First Tonight Show 9/27/54

NBC network. First Tonight Show. Monday, September 27, 1954. 11:30 pm to midnight portion. Live from the Hudson Theater in New York.

[@AfterwardDeified]

Who could have ever imagined we'd have the first Tonight Show at our fingertips? It's really incredible.

[@freddyfurrah3789]

Remarkable

[@September2004]

Not only that… that we also *don’t* have Carson’s first Tonight Show.

[@chesterproudfoot594]

@@September2004 Part of it exists and is on YT

[@JustForSneaksEnt]

@@chesterproudfoot594Only the audio of it exist. The actual master recording footage is no longer around.

[@tomault3063]

It is awesome to see this. However, given the way tech has evolved, it seems almost like a foregone conclusion at this point. Took a lot of people who could imagine the unimaginable to get us here.

[@sagelawrence9785]

I saw this first run. I was four years old. Seattle. My father worked graveyard at Boeing, and my mother waited up for him. So did I. I sneaked out and hid behind the sofa and watched with them. (I'm sure they knew I was there, but let me stay.) I loved Steve Allen. And his later show. Learned my sense of humor from him.

[@marcelojaviertwt]

*HI MY DEAR! I LOVE YOUR WORDS AND I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M "TALKING" WITH A PERSON THAT SAW THOSE THINGS!!!* _IT'S AN HONOR FOR ME TO TALK WITH YOU! REALLY!_ *THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR EXPERIENCES!* _BIG HUG!!!_

[@Izeba]

Sage Lawrence wow thank you for sharing ! True history God bless !

[@essessessesq]

Shmock, shmock ! But, all seriousness aside, I hope your fern is not dessicated, because if you've ever had your fern dessicated, you know how painful THAT can be ! Shmock, shmock!----Needless to say, i believe Steverino was the greatest!

[@toneman8478]

Yes the innocence of TV back then.. It was just good family entertainment.. Now it's sex, violence, and cursing.. Horrible

[@iVenge]

What a great story. I’m a little younger, so I remember the first Saturday Night Live.

[@MrTommyg024]

2:39 "This program is gonna go on forever." Well, he wasn't wrong about that!

[@WSenator1]

Well, Steve Allen was always a smart man.

[@ChadQuick270W]

Barry Thomas of course it’s a joke today compared to what it once was. Just my opinion of course.

[@UncleEbenezer77]

@@ChadQuick270W I share your opinion. Tho I believe it started to tank under Jay Leno's watch. I think things would've turned out much differently and TTS would still be prestigious had Letterman taken over for Carson rather than Leno. I think Steve Allen and Jack Parr would've agreed w that. I know Johnny definitely would've agreed. #dancingitos

[@estebangrijalva2443]

He was right, although it would end up in Jimmy Fallon’s stupid hands

[@UncleEbenezer77]

Esteban Grijalva Considering Fallon hasn’t beaten Colbert [ratings-wise] in over a year, NBC may take it from him :/

[@jamesnicol3831]

Will never be another complete personality like Steve Allen

[@doodeen]

Greetings from UK.Thanks so much for posting this.Pure Class.When USA ruled the TV airwaves!.Steve Allen superb!!!!.

[@essessessesq]

greetings to the UK from Ohio !....my ancestors came here in the 1700s from Scotland and Wales [after that brief unpleasantness with Bonnie Prince Charlie ended badly....]

[@doodeen]

@@essessessesq Hi Ohio Thanks for your response.What an interesting family background you have.Scotland is a beautiful country despite the weather!.I'm from an Irish background.Wishing you a Happy Christmas and a great New Year.Cheers Jim

[@essessessesq]

thanks! Steve Allen was Irish, too!@@doodeen

[@raylarkin5004]

Steve allen was an adroit talent in a time when media needed one. And his circle of talented friends like wally Cox. Louis Nye, jayne meadow, impgene Coca and sid ceaser and others were the greatest support ensemble to bring us tv talk and variety. It truly was the golden age of television and i still enjoy Steve Allen when ever on.👍🏼🤗

[@nonenoneonenonenone]

In those days, through the 1970s, you could be a fascinating personality and have a career on television, on talk shows and game shows. Now, there's no room for that, and it's our loss.

