131-1019: Ernest Edward Kovacs (January 23, 1919 – January 13, 1962) was an American comedian, actor, and writer. Kovacs's visually experimental and often spontaneous comedic style influenced numerous television comedy programs for years after his death. Kovacs has been credited as an influence by many individuals and shows, including Johnny Carson , Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In , Saturday Night Live , Monty Python's Flying Circus , Jim Henson , Max Headroom , Chevy Chase , Conan O'Brien , Jimmy Kimmel , Captain Kangaroo , Sesame Street , The Electric Company , Pee-wee's Playhouse , The Muppet Show , Dave Garroway , Andy Kaufman , You Can't Do That on Television , Mystery Science Theater 3000 , and Uncle Floyd , among others. Chase even thanked Kovacs during his acceptance speech for his Emmy Award for Saturday Night Live . While Kovacs and his wife Edie Adams received Emmy nominations for Best Performances in
262-747: A Kennedy Center Honor in 1993. During World War II , Carson served in the United States Navy . After the war he started a career in radio, then moved to television and took over as host of the late-night talk show Tonight from Jack Paar in 1962. Carson remained an American cultural icon even after his retirement in 1992. He adopted a casual, conversational approach with extensive interaction with guests, an approach pioneered by Arthur Godfrey and previous Tonight Show hosts Paar and Steve Allen but enhanced by Carson's lightning-quick wit. Former late-night host and friend David Letterman , as well as many others, has cited Carson's influence. Carson
393-529: A communications officer in charge of decoding encrypted messages. While in the Navy, Carson posted a 15–0-1 amateur boxing record, with most of his bouts fought on board Pennsylvania . He was en route to the combat zone aboard a troop ship when the war ended. Carson later said that the high point of his military career was performing a magic trick for U.S. Secretary of the Navy James V. Forrestal . In
524-515: A jazz album to benefit the American Cancer Society in 1957, Listening to Jazz with Ernie Kovacs . It was a 15-minute recording featuring some of the celebrities of the art, including pianist Jimmy Yancey and old original New Orleans Jazz Trumpeter Bunk Johnson , soprano saxophonist Sidney Bechet , guitarist Django Reinhardt , composer/pianist/bandleader Duke Ellington and longtime Ellington trumpeter Cootie Williams . Both
655-610: A legal precedent . Wilcox subsequently kidnapped the children, taking them to Florida. After a long and expensive search, Kovacs regained custody. These events were portrayed in the television movie Ernie Kovacs: Between the Laughter (1984), which garnered an Emmy Award nomination for its writer, April Smith . Kovacs was portrayed by Jeff Goldblum . Kovacs's first wife made a legal attempt to gain custody of her two daughters soon after his death. She began August 2, 1962, by claiming US$ 500,000 (equivalent to $ 5 million in 2023)
786-698: A mariachi band to serenade her backstage at the Broadway musical she was performing in and the sudden gift of a diamond engagement ring, telling her to wear it until she made up her mind. Kovacs continued this romantic quest after the show went out of town. Adams booked a six-week European cruise, which she hoped would let her make up her mind whether or not to marry Kovacs. After only three days away and many long-distance telephone calls, she curtailed her trip and returned to say "yes". They eloped and were married on September 12, 1954, in Mexico City . The ceremony
917-491: A 1960 interview, Edie Adams related that the novel was written after Kovacs' experiences with network television while he was preparing to broadcast the Silent Show . The 1961 British edition was retitled T.V. Medium Rare by its London-based publisher, Transworld. While he worked on several other book projects, Kovacs's only other published title was How to Talk at Gin , published posthumously in 1962. He intended part of
1048-635: A Bloodhound" in 1959, Kovacs played the role of detective Barney Colby, whose extraordinary sense of smell helped him solve many seemingly-impossible cases. Colby was hired by a foreign country to recover its symbol of royalty, a baby elephant, who was being held for ransom. Kovacs found Hollywood success as a character actor, often typecast as a swarthy military officer (almost always a "Captain" of some sort) in such films as Operation Mad Ball , Wake Me When It's Over and Our Man in Havana . While working in his first film role for Operation Mad Ball , Kovacs
1179-592: A Comedy Series during 1957, his talent was not recognized formally until after his death. The 1962 Emmy for Outstanding Electronic Camera Work and the Directors' Guild award came a short time after his fatal accident. A quarter century later, he was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame . Kovacs also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in television. In 1986,
1310-415: A Crooked Ship (also 1961), was released one month before his death. Kovacs and his first wife, Bette Wilcox, were married on August 13, 1945. When the marriage ended, he fought for custody of their children, Elizabeth ("Bette") and Kip Raleigh ("Kippie"). The court awarded Kovacs full custody upon determining that his former wife was mentally unstable. The decision was extremely unusual at the time, setting
1441-627: A background of "Solfeggio", but speaking, two of the three appear in an "Outer Space" sketch. Kovacs became a regular on NBC Radio 's program Monitor beginning during late 1958, often using his Mr. Question Man character in his radio monologues . Kovacs never hesitated to lampoon those considered institutions of radio and television. In April 1954, he started the late-night talk show, The Ernie Kovacs Show , on DuMont Television Network 's New York flagship station, WABD. Stage, screen and radio notables were often guests. Archie Bleyer , head of Cadence Records, came to chat one evening. Bleyer had been
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#17327871856291572-521: A barrel and shorts, got Kovacs his first television job. His first show was Pick Your Ideal , a fashion and promotional program for the Ideal Manufacturing Company. Before long, Kovacs was also the host of Deadline For Dinner and Now You're Cooking , shows featuring advice from local chefs. When Kovacs's guest chef did not arrive in time for the show, he offered a recipe for "Eggs Scavok" (Kovacs spelled backward). Kovacs seasoned
1703-410: A black background while one studio camera was trained on her. A second one photographed Kovacs, who used the studio monitor to position himself exactly so that his eye would appear to be looking through a hole in her head. He also developed such routines as an all-gorilla version of Swan Lake , a poker game set to Beethoven 's Fifth Symphony , the skit Silent Show , in which Eugene interacts with
1834-598: A burgeoning career. He did his last show with us in November of that year, then went to California to work and live." He also did several television specials, including the famous Silent Show (1957), featuring his character, Eugene: the first all-pantomime prime-time network program. After the end of the Dean Martin - Jerry Lewis partnership, NBC offered Lewis the opportunity to host his own 90-minute color television special. Lewis opted to use only 60 minutes, leaving
1965-734: A car crash in 1982, at age 22. Kovacs and his family shared a 16-room apartment in Manhattan on Central Park West that seemed perfect until he went to California for his first film role in Operation Mad Ball . The experience of the totally different, laid-back lifestyle of Hollywood made a big impression on him. He realized he was working too much in New York; in California he would be able to work fewer hours, do just as well or better and have more time for Edie and his daughters. At
