Jack Paar walks off the Tonight Show - 02/11/1960 (Video)

Tonight Starring Jack Paar / The Jack Paar Show : Season 3, Episode 95, 02/11/1960, 14:27 minute video clip. The night Jack Paar walked off the show in protest against one of his jokes being cut from the previous nights show.
The footage was taken from the KZbin channel "KJM" who uploaded a video recording of this kinescope being played at a distance on a wall. The footage was not stationary and the camera often moved or zoomed in and out. I was able to fix this through video editing in addition to fixing the black & white contrast to be more visually appealing.
Source of the footage: • Jack Parr’s resignatio...
The original audio had a loud projector playing in the background and I replaced it by using a segment from a high quality radio recording of the full episode that was uploaded to KZbin by "epaddon". The idea to replace the audio was already successfully done by "epaddon" and the credit goes to them for thinking to do that.
Source of the audio: • February 12, 1960-Jack...
If either "KJM" or "epaddon" decide they would rather this video be taken down I will immediately remove it. Just trying to help preserve what little remains of Tonight Starring Jack Paar.

[@RaggedJack2]

The footage was taken from the KZbin channel "KJM" who uploaded a video recording of this kinescope being played at a distance on a wall. The footage was not stationary and the camera often moved or zoomed in and out. I was able to fix this through video editing in addition to fixing the black & white contrast to be more visually appealing. Source of the footage: kzbin.info/www/bejne/n6GUY39_Zaebd7s&ab_channel=KJM The original audio had a loud projector playing in the background and I replaced it by using a segment from a high quality radio recording of the full episode that was uploaded to KZbin by "epaddon". The idea to replace the audio was already successfully done by "epaddon" and the credit goes to them for thinking to do that. Source of the audio: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oYnNd2mlhN-dqJY&ab_channel=epaddon If either "KJM" or "epaddon" decide they would rather this video be taken down I will immediately remove it. Just trying to help preserve what little remains of Tonight Starring Jack Paar.

[@aiborland4835]

I cannot believe you edited this from the source video you linked; you did a great job. Thank you for preserving a very important piece of television history.

[@RaggedJack2]

@@aiborland4835 I very much appreciate it!

[@JimGrey]

And we thank you!

[@coffeehigh420]

dude, you did a great job !!!! my wife said so !!!!!!!!

[@PrayingToTheAlien]

Thank you very much - I've been looking for video of this forever. It was on here once many years ago but taken down.

[@williamj.sheehan2001]

Anyone besides me see a similar demeanor and mannerisms between Jack Paar and Johnny Carson, as if Johnny had admired and studied Jack and wished to emulate him?

[@billgrandone3552]

The years of Steve Allen, Jack Paar, and Johnny Carson was the best of late night. I like Fallon and Colbert, but while their humor is top notch, there's not quite the flair and style that the above trio had.

[@-oiiio-3993]

@@billgrandone3552 Colbert has it, as did (does) Trevor Noah.

[@billgrandone3552]

@@-oiiio-3993 Yeah, I can see that to a certain extent but not quite Maybe its because i have grown older, and the guest on their show are now much younger, so I'm nor in awe of them as I was with the people Paar and Carson had.

[@-oiiio-3993]

@@billgrandone3552 I was born under the 49 star flag.

[@jimf4492]

@@-oiiio-3993 So was I - almost no one knows about that flag. Dad always talked about how much he liked Steve Allen and Jack Paar.

[@romanmartinez6458]

His passion and the courage to stand for himself and his beliefs. I absolutely will keep this with me.

[@RonMotta1972]

A real piece of television history found. Thank you so much for sharing this.

[@DaninVirgina-mg7rf]

Great watching.

[@brettthomas7038]

Sonic voice analysis at 9:54 indicates high levels of emotional stress, but the wavering in his voice is indicative of high levels of intent and personal committment. Hugh Downs' after action vocal analysis indicates an acceptance of the situation, and a professionalism to continuing the show, as it were.

[@garyrasberryjr.552]

On his first show back, Jack said: “When I walked off, I said there must be a better way of making a living. Well, I’ve looked, and there isn’t."

[@bobjohnson205]

Yep, Jack was a rather impulsive fellow. Johnny would never have done this and never did!

[@DrLumpy]

@@bobjohnson205 So what? Johnny was Johnny. Jack was Jack.

[@pkune5158]

True johnny only ever walked out on and left his wifes

[@frankfielder]

@@pkune5158 wives

[@jollyjohnthepirate3168]

Carson wouldn't have put up with NBC cutting parts out of a show.