[@Tracy81258]

David Letterman’s first few years were just him doing Steve Allen’s show. The Alka Seltzer suit, the Velcro suit…he should have given Steve Allen a writer’s credit for nearly his entire career.

[@essessessesq]

and Dave has always admitted he idolized and copied Steverino

[@FreihEitner]

Now this is a genuine moment of history. Wow! Great that this was recorded at the time and has been digitized now.

[@mickeyray3793]

I loved Steverino when he had his morning show about 1955-56. He always had that zany quality....smaack amaack!! I was a little kid but I got it anyway! Then he went to late night and the Tonight Show was born.

[@marc21940]

I remember this show when it first aired. Steve was a very funny talented guy. Many years ago, I was standing in crowd waiting to board a plane in Maui. We traded glances and I think he wondered if I remembered him. Boy did I.

[@allend2749]

I was there. I saw the two of you looking at each other. It was special.

[@expantherdigital]

Me too I was there i actually spoke to Allen afterwards about it.. he said he sure does hope people got inspired by his work if anything

[@RayNDeere]

Glad that Steve's first Tonight show was preserved, but sadly footage of Johnny Carson's first Tonight Show was lost (save for an audio copy of the opening)

[@brianherrington7226]

Just as sad NBC didnt save hardly any of Paars Tonight Shows first or last just a tape exist of Paars final Tonight on 3-29-62. Audio that is.

[@altfactor]

Supposedly, only the first half-hour exists.

[@coololds85]

RayNDeere there are episodes out there of some of Johnny Carson’s shows that have been erased. I still believe somewhere the first episode is out there. Would love to see it.

[@andrewsward46]

The most relaxed host of them all, and one of the great ad libbers. But it was Paar himself who destroyed his recordings out of a kind of backhanded hubris.

[@pianopappy]

No video of the first Carson Tonight show is known to exist. However, a considerable portion of the audio of that program survives. I believe it is available from "Archival Television Audio, Inc." www.atvaudio.com/ Owner Phil Gries has collected thousands of hours of audio from long-lost live TV shows from 1946 to 1982. Check him out.

[@tomlovejoy1534]

70 years later.. I guess Steve was right, it still goes on forever! 👍

[@michaelstacey8303]

Of course that is not what he meant

[@mrzoperxplex]

As you can see the "Tonight" show was not originally a talk show. It was a variety show.

[@terrihenricks4160]

I understand the desk, chair and sofa format originated during the Jack Paar era (1957-1962).

[@DarrenGauthier]

Steve did have a desk with a mic. He talked with guests. This is just the first show so it was definitely a work in progress.

[@whewfan]

Steve's focus was more on sketch comedy. He did interview guests but that wasn't the main part of the show. When Jack Paar took over, the monologue stayed, but beyond that Jack introduced a new format of just talking to celebs and sometimes controversial guests. These interviews could be quite funny but not always. When Johnny came on, he basically combined Steve and Jack, doing sketch comedy and interviewing guests, but with exception to some of his early shows in the 60s, he never had any controversial guests.Johnny hated confrontation and controversy, and he didn't want to imitate Paar. It's also easy to see that Johnny borrowed from Jack Benny. Jack had a portly announcer, so did Johnny. While Doc Severinson wasn't fond of the drink as Phil Harris reportedly was, you could argue that he was sort of a more flamboyant Dennis Day, but the drunk jokes went to Ed.

[@joemarshall4226]

Matthew Kaiser Johnny borrowed form the Great One as well. He had the highest praise for Jackie Gleason. Jackie pushed for years to get his own talk show, but it never happened.

[@MarkSmith-hf5nh]

The original Tonight Show was 'Broadway Open House', where performers who were in NY would drop by and perform. Originally nobody who was in power thought anybody would watch TV late at night. It was almost a throwaway time slot.

