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8 Episodes 1975 - 1976
Episode 39
Tue, Oct 28, 197590 mins
The comedy segment is Aunt Blabby talking about returning to college. Albert Weber works for the FDA in Brooklyn, inspecting seafood by smell. He talks about the job and how people react to his work, and discusses standards for determining whether shipped seafood is safe. Some shrimp samples are then brought out for him to compare; the second sample sends Johnny reeling back from his desk onto the floor. Robert Blake jumps between various topics, including intelligence tests, getting a fence for his house, and getting a dog to be a watchdog that likes eating socks and pantyhose. He also talks about why he hates birthdays, and his deep irritation when anyone kisses or hugs his wife or himself. Kelly Monteith does a stand-up comedy routine and a brief interview, in which Johnny further comments on some of the topics he joked about. Thomas Braden is a syndicated columnist and author of "Eight Is Enough", about raising his large family. He and Johnny talk about the way child rearing has changed from when they were kids, including dealing with college-age children who want to have sex in the home. He also discusses various rules he established for the family for road trips and other situations.
Episode 67
Fri, Dec 5, 197590 mins
During the monologue, Johnny switches places with Tommy after his deadpan reactions get more laughs than Johnny's jokes; Tommy mouths the guest introductions as Johnny says them, and then imitates Johnny's golf swing, going into a pratfall. Instead of the usual comedy segment, Johnny introduces the previously unannounced Gallagher, who does his pitch for the "Tonight Show Home Game". Michael Caine talks about English talk shows, noting that for many years British television only aired between 4 and 11 pm; whereas British entertainment shows are aired without commercials, news broadcasts often include commercial messages from the news readers themselves, which Caine finds disconcerting. He then recalls his jobs before acting. He also encourages Johnny to take the acting gig Swifty Lazar had offered some nights before, and comments on the excellence of California wines. Sean Connery is making his first Tonight Show appearance. After showing clips from "The Man Who Would Be King", he discusses the pressures that led him to leave the James Bond films. He also tells how he got his first acting job in a touring production of "South Pacific" after working for a newspaper and competing as a bodybuilder. Caine and Connery remark that the influence of American films has helped to reduce British snobbery over local accents and dialects, with Caine noting that a Cockney accent had disqualified applicants for nearly every job for many years. David Brenner does a stand-up comedy routine, and then tells Johnny that he has agreed to do a sitcom. 90-year-old actor Burt Mustin offers some stories from his life, and tells a joke he remembers from the 1890s.
Episode 72
Fri, Dec 12, 197590 mins
After an Art Fern Tea Time movie skit, Bob Hope recalls his vaudeville days and discusses performing for wounded veterans. He then shows some outtakes from his upcoming Christmas special. Dean Martin does a hilarious drunk act, discussing his gambling habits and criticizing Johnny's clothes. He also comments on his Christmas special which follows Hope's, and the conversation gradually veers into comments and jokes which are bleeped out for viewers. Charles Nelson Reilly talks at length about problems with his boat, and recalls working on Martin's show. Carol Wayne does some quiz questions from her game show with Johnny.
Episode 85
Wed, Dec 31, 197558 mins
The comedy segment is Johnny as Father Time 1975, talking about events of the year. Joan Rivers (Johnny refers to her as "Joanie" at times") does not do a stand-up routine but tells jokes during her interview. Topics include the new year, the bicentennial, and her marriage. When midnight comes, the band plays, and confetti and balloons are dropped. Johnny also mentions the rise in first-class postage to thirteen cents and the phone company's proposal to charge for calling information. Orson Bean first talks about the New Year and Christmas, and how the Dec 25 date for the holiday was chosen to match pagan solstice celebrations. He also claims Hanukkah was moved for the same reason. Since a recent book on comedy included the first joke Bean told on "The Tonight Show", he repeats the joke. He then tells a lengthy story about sitting naked in the back yard and making contact with a butterfly. Charles Nelson Reilly mentions the New Year's Party he is having, and some other topics, before talking about directing plays, noting how the director is responsible for the acting. He recalls how a leading lady's costume caught fire during a performance, and other mishaps. Orson Bean interjects that in theater, making do with unforeseen events is called "swallowing the file". Reilly then tells of when he directed "Aida" with an Italian tenor making his New York debut, who proved unsuitable for the part. Scatman Crothers talks about his planned one-man show on Broadway, and that a few more investors are needed. At the end of the show, Bean diverts into a comment about how Doug Henning presents magic.
Episode 96
Thu, Jan 15, 197690 mins
The comedy segment is rejected pilots for the next TV season. Robert Blake first discusses his experience being a guest host, mixing in a discussion of when he was in therapy. He then tells the story of his motorbiking accident, which has led him to no longer go biking on roads. The talk turns to dreams - a topic Johnny returns to with the later guests - and he talks about his dreams about flying over a crowd, and the exhileration of barely averting disaster; Blake comments on how that's what appeals to Johnny about hosting a nightly show. Blake also talks about his fondness for boxing and dance, since they involve movement. Actor Burt Mustin, almost 92 years old, tells a story about his grandnephew selling subscriptions. Mustin recalls selling newspapers and autos in his youth, and also talks about how women dressed and behaved when he was young. Marsha Mason first discusses her work in the play "The Heiress". Johnny then gets very philosophical, discussing whether men can understand what it is like to be a woman, and vice versa, or if anyone can understand any other person's experience. Mason says she does wonder what it is like to be very athletic, but says she has fewer fantasies now that she is happier in her life. She mentions that she and Neil Simon were married after only three weeks. Marty Liquori is a champion middle-distance runner and past Olympic athlete. He says he has few dreams, but as a child dreamed of being unable to run away from danger. Now he trains 15-18 miles per day. Then Johnny and Marty do a demonstration where both run on treadmills in running shorts while their heart rates are monitored. Liquori, as a trained athlete, has a heart rate about 30% lower at any given speed.
