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TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON, THE {DELLA REESE, EARL HOLLIMAN, NANETTE FABRAY, EUELL GIBBONS} (TV)

Summary

One in this series of late-night talk/variety programs hosted by Johnny Carson. Carson's guests for this program are singer Della Reese, actress Nanette Fabray, actor Earl Holliman, and health-food advocate Euell Gibbons.

In his opening monologue, Carson touches on the following topics, among others: the ongoing recession; "tricks" used by Miss America contestants to appear more attractive and slim during the competition; rising sales of attack whistles for women; a disturbing report about a side effect of aging; and Vice-President Rockefeller's recent vacation. Carson then reads an amusing letter from a pair of viewers who find his nightly monologues to be an aphrodisiac of sorts.

Reese sings "I Can See Clearly Now," and then chats with Carson about learning to project her singing voice in the church; her acting aspirations, including her role as a madam on "Police Woman"; a recent convention for sex workers' rights; Reese's thoughts on the country's "Puritanical views"; why she does not feel that a man could "liberate" her, and when men secure in their masculinity are not threatened by successful women; and her occasional use of strong languages to "straighten fellows out." Reese then also sings "My Love."

Next, in a comedy sketch, Carson appears as a South American dictator who, suffering the effects of the recession, heads to the unemployment office in search of a new country to dominate. Assuring the clerk that his former people found his reign of terror "fun," he agrees to take over a land full of turmoil and discontent: New York City.

Holliman then takes the stage and discusses his role as Sergeant Bill Crowley on "Police Woman" and saving Sergeant "Pepper" Anderson, played by Angie Dickinson, from various scrapes; working with real policewomen consultants; the "will they, won't they" tension between Crowley and Anderson; a tabloid story about his apparent dalliance with a "starlet," which he describes as a simple misunderstanding; his many expensive repairs on his aging automobile; and shooting the latest episode of "Police Woman" alongside guest-star Ida Lupino (which later aired as "The Chasers").

Next, Fabray chats with Carson about her first "real" appearance on the show; an uncomfortable-but-funny run-in with Carson at a star-studded Hollywood party; her former romance with "Tonight Show" direct Fred de Cordova; and an embarrassing tale from her early dating life involving the challenging decorum of certain bodily functions.

Finally, Gibbons discusses his trip to Micronesia and the lifestyles of the natives, including their many uses of red fruit; varying opinions on escargot; his personal favorite foods; how one might survive in the desert eating only wild food, including "Mormon tea" (the plant ephedra); why one should not attempt a "trial and error" approach to eating potentially harmful plants; why wife Freda Fryer typically does all of the driving during their road trips; and his book "The Beachcomber's Handbook," which details how to live off of nothing but natural foods. Includes commercials.

Details

  • NETWORK: NBC
  • DATE: June 27, 1975 11:30 PM
  • RUNNING TIME: 1:13:47
  • COLOR/B&W: Color
  • CATALOG ID: B:80542
  • GENRE: Talk/Interview
  • SUBJECT HEADING: Talk/Interview; Comedy/Variety; African-American Collection - News/Talk
  • SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1962-1992
  • COMMERCIALS:
    • TV - Commercials - 9 Lives cat food
    • TV - Commercials - Converse footwear
    • TV - Commercials - Excedrin pain reliever
    • TV - Commercials - Heinz ketchup
    • TV - Commercials - Janar Daily Double toothbrushes
    • TV - Commercials - Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants
    • TV - Commercials - MasterCharge credit cards
    • TV - Commercials - McDonald's restaurants
    • TV - Commercials - Nestea teas
    • TV - Commercials - Pearl Drops tooth polish
    • TV - Commercials - Penn Centre Court tennis balls
    • TV - Commercials - RC Cola soft drinks
    • TV - Commercials - Sta-Puf Blue fabric softener
    • TV - Commercials - Summer's Eve feminine products
    • TV - Commercials - Taster's Choice freeze-dried coffee
    • TV - Commercials - Tone skin care bar
    • TV - Promos - "The Midnight Special"

CREDITS

  • NBC Orchestra, The … Music by
  • Tommy Newsom … Conductor
  • Johnny Carson … Host
  • Doc Severinsen … Announcer
  • Della Reese … Guest, Performer
  • Earl Holliman … Guest
  • Nanette Fabray … Guest
  • Euell Gibbons … Guest
  • Fred de Cordova
  • Angie Dickinson
  • Freda Fryer
  • Ida Lupino
  • Nelson Rockefeller