[@mgman6000]

As a teenager I watched Steve in the early 60s and loved his show with all the skits and the man in the street segments Steve Allen invented the late night format

[@altfactor]

This show had been locally broadcast in New York for about fourteen months prior to going to the full NBC network.

[@dennisdivine7448]

Interestingly enough, Pat Weaver had envisioned the comedian Fred Allen as the host of a "Tonight Show" format. But by this time, Allen's health had declined enough that he was content just to be a weekly panelist on "What's My Line".

[@johnking5174]

In England in 1954 television was a VERY different thing. Unlike the US where television would be on the air from 7.00am each day and then conclude with this example of the late night talk show, BBC and later ITV would be limited to 5/6 hours a day. On this day for example, the one television station in England - the BBC had the following schedule for the whole day, just to give the US viewer an example of the different television culture between our two countries below: Monday September 27th 1954 - BBC Television Service: 3.00pm - Film, Danger on the Air (1938). Film concluded at 4.10pm and television signed off until 5.00pm. 5.00pm - Children's Television - an hour of programming for the younger viewer which concluded at 6.00pm. 7.25pm - The Weather and BBC News and Newsreel - news read in sound only with no in-vision newscaster 7.45pm - The Driving Club - a motoring show 8.30pm - This Is Showbusiness - a variety show 9.30pm - Musicians to Moscow - British musicians visit to Moscow 10.20pm - Fashion Spotlight - fashion programme 10.35pm - The News, read in sound only with no in-vision newscaster. 10.45pm - Sign Off (or closedown as it was known in England). There, around 5 and a half hours of television on this day in England that the Tonight Show launched in America.

[@travellingshoes5241]

How do you know this stuff?

[@johnking5174]

Something called research, the BBC have complete listings, nearly complete from 1923-2009 on their archive site.

[@travellingshoes5241]

Ok. No need to be dickhead about it John boy.

[@johnking5174]

Sorry if I cam across like that, but if you want the website I will give it to you?

[@lcs1956]

Could you post it again, I fell asleep the first time through.

[@WSenator1]

I would have LOVED to see Willie Mays on this first show!

[@WSenator1]

Steve Allen. . .the Father of the Tonight Show

[@waldolydecker8118]

Yeah, just think what we would have missed if the father paid for the network to get an abortion?

[@hamburg1306]

The “beer” reference when Steve moves to the desk was for the origin show of the tonight show he hosted on the local nbc affiliate in New York and called the “Knickerbocker Beer Show”. Knickerbocker was the sponsor. Then beer was a local staple not national brands. In 1954 the show was expanded nationally and extended to 90 minutes as the Tonight Show. Steve was so right when he said this will last forever.

[@CorkyStanton]

Notice he wasn’t bad mouthing presidents or talking politics? Very refreshing.

[@raylarkin5004]

He had a way with subtlety and inuendo that made it unnecessary to mantion names, we all knew and understood he was not an attack dog. He was a genuine mind in line withhis audience

[@victorbasta2349]

Times were different...presidents weren’t bad mouthing ordinary Americans either

[@ClothesFree]

@@victorbasta2349 You’re trying to make it not refreshing here.

[@victorbasta2349]

To make it clear, I agree that those were the days. We’ll never see the likes of these great men again

[@mrbob424]

because nasty libs werent a thing back then. they even knew which bathroom to use unlike today LOL

[@givemepizzaorgivemedeath3983]

Steve Allen does a flawless David Letterman impression! No but seriously folks, props to Steve Allen for inventing late night!

[@essessessesq]

good one!

[@stephenspencer4672]

It is absolutely amazing to see this. I was only two years old at the time so my parents didn't let stay to watch. By the time I was old enough Steve Allen had long since turned the reigns of the show over to his successors. I only wish he had saved all of his shows. It would have been a real historic treasure.😊❤

[@dev-lx8lp]

It lasted for some time up through Jay Leno and when he retired the sled turned down hill and raced full bore into the abyss! Allen was great, Paar had his moments, Carson was an icon and I recall as a mere boy sneaking out to the living room to watch until late at night! Got to see the Leno version with THE GREATEST AND ONLY TRUSTED NEWSMAN IN THE WORLD, Walter Cronkite. What an incredible treat that was! Thank to Mr. DiFlorio for this incredible memory!