[@christopherthorkon3997]

Amazing footage. Thanks for posting. You know, this is footage that is very hard to find. To this very day, NBC absolutely refuses to show Jack Parr walking off, the actual moment of him getting up and saying goodbye to Hugh Downs. They will show a segment of him talking and then fade to black. But it is hilarious that as powerful a company as NBC, after all these years, doesn't have the guts to face up to its own history.

[@Astrobrant2]

Let's see if it takes them longer than it took the Catholic Church to pardon Galileo.

[@craigbrowning9448]

As a recall one of Jack Parr's "Controversial" statements on the show was to mention that "Winston Churchill" and "Water Closet" have the same initials.

[@DrLeroyGreen]

WOW. What balls of integrity! Never saw though or knew that he left like this. Hazaa, my good man.

[@steveperry1344]

i was only 10 years old but i remember it and a lot of controversy. my parents used to watch the show and i would occasionally get to see some of it on a friday night.

[@lurky529]

I'm 74 yrs old. The ending song on his show still plays in my head. Happy to have been there. God Bless y'all.

[@nickmorgan8434]

Can you recall what he said that they cut?

[@jenniferhansen3622]

​@@nickmorgan8434I was able to read the joke online and it wasn't even in bad taste. People must have been very sensitive back then if they were offended by it.

[@july8xx]

It was the WC joke where the story was a letter in response to the churches amenities. The pastor responded about the wayside chapel referring to it as the WC that also refers to a water closet or toilet.

[@KenLieck]

@@nickmorgan8434 Another commenter has posted it verbatim.

[@scienceoffreedom]

As a 10 year old you watched Paar, broadcast from 11:15 P.M. to 1 A.M. Eastern time?

[@franksantore2810]

I pray that no one objects to this. We have only had the audio of this, recorded off of WMC Channel 5 in Memphis. Seeing the video is great.

[@aiborland4835]

I agree 100%. I think as long as the original uploaders are credited (which the person that uploaded this did in the description) it will hopefully stay up.

[@jamesdrynan]

This is a part of television history and, as such, it deserves to be shown uncut and unedited. Paar was an emotional soul who brooked no babbling. He endured many caustic remarks from journalists valiantly but this ridiculous censorship was beyond the pale.

[@morbidmanmusic]

Pray..to what?

[@DrLumpy]

I don't think that gawd fella cares to be bothered with prayers about people objecting to you. He's got more important things to do.

[@nedwart]

The cat's out of the bag. This will be seen by generations to come - a very important artifact of pop culture history.

[@malchman1]

I can still remember this as a child and the uproar it caused. Jack Parr was great.

[@joeyvocals1]

My great grandparents were 34 , and my grandparents were 12, when this show aired They are still with me, I am happy to say! My great grandparents told me about this happening , and I at 26 just, stumbled upon it a few minutes ago!" Fascinating stuff!

[@_zoinks2554]

Your great grandparents are 98? Very nice! They lived in a better world than ours.

[@RaggedJack2]

That's really neat! I'm 25 and I wouldn't have known about any of this stuff had I not been a genealogical researcher. Many elderly folks would tell me about The Tonight Show, mostly in the context of Johnny Carson and around 2020 I found myself deeply intrigued by his work. Which led me down the rabbit hole of Jack Paar & Steve Allen, followed by the knowledge that NBC burned the master tapes of every Tonight Show before Fall of 1972, when Johnny's contract changed to include the preservation of the tapes. This resulted in the near complete loss of Tonight Starring Steve Allen, Tonight Starring Jack Paar, & the first 10 years of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Since then I've Cataloged any footage I find online relating to those three Tonight Show incarnations through 1972. Even if it's uploaded by the official Johnny Carson KZbin channel, because they usually have the wrong date attached to the footage they upload from the first 10 years his show. This is because they rely on incomplete Kinsecopes/Film Reels they reacquired over the years. Steve Allen & Jack Paar are even worse off, they don't even have active companies with dedicated KZbin channels and thus it's even more important to preserve their work. Sorry for the long reply lol.

[@edisonedison7588]

Great man for standing up for his principles. I walked out of a great job when I was young and don’t regretted.

[@blacktar467899]

Principles are fine, when you can afford them. Most people can't.

[@Bigbadwhitecracker]

@@blacktar467899 Well, you don't put yourself in that situation to compromise.

[@January.]

*regret it

[@kevinmadden1645]

I bet it was an English teacher job.

[@markvidpa]

Shocking how honest Hugh was about Jack’s faults.

[@superdave1949]

Hugh Downs was always a class act. Over his long career at NBC he was superb at everything he did.

