once-in-a-lifetime" activities, to which Carson and McMahon add their own eccentric suggestions.
Next, Wilson takes the stage and performs a stand-up routine in which he comments on the following: his recent "comeback"; the dangers of kids with guns; and a memorable performance by a high-energy reverend who urged his followers to make their church "walk." Wilson then sits down with Carson and discusses his experience being bumped from the show for time on five separate occasions; a funny story about a "prejudiced parrot"; his appearance on "The Six Million Dollar Man" to appease his children, who are fans; his involvement with a high-priced auction of golf star Jack Nicklaus' athletic equipment; his frequent travels for his work with the American Cancer Society; and some upcoming charity appearances alongside the likes of Stevie Wonder and Al Green.
Boone performs "Texas Woman," and then chats with Carson about the following topics: his latest hit record; becoming a grandfather at the relatively young age of forty-two; his youthful appearance, contrasted with Carson's prematurely gray hair; a tribe in New Guinea that allegedly abstains from sex for long periods after marriage; the Summer Olympic Games in Montreal and Howard Cosell's trademark overly-thorough commentary; whether Boone has "peaked" in his athletic ability; and an anecdote about his participation in an impromptu relay race in Dublin several years earlier.
Dreesen then performs a stand-up routine in which he comments on the following: the large Italian Catholic population in his hometown of Chicago; his own large family and the challenges of growing up with many siblings; the clear differences between the rich and poor kids in Midwest Catholic schools and snobby Beverly Hills schools alike; and his recent attempts to train his dog. He then sits down with Carson and briefly discusses how he too was bumped from the show several times, much to his family members' and neighbors' disappointment.
The final guest, Smith, author of "Improving Your Child's Behavior Chemistry" and other books, then joins Carson and the others and comments on the following topics: common misconceptions about pasteurization, raw milk and allergies; the dangers of "liquid calories"; the importance of using one's various muscles to prevent atrophy; the long-term effects of nutrition on evolution; why certain foods cause weight gain in some individuals and not others; debate about the usefulness of spanking one's children, including Boone's Biblical views and alternate suggestions for behavior modification; the relationship between one's blood sugar and one's temperament; and the potential hazards of thumb-sucking. Includes commercials and promos.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: December 10, 1974 11:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:24:26
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:78593
- 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 - Bisquick pancake mix
- TV - Commercials - Coca-Cola soft drinks
- TV - Commercials - Excedrin Extra Strength pain reliever
- TV - Commercials - Johnson Wax floor finish
- TV - Commercials - Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Meow Mix cat food
- TV - Commercials - Nestea iced tea
- TV - Commercials - RC Cola soft drinks
- TV - Commercials - Shout stain remover
- TV - Commercials - Stove Top stuffing mix
- TV - Commercials - United Airlines
- TV - Commercials - Vitalis Super Hold hairspray
- TV - Commercials - Wishbone salad dressing
- TV - Promos - "The Fun Factory"
- TV - Promos - "The Midnight Special"
CREDITS
- The NBC Orchestra … Music by
- Doc Severinsen … Conductor
- Ross Tompkins … Instrumentalist
- Johnny Carson … Host
- Ed McMahon … Co-Host
- Flip Wilson … Guest, Performer
- Pat Boone … Guest, Performer
- Tom Dreesen … Guest, Performer
- Lendon Smith … Guest
- Anne, Princess Royal
- Jimmy Carter
- Howard Cosell
- Gerald Ford
- Al Green
- Jack Nicklaus
- Elizabeth Ray
- Ronald Reagan
- Stevie Wonder