[@ronaldpokatiloff5704]

Leno was the best, after Steve. Letterman was overrated but OK

[@AdamIthink]

@@ronaldpokatiloff5704 Leno was absolutely the worst host in the history of the show. Johnny Carson was and is the king of late night television.

[@TenMinuteDrumSolo]

It really is quite remarkable to see the format in its rawest, nascent form. And my goodness, what a COLLASSAL weight Allen had to carry! Which he did for a couple of years before moving on to his own, NBC show.

[@amitaryal543]

Amazing to see so little has changed.

[@monaczaplewsli157]

Why does 'How's your fern?' enter my mind whenever I think of Steve Allen.? Does anyone out there remember this often commentary that Allen invented and often used? As a kid sneaking out to the tv on the screen porch to watch his shows every night in summer it still sticks with me today.🌿

[@essessessesq]

yes, that was one of his catch phrase...and "SHMOCK! SHMOCK!" and lines like "Oops, i just left a dangling participle...and if you've every left YOUR participle dangling someplace, then you know jhow VERY embarrassing that can be!"

[@kevinnelson66]

Craig Ferguson was the last of the really good late night TV hosts. I think Steve, Jack, and Johnny would have liked him.

[@christinemadia746]

Carson couldn’t hold a candle to Steve Allen. No dirty comments or innuendos. NONE in the modern era can compare to his talent, quite an entertainer.

[@AlanSenzaki]

I was 9 years old when this aired. I remember this! When late night was creative!

[@Glen-qh5xq]

And here we are 70 years later and it's still going.

[@bessied.5694]

It's going to hell in a handbasket. When Carson and crew left, they took the show with them.

[@tkflanagan4449]

Just Awesome..... Thank You so Much!!!! ❤

[@julianmarsh1378]

I doubt if most young people (people under 40!) even know who Steve Allen is (I refuse to write, 'was'). Tis a shame that American culture is so moment by moment...now shallow and consumerist...disposable....

[@mannysanguena7900]

I watched Steve Allen 60 years ago and I still think he is great.

[@julianmarsh1378]

@@mannysanguena7900 You should read Allen's Letter to Conservatives, written I think in the 1950s...gives you an idea how long those people have been screwed up.

[@barrythomas615]

I would have LOVED to see the original Tonight Show w/ Steve Allen, but I was probably giving my poor mother and father the fits, crying in my crib much of the night at the time! I was from the Johnny Carson era, and enjoyed those shows, but this version seemed so loose and relaxed. I would catch up with Steve on TV later on in my life, so thank heavens I enjoyed his talent when I could appreciate it, but seeing this would have been. . .Yowsa!!

[@ChronoMune]

Barry Thomas same with Saturday night live. Only joke now is the show itself.

[@WSenator1]

@@ChronoMune: They have the original "cold-opening" from SNL ("The Wolverines") online now. That one I DID see first-run, alone with the show's first breakout star, Chevy Chase, saying the first-ever "Live From New York - it's Saturday Night!"

[@twilightzone-1959-4ever]

Incredibly multitalented!.. No one quite like him...

[@jchow5966]

Wow! Thank you for posting this!!!!

[@محمدعلي-ث7ر9خ]

For some mysterious reason i like to watch old stuff

[@vickygroce6217]

It's because you are like my husband..... An old soul.

[@Anasyub]

This is literally history in makinh

[@d.martin7692]

I used to stay up every night watching. My single mom mother had to work strange hours so it was just my two sisters and me. As a result, I never did any homework from school. It was a different kind of education. Schmock! Schmock!

[@sherylsoreson9790]

The funniest episode that I can remember: Steve was doing a skit about an African safari. He was supposed to be sleeping in a sleeping bag while a bad guy put a fake tarantula on his body. Obviously unrehersed, a live tarantula was placed on his chest. Steve's eyes opened, widened, he said "Oh yeah?" and leaped to his feet. As funny as that was, a few minutes later while finished with the skit and seated at his desk, the crew dropped a net with numerous fake spiders sewn in on him. Another Olympic worthy leap across the stage followed by about 5 minutes of stress-reducing laughter that stopped the show. A perfect example of the spontaneous foolish entertainment his show was known for.