[@TERoss-jk9ny]

@@superdave1949: I agree. I watched him on “20/20”? Early 80’s. Have always enjoyed him. On the very light side of 60, I can honestly say that all things “entertainment” the very best of the best was 60’s, 70’s, 80ish…. After that? Not so much. Our once great nation has fallen. In a hundred million ways.

[@NondescriptMammal]

I remember him from hosting Concentration for like 10 years

[@harrymills2770]

@@TERoss-jk9ny Spoiled boomers and the politicians who promised us something for nothing our whole lives, and told us it was our RIGHT, while they used the help they were giving as the vehicle to steal our rights. Government is why transportation that should be cheap costs $80,000.

[@fposmith]

Hugh was always class act ! But in this case I don't think he was very happy about being left holding the bag !

[@hulkjelly6876]

The man stood up for what he believed. Kudos to him & much respect.

[@cba4389]

He made his contribution to lowering standards and played victim before it was trendy.

[@slabriprock5329]

Well for two weeks anyway.

[@perlman7376]

@@cba4389 Jack Paar, Johnny Carson, Steve Allen and Jay leno made fun of everybody and anybody. To this day, I don't know if any of the mentioned hosts were conservative or liberal. Now we have lefty smart ass commie shills like little stevie colbert and jimmy "the jackass" kimmel who's careers hinge on the destruction of one Donald J. Trump or any other conservative who dare buck the established and entrenched bureaucratic evil weasels in DC.

[@geraldbaker4019]

@@mayshackHe probably wanted to take full control over NBC by bloody coup

[@GraemeCree]

In that case you'll surely lose all respect for Paar to learn that he later told Dick Cavett that it was the biggest mistake of his life. The problem was that what Paar believed in was always about himself. The very idea that HIS not being able to tell a toilet joke was the end of the world is something few comedians would had the ego to believe.

[@TerryAllenSwartos]

As impressed as I am by what Mr. Parr said, even more by his evident emotion in his ending remarks, I was pleasantly surprised by the *immediate* applause (with occasional cheers and whistles) of support from the audience, which lasted the better part of a minute before Mr. Downs quelled the crowd, and himself delivered his thoughtful and frank perspective.

[@-oiiio-3993]

When adults ran the world.

[@makthnife]

@@-oiiio-3993more like before libtards took over

[@Kelly-oq9nh]

@@-oiiio-3993Amen!

[@kennethandrysiak4130]

Fascinating piece of history.

[@WilliamHerlihy-p4g]

An amazing moment in tv history. Glad i was able to see it.

[@adriancressy8363]

My grandpa would always watch this and the TV sound would keep my Dad from sleeping cuz he had to work the next day

[@Mibbitmaker]

This is a real treasure, a privilege to see this extended clip with the visuals. The watchable version only had the main announcement cut way down before this (in my experience). This version is historically significant, worthy of its place here. Many thanks.

[@jimhilliker2450]

Amazing piece of television history thanks for putting this on.

[@extramile150]

I'm 74 now and remember at age 10 this was big news back then. First time I've actually seen the entire 'walk off.' Parr was a good guy, clearly.

[@peterbadore1338]

Last time I checked this out it was the entire show in audio only. I later saw a portion of this on a Letterman segment. Thanks for doing this. It's so hard to find old footage.

[@chinabluewho]

Back then they used heavy duty metal coils to record on and they simply recorded over any broadcasts to save money , very few old shows when mechanical TVs existed were saved .

[@peterbadore1338]

@@chinabluewho I think it was Steve Allen whom I saw a clip of lamenting such dearth. But, yeah, that's how it was.

[@edwardjones4870]

Thank you for posting this. Jack Paar was a very complex and fascinating person. However successful other talk show hosts have been, no one has matched his unique contribution to television.

[@reybarreto7979]

Honesty, raw and gutsy honesty, makes you dangerous in today’s world, made Jack dangerous in his world, will always make you dangerous, and why? Because such honesty is fearless and cannot be controlled. Nothing is more rebellious than being truthful and sticking to your principles, regardless of the consequences.

[@Rnr196970]

Agreed! As a teenager I used to skip school to see the early morning David Letterman show. All these years later I have learned that Paar along with Steve Allen built the foundatiions of entertainment that we still enjoy in 2024...

[@ardiffley-zipkin9539]

My Mom was a big fan of his show, watching every night. She was overjoyed when he returned.❤

[@carlaharrington5120]

Wow!!! Thank you for sharing this. Poor Hugh Downs. Talk about being "put on the spot", and on live tv no less!!

[@billgrandone3552]

Boy that's for sure. He looked like a ten year old kid watching his father shoot his pet dog. He handled it well but was certainly the biggest wtf moment in his professional career with the possible assassination of Kennedy.