2096-470: A conversation with Forrestal, the Secretary asked Carson if he planned to stay in the Navy after the war. In response, Carson said no and told him he wanted to be a magician. Forrestal asked him to perform, and Carson responded with a card trick. Carson made the discovery that he could entertain and amuse someone as cranky and sophisticated as Forrestal. Taking advantage of educational opportunities from
2227-498: A great deal of effort building a masculine image. This created something of a high-profile feud between Carson and Newton. Years later, Newton appeared on Larry King Live , declaring that "Johnny Carson is a mean-spirited human being. And there are people that he has hurt that people will never know about. And for some reason at some point, he decided to turn that kind of negative attention toward me. And I refused to have it." Newton has often told of personally confronting Carson; after
2358-401: A highly rated show. The Museum of Broadcast Communications says, "It is doubtful that Ernie Kovacs would find a place on television today. He was too zany, too unrestrained, too undisciplined. Perhaps Jack Gould of The New York Times said it best for Ernie Kovacs: 'The fun was in trying'." Other shows had greater success while using elements of Kovacs's style. George Schlatter , producer of
2489-537: A kitchen; Kovacs performed a parody of The Howdy Doody Show with "Buffalo Miklos" as the host. Poet Percy Dovetonsils can be found playing Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata on a disappearing piano and as a "Master Detective" on the "Private Eye-Private Eye" presentation of the US Steel Hour on CBS March 8, 1961. On the same show, the Nairobi Trio abandons its instruments for a safe-cracking job; still with
2620-420: A live audience, as was the case with the shows he did for NBC during the 1950s. He found the presence of an audience distracting, and those in the seats frequently did not understand some of the more elaborate visual gags and special effects, which could only be appreciated by watching studio monitors instead of the stage. Like many comedians of the era, Kovacs created a rotation of recurring roles. In addition to
2751-410: A morning television program called The Squirrel's Nest . One of his routines involved interviewing pigeons on the roof of the local courthouse that would report on the political corruption they had seen. Carson supplemented his income by serving as master of ceremonies at local church dinners—attended by some of the same politicians and civic leaders he had lampooned on the radio. The wife of one of
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#17327871856292882-578: A night and was both uncensored and commercial-free. During the slots for commercial breaks, the audio and picture feed would continue, capturing at times risqué language and other events that would be edited out before transmission. At the same time, satellite ground stations owned by individuals began appearing, and some found the live feed. Satellite dish owners began to document their sightings in technical journals, giving viewers knowledge of things they were not meant to see. Carson and his production staff grew concerned about this and pressured NBC into ceasing
3013-404: A radio host, Carson would later write a parody for The New Yorker of former talk show host Dennis Miller having the new role at the time (2000) as an NFL sports announcer, titled " Proverbs of Dennis Miller ". NBC 's Tonight was the late-night counterpart to its early-morning show Today . Originating in 1954 with host Steve Allen , Tonight was somewhat experimental at the time, as
3144-498: A red wig, headphones, and playing a ukulele in a Godfrey imitation, while talking with his guest. Kovacs's television programs included Three to Get Ready (an early morning program seen on Philadelphia's WPTZ from 1950 through 1952), It's Time for Ernie (1951, his first network series), Ernie in Kovacsland , (a summer replacement show for Kukla, Fran and Ollie , 1951), The Ernie Kovacs Show (1952–56 on various networks),
3275-499: A series of 1960–61 commercials he created and videotaped for his sponsor, Dutch Masters . For the show of May 22, 1959, Kovacs on Music , Kovacs began by saying, "I have never really understood classical music, so I would like to take this opportunity to explain it to others." He presented a gorilla version of Swan Lake which differed from the usual performance only in the persona of the dancers, along with giant paper clips moving to music and other sketches. He also served as host on
3406-482: A sketch participant. From 1980 to 1995, Wendell was the announcer for David Letterman . Kovacs was also known for his eclectic musical taste. His main theme song was named "Oriental Blues" by Jack Newton. The rendition most often heard was a piano-driven trio version, but, for his primetime show during 1956, music director Harry Sosnik presented a full-blown big-band version. The German song "Die Moritat von Mackie Messer" from The Threepenny Opera (anglicized to " Mack
3537-409: A small amount of milk which he filled his mouth with before submerging. Kovacs repeated the effect for a Dutch Masters television commercial on his ABC game show, Take A Good Look . One of the special effects he employed made it appear as if he was able to look through his assistant Barbara Loden 's head. The illusion was performed by placing a black patch on Loden's head and standing her against
3668-406: A store. He began work as a cigar salesman, which resulted in a lifelong tobacco-smoking habit. Kovacs's first paid entertainment work was during 1941 as an announcer for Trenton's radio station WTTM . He spent the next nine years with WTTM, becoming the station's director of special events; in this job he did things like trying to see what it was like to be run over by a train (leaving the tracks at
3799-525: A successful career as a comedian. Carson hosted several shows besides Carson's Cellar , including the game show Earn Your Vacation (1954) and the variety show The Johnny Carson Show (1955–1956). He was a guest panelist on the original To Tell the Truth beginning in 1960, becoming a regular panelist from 1961 to 1962. After the primetime Johnny Carson Show failed, Carson moved to New York City to host ABC 's Who Do You Trust? (1957–1962). It
3930-419: A twice-a-week job filling in for Steve Allen as host of The Tonight Show on Mondays and Tuesdays (1956–57), and game shows Gamble on Love , One Minute Please , Time Will Tell (all on DuMont), and Take a Good Look (1959–61). Kovacs was also the host of a program, Silents Please , which showed silent movies on network television, with serious discussion about the movies and their actors. During
4061-682: A week was unlikely. Carson reportedly loathed what he perceived as disloyalty, and he was furious when former frequent Tonight Show guest hosts John Davidson and Joan Rivers began hosting their own talk shows. Rivers' show on the Fox Network directly competed with Carson during the 1986–1987 season before being cancelled. On June 24, 2009, following Ed McMahon's death, Rivers lauded McMahon on Larry King Live , but said that after she got her own show, Carson refused to ever speak to her again. In December 1973, Carson joked on Tonight about an alleged shortage of toilet paper . Viewers believed
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4192-480: A writer. The following year, Skelton accidentally knocked himself unconscious during rehearsal, an hour before his live show began. Carson successfully filled in for him. In 1955, Jack Benny invited Carson to appear on one of his programs during the opening and closing segments. Carson imitated Benny and claimed that Benny had copied his gestures. Benny predicted that Carson, who readily admitted Benny's substantial influence on aspects of his comedic delivery, would have
