Johnny Carson briefly quit The Tonight Show in 1967. News to me - does anyone remember this?

I would guess, and it's just a guess, that the hosts sign contracts for big $$$ and part of the quid pro quo is that they have to be there every night for a certain number of weeks. Carson may have given up some of the money he otherwise could have gotten for more time off.

I wouldn't rule out insecurity, though. There's a lot of competition nowadays, and a week off during a big news week or when the competition has some big guests booked (and they certainly would book them if they new the competition was off) could result in some channel changing.

If you haven't already seen it, I suggest watching the 1990s movie The Late Shift about the battle for the post-Carson Tonight Show. Despite the fact that the Jay Leno character looks like one of those people from the old Duracell commercials and Rich Little is a distracting Carson, I think it is quite entertaining and insightful. The guy who plays Letterman is very good. Letterman, in true Letterman fashion, booked him on his show at the time then conveniently ran out of time. He never returned.

 

Marc mentioned that as a factor, plus repeat airings of a show with the regular host generally hold up well in the ratings, so there's little incentive for the network to bring in a substitute for when the regular host is on vacation. Just the same, I think the continued success of Live with Kelly without a permanent co-host shows that there's an appetite out there for variety.

 

The 60 Minutes piece on Carson from the early '80s contains very brief footage of Carson doing his Vegas stage act, as well as Carson at home playing the drums.

In the '70s Buddy Rich was on Tonight delivering one of his infamous anti-rock rants when Carson interrupted him and said The Beatles actually did some good things -- ironic, considering Carson's no-rock-guests policy of the '70s. Even more surprising, Rich agreed with him.

 

Did Cass Elliot ever guest host The Tonight Show?

 

Cass Elliot - IMDb

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (TV Series)
Herself / Herself - Guest / Herself - Guest Host

- Episode #13.87 (1974) ... Herself (as 'Mama' Cass Elliot)
- Episode #12.191 (1973) ... Herself (as 'Mama' Cass Elliot)
- Episode #12.20 (1973) ... Herself - Guest Host
- Episode #12.19 (1973) ... Herself - Guest Host (as 'Mama' Cass Elliot)
- Episode #11.214 (1972) ... Herself (as 'Mama' Cass Elliot)
- Episode #11.184 (1972) ... Herself (as 'Mama' Cass Elliot)
- Episode #11.146 (1972) ... Herself (as 'Mama' Cass Elliot)
- Episode #10.33 (1971) ... Herself (as 'Mama' Cass Elliot)
- Episode #10.20 (1971) ... Herself
- Episode #10.16 (1971) ... Herself (as 'Mama' Cass Elliot)
- Episode #9.269 (1970) ... Herself (as 'Mama' Cass Elliot)
- Episode #9.241 (1970) ... Herself (as 'Mama' Cass Elliot)
- Episode #9.231 (1970) ... Herself - Guest Host (as 'Mama' Cass Elliot)
- Episode #9.205 (1970) ... Herself (as 'Mama' Cass Elliot)
- Episode #9.153 (1970) ... Herself (as 'Mama' Cass Elliot)
- Episode #9.77 (1970) ... Herself (as 'Mama' Cass Elliot)
- Episode #9.113 (1970) ... Herself (as 'Mama' Cass Elliot)
- Episode #3.67 (1964) ... Herself - Guest
- Episode #3.14 (1964) ... Herself - Guest
- Episode #2.252 (1963) ... Herself - Guest
- Episode #2.206 (1963) ... Herself - Guest
- Episode #2.192 (1963) ... Herself - Guest
- Episode #2.185 (1963) ... Herself (as The Big 3)

 

Wow, four appearances in 1963, and two in 1964... never would've guessed. The Big 3 and Mugwumps were great though!

 

This post:
Looking for recollections of lost TV appearences
says in 1986 there was a massive discovery of color Tonight Show tapes from 1967 onward. Anyone heard anything about that?

 

There's no reference cited and I'm inclined to believe it was a rumor being repeated, one with no evidence. As far as I know, less than 30 hours exist of all the pre-1972 Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson episodes, and of those very few are complete shows. They have all the "Best of" Anniversary shows, but not the shows from which those were made. And I think a lot of what does exist is just kinescopes.

 

Due to the Youngbloods

 

I heard that Carson's anti-rock stance began because Buffalo Springfield bailed on him in '67 when Neil Young quit the group., but that could be apocryphal.

 

The accepted story is around '69 The Youngbloods went all David Crosby complaining about amps and generally being uncooperative, so Carson decided no more rock acts. (I recall being stunned around '77 when the Bee Gees popped up in a "Best of Carson" rerun -- how did they get on? Stigwood's clout?)

Whatever the reason, Carson kept up this policy until booking David Bowie around '82. And of course Joan Rivers would enthusiastically pursue the younger demo with everyone from Elvis Costello to David Lee Roth.

 

This thread brought back a memory. While not Joe Garagiola Hosting the the Tonight Show in 1968 with Lennon & McCartney as guests, I remember Steve Lawrence hosting with both Phil Spector and The Rascals as guests. My main recollection of the show was Spector complaining about the sound/mix of the Rascals performance, something like "What is he playing, a paper guitar?".

I went to imdb.com and found nothing, so not sure of the year. In my mind, I was watching it in a house that we moved out of in June of 1969, but who knows?