[@marymcmahon659]

I was 6 years old when The Tonight Show debuted. Every once in awhile my mom would let me stay up and watch Steve Allen. I thought he was the funniest person on tv and the nicest.

[@Juliaflo]

You are older than I am. I was around when the show debuted.

[@ytugtbk]

He's more clever than 90% of the people on TV today.

[@chirelle.alanalooney8609]

Well just see if you can work out the problem with the VOLUME !!!!

[@haplessasshole9615]

"This show is going to go on forever." Yep, ol' Steverino got that one right. Edit: A quick glance at the exhaustive (though occasionally wrong) Wikipedia reveals that Pat Weaver, the NBC executive mentioned at about 3:45, was probably pretty bright. He was Phi Beta Kappa at Dartmouth. He also had a brilliant, tall, willowy, gorgeous daughter named Sigourney.

[@starababa1985]

It broke my heart when Skitch Henderson left the Tonight Show hosted by Johnny Carson. He was so amiable and charming, a real gentleman.

[@essessessesq]

he was replaced by Milton Delug...a nice man, but not an entertainer

[@bh5606]

Would like to have heard Andy a Williams and Steve and Eydie.

[@spunkyspice4777]

Anything is better than today's talk/interview shows.

[@marcellacantoni8128]

the glasses and focus thing right at the opening was genius!

[@hoozerob]

Upon 7 years after seeing this video, had no one noticed and said anything about that being Peter Marshall as his "sidekick"? It was him, wasn't it?

[@barney6888]

"This show is going to last forever." Little did he realize that his concern of a successful one and a half hour show was going to turn out to be - so far - literally true. Steve Allen was a true, no exaggeration, genius. As fast as Carson with the quips, as crazy as Letterman with the stunts and a brilliant pianist. He ended up in Lettermans slot for a while where his show was very zany. I loved this man's work. America has no idea just how brilliant and funny he was and it's a true shame. I hope his shows actually get repeated, they're very much worth it. Ground breaking, historic and still immensely fun.

[@TennesseeHomesteadUSA]

His talent for many subjects was astonishing. With only The Big Three TV networks back then his show was a welcome refuge for those wishing to escape soap operas etc -- even a teenage lad. He seemed to always be on TV doing something.

[@willdrucker4291]

“Here’s the bad news…this show is gonna go on FOREVER”…wowwww..and it has..good call Steve

[@ChadQuick270W]

It’s sad that NBC couldn’t have made a kinescope of the entire 90 minute program unless the last 60 minutes were somehow lost. Imagine a late night show with no bashing of politicians. 😮

[@ShiftingDrifter]

I was in 4th grade and needed glasses... I told my mom I wanted glasses like Steve Allen's.

[@davidthedeaf]

Gee, this is actually worth watching when you cannot sleep and want a laugh. I never could stand the Tonight Show, even though everyone keeps saying it was “classic”.

[@michaelmohrle1773]

Hard to believe Johnny Carson was the second host, he owned that position!

[@andypike1234]

I really can see young Letterman watching and absorbing this man

[@michaelcase8574]

Gene Rayburn doing the news. Many talented man.

[@fbueller]

Amazing find!

[@anarchistatheist1917]

This was 9 months after my father was born. I was born 32 years and 10 months after this episode. It's really nice to see shows before my birth. From what I learned about Steve Allen is that he was an intelligent, eloquent, and decent man, may he rest in peace.

[@patrickcraig6032]

Steve Allen was great!!!

[@sharonkellner7126]

Steve Allen was the first and best!! He never disappointed. A great show every nite. He even dove into a vat of jello.

[@AdamIthink]

Nope. Johnny Carson was and is the king of late night television.

[@sharonkellner7126]

@@AdamIthink Johnny was wonderful too but Steve was the original.

