Mr. Garner and Johnny Carson
D Dunkerson
At www.johnnycarson.com you will find, via Guest Search, the 21
Tonight shows (as hosted by Johnny Carson) that had Mr. Garner on the
guest list. According to this source, he made appearances starting on
11/2/71 and ending 9/13/91. Clicking on the date link from the search
results sometimes reveals nothing more than the guest list and, at
other times, the major topics discussed by Mr. Garner are revealed.
The 11/2/71 listing gives the guests other than Mr. Garner - Sammy
Davis Jr., Dom Deluise, and Karen Valentine. On 7/13/73 Mr. Garner had
remarks about the Writers Strike, his genealogy (as part Indian) and
jobs he had before he became an actor.
A selection of others:
8/14/73 - auto racing and bad movies
9/12/74 - The Rockford Files (TRF), filming it, how he memorizes
lines, and a clip from the series
10/5/76 - acting techniques, success of TRF, his psychological help,
and work laying carpet
9/14/77 - an Emmy for TRF, as a scrounger in the Army in Korea, his
knees, as a politician if he had not become an actor
8/25/78 - The Great Escape and Grand Prix
2/6/79 - a clip from a 2 hour TRF
9/26/79 - fat lower lip, leaving TRF, golf, Mariette Hartley, his last
season for TRF
11/27/81 - Stuart Margolin, his daughters
11/4/86 - Murphy's Romance, married 30 years, own stunts on TFR with
same stuntman, Roy Clark, since his career started. A car commercial
with his brother and his daughter.
Other sources say you can have a copy made of a Tonight Show starring
Johnny Carson episode made for $99. The server for that link at
johnnycarson.com was down when I tried to verify this.
Tony DeAngelo
went on Johnny's show (moment of silence, please) and talked about it.
Jim was no spring chicken at this point, with a body worn by stunts and
a life worth living. Still, after being attacked as a victim of road
rage, Jim went after the guy.
Garner, ever the reluctant actor-cum-star, couldn't hide from the fact
that he was a regular guy..."Slick" Bumgarner, the first Oklahoman
drafted into the Korean war. What a guy!
bcnmason
"Tony DeAngelo" <aj...@adelphia.net> wrote in message
news:3D7067CA...@adelphia.net...
> I remember when Jimmy got in a fracas on the LA freeway. Remember?
I sure do, and do you remember what followed shortly after? Jim had an
altercation on the golf course with some by-stander. Supposedly this
"weasel" kept calling him Rockford and was constantly hounding him every
step of the way. Finally Jim had had enough, and he just walked over to the
guy and walloped him.
Guy's, take this as you may, as this piece was taken from one of my articles
and it was NOT from a reliable news source. However, there is a clear
picture of Jim grabbing the guy by the scruff of the neck. Good 'ole Jimbo,
gotta love him.
Brian
mike
> > I remember when Jimmy got in a fracas on the LA freeway. Remember?
>
> I sure do,<
I do too. Unfortunately, Mr Garner kinda' got the worst of it. (War wound in
Korea, very bad knees, in his 50's, etc) I think Jim was forgetting it
wasn't a 'stunt'. Or was majorly pissed.
Life ain't movies folks. (I wish JG woulda' knocked the guy on his ass, but,
I have no details on who started what. Nor do I care)
Mikey...devil's advocate yet Jim Garner devotee
Tony DeAngelo
month.
Someone
> Supposedly this "weasel" kept calling him Rockford and was constantly hounding him every
> step of the way. Finally Jim had had enough, and he just walked over to the guy and walloped him.
hehe. Are you sure he wasn't calling him RockFISH?
MARK SPECK
too long ago. As soon as the dirty questions started, JG and his bodyguard
went to work on the guy.
Best,
Mark
Someone wrote in message ...
George Reynolds
> Mr. Garner and Johnny Carson
>
> At www.johnnycarson.com you will find, via Guest Search, the 21
> Tonight shows (as hosted by Johnny Carson) that had Mr. Garner on the
> guest list.