4323-477: A year. Prior to this, it had been assumed that few people would watch television at such an early hour. While the show was advertised as early morning news and weather, Kovacs provided this and more in an original manner. When rain was in the weather forecast, Kovacs would get on a ladder and pour water down on the staff member reading the report. Goats were auditioned for a local theater performance and tiny women appeared to walk up his arm. Kovacs also went outside of
4454-534: A younger brother, Richard "Dick" Carson (1929–2021). Growing up in Iowa, Carson lived in the towns of Avoca , Clarinda and Red Oak before moving to Norfolk , Nebraska , at age 8. There, Carson grew up and began developing his talent for entertaining. At age 12 he found a book on magic at a friend's house and immediately purchased a mail-order magician's kit. After purchasing the kit, Carson practiced his entertainment skills on family members with card tricks. He
4585-528: Is a cultural phenomenon in the United States and widely regarded as the king of late-night television. John William Carson was born on October 23, 1925, in Corning , Iowa , to Ruth Elizabeth Carson ( née Hook; 1901–1985) and Homer Lloyd "Kit" Carson (1899–1983), a power company manager. Carson was the second of three children; he had an older sister, Catherine "Kit" (Carson) Sotzing (1923–2014) and
4716-530: Is heard being played on sound recordings of Carson's first Tonight Show , and it was used without interruption through to his last broadcast on May 22, 1992. The Tonight Show was originally produced at NBC's headquarters at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City, with occasional stints in California. The program began videotaping in advance during the Jack Paar days, although during the 1970s NBC fed
4847-497: Is often considered his best television work. Produced on videotape using new editing and special effects techniques, it won a 1962 Emmy Award . Kovacs and co-director Behar also won the Directors Guild of America award for an Ernie Kovacs Special based on the earlier, silent "Eugene" program. Kovacs' last ABC special was broadcast posthumously, on January 23, 1962. The Dutch Masters cigar company became well known during
4978-628: The NOVA documentary, "James Randi – Secrets of the Psychics," magician and skeptical activist James Randi recalls that Carson "had been a magician himself and was skeptical" of Geller's claimed paranormal powers, and so, prior to the date of taping, Randi was personally asked "to help prevent any trickery." Per Randi's advice, the show prepared their own props without informing Geller, and did not let Geller or his staff "anywhere near them." When Geller joined Carson on stage, he appeared surprised that he
5109-575: The Library of Congress and the National Library of Canada have copies of this recording in their collections. Kovacs wrote a novel, Zoomar: A Sophisticated Novel about Love and TV (Doubleday, 1957), based on television pioneer Pat Weaver ; it took Kovacs only 13 days to write. The book took its title from the Zoomar brand zoom lenses frequently used on television cameras at the time. In
5240-517: The Meredith Corporation and KNAT being sold to Trinity Broadcasting Network . Carson's other business ventures included the successful Johnny Carson Apparel, Inc. —his turtlenecks became a fashion trend—and a failed restaurant franchise. Carson retired from show business on May 22, 1992, at age 66, when he stepped down as host of The Tonight Show . His farewell was a major media event, often emotional for Carson, his colleagues, and
5371-637: The NBC Studios in Burbank, California, because of the studio's proximity to celebrities. From 1980, Carson stopped hosting five shows per week. Instead, Mondays featured a guest host, leaving Carson to host the other four weeknights. Shows were videotaped in Burbank at 5:30 pm, fed from there to the Central and Eastern Time Zone stations via cross-country television line at 8:30 pm Pacific time (11:30 pm Eastern time ]), and later sent from Burbank to
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5502-975: The Philadelphia metropolitan area . The station has its studios and offices in Philadelphia and its transmitter site in Cherry Hill, New Jersey . The station is owned by Multicultural Radio Broadcasting, Inc and licensed to Multicultural Radio Broadcasting Licensee, LLC. WTTM originated as the expanded band "twin" of an existing station on the standard AM band. On March 17, 1997, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that 88 stations had been given permission to move to newly available " Expanded Band " transmitting frequencies, ranging from 1610 to 1700 kHz, with WHWH in Princeton, New Jersey , authorized to move from 1350 to 1680 kHz. A construction permit for
5633-478: The fourth wall to be breached. Kovacs's cameras commonly showed his viewers activity beyond the boundaries of the show set —including crew members and outside the studio itself. Kovacs also liked talking to the off-camera crew and even introduced segments from the studio control room. He frequently made use of accidents and happenstance, incorporating the unexpected into his shows. In one of Kovacs's Philadelphia broadcasts, Oscar Liebetrau, an elderly crew member who
5764-578: The 1983 film The King of Comedy , with the role of a TV talk-show host then going to Jerry Lewis . In recognition of his 25th anniversary on The Tonight Show , Carson received a personal Peabody Award , the board saying he had "become an American institution, a household word, [and] the most widely quoted American." They also said they "felt the time had come to recognize the contributions that Johnny has made to television, to humor, and to America." In 1973, television personality and self-proclaimed psychic Uri Geller appeared on The Tonight Show . In
5895-684: The Carson group in 1979. Shortly after buying the station, KVVU was rumored to be acquiring an NBC affiliation because long-time affiliate KORK-TV was in the process of being replaced by KVBC (and KSNV), but it never happened. Carson's second station, independent KNAT-TV in Albuquerque, New Mexico , was purchased in 1982. Unlike the Las Vegas operation, KNAT faced stiffer competition for top-quality, syndicated programming. Carson sold both of his stations in 1985 and 1986, with KVVU-TV (FOX 5) going to
6026-528: The Knife "), frequently underscored his blackout routines. Kovacs was introduced to harpist-songwriter Robert Maxwell 's recent instrumental "Solfeggio" in 1954 by Barry Shear, his director at DuMont Television Network. In the 1982 TV special Ernie Kovacs: Television's Original Genius , Edie Adams recalled that when Kovacs first heard "Solfeggio", he immediately knew how he wanted to use it. He conceived of three music-box-like apes in costume, who moved in time to
6157-780: The Lewis program, but it was Kovacs' special that received the most attention; Kovacs received his first movie offer, had a cover story in Life magazine, and received the Sylvania Award that year. In 1961, Kovacs and his co-director, Joe Behar, were recipients of the Directors Guild of America Award for a second version of this program broadcast by the American Broadcasting Company network. A series of monthly half-hour specials for ABC during 1961–62
6288-557: The May 13, 1993, episode of The Simpsons (" Krusty Gets Kancelled "), telephoning David Letterman on a November 1993 episode of Late Show with David Letterman , and appearing in the 1993 NBC special Bob Hope : The First 90 Years . On May 13, 1994, Carson appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman . During a week of shows from Los Angeles, Letterman was having Larry "Bud" Melman ( Calvert DeForest ) deliver his "Top Ten Lists" under
