Jack Paar
Jack Paar
Born	May 1, 1918 Canton, Ohio, USA
Died	January 27, 2004 Greenwich, Connecticut, USA

"Jack Parr" redirects here. For the superhero, see Jack-Jack Parr Image File history File links Jackpaar. ... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... Website: http://www. ... Official language(s) None Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus Largest metro area Cleveland Area  Ranked 34th  - Total 44,825 sq mi (116,096 km²)  - Width 220 miles (355 km)  - Length 220 miles (355 km)  - % water 8. ... January 27 is the 27th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Location in Connecticut Coordinates: NECTA Bridgeport-Stamford Region South Western Region Settled 1640 Government type Representative town meeting First selectman James A. Lash Town administrator Edward Gomeau Town meeting moderator Thomas J. Byrne Area    - City 174. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Jack-Jack Parr is a character in the Disney & Pixar movie The Incredibles. ...

Jacques Harold Paar (May 1, 1918 – January 27, 2004) was an American radio and television talk show host. May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... January 27 is the 27th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Birth and early career

Born in Canton, Ohio, his family moved to Jackson, Michigan during his childhood. Leaving school at sixteen, he first worked as a radio announcer at WIBM in Jackson, MI and later a humorous disc jockey at stations throughout the Midwest including WJR in Detroit, WIRE in Indianapolis, IN; WGAR in Cleveland, OH and WBEN in Buffalo, NY. In his book P.S. Jack Paar, he claimed to have been on utility duty at WGAR on the night Orson Welles produced his infamous War of the Worlds broadcast over the CBS network, to which WGAR was an affiliate; in the course of trying to calm any panicked listeners, Paar announced, "The world is not coming to an end. Trust me. Have I ever lied to you?" During World War II, he was part of a special services company that entertained troops in the South Pacific, his pointed jibes at officers nearly getting him into trouble more than once. After the war, Paar tried his hand at movie acting and comedy, playing opposite Marilyn Monroe in Love Nest (1951) and frequently appearing as a standup comedian on The Ed Sullivan Show. He also hosted the game shows Up To Paar in 1952, and Bank On The Stars in 1953. In addition, he hosted The Morning Show on CBS in 1954. Website: http://www. ... Country United States State Michigan County Jackson Mayor Martin J. Griffin (D) Area    - City 11. ... George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American radio broadcaster, theatre director, film director and actor. ... Orson Welles radio adaptation of H. G. Wells classic novel The War of the Worlds was performed by Mercury Theatre on the Air as a Halloween special on October 30, 1938. ... CBS (an abbreviation for Columbia Broadcasting System, its former legal name) is one of the largest television networks, and formerly one of the largest radio networks, in the United States. ... Combatants Major Allied powers: United Kingdom Soviet Union United States Republic of China and others Major Axis powers: Nazi Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Harry Truman Chiang Kai-Shek Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tojo Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead... Marilyn Monroe (June 1, 1926 – August 5, 1962) was an American actress, singer and model. ... Ed Sullivan The Ed Sullivan Show was an American television variety show that ran from June 20, 1948 to June 6, 1971, and was hosted by former entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. ... A game show is a radio or television program involving members of the public or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, playing a game, perhaps involving answering quiz questions, for points or prizes. ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... The Early Show title card The Early Show is a American television morning news talk show broadcast by CBS from New York City, 7 to 9 a. ... CBS (an abbreviation for Columbia Broadcasting System, its former legal name) is one of the largest television networks, and formerly one of the largest radio networks, in the United States. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Tonight Show

An impressive stint as a guest host on Jack Benny's radio show caught the attention of NBC officials, who eventually offered him his best known role as host of The Tonight Show. Paar was the program's host from 1957 to 1962; after 1959 it was known as The Jack Paar Show. It became, in 1959, one of the very first, if not the first, regularly scheduled videotaped programs in color. Sadly, only minutes of years of Paar in color are known to exist today. Jack Benny (born Benjamin Kubelsky, February 14, 1894 – December 26, 1974), an American comedian, vaudeville performer, and radio, television, and film actor, was one of the biggest stars in classic American radio and was also a major television personality. ... The National Broadcasting Company or NBC is an American television broadcasting company based in New York Citys Rockefeller Center. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ...

