TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON, THE {RICHARD PRYOR, PATTI D'ARBANVILLE, ROSCOE TANNER} (TV)
Summary
One in this series of late-night talk/variety programs hosted by Johnny Carson. Carson's guests for this program are tennis champion Roscoe Tanner, comedian Richard Pryor, and actress Patti D'Arbanville. In his opening monologue, Carson touches on the following topics, among others: the country's inflation woes, at their highest since WWII; the questionable food in the NBC commissary; troubling poll results for President Carter; the new Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Maurice "Moon" Landrieu; new "Energy Czar" and former Coca-Cola executive Charles Duncan Jr.; Carter's belated pardoning of Dr. Samuel Mudd, who set John Wilkes Booth's broken leg after his infamous leap from the Ford Theater balcony; and Jerry Brown's interest in appointing Jane Fonda to the California Arts Council.
Carson and McMahon then discuss their unpleasant early jobs and read out a list of unusual real-life positions held by various people, including a "chicken-sexer," and Carson adds a few inventive suggestions to the list. He then introduces a remote broadcast segment and interviews Floyd Jackson, who has worked as a shoe-shiner in the NBC lobby for thirty-one years. Jackson comments on his memories of shining shoes as a child for the remarkable price of five cents; the many NBC series of the past; his many celebrities encounters, including generous tipper Frank Sinatra, the predictably eccentric Howard Hughes and the oversized Wilt Chamberlain; and his appearance on the game show "Truth or Consequences."
Tanner then sits down with Carson and comments on the following topics: his commitment to staying focused during tennis games; the challenges of overly-long games with capable opponents; his nervousness at the 100th Wimbledon tournament in 1977; memories of Queen Elizabeth II's unimpressed reaction to the game; his recent Wimbledon loss to Swedish player Björn Borg; the difficulty of playing against hotheaded athletes who frequently stall the game with nitpicks; and his youth in Tennessee and early interest in tennis. Tanner then demonstrates his famously fast serve in front of a radar timing device, which clocks his speeds at around 100 miles per hour, whereas Carson's attempts come in closer to 60 despite Tanner's helpful tips.
Next, Pryor takes the stage and discusses the following: his own lack of talent at tennis; how some celebrities' "egos" delude them into believing in their own athletic talent; his experiences playing against Bill Cosby, who is notably good at the game; his twenty-year entertainment career and early days as a nightclub singer of questionable talent; his favorite joke that has repeatedly failed with audiences; his experiences with various unusual nightmares; his current three-month vacation and strong sense of boredom; his upcoming film "Family Dream" (later retitled "Bustin' Loose" (1981)); and his hopes to avoid hospitals and infirmity in the decades to come.
The final guest, D'Arbanville, then sits down with Carson and comments on the following: how the "crucial age" is different for men and women; her role in "The Main Event" (1979) and nerve-wracking audition for co-star and producer Barbra Streisand; her ability to cough convincingly on command; her enjoyment of relaxing in the bathtub; and her plans to travel to Canada for an upcoming project. Includes commercials and promos.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: July 27, 1979 11:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:23:43
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:87090
- GENRE: Talk/Interview
- SUBJECT HEADING: African-American Collection - Comedy; Talk/Interview; Comedy
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1962-1992
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - 7Up soft drinks
- TV - Commercials - 9 Lives cat food
- TV - Commercials - Bell System telephone services
- TV - Commercials - Chuck Wagon dog food
- TV - Commercials - Clairol Herbal Essence shampoo
- TV - Commercials - Fresca soft drinks
- TV - Commercials - Glass Plus cleaner
- TV - Commercials - McDonald's restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Meow Mix cat food
- TV - Commercials - Murine eye drops
- TV - Commercials - Nestea iced tea
- TV - Commercials - Paul Masson wines
- TV - Commercials - Volkswagen automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Windex glass cleaner
- TV - Commercials - Yes laundry detergent & fabric softener
- TV - Commercials - Ziploc plastic bags
- TV - Promos - "CHiPs"
- TV - Promos - "Midnight Special"
CREDITS
- The NBC Orchestra … Music by
- Tommy Newsom … Conductor
- Johnny Carson … Host
- Ed McMahon … Co-Host
- Floyd Jackson … Guest
- Roscoe Tanner … Guest
- Richard Pryor … Guest
- Patti D'Arbanville … Guest
- John Wilkes Booth
- Björn Borg
- Jerry Brown
- Jimmy Carter
- Wilt Chamberlain
- Bill Cosby
- Charles Duncan Jr.
- Elizabeth II
- Jane Fonda
- Maurice "Moon" Landrieu
- Samuel Mudd
- Frank Sinatra
- Barbra Streisand