LoveFlatfootin1, Agreed - back then we called it "Johnny" show I saw him/her on Johnny. so many Hollywood greats have passed on that were on during Mr. Carson time hosting and he and Ed McMahon being gone for few years television is such a different place, I enjoy nostalgia in the good old days watch a lot of old material like this myself.
The most endearing quality that Johnny had was how comfortable he was around his guest stars. He never interrupted them with his ego or tried to one up them. There have been many to try and take his Crown but Johnny Carson will forever be The King of Late Night Television. Rich Little is the King of Impression.
Well said,Jerry...2 entertainment 'titans"..doing thier thing,in thier prime...Johnny, the King of late nite,,Rich Little,the King of impressions,,both Giants,2nd to none in thier field!!👌
I loved Johnny as a kid. I had to sneak around to watch him because he came on pass my bed time lol. The only guy who comes close to Johnny in my opinion is Craig Ferguson and unfortunately he gave up his late night spot 😩 now there’s no one
Man, 43 years later and this is still very funny! I miss this openness when these talented people hang out together and just have fun and enjoy each others skill :) RIP Johnny we miss you very much...
Rich is definitely one of a kind! My wife and I met him about 4 years ago and I did my Nixon & Jimmy Stewart impressions for him and he was blown away and told me personally to "Keep their legacies alive and well! Especially Jimmy!!!"
What!? You don't like David Letterman!? Just kidding. I really remember and like him too. I really haven't watched that late night show since, yet I well remember some of his interviews.
We need Johnny back. He is sorely missed. I haven’t seen a late shoe since he’s been gone. Well, maybe a couple of Letterman, but not the whole show. The rest of the guys are a waste of time. They have no charisma, which to them must be a social disease of some sort. Johnny was the best. He set a very high bar for others to reach. None have come close. If there is a heaven, I’m sure Johnny and Ed are still performing. I intend to catch all of their shows when I get there.
His impressions of former President Richard Nixon was so good I can hear it in my head today!,..... "I am the President! Let me m ake this Crystal Clear!
He was the BEST!! I especially liked the show's when he used to have Joan Embery on from the San Diego zoo. Johnny was so funny with some of the animals.
There is so much in this Rich Little appearance that illustrates the greatness of Carson's Tonight Show and of Carson himself as host. He is far and away the best person ever to do this type of thing. He is very knowing and sophisticated and assured and charming, but still has the energy and fun of the wise cracking kid at the back of the class in high school. I don't know if we produce this type of person any more, or if we let them get to the top.
ironpyrites: they'd be fined, arrested in Californication for showing GOD-given talent; Communism duzn't reward individual-ism unless it's murder, slavery or some such.
And while he'd sometimes repeat something in response to a funny quip or impression, he didn't feel compelled to try to top it, which is a rare gift -- letting his guest have their moment in the Sun helped make him the enormous success he was.
That Bogart impression at the end, that is so spot on. That dedication and skill to remember those lines and mannerisms so well takes time. Never seen this clip before. Thanks so much.
@@mitchsherwood822 Great movie. And in Colour. Some good copies ( either of the top 2 on the list ) are worth downloading from Pirate Bay. And of course free as well.
Growing up I always loved when Rich Little appeared on any show, including Carson. I hadn’t seen him in a long time and forgotten how good he was in his prime. This was great.
bagerra\\\\ interject and NOT interrupt , what a GREAT OBSERVATION from your part , i will use it wisely in ALL my conversations no doubt...thanks. these days most people don't listen , only thinking about what THEY will say in order to interrupt , making it a sad communication between two human beings....ahh the old days where RESPECT had a huge part in all ways of life.
No pedantry here. The commenter pointed out one of Johnny's greatest interviewing talents. Some say he was nasty when in his cups. Funny how that happens.
No vulgarity, but that was the network's doing. Johnny and others did push the envelope. Part of his appeal was his sort of...I guess sophisticated naughtiness is the word.
in about '76 a stand up male comedian did a routine- "excuses that wives use for not having sex" each one was the name of a race horse, and he did it in the voice of a "horse race announcer" all i remember was "i have a headache is third..."i heard the whole audience gasp for air- just to bust out laughing- even harder. he left- johnny was wiping his eyes- he just motioned for them to go to commercial, and when the ads were over , johnny was still holding the rag to his face! would love to know WHO that was, and get a copy of that routine!