It was during Paar's stint as host that The Tonight Show became the entertainment juggernaut that it remained for the next five decades; no other host generated the degree of obsessive fascination in the press or the public that Paar did, partly because his version of the television talk show was so amazingly unpredictable, with memorable occurrences like a slurring drunk Judy Garland talking about her rival Marlene Dietrich playing only the applause sections of a recording of Dietrich's recent European concerts while at a party that they both happened to attend. Both John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon appeared separately on the show when they were running against each other for president in 1960, and Robert F. Kennedy later granted the first interview after his brother's assassination to Paar on Paar's primetime show. The focus was always on compelling conversation and Paar's guests tended to be literate raconteurs such as Peter Ustinov rather than scripted actors selling their current films, while Paar himself was a superb storyteller. Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922 – June 22, 1969) was an American film actress considered by many to be one of the greatest singing stars of Hollywoods Golden Era of musical film. ... Marlene Dietrich in the 1930s Marlene Dietrich (December 27, 1901 – May 6, 1992) was a German-born actress, entertainer and singer. ... John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917–November 22, 1963), also referred to as John F. Kennedy, JFK, John Kennedy, or Jack Kennedy, was the 35th President of the United States. ... Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913 – April 22, 1994) was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. ... Robert Francis Bobby Kennedy (November 20, 1925 – June 6, 1968), also called RFK, was one of two younger brothers of U.S. President John F. Kennedy and served as United States Attorney General from 1961 to 1964. ... Ustinov as Hercule Poirot Ustinov at Large (book cover) Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov, CBE (April 16, 1921 – March 28, 2004), born Peter Alexander von Ustinov, was an Academy Award-winning British actor, writer, dramatist and raconteur. ...

During this time, Paar also made occasional appearances on the television game show What's My Line?. On episode 215, Paar filled in as guest panelist for Steve Allen, his predecessor at The Tonight Show. A game show involves members of the public or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, playing a game, perhaps involving answering quiz questions, for points or prizes. ... Whats My Line? was a weekly panel game show originally produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS television. ... Steve Allen on the cover of Steve Allen on the Bible, Religion, and Morality Stephen Valentine Patrick William Allen (December 26, 1921 – October 30, 2000) was an American musician, comedian, and writer who was instrumental in innovating the concept of the television talk show. ...

Smart Television

Smart Television is the name of a PBS television documentary produced in 2000 celebrating the career of TV talk show host Jack Paar, featuring clips of Paar with guests including Jonathan Winters, Woody Allen, Judy Garland, Bill Cosby (in his first network appearance), Peter Ustinov, Richard Burton, John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy (in his first interview after his brother's assassination), Richard Nixon, Barry Goldwater, and many others compiled from the 1950s and 1960s, as well as more recent interviews with people who worked with Paar. PBS re-directs here; for alternate uses see PBS (disambiguation) PBS logo The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is a non-profit public broadcasting television service with 349 member TV stations in the United States. ... Jonathan Winters (born November 11, 1925 in Dayton, Ohio) is an American comedic actor. ... Woody Allen (born Allen Stewart Konigsberg on December 1, 1935) is a three-time Academy Award-winning American film director, writer, actor, musician, and comedian. ... Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922 – June 22, 1969) was an American film actress considered by many to be one of the greatest singing stars of Hollywoods Golden Era of musical film. ... William Henry Bill Cosby, Jr. ... Ustinov as Hercule Poirot Ustinov at Large (book cover) Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov, CBE (April 16, 1921 – March 28, 2004), born Peter Alexander von Ustinov, was an Academy Award-winning British actor, writer, dramatist and raconteur. ... Richard Burton CBE (November 10, 1925 – August 5, 1984) was a Welsh actor. ... John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917–November 22, 1963), also referred to as John F. Kennedy, JFK, John Kennedy, or Jack Kennedy, was the 35th President of the United States. ... Robert Francis Bobby Kennedy (November 20, 1925 – June 6, 1968), also called RFK, was one of two younger brothers of U.S. President John F. Kennedy and served as United States Attorney General from 1961 to 1964. ... Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913 – April 22, 1994) was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. ... Barry Goldwater (January 1, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was a five-term United States Senator from Arizona (1953–1965, 1969–87) and the Republican Partys nominee for President in the 1964 election. ...

