13 years ago today Johnny Carson died

thank you for that

 

I really wish I could. LOL..I wouldn't be so kind with the words.

 

that's incredible he will go out loving his craft...

 

he was like a favorite Uncle...

 

I just skimmed this article about Johnny Carson: https://nypost.com/2013/10/12/johnny-carson-was-good-at-3-things-drink-dames-and-being-a-d/

Wow . . . is most of this stuff true? I know the NY Post in general is a "click bait" paper, but this stuff is based (isn't it?) on Bushkin's (Carson's lawyer) biography of Carson. What a primadonna -- tempermental to the nth degree . . . flat out cruel at times.

 

Some people here have read the book, I haven't, and they appear to think it's a hatchet job, dishing dirt for cash.

By all counts, Johnny was one nasty drunk, baiting people and cutting slights. You don't get to where he was by being nice to everyone, in his defense. There's not a lot of question that he died bitter and lonely, having pushed everyone away from him.
But he certainly could project warmth and ease on TV, especially with people he liked, like Benny, Bob Hope, or women like Angie or Pleshette.

 

Yeah he seemed to have a sizable cadre of friends and admirers. In addition to those you mentioned, I thoroughly enjoyed his interactions with Dyan Cannon, Don Rickles, Charles Grodin, etc. He was such a comedic genius -- sad to hear he was a d..k as well. It sounds like he was especially abusive to some/all of his wives. That is just disgusting.

 

I think most people know how important their parents play in the lives, but mother's have a special relationship with their children. Carson was about the same age as my parents and I know how significant mothers were to their children back in those days. Even today, making fun of someone's mother can start a serious row. There's something special about the word mother.

So, it may seem understandable to some that a cold, unloving mother who withheld affection could create feelings of loathing and disrespect by some children. I would never excuse his behavior as described by Bushkin, but I can understand it. It's sad that someone who was so capable of making people feel so comfortable watching his show and seemingly his guests as well could be so uncaring and disrespectful with alcohol in him. But, it happens.

I almost always enjoyed his show. He was ready to leave those last 5 years it seemed. It's interesting to know the behind-the-scenes stories of JC, but I'll continue to remember him as a great entertainer and interviewer.

 

Actually I miss the SNL parodies with Dana Carvey and Phil Hartman, which don't seem to be available on Youtube.
Does anyone remember the late Carol Wayne?

 

Who could forget Carol Wayne? She was always the Matinee Lady in those skits in which Johnny played Art Fern. Here is a clip of her on as an guest:

She was just gorgeous, and exuded sensuality and sexuality in spades, diamonds, clubs, and hearts . . . she was perfect as the "ditzy" blonde . . .

 

From what I've read, she was not playing a character. That was basically her.

 

I think it's true, but it's just one side of a very complex man as seen by an attorney who was sometimes his friend. I think Carson was a complex person who was capable of being very kind and loyal -- I've heard stories where he found out that a longtime employee or crewmember ran into money problems (like medical expenses or something), and Johnny quietly had their bills paid with zero publicity.

And I think that was also true. As Bushkin said in his book, once you were cut off by Johnny, you were dead to him forever. John Rivers spent about 15 years trying to apologize to Johnny after her FOX debacle, but he always refused to take her calls... even when he was in ill health and his own wife didn't want to visit him in the hospital.

Bushkin's theory was that Carson's cold, critical mother ruined him for life and made him a very cynical, suspicious man who often didn't trust people. The fact that he had four wives and very distant relationships with his children tell you he was not a warm, personable man in real life. But it also doesn't deny the reality that he had a star quality on camera, incredible charisma, and was classy, a brilliant interviewer who honed the art of being a talkshow host to a level of skill nobody has ever been able to match. I never got to see Carson host a live Tonight Show (by a fluke, I saw the show three times in the studio but with guest hosts), but I did get to see Johnny do his Vegas act at Caesar's Palace in the 1980s and he was incredibly funny. Absolute first-class comedian.

 

I heard she was also extremely intelligent, it was all just an act.
Johnny was pizzed one night when someone (male) in the audience yelled at her "How big are they?"

Her death will always be extremely mysterious