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Tonight!
Vintage TV tie-in paperback
237 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1972
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 4, 2013
A short, gossipy, anecdotal history of the Tonight Show up until after the move to Burbank from New York in 1972, published by Warner Paperback Library in May 1974. The author, Terry Galanoy, has a breezy, funny, but repetitive style, which becomes annoying in some sections. He relates the story as a series of humorous tales where appropriate. Galanoy is a name dropper, and some names are dropped again…and again…and again.
Steve Allen comes off the best. The author seems to think highly of Allen, and the stories made me wish I had seen some of his Tonight Shows. He is presented as a total entertainer. Jack Paar comes off the worst, and at times seems a neurotic crackpot. The tales of “Broadway Open House” with Jerry Lester and Dagmar, the first NBC late night show entry, are interesting also, but the largest part of the book is given to Johnny Carson and his ascendancy as the late night king. The book hits the highest of the high spots (Tiny Tim’s Wedding, Barbra Streisand, Ed Ames and the tomahawk, etc.) and the lowest of the lows (Jack Paar’s walk off during the show).
The book includes a pretty good photo section, a description of the total experience of a guest on the (1972) Tonight Show, and examples of monologues from Allen, Paar, and Carson. There is occasionally what appears to be conflicting information, and some speculation. It’s more like an entertaining magazine piece than a serious critical tome. This book does remind the reader what real impact the Tonight Show once had on popular culture. It also reminds us that the Tonight Show is a business, after all, and regardless of who the guest is (performer, politician, or person next door) it’s show business.
Also, this is book sale season. Please support your local library, school, church, or charity book sale. You can do some good work with your money, find great books at bargain prices, and very often find something interesting, like I did with this one.
Steve Allen comes off the best. The author seems to think highly of Allen, and the stories made me wish I had seen some of his Tonight Shows. He is presented as a total entertainer. Jack Paar comes off the worst, and at times seems a neurotic crackpot. The tales of “Broadway Open House” with Jerry Lester and Dagmar, the first NBC late night show entry, are interesting also, but the largest part of the book is given to Johnny Carson and his ascendancy as the late night king. The book hits the highest of the high spots (Tiny Tim’s Wedding, Barbra Streisand, Ed Ames and the tomahawk, etc.) and the lowest of the lows (Jack Paar’s walk off during the show).
The book includes a pretty good photo section, a description of the total experience of a guest on the (1972) Tonight Show, and examples of monologues from Allen, Paar, and Carson. There is occasionally what appears to be conflicting information, and some speculation. It’s more like an entertaining magazine piece than a serious critical tome. This book does remind the reader what real impact the Tonight Show once had on popular culture. It also reminds us that the Tonight Show is a business, after all, and regardless of who the guest is (performer, politician, or person next door) it’s show business.
Also, this is book sale season. Please support your local library, school, church, or charity book sale. You can do some good work with your money, find great books at bargain prices, and very often find something interesting, like I did with this one.
April 13, 2019
I saw an episode of The Tonight Show with Johnny having the author Terry Galanoy as a guest. Carson ripped into Terry and got very serious (a rare view of Carson) about Carson's drinking vodka in his dressing room at some point in his Tonight Show career. Carson interrogated him about his sources and all Terry could say (forcing a grin) is that they were associates who would know.
My book was the original first edition hardback edition by Doubleday in 1972. A terrific look into the origins of what was to become Carson's Tonight Show. This book goes way back to Carson's forerunners in show biz even before Steve Allen trailblazing efforts. Basically it's an historic look at how the concept of the show started. Then we get to Carson's part and how he came onto the scene from early career work in Nebraska and then his move to California. Learn all about Steve Allen's show and Jack Paar's as well.
My book was the original first edition hardback edition by Doubleday in 1972. A terrific look into the origins of what was to become Carson's Tonight Show. This book goes way back to Carson's forerunners in show biz even before Steve Allen trailblazing efforts. Basically it's an historic look at how the concept of the show started. Then we get to Carson's part and how he came onto the scene from early career work in Nebraska and then his move to California. Learn all about Steve Allen's show and Jack Paar's as well.
November 30, 2013
Great to re-read this after many years. This book sparked my interest in late night television and the history thereof. I had forgotten Galanoy off-target rant in the last chapter predicting the demise of all late night talk shows. This was published in 1972 I think and he could not have been more wrong. Still it is a fascinating look at the Tonight Show as a whole and some of Pat Weaver's thinking on the subject.
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August 6, 2016read some time in 1982
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews