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Carson's last guest: Bette Midler

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B. D. Sarachan

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May 22, 1992, 9:07:56 AM5/22/92
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Bette Midler brought down the house as Johnny Carson's last
guest! What a great ending to the show! I can't imagine
how they're going to top this tonight on the last Carson
show - which will not have any guests.

Any comments?

-Brion

Please note that the standard disclaimer applies here.


Bruce Jonathan Schuck

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May 22, 1992, 12:28:23 PM5/22/92
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sarac...@crd.ge.com (B. D. Sarachan) writes:

>Bette Midler brought down the house as Johnny Carson's last
>guest! What a great ending to the show! I can't imagine
>how they're going to top this tonight on the last Carson
>show - which will not have any guests.

>Any comments?

Carson was overwhelmed by the 2+ minutes standing ovation at
the beginning of the show.

Robin Williams was superb and crazy.

The look on Carson's face when Bette sang 'Quarter to Three' was
priceless.

What a great show.

What a classy way to go out.

All I have to say is

"Don't Go Johnny"

"Don't Go"

"Please?"


Kermit Tensmeyer

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May 22, 1992, 12:52:04 PM5/22/92
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In article <1992May22.1...@crd.ge.com> sarac...@crd.ge.com (B. D. Sarachan) writes:
>Bette Midler brought down the house as Johnny Carson's last
>guest! What a great ending to the show! I can't imagine
>how they're going to top this tonight on the last Carson
>show - which will not have any guests.
>
>Any comments?
>
>
My wife and I were commenting on the last set of guests and commedy
routines. We agreed that Roseanne stunk Big Time. Richard Harris and
his stories were much better. Robin was funny, and Bette really did
a good performance (4 songs) including an impromtu duet with Johnny.

We've discussed the commedy bit's. She loved the Willy Nelson look-alike
but I cracked up on the Ames patentend hacket throw. That was funny.

If Carson would just release his classic commedy bit's we would
have a top-rated commedy show next year.


[[ Rosesanne's performance was worse than at any other time that
I have ever seen her perform. She was worse than Tom Arnold Yuchh ]]


--
Kermit Tensmeyer | Intergraph Corporation
SomeWhere in the South (it's a Civilized place) | "It's only MY opinion"

Ken Staggers

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May 22, 1992, 2:25:34 PM5/22/92
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This was a priceless show. Brought the house down is an understatement.
Her duet with carson was mesmerizing. Her final song was wonderful. Johnny
was almost in tears...Bette ran off in tears (look at the tape in slow mo).
I was in tears. I just watched Bette's segment a few minutes ago. It was
wonderful. I was to buy this in HiFi.

I was a little upset in the direction of the show. Didnt have many shots
of Ed. Not enough 2-shots when Bette was on the desk. The last song was
directed well though.

I would have like to have seen the audiences standing ovation. Oh well.
The crew has been slumping this week anyway. Cutting off Roseanne
Arnold (thank you Johnny for refusing to let Yoko Tom join in) before
her punch line...and then someone walked in front of Johnny's camera.
Oh well.

Hope tonight's show is good as well.

--Ken

Sullivan

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May 22, 1992, 2:24:12 PM5/22/92
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In article <1992May22.1...@crd.ge.com>,

sarac...@crd.ge.com (B. D. Sarachan) writes:
>Bette Midler brought down the house as Johnny Carson's last
>guest! What a great ending to the show! I can't imagine
>how they're going to top this tonight on the last Carson
>show - which will not have any guests.

I hope they repeat Bette's closer.

>
>Any comments?

I've always liked One For My Baby anyway. thought the slight lyric
changes were perfect, Bette was awesome, tasteful, wonderful in that
song. Took me a couple minutes to grasp the meaning of Johnny as
America's Bartender.

Bette DASHED off stage immediately, Robin was subdued, both let the
spotlight and camera stay on Johnny.

Perfect. THAT's Entertainment.

Mike Sullivan

Frank T. Solensky

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May 22, 1992, 4:41:07 PM5/22/92
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In article <schuck.7...@sfu.ca> sch...@fraser.sfu.ca (Bruce Jonathan Schuck) writes:
All I have to say is

"Don't Go Johnny"

"Don't Go"

"Please?"

While the sentiment is understandable, I can see the logic in what he said when
Roseanne Arnold asked him the same thing on Wednesday: he remembered that when
Beverly Sills was asked why she had left the Metropolitan Opera Company at the
height of her popularity in the '70s, she responded that it was better to be
asked "why did you leave" than "why don't you leave"...

I haven't been much of a regular viewer recently and noticed that he's been
much rougher on GE in the last few weeks than I remember. Anyone know if
there's anything specific that's at the root of this, or is it just me?
--
-- Frank Solensky / Clearpoint Research
Red Sox magic number: 129
"finger bo...@animal.clearpoint.com" for current info.

tuu

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May 23, 1992, 1:51:11 AM5/23/92
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In article <1992May22.1...@infonode.ingr.com> tens...@infonode.ingr.com (Kermit Tensmeyer) writes:
} My wife and I were commenting on the last set of guests and commedy
} routines. We agreed that Roseanne stunk Big Time.

I don't agree. I think she was really funny. She's almost always
pretty funny. She has done better, but it was still good.