6419-595: The Moustache" was the last time Arnaz and Ball worked together and the last time their famous characters appeared in a first-run broadcast. According to Adams, Ball and Arnaz 'avoided contact and barely talked to each other in rehearsals and in-between scenes'. Adams also said that they were not told their episode was the last or that the famous couple was to divorce (Ball entered the uncontested divorce request March 4, 1960). Kovacs also appeared in roles on other television programs. For General Electric Theater 's "I Was
6550-569: The Museum of Broadcasting (later to become the Museum of Television & Radio and now the Paley Center for Media ) presented an exhibit of Kovacs's work, called The Vision of Ernie Kovacs . The Pulitzer Prize –winning television critic, William A. Henry III , wrote for the museum's booklet: "Kovacs was more than another wide-eyed, self-ingratiating clown. He was television's first significant video artist." Kovacs's father, Andrew John Kovacs,
6681-559: The Navy, Carson attended the University of Nebraska–Lincoln , where he joined the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity and continued performing magic (then paid $ 25 per appearance). Carson majored in journalism with the intention of becoming a comedy writer, but instead switched his major to speech and drama a few months later because he wanted to become a radio performer. His college thesis, titled "How to Write Comedy for Radio",
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#17327871856296812-632: The Omaha political figures that Carson spoofed owned stock in a radio station in Los Angeles , and in 1951 referred Carson to her brother, who was influential in the emerging television market in Southern California . Carson joined CBS -owned Los Angeles television station KNXT (now KCBS-TV ). In 1953, comic Red Skelton —a fan of Carson's low-budget sketch comedy show, Carson's Cellar (1951-1953) on KNXT—asked Carson to join his show as
6943-640: The Pacific Time Zone stations at 11:30 pm Pacific time. Since only two feeds originated from Burbank, Central Time Zone stations received the Eastern feed one hour earlier at 10:30 pm local time, and Mountain time stations received the Pacific time zone feed also one hour later, at 12:30 am local time. Carson announced in April 1979 that he was leaving The Tonight Show after seventeen years hosting
7074-517: The Philadelphia radio market. WTTM began carrying ESPN Deportes Radio during the nighttime hours on April 1, 2019; the network's programming was provided to the station by Spanish Sports Productions, who also produces WTTM's Spanish-language Philadelphia Phillies and Eagles broadcasts. The launch came two months before ESPN announced on June 11, 2019, that ESPN Deportes Radio would cease operations on September 8. After ESPN Deportes Radio
7205-525: The WPTZ studios to trade them live on the air with Kovacs. The show made its debut on January 4, 1952, with Kovacs losing creative control of the program soon after it was begun. Kovacs on the Corner was short-lived; it ended on March 28, 1952, along with Three to Get Ready . Kovacs then began work for WCBS-TV in New York with a local morning show and a later network one. Both programs were canceled; Kovacs lost
7336-434: The air in May 1999 with a sports format, mostly broadcasting programming from ESPN Radio . In 2002 the station was sold from Nassau Broadcasting to Multicultural Radio Broadcasting Inc. MRBI leased the station to EBC Radio to program the station with a South Asian Indian format. The lease arrangement ended in 2005 and shortly thereafter the station's city of license was relocated from Princeton to Lindenwold, moving it into
7467-451: The article to him "very unfair". Carson successfully sued a manufacturer of portable toilets that wanted to call its product "Here's Johnny". Carson performed a parody of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood . Rogers noted, "I've told Johnny that I like humor as much as anybody. But what concerns me is the takeoffs that make me seem so wimpy ! I hope it doesn't communicate that Mr. Rogers is just somebody to be made fun of. Only people who take
7598-408: The audience.) Paul Anka wrote The Tonight Show ' s theme song, (" Johnny's Theme "), a reworking of his "Toot Sweet"; given lyrics, it was renamed "It's Really Love" and recorded by Annette Funicello in 1959. Before taking over The Tonight Show , Carson wrote lyrics for the song, and so claimed fifty percent of the song's performance royalties (though the lyrics were never used). The theme
7729-565: The audiences, and stretched over several nights. In tribute to Carson and his enormous influence, several networks that had late-night variety talk shows "went dark" for the entire hour he did the last show. After 13 tries, The Tonight Show finally won the Emmy for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series later that year, buoyed by the penultimate broadcast, which featured Johnny's final two guests: Robin Williams and Bette Midler . NBC gave
7860-538: The better part of Trenton. Though a poor student, Kovacs was influenced by his Trenton Central High School drama teacher, Harold Van Kirk, and received an acting scholarship to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1937 with Van Kirk's help, appearing with Long Island, N.Y. stock companies. The end of Prohibition and the onset of the Great Depression resulted in difficult financial times for
7991-409: The book's proceeds to benefit Cedars-Sinai Medical Center . During 1955–58, he wrote for Mad (his favorite humor magazine), including the feature "Strangely Believe It!" (a parody of Ripley's Believe It or Not! that was a regular feature of his television shows) and Gringo , a board game with ridiculously complicated rules that was renamed Droongo for the television show. Kovacs also wrote
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#17327871856298122-611: The cream of middle-class elegance, yet he's not a mannequin. He has captivated the American bourgeoisie without ever offending the highbrows, and he has never said anything that wasn't liberal or progressive. Every night, in front of millions of people, he has to do the salto mortale [circus parlance for an aerial somersault performed on the tightrope]. What's more, he does it without a net. No rewrites. No retakes. The jokes must work tonight. McMahon followed Carson from Who Do You Trust? as his announcer and sidekick, and Skitch Henderson
8253-437: The egg dish with ashes from his cigar. The sponsor was a local propane company. Hosting these shows soon resulted in his becoming host of a program named Three to Get Ready , named for WPTZ's channel 3 spot on television dials. Premiering in November 1950, Three to Get Ready was innovative because it was the first regularly scheduled early morning (7–9am) show in a major television market, predating NBC's Today by more than
8384-497: The exclusive guest host in fall 1987, later joking that although other guest hosts had upped their fees, he had kept his low, assuring himself more bookings. Eventually, Monday night was reserved for Leno and Tuesday night was reserved for The Best of Carson —rebroadcasts usually dating from a year earlier, but occasionally from the 1970s. Although Carson's work schedule became more abbreviated, The Tonight Show remained so successful that his compensation from NBC continued to rise; by
