- published: 17 Jun 2013
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John William "Johnny" Carson (October 23, 1925 – January 23, 2005) was an American television host and comedian, known for thirty years as host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962–1992). Carson received six Emmy Awards, the Governor Award, and a 1985 Peabody Award. He was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987. Johnny Carson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992 and received a Kennedy Center Honor in 1993.
Although his show was already successful by the end of the 1960s, during the 1970s Carson became an American icon and remained so until his retirement in 1992. He adopted a casual, conversational approach with extensive interaction with guests, an approach pioneered by Arthur Godfrey and previous Tonight Show hosts Steve Allen and Jack Paar. Late night hosts David Letterman, Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, Craig Ferguson, and Jimmy Fallon have all cited Carson's influence on their late-night talk shows, which resemble his in format and tone.
Carson was born in Corning, Iowa, in the year 1925, to Homer Lloyd "Kit" Carson, a power company manager, and Ruth Hook Carson, who was of Irish descent. He grew up in the nearby towns of Avoca, Clarinda, and Red Oak in southwest Iowa before moving to Norfolk, Nebraska, at the age of eight. At the age of twelve, Carson found a book on magic at a friend's house and immediately purchased a mail-order magician's kit. He debuted as "The Great Carsoni" at fourteen and was paid $3; many other performances at local picnics and country fairs followed.
Actors: Peter MacNeill (actor), Lyndon Johnson (actor), Richard Fitzpatrick (actor), Martin Luther King (actor), Benz Antoine (actor), Cedric the Entertainer (actor), Matt Birman (actor), Don Cheadle (actor), Damir Andrei (actor), Eugene Clark (actor), Vondie Curtis-Hall (actor), Johnny Carson (actor), Chiwetel Ejiofor (actor), Mike Epps (actor), Bruce McFee (actor),
Plot: The true life story of Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene Jr. In the mid-to-late 1960s, in Washington, D.C., vibrant soul music and exploding social consciousness were combining to unique and powerful effect. It was the place and time for Petey to fully express himself - sometimes to outrageous effect - and "tell it like it is." With the support of his irrepressible and tempestuous girlfriend Vernell, the newly minted ex-con talks his way into an on-air radio gig. He forges a friendship and a partnership with fellow prison inmate Milo's brother Dewey Hughes. From the first wild morning on the air, Petey relies on the more straight-laced Dewey to run interference at WOL-AM, where Dewey is the program director. At the station, Petey becomes an iconic radio personality, surpassing even the established popularity of his fellow disc jockeys, Nighthawk and Sunny Jim. Combining biting humor with social commentary, Petey openly courts controversy for station owner E.G. Sonderling. Petey was determined to make not just himself but his community heard during an exciting and turbulent period in American history. As Petey's voice, humor, and spirit surge across the airwaves with the vitality of the era, listeners tune in to hear not only incredible music but also a man speaking directly to them about race and power in America like few people ever have. Through the years, Petey's "The truth just is" style --- on - and off-air - would redefine both Petey and Dewey, and empower each to become the man he would most like to be.
Keywords: 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, african-american, alcoholism, anti-war-demonstration, anti-war-protest, award, bar, bare-buttActors: Lorena Gale (actress), Malcolm Stewart (actor), Philip Granger (actor), Brenda Crichlow (actress), Winston Rekert (actor), Jerry Wasserman (actor), Saul Rubinek (actor), Todd Bridges (actor), Peter Outerbridge (actor), Gary Coleman (actor), Colin Cunningham (actor), Terence Kelly (actor), Ty Olsson (actor), Stanley M. Brooks (producer), Teryl Rothery (actress),
Plot: As NBC's hit sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes" proves a long-running hit for a network desperately in need of one, its young stars: Gary Coleman, Todd Bridges, and Dana Plato face all sorts of trouble off-camera. Gary battles with his parents over the management of his salary, Todd runs into trouble with the law countless times, and Dana's career after the show meets with despair and tragedy.
Keywords: african-american, based-on-true-story, child-actor, making-of, model-train, televisionActors: Treat Williams (actor), Little Richard (actor), Lawrence Pressman (actor), Ed Begley Jr. (actor), Daniel Roebuck (actor), John Getz (actor), Aaron Lustig (actor), Michael Chieffo (actor), Nicholas Guest (actor), John Michael Higgins (actor), Michael Fairman (actor), Rich Little (actor), John Kapelos (actor), Bob Balaban (actor), Kathy Bates (actress),
Plot: HBO movie about the behind-the-scenes network politics responsible for the changes in late-night talk-show hosts, after the retirement of Johnny Carson from the Tonight Show on NBC. Jay Leno and David Letterman were both vying for the position, but Leno's tough manager Helen Kushnick got him the spot. In the wake of her 'stepping on the toes' of powerful network executives and 'playing hardball' tactics with guest bookings, she found herself being pushed out of her job as Tonight Show Executive Producer and Jay's manager. Letterman, devastated by his being passed over, brought in superagent Mike Ovitz to negotiate on his behalf, resulting in his move to CBS.
Keywords: 1990s, anger, based-on-book, based-on-true-story, beach, business, business-competition, business-deal, car-phone, comedianActors: Joe Alaskey (actor), Charles Adler (actor), Joe Alaskey (actor), Joe Alaskey (actor), Joe Alaskey (actor), Joe Alaskey (actor), Paul Julian (actor), Maurice LaMarche (actor), Maurice LaMarche (actor), Maurice LaMarche (actor), Maurice LaMarche (actor), Don Messick (actor), Don Messick (actor), Rob Paulsen (actor), Rob Paulsen (actor),
Plot: Term-time ends at Acme Looniversity and the Tiny Toon characters look forward to a summer filled with fun. Buster and Babs Bunny turn a water fight into a white-water rafting trip through the dangerous Deep South; Plucky Duck and Hamton Pig share the most impossibly awful car journey imaginable on the way to HappyWorldLand; Fifi's blind date becomes a "skunknophobic" nightmare; and a safari park is turned upside-down by Elmyra's search for "cute little kitties to hug and squeeze".
Keywords: alligator, amusement-park, animal-abuse, anthropomorphic-animal, anthropomorphism, anxiety, autograph, basset-hound, beach, breaking-the-fourth-wallActors: Tobey Maguire (actor), Gregory Sills (director), Rodney Dangerfield (writer), Chuck McCann (actor), Greg Travis (actor), Jeff Foxworthy (actor), Gregory Sills (producer), Tim Allen (actor), Richard Epcar (actor), Ron Jeremy (actor), Rodney Dangerfield (actor), Chuck McCann (actor), Rich Little (actor), Brent Carpenter (editor), Sam Kinison (actor),
Genres: Comedy,Actors: Edward Lexy (actor), Alf Goddard (actor), Charles Farrell (actor), Johnnie Schofield (actor), Oswald Mitchell (director), Percival Mackey (composer), Phyllis Morris (actress), Douglas Myers (editor), Geoffrey Toone (actor), George Street (actor), John Corfield (producer), Douglas Stewart (actor), Charles Groves (actor), Patricia Hilliard (actress), Richard Norris (actor),
Genres: Crime, Drama,