Not only will there never be another show LIKE Carson's Tonight Show and the variety of talent he had on, the ART of Entertaining an Audience and the Guests is lost. It is sad that we CAN'T look forward to real late night entertainment anymore.
Now It isn't PC to be funny. You can't even tell a joke without someone saying their feelings are hurt or whatever. I guess that isn't allowed anymore. The left is killing comedy. Yeah, I said it.
Wow, it was a different country back then. I was 11 or 12 when this show aired and I remember those days. People had so much more class and intelligence.
wb6162 .....True. It's so weird that evolution implies 'progress' of the human race. Now its normal for people to shoot at other people while driving. I guess that's progress from just honking at a stupid driver. Many more examples too....
wb6162... your assessment 100% correct: people more intelligent. Why? They hadn't as many years of being Common Core-d... socialism inculcated by our U.S. Dept. of Mis-Education. Pray for our Nation
So very very. Love watching Johnny and Rich was a gem! Love the James Stewart impression and he is spot on with Johnny and Nixon as well as Ed Sullivan.Johnny is great as well. As a star, Johnny could make each night shine with his keen since of humor his hilarious acts and the greatest stars to ever walk the stage. That’s show business. Thanks for entertaining me as well as my parents. Those really were the days. 😊✌️💜🌹
Johnny Carson , in retrospect, had the best voice as an interviewer or for anything else. I don't think people really appreciate how special that tenor/bass voice was, and I haven't heard anything close since.
He was my favourite as a kid, and Frank Gorshin is great too and later the cast of SCTV, oh I sure miss watching Johnny, thank God for these video's on RU-vid!!!!!!!!!!!
@@yankee2666 Yes, you're stupid - and laughably so. I'm a huge (huge) Caliendo fan, but he couldn't touch Rich Little in his prime. He's a funnier comedian, but as far as impersonations ahhh no, not quite. A respectable second though.
Johnny was such a good host, I took it for granted him being on every night. Miss those times when life was simpler and stars were not pushing an agenda.
You never knew Johnny's politics. He intentionally avoided bringing his views into his show. Friends said he was most likely a Republican but he was anti war, pro abortion rights, etc., which to me gives him some libertarian leanings.
@@BobInKC1 He had no choice. The censors would have taken him off the air if he'd expressed a political opinion. That's what they did to the Smothers Brothers.
Or Joan Rivers or David Brenner or Joey Bishop or John Davidson or Bob Newhart or.... dunno, it seemed he had a guest host as often as not in the later years.
It's so nice to time travel back to a place in history when comedians had the talent to do political humor without forcing an agenda. I feel so bad for this generation that missed out on the golden age of late night television, that featured _real_ talents with class, such as Johnny Carson, Rich Little, Rodney Dangerfield, Jonathan Winters... I could go on forever with this...
yes they made light of any politician that screwed up, or made the news, be it a Republican or democrat. I remember the Ted Kennedy, Gerald Ford, Richard Nixon, jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, in particular. and none of it seemed mean.....
Un. be. lievable. I remember watching Rich Little when I was very young, can't even remember where. But after watching this and being so much older, I gotta believe this guy is the greatest impressionist of all time. I don't think I've seen anyone hit the nail on the head with as many subjects as Rich. This is unreal. So talented.
After I logged in to youtube today I couldn't believe this video was recommended. I haven't thought about Rich Little in years. What a classic. I grew up watching the man and still enjoy seeing this.
I'll never forget the time Rich Little hosted the show and did his impression of Johnny the entire night! He never once broke character. It was damned impressive from the greatest impressionist ever. I think his favorite character to do was Johnny. I also think Rich doing Johnny was Carson's least favorite character. It was because despite all of his success Johnny was still a little boy from Nebraska and a tiny bit insecure. It's why Johnny rarely sang, even though he was actually quite good at it.
@@penelopelopez8296 That's not surprising. He valued his privacy and saw that as an invasion of it. Another reason was because Johnny always wanted the show to be about the guests. Johnny also rarely talked to the guests before the show. He relied on his staff to talk to them and give him a list of questions and topics to talk about.
@@penelopelopez8296 Not to mention that Little was banned from ever appearing on the Tonight Show. I wonder what would've happened if those who had been banned from The Tonight Show had barged onto the set despite the ban?
You damned Canadians...trying to suck America down into your pit. Rich became an American(I can’t italicize American enough, or at all) after this appearance.
Speaking, of The Great White North........Dave Thomas, of "SCTV" fame, is the greatest Bob Hope Impersonator and/or Impressionist, ever, as if you did not know and he just turned 71, as of May 20. Happy Birthday, to him.
@@TheKiller-yh3pi When the U.S. gets an official language , then the people of the U.S. can criticize Canada .Until it does , Rich will always be a Canadian, he learned his craft in Canada .
sjtom57 nbc fucked up when they made the host go from. An all round talented entertainer to a basic comic. I feel conan is the closest to johnny out of all of them.
Carson was sort of like your father. A great sense of humor. A powerful presence. You saw him almost every day and you thought he would be there forever. Then one day he was gone.
I loved this man. When I was a kid, I stuttered, and one day discovered that doing impressions of people I knew, cartoon characters, whatever, curbed my stammer to the point where it was almost unnoticed. I'd tried all kinds of methods to control my speech, but emulating other vocal patterns was the only thing that worked well. Now I barely stutter at all. Thanks, Rich!
Trip down memory lane. Was always great way to end every day, spending time with Johnny Carson. Thanks for all the fond memories and many, many laughs.
Rich Little is definitely the greatest impressionist of all time. Other cinediana have done good jobs at continuing the art such as John Byner and Dana Carvey, but Rich Little tops them all.
I love this show! Good clean fun. Just turned 60 this year and it's all completely changed. Watching Rich Little was a blast from the past. Thank you sir!
There still weren't many mutiple-TV households yet, but a lot of folks had TVs on wheels, and could roll the set into the bedroom to watch Carson in bed.
Back then we didn't have tv with people talking about themselves, and attacking people who don't agree with them. People were more educated, and not by brainwashing like the liberal schools do now.
Rich Little was an incredible impressionist. He could do spot on impressions, so perfect you couldn't tell it was an impression. He also had his own show which was great but it didn't gain momentum with it's small audience. ❤
I never thought I would feel this way myself, but I know what you’re talking about. I feel the same way. And I’m 50 years old! Sometimes I look at my computer, smart phone, and all the other crap and wish that they did not exist. I wish I could go back to the 1990s when none of the stuff was really around to the extent that it is today. Oh well. At least we can vicariously experience that time through these video clips.
Gee Ess my mother always told me, if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say ANYTHING at all!!!!! Oh, wher were you when these beatings were going on?????
Thellbro: try blue velvet bellbottom pants, maroon & white Patent-leather shoes... sox optional, a psychedelic guitar- strap 4 a belt topped off w/a Shirt that looked like one of my gr.-gramma's animal feedsacks in tiny flower designs (purple, green, maroon: I had all three for variety)... all worn @ the same time. Fortunately I remember few people laughing To My Face!! GOD Is Good!!!
Carson's ego got the best of him, and he tended to dislike guests who likely outshine him on his own show or gave an impression that hit him in certain sensitive spots related to his personality. He was very subtle when he hated people on the air vs. off the show.
As a Canadian, it is amazing to me that most Americans think that Rich Little is ALSO an American citizen; he is not, but we don't mind 'loaning' him out to do great shows like Johnny Carson's Tonight Show.........lay them in the aisles, Rich!
My boyfriend & I used to rush home in my 65 Mustang to settle in & watch Johnny Carson .. Forget the "News Year Years" parties in LA - Fine when you brand new, young & on the scence ... After a few close calls on & off the LA Freways ... learn'in comes fast .... The saftey of Home, comfy bed, great food ... snuggled up in my boyfriends warm safe arms ... LIFE could not get any better ... A WONDERFUL memory in Deed !♡!