8515-500: The expanded band station was assigned the call letters WAXK on March 6, 1998, although the call sign was changed to WTTM twenty days later, adopting call letters that had just been removed from its longtime home on 920 AM in Trenton, New Jersey . The FCC's initial policy was that both the original station and its expanded band counterpart could operate simultaneously for up to five years, after which owners would have to turn in one of
8646-461: The expense of other celebrities. In 1980, Carson backed out of a deal to acquire the Aladdin Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, and a competing group led by Wayne Newton successfully bought the property. According to lawyer Henry Bushkin, Carson became annoyed that he was often portrayed by the media as having "lost" the deal and reacted by telling jokes on his show about Newton, who had spent
8777-754: The family. When Kovacs began drama school, all he could afford was a fifth-floor walk-up apartment on West 74th Street in New York City. During this time, he watched many " Grade B " movies; admission was only ten cents. Many of these movies influenced his comedy routines later. A 1938 local newspaper photograph shows Kovacs as a member of the Prospect Players, not yet wearing his trademark mustache. Kovacs used his class vacation time to pursue roles in summer stock companies. While working in Vermont in 1939, he became so seriously ill with pneumonia and pleurisy that his doctors didn't expect him to survive. During
8908-516: The final straw, Newton barged into Carson's office at the NBC studios and threatened to beat him up unless the jokes stopped. On February 27, 1982, Carson was arrested for drunk driving on La Cienega Boulevard , near Beverly Hills ; he was released on his own recognizance . Carson pleaded no contest to the charges, and in October 1982, received a sentence of three years probation, a fine of $ 603 and
9039-434: The guise that a famous personality would be delivering the list instead. On the last show of the week, Letterman indicated that Carson would be delivering the list. Instead, DeForest delivered the list, insulted the audience (in keeping with the gag), and walked off to polite applause. Letterman then indicated that the card he was given did not have the proper list on it and asked that the "real" list be brought out. On that cue,
9170-410: The host of Tonight (later called The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson ) on October 1, 1962. After a difficult first year, he overcame his fears. While Tonight under its previous hosts had been successful, especially under Paar, Carson's version eventually did very well in the ratings. Billy Wilder said of Carson: By the simple law of survival, Carson is the best. He enchants the invalids and
9301-519: The insomniacs as well as the people who have to get up at dawn. He is the Valium and the Nembutal of a nation. No matter what kind of dead-asses are on the show, he has to make them funny and exciting. He has to be their nurse and their surgeon. He has no conceit. He does his work and he comes prepared. If he's talking to an author, he has read the book. Even his rehearsed routines sound improvised. He's
9432-496: The introduction to the 1958 collection Mad For Keeps: A Collection of the Best from Mad Magazine . Kovacs and Edie Adams guest starred on what turned out to be the final episode of The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show , (syndicated as The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour or We Love Lucy ) "Lucy Meets the Moustache", which was in rehearsals during the week of February 28 and filmed on March 3 for an April 1, 1960 network broadcast. "Lucy Meets
9563-494: The kidnapping by their mother. She also was a regular partner on his television shows. Kovacs usually introduced or addressed her in a businesslike way, as "Edith Adams". Adams was usually willing to do anything he envisioned, whether it was singing seriously, performing impersonations (including a well-regarded impression of Marilyn Monroe ) or taking a pie in the face or a pratfall if and when needed. The couple had one daughter, Mia Susan Kovacs, born June 20, 1959. Mia also died in
9694-622: The last minute) and broadcasting from the cockpit of a plane for which he took flying lessons. Kovacs was also involved with local theater; a local newspaper published a photograph of him and the news that he was doing some directing for the Trenton Players Guild in early 1941. The Trentonian , a local daily newspaper, offered Kovacs a column in June 1945; he named it "Kovacs Unlimited" (1945–50). In January 1950, arriving at NBC 's Philadelphia affiliate, WPTZ , for an audition, wearing
9825-469: The late 1950s and early 1960s for its sponsorship of various television projects of Ernie Kovacs. The company allowed Kovacs total creative control in the creation of their television commercials for his programs and specials. He produced a series of non-speaking television commercials for Dutch Masters during the run of his television series Take A Good Look which was praised by both television critics and viewers. While praised by critics, Kovacs rarely had
9956-474: The later television series Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In , was married to actress Jolene Brand , who had appeared in Kovacs' comic troupes over the years and had been a frequent participant in his pioneering sketches. Laugh-In made frequent use of the quick blackout gags and surreal humor that marked many Kovacs projects. Another link was a young NBC staffer, Bill Wendell , Kovacs's usual announcer and sometimes
10087-506: The live taping from Burbank to New York via satellite for editing (see below ). Carson had a talent for quick quips to deal with problems. If the opening monologue fared poorly, the band would start playing " Tea for Two " and Carson danced a softshoe to laughs from the studio audience. Alternatively, Carson might pull the boom microphone close to his face and announce, "Attention K-Mart shoppers, clean up in aisle four!" On May 1, 1972, The Tonight Show moved from 30 Rockefeller Plaza to
10218-438: The local morning program for the same reason as Three to Get Ready —the broadcasting time was confiscated by the station's network in 1954. At WPTZ, Kovacs began using the ad-libbed and experimental style that would become his reputation, including video effects, superimpositions, reverse polarities and scanning, and quick blackouts . He was also noted for abstraction and carefully timed non-sequitur gags and for allowing
10349-584: The long-time orchestra director for Arthur Godfrey 's radio and television shows. He had been dismissed by Godfrey the year before, together with fellow cast member, singer Julius La Rosa . In La Rosa's case, he hired a manager, defying an unwritten Godfrey policy. With Bleyer, Godfrey was angered when he found that Bleyer's record company Cadence Records had produced spoken-word material by Don McNeill , host of ABC 's Don McNeill's Breakfast Club , which Godfrey considered competition to his show. Bleyer and Kovacs were shown in split screen , with Kovacs wearing
10480-399: The magician to frequently hit a gong, which was the signal for a sexy female assistant to bring out a bottle and shot glass for a quick swig of alcohol. Stagehands substituted real liquor for the iced tea normally used for the skit. Kovacs realized that he would be called upon to drink a shot of liquor for each successive gong. He pressed on with the sketch and was quite inebriated by the end of
10611-620: The mid-1970s, he had become the highest-paid personality on television, earning about $ 4 million a year ($ 18,686,000 today), not including nightclub appearances and his other businesses. Carson refused many offers to appear in films, including title roles in The Thomas Crown Affair and Gene Wilder 's role in Blazing Saddles . He also declined director Martin Scorsese 's offer to co-star with Robert De Niro in