> From George Reynolds:
Thanks for posting the info about how to find info about guests on
the Carson show. In reviewing the Garner guest visits, it brought back
a lot of happy memories of watching that show. I think I saw most,
but not all of Garner's visits to the show.
Were Carson and Garner friends socially? Carson always was such a
great interviewer and was able to create instant rapport with
everyone, but it did seem that the two clicked.
Also, as you noted, on one of the shows he talked about his
daughters. Unfortunately, no info is proivded in the show summary. I
believe that one was Kim who was/is a kindergarten teacher in the LA
area and the other, Greta (?) was/is trying to break into the country
music business. She also wrote a cook book and had her own Web site.
Kim was Lois's (Jim's wife of 35 + years) daughter from a previous
marriage. Of course, this is all going back a few years, but perhaps
someone can help correct/update my ramblings.
Thanks again.
George
RNeill22
IIRC, James Garner made one of his Tonight Show appearances shortly after he
announced he was discontinuing The Rockford Files. He explained to Johnny
Carson about all the injuries he'd sustained.
Carson had also recently announced that he would be retiring from The Tonight
Show at the end of his NBC contract. Carson said to Garner something like:
"Tell you what; if you do 7 more years of Rockford, I'LL do 7 more years of The
Tonight Show."
The audience whooped and hollered and applauded their approval of this offer
and James Garner looked a bit upset at Carson putting him in that position.
As it turned out, Carson stayed with The Tonight Show for far more than just 7
more years, but Garner stuck with his decision not to continue The Rockford
Files.
Adam H. Kerman
If you recall, George Burns was a guest in the last two weeks or so, strongly
implying Carson was a wimp for retiring so young. I hope Garner was watching.
Burns himself forgot that he had retired for a number of years after Gracie's
death, not able to enjoy the same success that he'd had with her. He got a
"lucky" break, of course, when he filled in for Jack Benny in "The Sunshine
Boys", which led to a successful movie career.
jcollins25
>implying Carson was a wimp for retiring so young. I hope Garner was watching.
>
>Burns himself forgot that he had retired for a number of years after Gracie's
>death, not able to enjoy the same success that he'd had with her. He got a
>"lucky" break, of course, when he filled in for Jack Benny in "The Sunshine
>Boys", which led to a successful movie career.
Isn't it interesting that George Burns was one of the greatest straight men for
so many years and then became a solo act?
Although "The Sunshine Boys" revived his movie career, I remember him on the
talk show (Merv Griffin, David Frost, Dick Cavett) and TV variety (Dean Martin,
Kraft, etc) show circuit from the late 60s on. He was a great story teller.
bcnmason
"George Reynolds" <greyn...@cinci.rr.com> wrote in message
news:4f3d42bc.0209...@posting.google.com...
> > Mr. Garner and Johnny Carson
> Thanks for posting the info about how to find info about guests on
> the Carson show. In reviewing the Garner guest visits, it brought back
> a lot of happy memories of watching that show. I think I saw most,
> but not all of Garner's visits to the show.
I have about 3 or 4 on video and I think 1 on audio. It would be great to
see some of those earlier interviews though, especially the first three.
There are a few missing in that list, because I have one where he talks
about "Decoration Day" and another when he appeared to promote "Man of The
People". When exactly did Carson pack it in?
> Were Carson and Garner friends socially? Carson always was such a
> great interviewer and was able to create instant rapport with
> everyone, but it did seem that the two clicked.
To me, Carson was THE best. Of course, my Mom would probably say that Allen
was equally as funny as Carson, but that's a little before my time. As far
as being close friends, I'd venture to guess that they do keep in contact
with one another. Jim mentioned in one of the interviews from back in the
early 80's, that the only talk show he was willing to appear in (at that
time), was the "Tonight Show". Reason being, he liked Johnny, considered
him a friend, and that Johnny always made him feel as comfortable as
possible when he guested. (We all know by now that Jim has a fear of public
speaking, so Johnny must have went out of his way to make things as
comfortable as possible).