Controversy

In 1959, he was criticized for his interview with Cuban leader Fidel Castro. Two years later, he broadcast his show from Berlin just as the Berlin Wall was going up. He also sustained numerous cancellations from sponsors of the show, when he would make ad-libs during live commercials for that sponsor's product, such as once describing a brand of men's underwear that sponsored his show as "fitting so tight, it's like being hugged by a midget." ^{[citation needed]} Paar also engaged in a number of public feuds, one of them with CBS luminary Ed Sullivan. 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (born on August 13, 1926) is the current President of Cuba but on indefinite medical hiatus. ... Berlin is the capital city and one of the sixteen federal states of Germany. ... East German construction workers building the Berlin Wall, 20 November 1961. ... Ed Sullivan Edward Vincent Sullivan (September 28, 1901 – October 13, 1974) was an American entertainment writer and television host, best known as the emcee of a popular TV variety show that was at its height of popularity in the 1950s and 1960s. ...

Highly emotional

Paar was often emotional and unpredictable. The most salient example of this kind of on-screen behavior was demonstrated in 1960. One of his jokes was cut from a broadcast by studio censors. The joke in question involved a woman writing to a vacation resort and inquiring about the availability of a "W.C." The woman used that term to mean "water closet" (i.e., bathroom), but the gentleman who received the letter misunderstood "W.C." to mean "wayside chapel" (i.e., church). The full text of the joke^[1] reveals multiple double entendres that are tame by today's standards, but too much for the network to bear in 1960. NBC replaced that section of the show with news coverage and failed to inform Paar of their decision. 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ... A typical American bathroom A bathroom is a room that may have different functions depending on the cultural context it is used in. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Profanity. ...

The decision to censor the joke so angered Paar that the next night, February 11, he announced on the air that he was leaving the show, saying "I've made a decision about what I'm going to do. I'm leaving The Tonight Show. There must be a better way to make a living than this, a way of entertaining people without being constantly involved in some form of controversy. I love NBC [...] But they let me down." ^[1]After finishing this monologue, Paar abruptly walked offstage, leaving his flustered announcer Hugh Downs to finish the show for him. February 11 is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Hugh Malcolm Downs, (born February 14, 1921) is a retired American broadcaster, television host, producer, and author. ...

Less than a month later, Paar was convinced to return; on March 7 he opened his monologue with the now-famous line, "As I was saying before I was interrupted...I believe the last thing I said was 'There must be a better way to make a living than this.' Well, I've looked...and there isn't." He then went on to explain his departure with typical frankness: "Leaving the show was a childish and perhaps emotional thing. I have been guilty of such action in the past and will perhaps be again. I'm totally unable to hide what I feel. It is not an asset in show business, but I shall do the best I can to amuse and entertain you and let other people speak freely, as I have in the past." ^[1] March 7 is the 66th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (67th in leap years). ...

The move to prime time

Paar's emotionality made the everyday routine of putting together a ninety-minute program difficult to continue for long. Paar made it clear that he was not planning to continue with the Tonight Show because, as a TV Guide item put it, he was "bone tired" of the grind, and he signed off for the last time on March 29, 1962. March 29 is the 88th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (89th in Leap years). ...

