Product Details

• Actors: Johnny Carson
• Directors: N, a
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Timeless Media Group
• DVD Release Date: March 1, 2005
• Run Time: 120 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0007PLL0G
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #74,255 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Let's journey back to the early career of the man who became the King of Late Night Television. With rare kinescopes from 1955 through 1972 and hard-to-find film, we see the beginnings of what eventually became over 35 years of joyful entertainment to millions of loyal television fans. Approximately two hours of top-of-the-line comedy!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Rare Old Carson Footage Worth A Look For Comedy Historians, April 24, 2005

By	sundayclub - See all my reviews

This budget-priced collection offers four half-hour shows from 1955-58 (mostly with original commercials) along with a rarely-seen promotional film from 1972. You get two episodes of Carson's ill-fated prime-time variety show from September 1955, one episode of his hit daytime quiz show from October 1958, and a guest appearance on Jack Benny's live comedy show from November 1955. At the time, Carson was a thirty year-old comic with jet-black hair and a gaunt frame; long-time Carson fans may have trouble recognizing him in these early films.
Carson's 1955-56 prime-time show on CBS was fast-paced and tightly scripted, leaving him little time for ad-libbing. The first episode features Carson's amateurish impression of TV showman Ed Sullivan doing an all-British show; many of his quieter lines are drowned out by exploding laugh tracks. The second show features an amusing take-off on 1950's psychic Dunninger The Mentalist (later adapted by Carson for his El Moldo character). Original Jell-O commercials are included, one of which offers recipes for Jell-O Salad that you'll never try to make.
Carson jumped to ABC in 1957 to host a daytime quiz show that would later be known as 'Who Do You Trust?' It was here that he developed his reputation as a fast-thinking ad-libber; his informal comedic style helped disguise the fact that the entire show was scripted and rehearsed. The episode included here features an interview with a contestant who works as a butcher but moonlights as a chiropractor, and apparently he didn't think of shaving before the program. Ed McMahon does the announcements, and Carson louses up a live commercial (yet another Jell-O recipe).
The highlight of the disc is Carson's 1955 appearance on the Jack Benny Program. Carson called Benny his comedy idol, and Benny returned the favor by predicting that Carson would outlast every other comic on TV. Benny generously shares the stage with Carson for five minutes, and you can see the genuine affection the two had for each other. Benny even allows Carson to take his place in a cigarette commercial with Don Wilson. Benny fans are welcome to read my review of 'The Jack Benny Collection' on DVD.
In 1972, Carson helped launch Budweiser's new ad campaign by starring in a promotional film where he did a brief monologue and a Carnac sketch with Ed McMahon and Doc Severinsen. Unseen for years, this film appears in edited form on this DVD. Carson serves up lame material tailored for the Anheuser-Busch suits in the audience; the tacky studio set is cheap and the jokes are even cheaper. Example: a pretty girl walks onstage wearing shorts that resemble cans of Budweiser, and Carson cracks, "I have an opener for those shorts!"
Technical note: this DVD was issued by Timeless Media Group, which means you'll have to endure the occasional 'TMG' brand in the lower right corner of the screen. The films in this disc represent a missing chapter in the career of the most admired and respected talk show host in history; that's why I'm recommending this DVD for long-time fans of Johnny Carson and Jack Benny as well. It's a piece of history at a budget price.

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable, early Johnny, March 16, 2005

By	J. O'Preska (Heidelberg, Germany) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Roughly 95% of this DVD is pre-Tonight Show Johnny Carson. Included are two 1955 episodes of "The Johnny Carson Show;"
one episode of "Who Do You Trust" from 1958 (with Ed McMahon as part of the program); a 1955 "Jack Benny Show" (with Johnny as guest); and a couple of 1972 "Tonight Show" excerpts, featuring Johnny, Ed, and Doc. All of the programs are in black and white
-- with the exception of the "Tonight Show" portions -- but the video and sound quality are fairly good throughout. All shows are pretty much complete, including commercials of the day. For the price, this is a very good purchase and for the Johnny Carson fan, a must have. I wasn't too sure what to expect but was pleasantly surprised at the amount of enjoyment I received from this disc. Recommended.

5.0 out of 5 stars Johnny Carson Shows, August 6, 2007

By	J. Walker "Busy Bee" (Gardendale, AL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

My favorite time for watching the DVD's are when my children, who were babies during the early Johnny Carson era, and their children are visiting. It's a pleasure to share the memories and the comedy with them.