10742-456: The music; it was a variation on several famous animations of a decade earlier. The original three-minute presentation was outlined by Kovacs in a four-page, single-spaced memo to his staff. The perfectionist Kovacs describes in minute detail what had to be done and how to do it. The memo ends with this: "I don't know how the hell you're going to get this done by Sunday – but 'rots of ruck." (signed) "Ernie (with love)". Kovacs also made careful use of
10873-470: The mystery guest's name was synonymous with an automobile brand, Kovacs asked, "Are you – and this is just a wild guess – but are you Abraham Lincoln ?"—a reference to the Ford Motor Company 's Lincoln automobiles. Kovacs gave an interview admitting that he was absent from the show when he wanted to go out for dinner on a Sunday, leading the reporter to offer that as the reason for Kovacs leaving
11004-502: The network 30 minutes to fill; no one wanted this time slot , but Kovacs was willing to have it. The program contained no spoken dialogue and contained only sound effects and music. Featuring Kovacs as the mute, Charlie Chaplin -like character "Eugene", the program contained surreal sight gags. Kovacs developed the Eugene character during the autumn of 1956, when hosting the television series The Tonight Show . Expectations were high for
11135-404: The newspaper for an article saying that he was the highest-paid performer on television, earning $ 75,000 (equivalent to $ 623,140 in 2023) a week. He denied that was so, while declining to reveal his compensation in a subsequent interview with the newspaper, and called the article "damned unfair." The Times published a follow-up article saying that its initial reporter "erred", and that $ 75,000
11266-417: The next year and a half, his comedic talents developed as he entertained both doctors and patients with his antics during stays at several hospitals. While hospitalized, Kovacs developed a lifelong love of classical music by the gift of a radio, which he kept tuned to WQXR . By the time he was released his parents had separated, and Kovacs went back to Trenton, living with his mother in a two-room apartment over
11397-751: The offer because he feared the difficulty of interviewing celebrities for 105 minutes each day. Bob Newhart , Jackie Gleason , Groucho Marx and Joey Bishop also declined. NBC finally convinced Carson to sign by early February 1962. He can be seen discussing his upcoming job for the first time on the February 11, 1962, episode of What's My Line? . Due to Carson having six months left on his ABC contract, NBC used multiple guest hosts until he could take over. Guest hosts included Bishop, Marx, Merv Griffin , Art Linkletter , Arlene Francis , Bob Cummings , Jerry Lewis , Donald O'Connor and others. Although he continued to have doubts about his new job, Carson became
11528-425: The only previous network late-night program was NBC's Broadway Open House (1950-51), which starred Jerry Lester and Dagmar . Tonight was successful. Allen moved to primetime comedy-variety shows in 1957 when Jack Paar became host of Tonight . Paar left the show in 1962. Carson's success on Who Do You Trust? led NBC to invite him to take over Tonight a few months before Paar's departure. Carson declined
11659-485: The password was a favorite phrase of Kovacs's: "It's Been Real". Kovacs continued the EEFMS on his morning show when he moved to WCBS in New York in 1952. The success of Three to Get Ready proved that people did indeed watch early-morning television, and it was one of the factors that caused NBC to create The Today Show . WPTZ did not begin broadcasting Today when it premiered on January 14, 1952; network influence caused
11790-587: The program. At the time, media analysts estimated the show generated 17% of NBC's pre-tax profits. He negotiated a three-year deal to remain with the show in May 1980, reducing the program's length from ninety to sixty minutes while decreasing his workload from four to three nights each week. Tom Snyder 's Tomorrow added a half-hour to fill the vacant time. Joan Rivers became the "permanent" guest host from September 1983 until 1986. The Tonight Show then returned to using rotating guest hosts, including comics George Carlin and Garry Shandling . Jay Leno became
11921-413: The real Carson emerged from behind the curtain (as Letterman's band played "Johnny's Theme"), an appearance that prompted a 90-second standing ovation from the audience. Carson then asked to sit behind Letterman's desk; Letterman obliged, as the audience continued to cheer and applaud. After some moments, Carson departed from the show without having spoken to the audience. He later cited acute laryngitis as
12052-574: The reason for his silence. This turned out to be Carson's last television appearance. Carson played tennis throughout his retirement. Carson also reviewed clips of the Tonight Show included in DVD compilations, and he had humor pieces published in The New Yorker . WTTM WTTM (1680 AM ) is a radio station broadcasting a Latin music and Spanish-language talk format to
12183-476: The role of host to the show's then-current permanent guest host, Jay Leno. Leno and David Letterman were soon competing on separate networks. At the end of his final Tonight Show episode, Carson indicated that he might, if so inspired, return with a new project. Instead, he chose to go into full retirement, rarely giving interviews and declining to participate in NBC's 75th-anniversary celebrations. He made an occasional cameo appearance, including voicing himself on
12314-461: The role. In 1960, he played the base commander Charlie Stark in the comedy Wake Me When It's Over and the con man Frankie Cannon trying to steal John Wayne 's gold mine in the western comedy, North to Alaska . His own personal favorite was said to have been the offbeat Five Golden Hours (1961), in which he portrayed a larcenous professional mourner who meets his match in a professional widow played by Cyd Charisse . Kovacs's last movie, Sail
12445-520: The satellite transmissions of the live taping in the early 1980s. The satellite link was replaced by microwave transmission until the show's editing facilities were moved to Burbank. Carson played himself in the 1964 film Looking for Love . Carson also played an assassin of comedians in the 1970s Bob Hope television special Joys! Guests on the broadcast included Groucho Marx , George Burns , Telly Savalas , Milton Berle , Red Buttons , Don Adams , and Steve Allen . Carson often made jokes at
12576-425: The secret was using a tilted set in front of a camera tilted at the same angle. He constantly sought new techniques and used both primitive and improvised ways of creating visual effects that would later be done electronically. One innovative construction involved attaching a kaleidoscope made from a toilet-paper roll to a camera lens with cardboard and tape and setting the resulting abstract images to music. Another
12707-405: The series. Actually, Kovacs's participation ended because his contract was up—the summer season was over. Goodson and Todman valued Kovacs's presence in the summer series and kept him on as a guest panelist. According to What's My Line? producer Gil Fates , "We offered him a contract and a permanent place on the panel but, wisely, Ernie didn't want to tie himself down [to New York] at that point in
12838-535: The show, including: Although Carson's program moved to Burbank in 1972, NBC's editing and production services for the show remained in New York, requiring that the program be transmitted between the two cities. In 1976, NBC used the Satcom 2 satellite to achieve this, feeding the live taping (which started around 5:30 pm local time) directly to New York, where it would be edited prior to the late-night broadcast. This live feed lasted usually for two to two-and-a-half hours