[@AdamIthink]

@@sharonkellner7126 Johnny is still better.

[@sharonkellner7126]

@@AdamIthink We can agree to disagree.

[@essessessesq]

i saw them BOTH for decades ....Johnny was droll but lacked Steverino's talent to be very intellectual and serious one moment and then wackily silly just a few moments later...Johnnny was always in the middle between those two attitudes...which worked for him, but i preferred Steve's wider range of performing.@@AdamIthink

[@sonyalum1027]

It did go on forever. Steve could have never had imagine it

[@carmenmorey6266]

That program were great , sad to see what has happen to it now.

[@ACcountryFan]

Hilarious. It's hard to tell what's genuine and what's sarcasm...he looks as if he's scared/nervous and filled with all kinds of uncertainty and yet part of me thinks that's just an act. I assumed that getting the late night show, something that had never been tried before, was something a forward-thinking entertainer like Steve Allen would've longed for...yet he looks stressed out. His bits with Gene Rayburn are great. How about that news/weather segment! Talk about topical history...Gene reading about the goings on in the Senate circa 1954...and as an added bonus showing us the headline in the current newspaper: "Censure of McCarthy Splits Senate!".

[@MalleeTechnologies]

Where did you even find this?

[@williambradfordbaldwin4386]

Still think would have been the best Clark Kent, I think he was in a comic once, great show loved it!

[@549BR]

No audio.

[@jack002tuber]

So, NBC, how long will this show last, huh?

[@ratmadness4858]

Imagine a somebody talking to a man and wife while this show was first on. he points to their son crawling around the living room floor and says "he will watch this show on a computer"

[@crooning4leftovers125]

Needs more volume, please!

[@Lalaland-q2z]

Wonder what was the joke that a teenager gave to her dad from that school teacher that made Jack Parr leave in 1960 after NBC censored it? I remember the 1950's and 1960's quite well ,the being held back era.

[@thepunditspundit1776]

If you want the truth…I am really torn to say Steve Allen had more talent overall than all of them. Jack Paar flat bores me, Johnny’s the legend that lasted forever, but he was bleh at stand up while being great at skits and interviews. Leno was great at monologues and on the street improv, but garbage with skits and interviews. Fallon says it all…never mind. Allen could absolutely do it all. Class all the way. Master with music, comedy, interviews, skits, all of it

[@loupasternak]

i dont see any references to it, but thats Gene Rayburn of match game fame.

[@ricarleite]

70 years ago. Midway, 35 years ago, Carson was in his final years hosting ...

[@robertleechford4250]

Amazing !

[@MyNameIsChristBringsASword]

They did it live the way it should have always been done

[@jerseycab1]

Incredible stride!

[@adriancressy8363]

Why has it been so hard to see the Tonight show with Steve Allen? Are their any available with his antics?? SCHMOCK SCHMOCK!!!

[@clue104]

One day........I hope.

[@kylebulger4240]

Hard to be,I’ve this program turns seventy next year

[@Juliaflo]

Jehosaphat! It is almost--are you ready--70 years.

[@roberttelarket4934]

I never watched the Tonight Show when young or old. Too late for my beauty sleep and later when Carson was on I couldn't stand him! Years later I watched Carson's reruns and liked them!

[@MelancoliaI]

Tom Green and Eric Andre, to name a couple, owe a lot to Steve's brilliantly obnoxious style of comedy, in particular his 'man on the street' segments. And can he tickle those ivories!

[@michaelbill123]

What happened to the other 70 +/- minutes?

[@nonenoneonenonenone]

Do you have any more of these? I used to watch Steve Allen's afternoon show after school.

[@nonenoneonenonenone]

I suspect this is not the very first show as he refers to one or more previous ones. Maybe the first in this time slot.

[@michaeldonahue5068]

I was there at the Battle of La Morada....Where were you??

[@jorgealmeyda5222]

Allen was pretty down to earth compared to the other TV hosts of this era. However this type of show lended itself to that style.

