10at10 Club

Main Discussion Area => In Memoriam, Happy Birthday => Topic started by: RGMike on January 23, 2005, 11:36:28 AM

Title: RIP Johnny Carson
Post by: RGMike on January 23, 2005, 11:36:28 AM
:cry:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20050123/ap_on_en_tv/obit_carson

I'll have my favorite Carson stories after I gather my thoughts...
Title: showing some pretty funny clips on NBC now
Post by: ggould on January 23, 2005, 07:49:00 PM
young Steve Martin, and many others
Title: what I posted on the other site
Post by: mshray on January 23, 2005, 08:19:44 PM
RIP to the greatest TV ever saw.

I can still remember watching his final show in'92. He did a big Highlight/Best-of show on the penultimate night, but on the final night it was just him, Ed & Doc, w/Robin Williams & Bette Midler. Williams was so moved that he was more restrained than I had ever seen him & only mildly funny. Then Bette said that she knew Johnny's favorite song, which was some relatively obscure jazz tune that I'd never heard, and even he was surprised that she knew it. She started singing it & he actually joined in, and how either of them kept their composure I'll never know. It was so touching & so unscripted that it was just the perfect finale, and everyone knew it. Williams & McMahon were both weeping & so were my brother & I sitting in his living room. From that moment you just knew it was the end of an era.
Title: Memoies of Johnny
Post by: RGMike on January 24, 2005, 08:57:40 AM
Well Goodman didn't have a lot to say about Carson because he's not old enough to have watched Carson as a kid. (Pause while we reflect on our own mortality. Ahem.)

I remember what a treat it was to get to stay up and watch Johnny -- it was one of the reasons I looked forward to summer vacation.

My favorite Carson joke:  He had Don Rickles (a frequent guest) on one night back in the '70s. Rickles was famous for a number of failed TV series and even more unsold pilot episodes (this was pre-"CPO Sharkey", the closest he ever came to a hit show).  The subject came up and Carson said "you've had your hand in more pilots than a Air Force proctologist".

The most oft-repeated Carson anecdote is the one about Eva (or maybe Zsa Zsa) Gabor. This was also early '70s. Supposedly she came out and sat on the couch with her pet cat and said to Johnny, "would you like to pet my pussy?" To which Carson replied "You'll have to move the cat."

Now, a friend of mine in high school saw that show and came in the next day and told us the story. I have no reason to believe he made it up, and there are many many people who SWEAR they saw it too. It's in "urban legend" territory. But over the years NBC and Carson's PR people have consistently denied that it ever happened. Here's a link to an Urban Legend website page about the story:

http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/zsazsa.htm
Title: favorites from Johnny
Post by: mshray on January 24, 2005, 09:39:23 AM
Just last week I was reminiscing about Johnny & thinking how much I missed his presence on TV.  I was thinking specifically about what a great Oscar host he was, and wondering what it would take to lure him out of retuirmenet to host this year's event.  No we can look forward to seeing him memorialized instead.

My favorite straight up joke that Johnny told was from a week in which Letterman was doing his show from the west coast & Johnny was to be his guest that night.  Johnny told the audience that he was only going to tell following joke up to the punch line, but that he would tell the punchline (& only the punchline) on Letterman.

Mrs. O'Malley is cleaning her house one afternoon when there comes a knock on the door.  She opens the door to see two somber men in black suits.  "Mrs. Liam O'Malley?" the first one asks, "We're from the brewery where your husband works, may we come in?"

She says, "Certainly, how can I help you?"

"Ma'am, there's been a terrible accident at the brewery.  We're sorry to tell you this, but your husband is dead."

"Oh dear lord!" she cries, "What happened?"

The first man replies, "Well he was up on the catwalk and fell into a 100,000 gallon vat of beer, and he drowned."

"My poor Liam," she exclaims, "He couldn't swim.  He never had a chance."


[insert 1 hr delay until Carson appears on Letterman, where as soon as he sits down he tells Dave, "I have some unfinished business from my show, this will only take a second."  And then he looks into the camera and says...]

At which point the second man speaks up for the first time, "I'm not so sure about that ma'am.  He got out twice to go to the bathroom."

My favorite monologue quip came when Johnny was responding to the annual results of the federal highway survey wherein each state, in order to qualify for federal matching funds, must demonstrate that a majority of its drivers do not exceed the speed limit:

"Do they really think anyone believes that 50.1% of California drivers keep it below 55?  Here in Southern California the only time anyone drives that slow is if they're changing a flat."

Bah dum bum