Paar then began hosting a prime-time Friday night show on NBC, entitled The Jack Paar Program. Popular belief holds that The Ed Sullivan Show introduced the Beatles to American television audiences; In fact, on January 3, 1964 the group made their prime time debut on Paar's hour in film clips Paar had leased from the BBC, with Paar gently making fun of the band (the Beatles first U.S. television appearance was in a feature story on the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite). Paar's show had a world view, debuting acts from around the globe and showing films from exotic locations; most of the films were made on travels made by guests such as Arthur Godfrey or Paar himself (e.g., with Albert Schweitzer at his compound in Gabon, West Africa). During the first half of 1964, another running feud pitted Paar against the show immediately preceding his program, David Frost's satire series That Was The Week That Was. A typical exchange would have That Was the Week That Was "signing off" the NBC Television Network just before the Paar program, with Paar responding that the show immediately preceding his was Henry Morgan's Amateur Hour (Morgan was a frequent guest on the earlier show). The mock feud suddenly evaporated when NBC moved That Was the Week That Was to a Tuesday night time slot for the 1964-65 season. Prime Time is the major news analysis, current affairs and politics programme broadcast on Radio Telifís Éireann in Ireland. ... Ed Sullivan The Ed Sullivan Show was an American television variety show that ran from June 20, 1948 to June 6, 1971, and was hosted by former entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. ... The Beatles, an English musical group from Liverpool, are one of the most critically acclaimed, commercially successful popular music artists in history. ... This article is an overview article about the Crown chartered British Broadcasting Corporation formed in 1927. ... Walter Cronkite on the CBS Evening News in the 1970s. ... Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr. ... Arthur Morton Godfrey (August 31, 1903 – March 16, 1983) was an American radio and television broadcaster and entertainer. ... Albert Schweitzer Albert Schweitzer, M.D., OM, (January 14, 1875 – September 4, 1965) was a German Alsatian theologian, musician, philosopher, and physician. ... For other uses, see Africa (disambiguation). ... That Was The Week That Was, also known as TW3, was a satirical television comedy programme that aired on BBC Television in 1962 and 1963. ... Henry Morgan (March 31, 1915 - May 19, 1994), born in New York City, was a comedian best remembered for having been a regular panelist on the CBS game show Ive Got a Secret. ...

Paar's prime time show aired for three years, including guests such as Brother Dave Gardner, Peter Ustinov, Lawrence of Arabia's brother, Richard Burton, Oscar Levant, Lowell Thomas, Muhammad Ali singing to piano accompaniment by Liberace, an occasionally inebriated Judy Garland, Jonathan Winters, Woody Allen, Bill Cosby (whose nickname for Paar was "The Boss"), Bette Davis, Robert Morley and many others. The final closing segment of the series, broadcast on June 25, 1966, featured him sitting alone on a stool, sharing a discussion that he had with his daughter Randy, who called Paar's departure a sabbatical. Noting the origins of the term, he said that his own field was, though not completely used up, "a little dry recently." Then he called to his German shepherd, who came to him from the seats of what was, for once, an empty studio, and walked out. // Brother Dave Gardner David Gardner (June 11, 1926--September 22, 1983), known as Brother Dave Gardner, was a U.S. comedian and singer. ... Ustinov as Hercule Poirot Ustinov at Large (book cover) Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov, CBE (April 16, 1921 – March 28, 2004), born Peter Alexander von Ustinov, was an Academy Award-winning British actor, writer, dramatist and raconteur. ... Thomas Edward Lawrence (August 16, 1888 – May 19, 1935), also known as Lawrence of Arabia, and (apparently, among his Arab allies) Aurens or El Aurens, became famous for his role as a British liaison officer during the Arab Revolt of 1916–1918. ... Richard Burton CBE (November 10, 1925 – August 5, 1984) was a Welsh actor. ... Oscar Levant (December 27, 1906 - August 14, 1972) was an American pianist, composer, author, comedian, and an actor, better known for his mordant character and witticisms, on the radio and in movies and television, than his music. ... Lowell Jackson Thomas (April 6, 1892 – August 29, 1981) was an American writer, broadcaster, and traveller best known as the man who made Lawrence of Arabia famous. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Liberace shows off his rings (circa 1980). ... Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922 – June 22, 1969) was an American film actress considered by many to be one of the greatest singing stars of Hollywoods Golden Era of musical film. ... Jonathan Winters (born November 11, 1925 in Dayton, Ohio) is an American comedic actor. ... Woody Allen (born Allen Stewart Konigsberg on December 1, 1935) is a three-time Academy Award-winning American film director, writer, actor, musician, and comedian. ... William Henry Bill Cosby, Jr. ... Bette Davis (April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989), was a two-time Academy Award-winning American actress of film, television and theatre. ... Robert Morley Robert Morley (May 26, 1908 - June 3, 1992) was a British actor who, often in supporting roles, was usually cast as a pompous English gentleman representing the Establishment. ... A sabbatical year is a prolonged hiatus, typically one year, in the career of an otherwise successful individual taken in order to fulfill some dream, e. ... Country of origin Germany Classification Breed standards (external links) FCI, AKC, ANKC, CKC KC(UK), NZKC, UKC The German Shepherd Dog (known also as the Alsatian or Schäfer(hund)) is an intelligent breed of dog. ...

