This clip makes it so clear why Johnny Carson and America had a 30 year love affair. He had us in the palm of his hand and we loved every minute of it.
Carson making the best of those times when things went south was one of the things that made him so good. Sometimes the show was its funniest when he was doing bomb control, rather than jokes 'working'.
It was so good you didn’t realize it until he retired & the gigantic vacuum it left. The only one to come close was David Letterman & even he readily admitted many times he was nothing like Carson.
One of my favorites is the Christmas toy episode. He fires a small cannon, then moves on to a basketball player shooting baskets. When he can’t make a shot he shoots it with the cannon!
That was because they couldn’t get the ball into the basket, so Johnny took the cannon, pointed it at the player, said “won’t make any baskets, eh?” and obliterated it
It is wonderful to watch these clips from 30+ years ago, they are as fantastic now as they were then. I can only assume that viewership of videos on RU-vid and streaming on Netflix and Amazon has skyrocketed over the past many months. It certainly beats what is on television in the current climate!
David, I laughed till I cried! This was indeed the time when late night TV was fun to watch! If I'm up at 11:30, I don't need a TV, just my tablet and your RU-vid Channel!!! Keep these great videos coming!!! Thank You!!!
Carson's 'bomb' monologues were usually funnier than the 'planned' ones. I think some of the 'stinkers' were planned after a while...just fet the weak jokes out of the way in one night, and let Docm Tommy, or Ed...or even Fred...chime in.
Johnny and Ed used to love the time between the monologue and first guest because if there was no sketch planned (I.e. Carnac, Aunt Blabby) they’d get to banter about something in the news or their weekends and often they’d get totally silly. But the greatest example of this was when Johnny and Doc were talking about thanksgiving, beyond hilarious
@@jennifersman7990 I preferred Johnny and Ed (and sometimes Doc) just schmoozing with Johnny for 7 or 8 minutes to a sketch. That was sometimes the best part of the show. It won't be replicated.
I miss the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. I grew up watching him in the 70's/80's. He will always be the undisputed king of late night. The closest modern day equivalent was Craig Ferguson. Conan O'Brien is fine, too. Ferguson is no longer on the air and after Conan retires, that will be the end of classic late night talk. Jimmy Kimmel, I can tolerate him, he's ok. Jimmy Fallon? Smh. Fallon knows nothing about late night talk, except that he does most of the talking, and that annoying laugh of his.
That was when it was the best when everyone got involved and Johnny left them and Johnny egg them on and it just made him more endearing to everyone and everyone loved his friends you know no matter who it was if you were friends with Johnny you are friends with the world at least our world that tonight show world which was 90% of America and who knows other countries but he did well in Asian countries because they didn't understand him just kidding we miss you Johnny
David Perkins AmEx was involved in a salad oil scandal in the 60s - lent money to for oil collateral when there was none - plain water with a top layer of oil - I am aware because I worked there . So indirect reference I guess
@@dhpbear2 You are welcome. Honestly, Johnny Carson may not have been referring to the salad oil scandal 10 years after it happened. Possibly would have had to do with Newman and his salad dressing business where he pledged that all profits would go to charities and I am aware the IRS wanted him to prove it.
Carson had more talent in his little finger than Kimmel, Colbert, Fallon combined. He was such a natural comedian. Carson also knew to avoid politics, yet the current clowns are obsessed with it. In fact Carson warned about late night talk hosts becoming political, stating “That’s a danger. It’s a real danger”. The current late night clowns should go back and watch Carson and read some of his interviews. Late night television will never be half as good as Carson. Sad.
Mr. Carson did, in fact, delve into politics, but the difference is that it was never mean spirited. He appealed to the irony of current thought in such a way that it did not tear anyone down. He would throw it out there, we laughed, but he moved on - not harping on a particular topic. Ronald Reagan and 3x5 cards? Nixon library locked? That was about as far in as he would venture. But one had to be aware of current events to understand the humor. Johnny's audiences were savvy, as most people here are. His ability to pivot was unequaled.
Who knew this was the place to complain about today’s hosts, politics and whatever else people can bitch about. Just enjoy the clip people, for fucks sake.
@3:25 Fred says "When you mentioned..." and I cannot understand who he was referring to, sounds like "Corbin Manaci." A wonderful show. Truly entertaining.
Ha ha ha. A couple of years ago I contacted the Ronald Reagan Museum and Library for a research project. I wanted to confirm the accuracy of the records they had of his speeches while he was president. They cautioned me that the written speeches shouldn't be taken as historically accurate. The said that Reagan often deviated from the prepared materials when he made the speeches. Walter Cronkite wrote in his book that Reagan often told a story about his time as a radio sports announcer. Reagan tells people that they received wire reports from location for away games. He would be in the stations' studio reading information from the game as if he was in attendance. Well one time the line goes out and Reagan just keeps giving a play by play with a batter fouling off a bunch of pitches until the line is restored. Cronkite was also a radio sports announced and insists that Reagan stole the story from him. Reagan included the story in his book An American Life.
@aDBo'Ch 1 the reason I mention it is because DeCordova told Johnny to hurry up as he was eulogizing his son's death on air. He never forgave him for that and banned him from the set forever. What a heartless punk DeCordova was.
@@MarkSmith-hf5nh After the incident , he hated his guts and even said so. DeCordava was garbage to him. He also hated his mother, "to her rotten core"
