Where's Johnny?

As I write this, it is the twenty year anniversary of Johnny Carson's last The Tonight Show. 

 

Johnny Carson was a constant in my life, having ascended to the late night spot on NBC around the time I learned to walk.  Throughout childhood, his voice was the sound by which I fell asleep, emanating as it did from behind my parents’ bedroom door night after night.   Occasionally, my parents would still be laughing the next morning about Floyd or the Matinee Lady from the night before.   There were no VCRs or DVRs in those days; its fixed late night timeslot rendered the show forbidden territory for kids my age.

I remember the first time I saw the Tonight Show.  I was babysitting for the child of some family friends when I finally was awake late enough to see what all the fuss was about.  I was well rewarded.  Dom DeLuise was the guest for what would become one of the great classics of all time.  He set up an elaborate trick with five glasses of water.  Across them he placed a tray and five small cylinders, each positioned above one of the glasses.  On each cylinder he placed a raw egg, taken from a large bowl of eggs sitting on the table.  From under the table he produced a straw broom; he placed the bristles on the floor under his foot and angled the handle against the tray.  Then, pulling it back, he snapped the broomstick against the tray, sending it and the cylinders flying while the five eggs fell—predictably yet remarkably—into the five glasses of water.

With little provocation, the scene disintegrated into an impromptu battle of comedic one-upmanship.  Carson picked up an egg and hurled it at DeLuise who then returned fire, tossing one, two, three eggs at Carson.  Not to be outdone, Carson caught each of the three eggs and instantly began juggling them.  When DeLuise continued to launch eggs, Carson walked over, picked one up and broke it across DeLuise’s bald head leaving a lingering yolk while whites dripped down his face.   DeLuise then took one of the glasses of water and poured it all over Carson’s suit.   Taking a comedic beat, Carson then stared DeLuise straight in the eyes and held out an egg, tauntingly.  He grabbed the other man’s belt and dropped the egg in his pants, smashing it all over his nether region.  But what Carson did next showed his real comic genius.  He picked up another egg and placed it in his own pants, smashing it until its fate was self-evident, oozing through the custom suit.  It was a showstopper, signaling the end of the sketch and sealing Carson’s undisputed comic supremacy.  Carson held out his hand and the two men shook; then arm and arm they walked off stage.

I have so many memories of Johnny Carson as a late night guest in my bedroom.  His double takes with precious animals.  The inevitably side-splitting breaks in character as Carnac (MacIntosh, Dolly Parton and Ford Pinto: “Name an Apple, a pear(pair), and a lemon!”)  The way he succumbed to tears anytime a guest sang, “I’ll Be Seeing You.” 

There is a lot of talent in the late night time slot today, but we will never again see the likes of Johnny Carson.   Today’s brand of humor is very in-your-face; Johnny never took a laugh at someone else’s expense.  He was a warm and engaging interviewer who always listened to the answer after asking a question.  He was especially gracious to elderly and child guests.  Always genuine and always a gentleman, he talked to his audience respectfully—those in the studio and those at home—as if he was honored to be their invited guest.

Here's to you, Johnny!

Tomorrow's blog:  Naked Chef Wears His Cup Well