Episode 96
Thu, Jan 15, 197690 mins
The comedy segment is rejected pilots for the next TV season. Robert Blake first discusses his experience being a guest host, mixing in a discussion of when he was in therapy. He then tells the story of his motorbiking accident, which has led him to no longer go biking on roads. The talk turns to dreams - a topic Johnny returns to with the later guests - and he talks about his dreams about flying over a crowd, and the exhileration of barely averting disaster; Blake comments on how that's what appeals to Johnny about hosting a nightly show. Blake also talks about his fondness for boxing and dance, since they involve movement. Actor Burt Mustin, almost 92 years old, tells a story about his grandnephew selling subscriptions. Mustin recalls selling newspapers and autos in his youth, and also talks about how women dressed and behaved when he was young. Marsha Mason first discusses her work in the play "The Heiress". Johnny then gets very philosophical, discussing whether men can understand what it is like to be a woman, and vice versa, or if anyone can understand any other person's experience. Mason says she does wonder what it is like to be very athletic, but says she has fewer fantasies now that she is happier in her life. She mentions that she and Neil Simon were married after only three weeks. Marty Liquori is a champion middle-distance runner and past Olympic athlete. He says he has few dreams, but as a child dreamed of being unable to run away from danger. Now he trains 15-18 miles per day. Then Johnny and Marty do a demonstration where both run on treadmills in running shorts while their heart rates are monitored. Liquori, as a trained athlete, has a heart rate about 30% lower at any given speed.
Episode 99
Tue, Jan 20, 197690 mins
The comedy segment is astrological predictions for celebrities. Jonathan Winters tells various jokes and stories from his wild past, including a brush with a state trooper on a cold night, and comments on NBC dropping its peacock logo. At Johnny's suggestion, he takes on the voices of two senators (Brainard Bumfort and Homer Latchbody), and does parts of the interview in character, promoting topics such as yearlong Halloween and plastic vegetables. He also talks about his TV special (with a bicentennial theme) that is airing the following night; several clips are shown. Danny Thomas talks about his new series "The Practice", in which he plays a general medical practitioner, and shows a clip from it. He talks about the series' combination of comedy and drama, and the positive feedback it has received from test audiences; he also tells several medical-themed jokes. Introducing Ralph Nader, Johnny says he has wanted him on the show for a long time, and it is clear they have many opinions in common. They discuss politics and government and how individual voters can exert more influence. They also discuss citizen apathy. Johnny brings up the irony of the government paying to support tobacco farming while another branch is describing the the negative health effects. They also discuss the idea of a check-off to allow citizens to fund an organization to examine utility companies (opposed by the utility companies), the auto industry fight against airbags, and energy companies' dislike of solar energy. At times, Nader engages Winters - in character as a rural senator - in an interview exchange.
Episode 172
Fri, Apr 30, 197690 mins
Paul Lynde makes his first appearance on "The Tonight Show". He brings Johnny a giant pencil with erasers on both ends, like the ones Johnny has on his desk. They talk about aspects of show business, including his touring show; he avoided "The Tonight Show" and other personal performances for years, due to his preference for working from a script. He and Johnny recall some of his highlight moments on "Hollywood Squares", and he talks about being approached by fans. Lynde says he was not a good student in college; he only graduated by a special act of the Student Senate on the morning of his graduation day. He talks about his father's influence, and says he became serious about his career after his father died. He also talks about working in nightclubs in New York City. Next comes the Tea Time Movie sketch with Carol Wayne, but the prop jokes fall so flat that Johnny ends the sketch early by hiding under the counter and pulling it offstage. McLean Stevenson talks about his recent trip to Texas, where he acquired the cowboy hat and boots he is wearing, and playing golf in celebrity tournaments; he prefers playing with pro women rather than men because the expectations are lower for the celebrities. He also talks about appearing in a telethon for his hometown zoo in Bloomington, Illinois. Bob Uecker tells a story about being stopped for drunk driving during spring training. They talk about beanballs (throwing at the batter), both in the current season and when Uecker played. He also explains that he didn't get too many hits or home runs, because then it becomes expected of you. Wayne then talks about the sports she played in school - basketball and field hockey. She describes how she has taken up exercise and yoga.
Episode 276
Thu, Sep 23, 197660 mins
Aunt Blabby is interviewed by Ed; the bit goes awry with cue card errors and several flubbed lines, which breaks up the participants. Orson Welles talks with Johnny about his time doing radio shows. He says it is a unique talent to be able to read a script on radio and sound natural. Noting the miscues in the earlier sketch, he tells a number of stories about on-air flubs and mistakes, and various pranks among radio actors. Carol Lawrence does a musical number; she then talks about the many flubs made when she was in a stage musical version of "Lost Horizon". After Johnny notes the oddity of having two guests named Orson - and after Welles points out that Orson Bean was not born with the name - Bean first recalls how he chose his stage name. He also tells other stories from his career and talks about an alternative school in Los Angeles his children are attending, based on the Summerhill method. After commenting on how nervous she is to be on the show, Kay Lenz talks about her career, notably her new movie with Lee Marvin and Oliver Reed, as well as her earlier film "Breezy". Johnny asks about her marriage status; she says she doesn't plan to get married for a while so that she can concentrate on acting.