THE JOHNNY CARSON SHOW: 11/20/2006 |
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LOS ANGELES, CA – While working as a staff writer on “The Red Skelton Show” in 1955, Johnny Carson filled in as a last minute replacement when Skelton was injured during rehearsal. His turn as host so electrified the network brass that CBS created The Johnny Carson Show that very same year as a showcase for the young comedian. The series served as a precursor of what would come later for Johnny, planting the seeds for the sketches he would perfect on “The Tonight Show,” and establishing him as a national star. Though the shows were long considered lost, Carson’s former wife Joanne discovered a cache of kinescopes and worked with Shout! Factory to produce a two-DVD set and accompanying booklet honoring her late husband’s early work. This lovingly-assembled DVD collection boasts 10 digitally-restored episodes of The Johnny Carson Show from its lone 1955 season, along with bonus material from Carson’s pre-“Tonight Show” career, including an episode of Johnny’s popular ABC quiz show “Who Do You Trust?,” as well as footage from his little-known daytime chat show and a recently discovered clip from Johnny’s October 1958 stint as a substitute host of “The Jack Paar Show.” Featuring parodies of popular films and television shows of the era, the series spoofs Edward R. Murrow’s “Person To Person,” The Three Musketeers, Walter Cronkite, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, “Dragnet” and the Russian ballet, with a cast including Jamie Farr and Jack Albertson and guests such as James Arness (promoting the premiere of “Gunsmoke”), Eva Gabor and movie composer Dimitri Tiomkin. The Johnny Carson Show 2-DVD set will be available on February 20, 2007 for the S.L.P. of $24.98.
Joanne Carson's proceeds from this release are being donated to Hemopet's Restore Health Center for the establishment of a center to restore the health of dogs and cats recovering from surgery or illness.
DVD CONTENTS: Disc 1
June 30, 1955 (Episode #55-1)
In the series premiere, Johnny imitates Edward R. Murrow in a spoof of Murrow’s “Person To Person” program featuring Johnny’s first wife Jody and their three children. In “Catch Up With The News,” Johnny plays a roving reporter.
July 21, 1955 (Episode #55-4)
Johnny imitates Walter Cronkite, takes a look at the pitfalls of marriage, and parodies Goldilocks and the Three Bears and “You Are There.”
August 25, 1955 (Episode #55-9)
Sketches include a spoof of the Russian Ballet, “Catch Up With The News” and a 1950’s style look at the future, as Johnny imagines what life will be like in 1980.
September 1, 1955 (Episode #55-10)
Johnny plays Dillinger The Mental Wizard in a parody of Joseph Dunniger, the famous mind reader. (This sketch is the early inspiration for Carson’s most famous character from his Tonight Show years, Carnac The Magnificent.) Another sketch finds Johnny playing a tourist in Paris and we also get an idea of what might happen to your television reception near an airport.
September 8, 1955 (Episode #55-11)
James Arness visits the show to promote his new series, “Gunsmoke,” Jack Albertson appears in a grocery store sketch and Johnny plays Colonel John J. Carson in a military sketch.
Bonus Material:
“The Johnny Carson Show” – May 30, 1956
Johnny was still under contract with CBS when the first The Johnny Carson Show was cancelled. He was assigned to host a short-lived daytime show bearing the same name for the duration of the contract. This recently discovered kinescope is of the 3rd episode of the show, which only lasted through the summer. So little had been known about this show that it isn’t usually even listed among Johnny’s television credits.
Johnny Carson’s JELL-O Commercials – 1955-56
The Johnny Carson Show had several rotating sponsors, which was very common in network television in the 1950s. But he only appeared in live sketch-like commercials on the show for JELL-O.
DVD CONTENTS: Disc 2
October 13, 1955 (Episode #55-16)
Johnny takes care of unfinished business and Jack Albertson appears in sketches about Johnny’s fan club and bachelor life. Johnny plays violinist Yasha Carson.
November 3, 1955 (Episode #55-19)
Legendary movie composer Dimitri Tiomkin appears in the “Johnny’s Record Collection” sketch. Johnny salutes old time Vaudeville, and stars in an epic Greek-Trojan War sketch.
December 15, 1955 (Episode #55-25)
Johnny plays a stay-at-home husband whose wife has a very unusual job. Other sketches include the “Giveaway Pet Parade,” a precursor to the numerous segments Johnny would do with animals later in his career, and a look at what the detective show “Dragnet” might have been like during the time of Alexander The Great.
January 19, 1956 (Episode #55-30)
Johnny’s Navy buddy disrupts the monologue from the audience, a young Jamie Farr appears with the musical group The Double Daters and Johnny and Eva Gabor star in “The One Musketeer.”
February 16, 1956 (Episode #55-34)
Dr. Samuel Hoffman, a podiatrist by trade, was catapulted to fame when he played the theremin on the soundtrack to Alfred Hitchcock’s Spellbound. He demonstrates the unusual instrument for Johnny and singer Dorothy Shay, known as “the Park Avenue Hillbilly” co-stars with Johnny in a sketch telling her life story.
Bonus Material:
“Who Do You Trust?” – September 9, 1958
In between The Johnny Carson Show and The Tonight Show, Johnny was the host of an ABC daytime quiz show. “Who Do You Trust?” was Johnny’s first major television success, and he hosted the show from 1957 until he left to host “The Tonight Show” in 1962. Like Groucho Marx’s “You Bet Your Life,” which was an obvious influence on Johnny’s show, “Who Do You Trust?” was unaffected by the quiz show scandals. Both shows gave out relatively meager prizes and the quiz was merely an excuse for Johnny to chat with the contestants. One difference in the two shows was that “Who Do You Trust?” was broadcast live. This resulted in the occasional problem, like a contestant getting locked in the isolation booth – as seen in this newly-restored kinescope.
Excerpt from “The Jack Paar Show” – October 17, 1958
Another recently discovered kinescope provides a rare look at one of Johnny’s first appearances on late night television. “Who Do You Trust?” was a New York-based show, as was Jack Paar’s late night show. Since Johnny did his show in the afternoon he was an obvious choice as a last minute substitute when Paar was ill. As referenced in this clip, Johnny had subbed for Paar on at least one prior occasion.
THE JOHNNY CARSON SHOW
Catalog Number: 826663-10405
Price: $24.98 SRP
Pre-Order Date: January 26, 2007
Release Date: February 20, 2007
Running Times: +/- 4.5 hours |