[@44032]

Per Wikipedia, Allen did a 40 minute local NYC show at first called the Knickerbocker Beer Show after the sponsor, the The Steve Allen Show. Not only would it have been similar to this , Steve in this show says that's on for 15 minutes before this with a show sponsored by a beer so it really is the same show Steve had been doing since the previous year. There's a debate about whether Steve or Pat Weaver 'invented' the Tonight Show. Steve invented the Show. Pat brought it to the network and gave it it's name to go with the Today Show.

[@davidhull1481]

Can’t hear it. Is it just my phone?

[@DUCKSAREEVILLLLLLLL]

There was one Steve Allen show where he reads viewer letters with high emotion, as if the letter writer was filled with rage. It was hilarious. Anyone know if it's on KZbin?

[@BleedBNG]

Lady - "They're all sleeping" Allen - "Thanks a lot"

[@achannel8142]

What separates Steve Allen from the crop of today's late-night show hosts is TALLENT.

[@andyshepard4309]

So, he was tall?

[@13thwho]

At 2:41, Steve’s words were prophetic: “This program is going to go on forever”.

[@zoperxplex]

I think he was referring to the time the show was scheduled to end at 1:00 AM. A network show had never before been scheduled to end so late. He also made a joke about having 800 beds.

[@tomault3063]

@@zoperxplex you must be fun at parties

[@MegaJustGeorge]

@@zoperxplex That's true, my friend, Steve said that the Hudson Theater was selected as the venue for "Tonight" because it sleeps about eight hundred people.

[@MCO18]

70 years strong!

[@snailer06]

The first live shot of his glasses, and then the whole picture out of focus until he puts on the glasses... was an inventive visual gag, complete with expert camera focussing that preceded a million late night TV innovations. Steve Allen was a genius.

[@marylouleeman]

Ernie Kovacs right behind him on that score.

[@MelancoliaI]

First and the best!

[@troyesguerra]

KZbin is the closest thing we have for a time machine

[@angelbulldog4934]

Not according to Tesla.

[@michaelklein5242]

The Father of all late night talk shows! Thanks for resurrecting this historic broadcast. I'd rather forgotten what a good pianist Steve was!

[@Juliaflo]

He was a genius among geniuses--he also wrote songs.

[@michaelklein5242]

He's always been one of my idols and to this day, I enjoy plays on words like he did so well.

[@malcb5577]

Steve Allen could actually do it all. The man had so many talents.

[@bill1851]

One of TVs Best! 📺 😊

[@georgelustrea2912]

He was the best...

[@AdamIthink]

@georgelustrea2912 Nope. Johnny Carson is the king of late night television.

[@Nansense1023]

@@georgelustrea2912he certainly was. He was funny , musical and very intelligent.

[@itsdahomiek3nny]

Absolutely one of the best.

[@timerunner3492]

Steve Allen as host of the Tonight Show was a bit before my time but, from watching all the videos I can find of him, it's apparent, to me at least, he created the formula the others followed and stands head and shoulders above all those who followed him. The relaxed, self-deprecating humor, making fun of the show itself, the man in the street interviews, the crazy stunts. The man was a genius.

[@davidmende4438]

Unfortunately for some of us, It was not before our time.

[@hepphepps8356]

Steve Allen was the true America! Inventive, musical, intelligent, well spoken, science minded, tolerant, liberal and lots of fun! I miss those people in

[@kathleenking47]

Classic liberal

[@nancycurtis488]

Always loved Steve Allen….and Wally Cox was always a favorite. I was 6 years old in 1954 and we did not get a TV until I was seven years old so it is a real treat to get to see the first Tonight Show that I would not have seen when it was on originally. The times are so different now. I don’t think we have watched the Tonight Show since Jay Leno stopped being the host. Don’t watch the new one now…we watch the the olde shows with Johnny Carson and Ed McMann on the METV channel that shows vintage television shows. We love those.

[@unfortunatebeam]

This was actually very funny, Steve Allen is one of the funniest (and smartest) people ever

[@bill1851]

Yes, he truly was!

[@someguy2135]

Good musician too. An intelligent conversationalist. A man of many talents.