>Richard Harris and
} his stories were much better. Robin was funny, and Bette really did
} a good performance (4 songs) including an impromtu duet with Johnny.

God, I must be getting old! (I'm 23) Some of Bette's stuff was
actually halfway interesting. EEEEK, I'm liking "old people" music!
(just kidding people.. no rude mail please!) Not that I'd _buy_ her music,
but it was interesting to see.

} We've discussed the commedy bit's. She loved the Willy Nelson look-alike
} but I cracked up on the Ames patentend hacket throw. That was funny.

I really liked Willy Nelson.. I remember seeing it when it was
originally on. It seemed like Julio didn't know it was going to happen. I
wonder if they got Willy Nelson to pretend that he was coming on the show,
etc., and just made the switch at the last minute..
The hacket throw scene is funny, but not as uproariously funny as
most people seem to think it is.. I think it *was* really neat for
The Dennis Miller Show to use it in their ad in Rolling Stone though..

} If Carson would just release his classic commedy bit's we would
} have a top-rated commedy show next year.

Carson's Comedy Classics.. It's been done.. it flopped.. ("bit's"??)
--
/unk...@ucscb.ucsc.edu used ADB trackball WANTED Apple II Forever!\
\Mail me:Get INFOCOM GAMES RERELEASED,ULT VI GS done,for UNIX GS&CHEAP CD info/
"Tis better to have loved and lost..yadda yadda yadda" - Bart Simpson

David A. Moore

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May 23, 1992, 2:37:20 PM5/23/92
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Anyone else remember Bette singing "Beast of Burden" years ago? She rolled
on the floor as she belted that sucker out to Johnny. What a performance!
I wasn't that surprised that he would have her there for his last gig.
David Moore

Mark E. Mallett

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May 23, 1992, 10:26:27 PM5/23/92
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In article <SOLENSKY.92...@animal.clearpoint.com> sole...@animal.clearpoint.com (Frank T. Solensky) writes:
>I haven't been much of a regular viewer recently and noticed that he's been
>much rougher on GE in the last few weeks than I remember. Anyone know if
>there's anything specific that's at the root of this, or is it just me?

It's you. You're at the root of it. :-)

I wonder too. He definitely sniped at GE the last month or so. Maybe
there were some termination problems. There's the infamous bit about
Doc not being able to use the name "The Tonight Show Band." Or maybe
he's been talking to Letterman too much.

Other comments: I liked that during the closing weeks, he started answering
questions put to him. Normally he would not talk about himself, but would
turn all questions around. I think he saw it as his job to feature the
guests, and not himself; but during the end, he did feature himself a lot.
It was nice.

Also, Letterman's appearance last week. What a riot-- I haven't laughed
that hard in years. Part of it was, I am sure, the counterpoint provided
by Clint Eastwood, who seemed as confused by Letterman as if it had
been a creature from Venus.

-mm-
--
Mark E. Mallett MV Communications, Inc./ PO Box 4963/ Manchester NH/ 03108
Bus. Phone: 603 429 2223 Home: 603 424 8129 BIX: mmallett
Internet: m...@mv.MV.COM ( uucp: ...{decvax|harvard}!mv!mem )
Looking for news and mail in southern NH / northern MA? Try MV!

James Preston

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May 26, 1992, 1:59:49 PM5/26/92
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tens...@infonode.ingr.com (Kermit Tensmeyer) writes:

} If Carson would just release his classic commedy bit's we would
} have a top-rated commedy show next year.

It was done a few years ago; a half-hour syndicated show called "Carson's
Comedy Classics". It sank slowly without a trace.

--James Preston

Anita Hsiung

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Jun 3, 1992, 6:25:13 PM6/3/92
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Bruce_...@sfu.ca writes:

>B. D. Sarachan writes:
>
>>Bette Midler brought down the house as Johnny Carson's last
>>guest! What a great ending to the show! I can't imagine
>>how they're going to top this tonight on the last Carson
>>show - which will not have any guests.
>
>Robin Williams was superb and crazy.
>
>The look on Carson's face when Bette sang 'Quarter to Three' was
>priceless.
>
>What a great show.
>
>What a classy way to go out.

When Midler and Carson fell into that duet, it brought tears to my
eyes...

Maybe I should've saved those leftover dreams,
Funny, but here's that rainy day.
Here's that rainy day they told me about,
And I laughed at the thought that it might
turn out this way.

Where is that worn out wish that I threw aside
After it brought my love so near?
Funny how love becomes a cold rainy day,
Funny that rainy day is here.

-- Anita --

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AWP0...@unccvm.uncc.edu

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Jun 4, 1992, 5:02:20 PM6/4/92
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In article <l2qhm9...@news.bbn.com>

ahs...@bbn.com (Anita Hsiung) writes:

>When Midler and Carson fell into that duet, it brought tears to my
>eyes...

Me too. I thought Midler did a great job - its wasnt silly, corny or
embarrassing..........I think what made that show so special was
all of the emotion that kept coming throught - that you don't
normally see on TV - especially from someone who is supposed to
be as "cold and aloof" as Carson supposedly is. I thought itt
was the perfect end - and I think Carson was genuinely touched.

Judy

Renee M. Wright

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Jun 9, 1992, 9:07:10 AM6/9/92
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Moses

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May 30, 2011, 12:15:35 AM5/30/11
to B. D. Sarachan
:)
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