Say what you will, but Carson was a genuinely talented, intelligent and well-read host. He was thoroughly prepared before each guest, and you could tell it by the insightful and well-researched questions he asked. A true class act in every regard, as well as certainly being a very complicated and complex man. He is much missed today and every day. Rest in peace, Johnny Carson.
Sorry.above mistake.Yeah I remember seeing this first run.My brother and I stayed up late. On a school night.Eager to see Rich Little.How intrigued we were by this talent.No no one does impressions now.Just because there is no one great enough to mimic. Kinda sad..when you think on it...
I love to watch these old Carson clips now and then. He reminds me of my dad who was a very funny man and was born a month after Johnny in November 1925. Carson and many of the guests he had on remind me of my parents generation and how much they loved to laugh, having lived through some very bad times including the great depression and WWII.
My god this stuff is gold! Rich and Johnny were both artists of the genre and perfected this kind of humor and banter, high water mark, and they played off each other so beautifully and with genuine warmth and mutual admiration. It doesn't get any better.
Sadly, Carson hated Little as time went on. He despised Little's impression of him because it irked his ego, and Little was shocked that Carson bashed/banned him from the Tonight Show after many years.
At least not on the show. Reading the book by Henry Bushkin, Johnny Carson cursed like a sailor (no pun intended, as he served in the navy). He frequently dropped the f-bomb when drunk, used gd, and several other forms of profanity.
He does Nixon as Marley in his Christmas Carol special. He comes out covered in reel to reel tapes instead of chains. Then says the next ghost will appear in exactly 18 1/2 minutes. Just brilliant!
I was 16 at the time and as a kid, I'd hear from my mother, "8:30 get to bed!" but I'd strain to stay awake to to watch the Tonight Show. I remember in a class the teacher asked everyone, "What's your favorite TV show?" And I'd say, "The Johnny Carson show." Lol.
Johnny Carson and Nixon are my favorite Rich Little impressions. And Johnny looking on at his impression, and the Nixon one being done during Watergate is perfection!
I used to love it when I got older and my parents let me watch the Tonight Show. It was the first show they let me watch late in the evening. I miss Johnny a lot. He always had the funniest guests.
Little is very good, Carson is a wonderful interviewer here - I'm beginning to get the cult of Carson subscribed to by Letterman et all - still very watchable 45 years later.
Indieshack Yeah it was fun growing up watching Johnny. I remember being ten in '64, and being allowed to watch the show on Friday nights only unless there was a very special guest on my folks would let us stay up for. Sinatra did the show when we were kids! Can't match that today
The bar was higher. Now, with nearly unlimited outlets, we can enjoy Love after Lockup and Marriage Bootcamp. With so many slots to fill even the garbage gets its own spotlight.
None of them have any talent other than run down other people and get laughs from a paid audience or laugh track.Pretty sick group and to think that people watch them and think they are good.A lost generation of snowflakes.
Frowning Angel, you have to remember that Carson had much talent. He was an equal to those he interviewed, at the very least (being greater than some, and just a bit lower to others...Sinatra comes to mind, but Sinatra loved Johnny). Those doing late night today are hacks at best. To compound that problem, those they interview are equal or lesser than any of them. No one is greater, because all the greats are gone!! Rickles was the last of them.
I heard Johnny was upset with Rich Little for many years and wouldn't allow him back on his show. If that is true it's a sad ending to their friendship.
These guys had talent I’m 64 years old and these roads in 2021 with their fowl language with mother this and F that don’t even come close to the talent these guys have. I sure miss Johnny Carson, I’m so glad Rich is still alive.
Mr. Carson will "NEVER BE MATCHED." You were a "CLASS ACT" that will forever be in our thoughts and prayers, and certainly never be forgotten, and never will be replaced by anyone.
I was 8 that year. And yet I remember Rich Little. He was big then! And I sure do miss Johnny. I watched him until the last show. And I miss that time, when the people I love were alive....
For some reason Little fell out of favor with Carson. No one, including Little himself, ever knew for certain why. Little says in interviews today that it hurt him personally learning of Carson's apparent dislike. I agree with Gabriel, when this was shot in 1973, Carson loved Little and his vast ability to mimic.
