Posted on 01/31/2005 7:23:30 PM PST by John W
NEW YORK - David Letterman paid tribute to Johnny Carson on Monday by telling his jokes. On his first "Late Show" since Carson's death on Jan. 23, Letterman's opening monologue was comprised entirely of jokes that Carson had quietly sent to him over the past few months from retirement in California.
Letterman didn't tell the audience until after the monologue was over who wrote the jokes. His guest on Monday's show, former Carson producer Peter Lassally, had revealed a few days before Carson had died that the retired "Tonight" show host missed his nightly monologue and had written jokes for Letterman.
"I moved to Los Angeles from Indianapolis in 1975, and the reason I moved is because of Johnny Carson and the `Tonight' show," Letterman said. "And I'm not the only one. I would guess that maybe three generations of comedians moved to be where Johnny was because if you thought you were funny and you wanted to find out if you could hit major league pitching, you had to be on the `Tonight' show."
Letterman said his first "Tonight" appearance led to his first NBC show.
"Truthfully, no stretch of the imagination, I owe everything in my professional career, whatever success we've attained, to Johnny Carson, because he was nice enough to give me the opportunity, and throughout my career, was always very supportive."
The entire show was devoted to Carson, filled with reminiscences from Lassally and Letterman.
At the end, Carson's old bandleader Doc Severinsen and his band - including put-upon sax player Tommy Newsome - performed one of Carson's favorite songs, "Here's That Rainy Day."
When Carson retired in May 1992, it set up a battle between Letterman and Jay Leno over who would succeed him. NBC chose Leno - but the joke pipeline was an indication that Carson privately considered Letterman the better host.
Letterman's CBS show was in reruns last week, allowing Leno the jump on a late-night Carson tribute. Leno's highly rated show last week included former Carson sidekick Ed McMahon and comics Bob Newhart and Don Rickles.
Letterman said everybody who's doing a talk show, himself included, is secretly doing Carson's "Tonight" show.
"The reason we're all doing Johnny's `Tonight' is because you think, `Well, if I do Johnny's "Tonight" show, maybe I'll be a little like Johnny and people will like me more,'" he said. "But it sadly doesn't work that way. It's just, if you're not Johnny, you're wasting your time."
is this tonights show?
Yes.
super
I also heard disscussed in a news item earlier about this very subject that Carson appeared on Letterman's CBS show twice, but never on Leno's.
Thanks for the post.....Dave Letterman started me on the path of being a Night Owl in 1984....
Oh, kewl, I thought I missed it since the story is in past tense. But, yeah, it is still Monday night, isn't it? Pity it is on SeeBS.
I'll be taping this sucker. That's a really heartwarming thing to do, with regard to the opening monologue. I'd like to see it.
These comments are very complimentary to Carson. I have always liked Dave. I like Leno too, but Dave has always seemed a little more cutting edge to me.
I am very puzzled as to why the death of Johnny Carson had that much of news & coverage. Very prominent actors have passed away before without that much attention? Can some body please help me understand this? The bigger names that I can recollect that did not get half of Carson coverage are; Bob Hope, Marlon Brando, John Wayne, Frank Sinatra, Lucile Ball just to mention a few. What gives?
How old are you?
Johnny Carson - RIP
but I never much cared for him or his show. Letterman on the other hand, kept me up until 1:30 in the morning most nights through high school. He was the best.
And then he kissed Hillary's ass in January of 2000 when she was running in the NY Senate race, and I mean KISSED her ass. The next day he had a heart attack. I never watched letterman again. He lost his relevance and became that which he despised. He sold out to the man.
Leno is a hack and sucks.
thanks for the Letterman heads up.
Lot's of games were played, but if Johnny would have had his way, Letterman would have been his successor.
I'm not a big Letterman fan, haven't watched him for years. To me his "bits" got old and tired.
However, I do have respect for Johnny Carson, and I think it's a shame that he didn't have a bigger part in who would take over his spot on the Tonight Show.
It was all about network politics and $$$s as usual, as it so often has been in the TV entertainment industry for the last couple decades.
THANKS for this post!
I will definitely stay up to watch Dave tonight!
I wasn't aware that he ever appeared on Letterman.
More people watched Johnny Carson in a week then the total audience that attened all the Movies Marlon Brando ever made. the same is true for John Wayne and Frank Sinatra. Bob Hope and Lucile Ball were at best on once a week for a decade.
Johnny was on at least an hour a day 5 days a week for 30 years. The people you names had shorter runs and a lot fewer viewers than Johnny Carson.
Not only that Carson made more money than all the people you name combined.
The size of his audience, the number of times his audience saw him, and the amount of money he made, all were larger than the people you name.
I don't know if you're a Simpson's fan but last night the ending credits had a slide paying a tribute to Mr. Carson. Crusty the clown was standing in admiration with Carson holding a car in the air. BTW... Captain Tennille sends his best.
PING for Tonight's Letterman show---
tribute to Johnny Carson!
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