Later career

Paar came back for another late-night show in January 1973 on ABC; this time, as one of a group of rotating hosts (including a young Dick Cavett, a former Paar writer) on ABC Wide World of Entertainment, he appeared one week out of each month, which was the most Paar was willing to appear. (Paar later claimed he wouldn't have appeared at all unless ABC committed itself to keeping Cavett's show on the schedule in some manner.) His announcer for this series was Peggy Cass, and perhaps the most notable aspect of the series was the fact that comic Freddie Prinze made his national television debut on it. He later expressed discomfort with what the medium had developed into. While Cavett had no problem interviewing young rock acts, Paar once expressed the view he had trouble interviewing people dressed in "overalls." The show, which was in direct competition with Tonight, only lasted for half a year. In 1986, NBC aired a special featuring Paar, titled Jack Paar Comes Home; the following year, a second special Jack Paar Is Alive and Well was broadcast by the network. Both of these specials were largely made up of kinescoped clips from Paar's prime time program, to which he maintained the copyright. In the course of promoting the first special, Paar guested on Johnny Carson's version of Tonight for the first time on November 18, 1986. 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ... Dick Cavett in 1974 Richard Alva Cavett (born November 19, 1936) is an American television talk show host known for his conversational style of in-depth and often serious issues discussion. ... Mary Margaret (Peggy) Cass (May 21, 1924 - March 8, 1999) was an actress and comedian. ... Freddie Prinze Freddie Prinze (June 22, 1954 – January 29, 1977) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

PBS television devoted an edition of the prestigious American Masters series to Paar's career in 1997, and in 2003 revisited the topic with another hour-long examination of the Paar phenomenon, appropriately entitled Smart Television. PBS re-directs here; for alternate uses see PBS (disambiguation) PBS logo The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is a non-profit public broadcasting television service with 349 member TV stations in the United States. ... American Masters is a PBS television show which does biographies on what it judges are the best artists, actors and writers of the United States. ... Jack Parr redirects here. ...

Death

Paar, who enjoyed many years of relatively good health and made rare guest appearances on The Tonight Show (under Johnny Carson and Jay Leno) and Late Night with David Letterman, as well as Charles Grodin's CNBC talk show, died at his Greenwich, Connecticut home in January 2004 at age 85, with his wife and daughter by his side. He had long been ill, having undergone triple-bypass heart surgery in 1998 and a stroke one year before he died. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Late Night with David Letterman was a nightly hour-long comedy talk show on NBC hosted by David Letterman. ... Grodin on The Charles Grodin Show Charles Grodin (born April 21, 1935) is an American actor and cable talk show host. ... CNBC (until 1991 the Consumer News and Business Channel) is a group of cable and satellite television Business news channels from the U.S., owned and operated by NBC Universal, a joint venture of General Electric and Vivendi Universal. ... Location in Connecticut Coordinates: NECTA Bridgeport-Stamford Region South Western Region Settled 1640 Government type Representative town meeting First selectman James A. Lash Town administrator Edward Gomeau Town meeting moderator Thomas J. Byrne Area    - City 174. ... Early in a coronary artery bypass surgery during vein harvesting from the legs (left of image) and the establishment of bypass (placement of the aortic cannula) (bottom of image). ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ...

As Richard Corliss noted in Time Magazine's obituary, Jack Paar had divided television talk show history into two eras: Before Paar and Below Paar. Richard Corliss is a writer for Time magazine who focuses on movies, with the occasional article on music or sports, and has distinguished himself for his clever way with words. ... (Clockwise from upper left) Time magazine covers from May 7, 1945; July 25, 1969; December 31, 1999; September 14, 2001; and April 21, 2003. ...

Steve Allen on the cover of Steve Allen on the Bible, Religion, and Morality Stephen Valentine Patrick William Allen (December 26, 1921 – October 30, 2000) was an American musician, comedian, and writer who was instrumental in innovating the concept of the television talk show. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... For other people named John Carson, see John Carson (disambiguation). ...

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Jack Paar's Water Closet Joke. Censorship & Scandals. TV ACRES.

External links

• Jack Paar Official Website
• Jack Paar at the Internet Movie Database
• Jack Paar from the Museum of Broadcast Communications website
• Time magazine obituary by Richard Corliss
• Record for Jack Paar at Findagrave.com
• CNN obituary