12969-436: The show. Kovacs helped develop camera tricks still common decades after his death. His character Eugene sat at a table to eat his lunch, but as he removed items one at a time from a lunch box, he watched them inexplicably roll down the table into the lap of a man reading a newspaper at the other end. When Kovacs poured milk from a thermos bottle, the stream flowed in a seemingly unusual direction. Never seen on television before,
13100-726: The shrill singer Leona Anderson —who had somewhat less than a classical voice, by some estimations—in comic vignettes. Kovacs used classical music as background for silent skits or abstract visual routines, including "Concerto for Orchestra", by Béla Bartók ; music from the opera " The Love of Three Oranges ", by Sergei Prokofiev ; the finale of Igor Stravinsky 's suite " The Firebird "; and Richard Strauss ' " Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks "; and, from George Gershwin, "Rialto Ripples"—the theme to his shows—as well as parts of Gershwin's "Concerto in F". He may have been known best for using Joseph Haydn 's "String Quartet, Opus 3, Number 5" (the "Serenade," actually composed by Roman Hoffstetter ) for
13231-508: The silent "Eugene," his most familiar characters were the fey, lisping poet Percy Dovetonsils , and the heavily accented German radio announcer, Wolfgang von Sauerbraten. Mr. Question Man, who answered viewer queries, was a satire on the long-run (1937–56) radio series, The Answer Man . Others included horror show host Auntie Gruesome, bumbling magician Matzoh Hepplewhite, Frenchman Pierre Ragout, and sardonic Hungarian cooking-show host Miklos Molnar. The Miklos character wasn't always confined to
13362-542: The station to end Three to Get Ready at the end of March of that year. During early 1952, Kovacs was also doing a late morning show for WPTZ named Kovacs on the Corner . Kovacs would walk through an imaginary neighborhood, talking with various characters such as Pete the Cop and Luigi the Barber. As with Three to Get Ready , there were some special segments. "Swap Time" was one of them: Viewers could bring their unwanted items to
13493-481: The station's lobby. The only character no one ever saw inspired more gifts; he was Howard, the World's Strongest Ant. From the time of his WPTZ debut, Howard received more than 30,000 miniaturized gifts from Kovacs's viewers, including a tiny, mink-lined swimming pool. Kovacs began his Early Eyeball Fraternal & Marching Society (EEFMS) while doing Three to Get Ready . There were membership cards with by-laws and ties;
13624-460: The story and panic buying and hoarding ensued across the United States as consumers emptied stores, causing a real shortage that lasted for weeks. Stores and toilet paper manufacturers had to ration supplies until the panic ended. Carson apologized in January 1974 for the incident, which became what The New York Times called a "classic study" of how rumors spread. Carson called references in
13755-497: The studio for some of his skits, running through a downtown Philadelphia restaurant in a gorilla suit in one; in another, he looked into a construction pit, saying it was deep enough to see to China, when a man in Chinese clothing popped up, said a few words in the language, and ran off. Despite its popularity, the weekly prop budget for the show was just $ 15. Kovacs once asked his viewers to send unwanted items to Channel 3; they filled
13886-415: The summer of 1957, Kovacs was a celebrity panelist on the television series What's My Line? , appearing in 10 of the season's 13 episodes. He took his responsibilities less than seriously, often eschewing a legitimate question for the sake of a laugh. An example: Industrialist Henry J. Kaiser , the founder of an automobile company, was the program's "mystery guest." Previous questioning had established that
14017-576: The time to see our work can begin to understand the depth of it." Carson later apologized to Rogers for making fun of him. In 1979, Carson invested $ 500,000 (equivalent to $ 2,099,037 in 2023) in the DeLorean Motor Company . Additionally, Carson was head of a group of investors who purchased and operated two television stations. The first was KVVU-TV in Henderson, Nevada , an independent station serving Las Vegas , acquired by
14148-445: The time, he was working most of the time and sleeping about two or three hours a night. Kovacs claimed that he realized it was time for a change when he was telling his girls a bedtime story and found himself thinking of using it for a show instead. Kovacs relocated his family there in 1957, after Edie finished work for the Broadway play Li'l Abner . Johnny Carson John William Carson (October 23, 1925 – January 23, 2005)
14279-488: The tune of Robert Maxwell 's "Solfeggio". Kovacs used extended sketches and mood pieces or quick blackout gags lasting only seconds. Some could be expensive, such as his famous used-car salesman routine with a jalopy and a breakaway floor: it cost $ 12,000 to produce the six-second gag. He was one of the first television comedians to use odd fake credits and comments between the legitimate credits and, at times, during his routines. Kovacs reportedly disliked working in front of
14410-432: The tune, and christened them The Nairobi Trio. Maxwell's 1953 record of "Solfeggio" became so identified with the ape act that the record was re-released in 1957 as "Song of the Nairobi Trio." Kovacs matched an unusual treatment of " Sentimental Journey ", by Mexican bandleader Juan García Esquivel , to video of an empty office in which various items (pencil sharpeners, water coolers, wall clocks) come to life in rhythm with
14541-535: The two licenses, depending on whether they preferred the new assignment or elected to remain on the original frequency. As a result WHWH went off the air on Friday, April 7, 2006, at midnight. However, WHWH was allowed to return to the air in May 2007 after the FCC relaxed the rule, and both stations have remained authorized. One restriction is that the FCC has generally required paired original and expanded band stations to remain under common ownership. The new WTTM reached
14672-672: The way they had met, with Cohn giving Kovacs roles in Bell, Book and Candle (1958) and It Happened to Jane (1959). He garnered critical acclaim for film roles such as the perennially-inebriated writer in Bell, Book and Candle and as the cartoonishly-evil head of a railroad company (who resembled Orson Welles ' title character in Citizen Kane ) in It Happened to Jane , where he had his head shaved and his remaining hair dyed grey for
14803-468: The world accompanied solely by music and sound effects, parodies of typical television commercials and movie genres, and various musical segments with everyday items (such as kitchen appliances or office equipment) moving in sync to music. A popular recurring skit was The Nairobi Trio , three derby-hatted apes (Kovacs, his wife, Edie Adams in gorilla suits; and frequently, the third ape was Kovacs' best friend Jack Lemmon) miming mechanically and rhythmically to
14934-466: Was a compilation of taped skits and jokes from popular radio shows with Carson explaining the comedic technique in a voice-over. It allowed him to graduate in three years. Carson graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in radio and speech with a minor in physics in 1949. Carson began his broadcasting career in 1950 at WOW-AM (now KXSP ) and WOW-TV (now WOWT-TV ) in Omaha, Nebraska . He soon hosted
15065-401: Was a soup can with both ends removed fitted with angled mirrors. Used on a camera and turning it could put Kovacs seemingly on the ceiling. An underwater stunt involved cigar smoker Kovacs sitting in an easy chair, reading his newspaper and somehow smoking a cigar. Removing it from his mouth, Kovacs was able to exhale a puff of white smoke, all while floating underwater. The trick: the "smoke" was
