My stint with. 'Tonight' By Barbara Shotel OME MONTHS back, I found my­ veloped a Pavlovian response to that bell, ~elf in Wellington, sitting across from What it was like as did my colleagues.) Once summoned, SArmistead I. Selden, Jr., who was then the we would proceed to design each show by United States Ambassador to New Zea­ lining up stars discussing which guests should be booked land. Signed p hotographs of several Prime and others for (a day, a we·ek, or even a month ahead) Ministers and four American Presidents and which should not be booked. (Carter, Ford, Nixon, and Jo hnson) li ned Johnny Carson to The producer's reactions to suggestions the walls of his plush embassy office. I was for guests were often based on his estima­ there because, before I'd left home, I had talk with on tion of how Johnny would respond to the requested that the Ambassador meet with idea and how Johnny would work with the me during my visit to New Zealand. And, the telly proposed guest on the air. Johnny had to my surprise, he granted my request for strong opinions about guests- not neces­ an interview. sarily opinions we all agreed with, but At first, 1 wondered why an American ones we abided by. It was never easy to ambassador would agree to meet with an been asked that question.) My answer book a new guest on The Tonight Show. If American woman he didn't even know. begins with this caveat: it's very hard to a suggestion sparked some interest on the After all, ambassadors couldn't possibly get to know Johnny Carson. producer's part but we couldn't give ab­ accommodate all those who request inter­ Veteran writter Kenneth Tynan found solute assurance that the guest would views. It's probably true, on the other that out when be wrote a lengthy New "work" with Johnny, we would forget hand, that not many private citizens would Yorker profile of the star of The Tonight about it or consider the guest for booking ask for such a meeting- ! did, but I am Show. Incidentally, copies of Tynan ·s as a substitute host. T his would give us a used to going to the top. Allow me to ex­ piece were sent to our offices a few days chance to see how the person worked on plain and, in an attempt to put everything before it appeared on the ncwstands. the air and whether or not the dynamics in perspective, to tell you what Ambas­ That evening, following the taping of the would be right for Johnny. sador Selden chose to ask me at the start show, Johnny Can)on and his wife were One person I brought to The Tonight of our private, hour-long session. What he entertaining some close friends in their Show, Merie.Earle, had never been on a immediately blurted out was: "What are Bel-Air home. T he next day, I found out talk show befo re. She was oi1e of my most Johnny and Ed reall y li ke?" that Johnny couldn't wait for his d inner successful discoveri es. Mcrie is funny, It seemed ridiculous. T here I was, 6,000 guests to leave so he could read the profile. outspoken, and what The Tonight Show miles from home, ensconced in the Am­ His reaction to it: "Why do people want · calls one of the "real people." Johnny loves bassador's office atop an imposing and to know about me, and why do they think working with "real people," and it often costly concrete building guarded by I'm complex?" seemed he was more relaxed and rnore United States Marines in full dress, and That may seem like an incredibly naive comfortable with the unknown guests than this high-ranking American diplomat was and much too humble reaction; it is cer­ with famous ones. Mcrie, who is now 92 asking me about Johnny Carson and tainly one that makes him appear to be out years· old, started her acting career just 15 Ed McMahon. (1 thought about asking of touch with the fact that he is who he is. years ago. 1 discovered her' flve years ago, him what Jimmy and his brother Billy People want to know about Johnny Carson when the late Will Geer (Grandpa were really like but decided that it would because he's not merely a celebrity, he's an Walton) came to talk to my 20 broad­ not have been in the best of taste.) Some­ American institution; and because he casting students at the University of how, despite my stint as talent coordinator values and protects his privacy when he's Southern California. I screened a Wa/tons for The Tonight Show, I still hadn't gotten not in front of television cameras, he docs tape for the class, and Merie was in one of used to being associated with the two tele­ seem somewhat complex. its scenes. I was immediately taken with vision celebrities that so many Americans Much of what I learned about Johnny her. She was a cute little lady with a laugh with and go to sleep with five Carson filtered into the daily 11 :00 a.m. saucy manner. nights a week. meeting attended by myself, the other four Since you can't really audition some­ So what are Johnny and Ed really like? talent coordinators, the associate pro­ one for the kind of spontaneous conversa­ (lf only 1 had a dollar for every time I've ducer, and the producer of The Tonight tion that is common on The Tonight Show, Show. This meeting, held in producer F red the show's talent coordinators invite peo­ Barbara Shore/, '64 CW, serves as de Cordova's office, was convened by the ple to come in for chats (called "pre­ associate producer of "That's Incredible," ringing of a bell which Fred activated interviews"). Mcrie came in and we anew ABC television program scheduled with a button on the wall next to his desk. chatted about her, her experie111ces, and to begin airing this month. (After my first few weeks there, 1 de- her impressions of life. I knew she was a continued 34 PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE rare find. I also suspected that Johnny granted that they were the first guest since would enjoy her because he has an affinity As a good talent that had been the arrangement with each for elderly women and maintains a mar­ in the past. No one had bothered to tell velous and loving manner toward them. It coordinator, I the rather intimidating Orson Welles that was, indeed, love at first sight for 87-year­ learned semantic he was scheduled to be the second guest, old Meric and 50-some-year-old Johnny. so he just marched himself backstage as Mcric returned almost monthly, and 1 tricks to assuage he had done so many times before and was received an unprecedented phone call standing behind the curtain alone when a from Johnny thanking me for Jinding such those hurt by talent coordinator arrived with the actress an exceptional guest. who was supposed to be first. A harried After each taping of The Tonight Show, late positioning stage manager quickly warned the pro­ Fred de Cordova would listen to Johnny's ducer to tell Carson to introduce Welles reactions to the show. Those reactions and not the actress. Welles marched out were passed along to us the next morning barely announced and almost incorrectly during our meeting. We would hear, for doesn't socialize or fraternize with the introduced. example, when, in Johnny's opinion, the staff.) I spoke with the public relations 1 welcomed the opportunity to work chemistry between himself and the guest officials for the tournament as soon as I with the rare guest who didn't want, let may not have worked or the guest may arrived in the building to sec if there had alone expect, to be first. One such person have appeared to be running out of steam. yet been a commitment from the tennis was comedian and director (and occa­ Those reports and the questions we player, but there hadn't been. Johnny took sional yachtsman) Charles Nelson Reilly. posed-"Will Johnny like it?" or "Will a more direct route and approached On the contrary, if he were first guest, Johnny take so-and-so?"-cvoked the Nastase himself during the tournament, he'd go into something approximating a star's presence in our daily gathering. The and 1 guess the court star couldn't refuse panic seizure. He loved being third on the feeling was reinforced when Johnny the television star. show because it gave him a chance to play phoned the producer, generally to touch There were doubts that Nastasc would ofi those guests who preceded him. base, since he wasn't expected in his office show up as planned, but he did. I think My association with the show afforded until2:00 p.m. He usually revealed in Johnny was particularlypleased, since he me the chance to get to know a few celeb­ those phone calls what he had done so far had come up with an idea for a comedy rities on a personal level. I include in that that morning. Often, he had played a sketch to precede Nastase's appearance. small list two best-selling authors, Erma game of tennis on his court at home, fre­ In the sketch, Johnny, dressed in tennis Bombeck (Tire Grass Is Always Greener quently with singer Steve Lawrence; or he clothes, would imitate the world-renowned Over Tire Septic Tank) and Dr.