> Also, as you noted, on one of the shows he talked about his
> daughters. Unfortunately, no info is proivded in the show summary. I
> believe that one was Kim who was/is a kindergarten teacher in the LA
> area and the other, Greta (?) was/is trying to break into the country
> music business. She also wrote a cook book and had her own Web site.
> Kim was Lois's (Jim's wife of 35 + years) daughter from a previous
> marriage. Of course, this is all going back a few years, but perhaps
> someone can help correct/update my ramblings.
I believe your ramblings,..as you put it, are accurate. Though I did hear,
or read somewhere that Greta was going into the P.I. business. I kid you
not.
Brian
Adam H. Kerman
>>If you recall, George Burns was a guest in the last two weeks or so, strongly
>>implying Carson was a wimp for retiring so young. I hope Garner was watching.
>>Burns himself forgot that he had retired for a number of years after Gracie's
>>death, not able to enjoy the same success that he'd had with her. He got a
>>"lucky" break, of course, when he filled in for Jack Benny in "The Sunshine
>>Boys", which led to a successful movie career.
>Isn't it interesting that George Burns was one of the greatest straight
>men for so many years and then became a solo act?
If anything, he was a frustrated Vaudeville comic who didn't find
great success till he met Gracie Allen, and married her to keep the act
going. Gracie was an unusually gifted clown who could have made almost
anyone look good. Burns was smart enough to see that.
Compare Lou Costello, who just got weird when off script.
When Burns was in his 80's and FINALLY had an audience for his Vaudeville
schtick, I never found him all that funny.
I was rather fond of the Burns and Allen radio program. They got better on
television, except for George's all too frequent asides, stepping out of
the teleplay and talking to the audience. It wasn't funny.
Gracie was very ill for the last years of her life, but kept up the act to
please George. She left a great legacy for us, but probably shortened her life.
>Although "The Sunshine Boys" revived his movie career, I remember him on
>the talk show (Merv Griffin, David Frost, Dick Cavett) and TV variety
>(Dean Martin, Kraft, etc) show circuit from the late 60s on. He was a
>great story teller.
Yes he was. I liked Groucho Marx on his talk show appearances, too. He came
across like a real person, your ne'er-do-well uncle who had the adults rolling
their eyes but beloved by the kids.
Jack Benny was one of my favorites, but I found him stiff on his interviews.
Adam H. Kerman
>"George Reynolds" <greyn...@cinci.rr.com> wrote:
>> Thanks for posting the info about how to find info about guests on
>>the Carson show. In reviewing the Garner guest visits, it brought back
>>a lot of happy memories of watching that show. I think I saw most,
>>but not all of Garner's visits to the show.
>I have about 3 or 4 on video and I think 1 on audio. It would be great to
>see some of those earlier interviews though, especially the first three.
>There are a few missing in that list, because I have one where he talks
>about "Decoration Day" and another when he appeared to promote "Man of The
>People". When exactly did Carson pack it in?
Friday, May 22, 1992. He didn't quite make 30 years.
>> Were Carson and Garner friends socially? Carson always was such a
>>great interviewer and was able to create instant rapport with
>>everyone, but it did seem that the two clicked.
>To me, Carson was THE best. Of course, my Mom would probably say that Allen
>was equally as funny as Carson, but that's a little before my time.
To be fair, Steve Allen did a rather different show, more variety and less
talk with celebrities. Jack Paar was probably a better interviewer, though
you almost never see his shows.
Carson was just someone all those pompous celebrities respected, so they
tended to behave. Jay Leno? Never mind.
I don't quite understand why Ed McMahon was on the show all those years, except
as inspiration for the Hank Kingsley character on "The Larry Sanders Show".