15196-746: Was about to pack up the next day and go back to Tel Aviv . I thought, That's it — I'm destroyed." However, ironically, this appearance on The Tonight Show , which Carson and Randi had orchestrated to debunk Geller's claimed abilities, backfired. According to Higginbotham, To Geller's astonishment, he was immediately booked on The Merv Griffin Show . He was on his way to becoming a paranormal superstar. "That Johnny Carson show made Uri Geller," Geller said. To an enthusiastically trusting public, his failure only made his gifts seem more real: If he were performing magic tricks, they would surely work every time. Carson played several continuing characters on sketches during
15327-621: Was an American television host, comedian, and writer best known as the host of NBC 's The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962–1992). Carson received six Primetime Emmy Awards , the Television Academy 's 1980 Governor's Award and a 1985 Peabody Award . He was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987. Carson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992 and received
15458-510: Was arrested and fined $ 50 for impersonating a midshipman , a story often regarded as apocryphal . Carson joined the United States Navy on June 8, 1943, and received V-12 Navy College Training Program officer training at Columbia University and Millsaps College . Commissioned an ensign late in the war, Carson was assigned to the USS ; Pennsylvania in the Pacific , serving as
15589-411: Was born in 1890 and emigrated from Tornaújfalu , Hungary , which is now known as Turnianska Nová Ves , Slovakia. Andrew sailed on the S.S. Würzburg via Bremen, arriving at Ellis Island on February 8, 1906, at age 16. He worked as a policeman, restaurateur, and bootlegger, the last so successfully that he moved his wife Mary, son Tom, and Tom’s half-brother Ernest Edward Kovacs into a 20-room mansion in
15720-429: Was filming a wild party scene after midnight; it was decided to use real champagne for realism. After a few hours of work, someone came up to Kovacs and remarked that he had been having quite a good time chasing starlets all night. Kovacs told the stranger to go to hell, since he was following the script; he later learned the stranger was Harry Cohn , head of Columbia Pictures. Kovacs and Cohn later became friends despite
15851-421: Was her share of Kovacs's estate and charging that her ex-husband had abducted the girls in 1955; Kovacs had been granted legal custody of his daughters in 1952. On August 30, Wilcox filed an affidavit claiming that Kovacs's widow, Edie Adams, the stepmother to the girls, was "unfit" to care for them. Both daughters, Bette and Kippie, testified that they wanted to stay with their stepmother, Edie. Kippie's testimony
15982-434: Was hired to work for his WPTZ show, Three to Get Ready . Her appearance on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts caught the eye of Kovacs's producer, and he asked her to audition for the program. A classically trained singer, she was able to perform only three popular songs. Edie said later, "I sang them all during the audition, and if they had asked to hear another, I never would have made it." Quoting Kovacs, "I wish I could say I
16113-498: Was installed as the maestro of the NBC Orchestra. McMahon's famous introduction, "Heeeeere's Johnny!!!" was followed by a brief monologue by Carson. This was often followed by comedy sketches , interviews and live music. Carson's trademark was a phantom golf swing at the end of his monologues, aimed stage left toward the orchestra. (Guest hosts sometimes parodied that gesture. Newhart rolled an imaginary bowling ball toward
16244-430: Was known for following his family members around saying, "Pick a card, any card." Carson's mother sewed him a cape, and his first performance was staged in front of the local Kiwanis Club . He debuted as "The Great Carsoni" at age 14 and was paid $ 3 a show. Soon, many other performances at local picnics and county fairs followed. After graduating from high school, Carson hitchhiked to Hollywood , California . There he
16375-459: Was known for often sleeping for the duration of the telecast, was introduced to the audience as "Sleeping Schwartz." Kovacs was once knocked unconscious when a pie smashed into his face still had the plate under it. Kovacs's love of spontaneity extended to his crew, who would occasionally play on-air pranks on him to see how he would react. During one of his NBC shows, Kovacs was appearing as the inept magician Matzoh Hepplewhite. The sketch called for
16506-772: Was not going to be interviewed, but instead was expected to display his abilities using the provided articles. Geller was unable to display any paranormal abilities, saying, "I don't feel strong" and expressing displeasure at feeling like he was being "pressed" to perform by Carson. According to Adam Higginbotham's November 7, 2014, article in The New York Times : The result was a legendary immolation, in which Geller offered up flustered excuses to his host as his abilities failed him again and again. "I sat there for 22 minutes, humiliated," Geller told me, when I spoke to him in September. "I went back to my hotel, devastated. I
16637-425: Was on Who Do You Trust? that Carson met his future sidekick and straight man , Ed McMahon . Although Carson believed moving to daytime television would hurt his career, Who Do You Trust? was a success. It was the first show where he could ad lib and interview guests, and because of his on-camera wit, the show became "the hottest item on daytime television" during his six years at ABC. From his experience as
16768-586: Was presided over by former New York City mayor William O'Dwyer and was performed in Spanish, which neither Kovacs nor Adams understood; O'Dwyer had to prompt each of them to say "Sí" at the "I do" portion of the vows. Adams, who had a middle-class upbringing, was smitten by Kovacs's quirky ways; the couple remained together until his death. (She later said about Kovacs, "He treated me like a little girl, and I loved it— Women's Lib be damned!") Adams also aided Kovacs's struggle to reclaim his two older children after
16899-476: Was required to attend a driver's education alcohol program. Carson's driving privilege was restricted to driving only to and from work and alcohol education classes for a period of 90 days. Perry Mason actor Raymond Burr became angry over Carson's continuing jokes about his weight, and he appeared on The Tonight Show only twice, in 1968 and 1976. On July 2, 1969, Carson launched an on-air attack on The New York Times after his nightly monologue, assailing
17030-512: Was the big shot that hired her, but it was my show in name only – the producer had all the say. Later on I did have something to say and I said it: 'Let's get married.'" After the couple's first date, Kovacs proceeded to buy a Jaguar car, telling Adams he wanted to take her out in style. He was seriously taken with the beautiful and talented young woman, courting her with imagination and flair. Kovacs's attempts to win Adams' affection included hiring
17161-418: Was very emotional; in it she referred to Edie as "Mommy" and her birth mother as "the other lady." Upon hearing the verdict that the girls would remain in their home, Adams wept, saying, "This is what Ernie would have wanted. Now I can smile." Bette's reaction was "I'm so happy I can hardly express myself", after learning she and her sister would not be forced to leave Edie. Kovacs and Adams met in 1951 when she
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