[@brachiator1]

Years later, Joey Bishop walked off his late night show. I don't remember what the reason was. Bishop's sidekick was Regis Philbin.

[@carlaharrington5120]

@@brachiator1 And both Regis Philbin and Hugh Downs went on to have TV careers that lasted for decades!!!!

[@Myshcan]

@@brachiator1 I remember Regis Philbin walking off, not Bishop. There was a lot of speculation at the time that it was a "publicity stunt."

[@brachiator1]

@@Myshcan You're right. Philbin walked off, supposedly because of criticism of him by network executives. And it may have been a publicity stunt. But later, when it was announced that the show would be cancelled, Bishop walked off after the monologue, leaving Philbin to carry on. Crazy.

[@Lotmeister]

The look on Downs's face immediately after Paar walks away is priceless. He remains stoic and professional but you can tell he's thinking, "What the [bleep] do I do now?" From what I've read Paar did indeed inform Downs before the show that he intended to walk off but Downs didn't believe he was serious. (I have a soft spot for Downs because he was born the same day as my grandmother.)

[@KenLieck]

Not just [bleep] but every single word you can't say on television!

[@brians9508]

it was a real diva move to not allow Hugh to say something, and then leave him holding the bag.

[@markrocovich830]

In the late 1980s, Pat Sajak was given a late night show on CBS..It was not very good, as evidenced by its ratings, and was eventually canned..However, for one glorious evening, Pat had his IDOL, Jack Paar, as a guest on his show..Thankfully, Jack was the first guest, because after the first 5 minutes or so of him being on the set, JACK HIJACKED THE SHOW!! Pat was more than agreeable to let Jack run amok, more or less, but for those of us who stayed up late that night, we were treated to one of the best one man shows in late night TV..I wish there was a copy of this show in existence, because it deserves to be saved for us all..

[@LilikoiJammin]

Wish I could see that but thanks for telling it

[@LeadSurge3000]

*Has anyone uploaded it yet?*

[@TWS-pd5dc]

Outstanding! This is a piece of broadcast history that was thought to be long lost. Congratulations to you for your fine effort in bringing this!

[@RegularGuy-j4l]

Tremendous job of restoring the video to clarity (and stability). Even better matching of the video to the audio. Thanks for great work.

[@4fundays]

Have heard about this my whole life, but never "knew" what the hub-bub was about until now. Thanks so much for sharing this video! Good for Jack Paar!

[@jamesdrynan]

It's difficult to imagine any of the current talk show hosts taking such an heroic stand against censorship. It's important to remember this was a LIVE show. Hugh Downs was somewhat left in the lurch. God bless Paar for his courageous stand and the years of entertainment he provided.

[@STho205]

Craig Ferguson was the last of the improv hosts for a big 3. He left because CBS was going to script him. After the Tutu interview they saw his ability and they decided to harness it in 2012 for the committee to reelect the president....setting up guests and situations in his Scotland Week which he worked hard on and found himself surprised by news editorials had been fed to celebrities and locals. He left a few years later, slowly and courteously. Post 2015 hosts are just script reading, mostly written from the news room editorial table. An evening is a 451 experience. You get heavily edited and editorial news segments. Then a meaningless reality show just like Guy Montag's wife watched. Then a crime drama with a contrived plot "ripped from the headlines" but really hacky one sided exaggerated propaganda. Then the evening news....then the point they were trying to make at 6:30pm 5:30central...but facts got innthe way is played our as an editorial lie as "comedy" which the FCC allows.

[@PatrickHughes-r4i]

Hugh knew. Listen !

[@jamesdrynan]

@@PatrickHughes-r4i I know Hugh was aware. The expression leave in the lurch means to abandon someone in difficult straits.

[@adamnedeff3102]

It wasn't live, it opens with an NBC voiceover announcing that the walk-off happened "during the taping" and issuing the network's response to it as a pre-emptive measure. And the material was deleted because they could do that with tape. None of this was live.

[@kevinp3550]

You nailed it. We are now living in the dystopian future predicted back in the late forties and successive decades. For years the predictions seemed possible, yet it was still easy to think "nah, people are too well educated and informed" . Then the bulwark against "groupthink and the associated stifling of individuality" was stripped away by "educators" . When the "Minority Report" came out in 2003 I knew right then that the Future had arrived.

[@sinrob1]

Criminal that NBC sent all of Paar's shows to landfill.

They did the same with Carson' s first 10 years as well. Suffice it to say, Johnny was furious when he found out.

[@nickbass5]

The story is that back then they kept using the same tape to record and broadcast the show then recording over the previous show. They did this with the first 10 years of Carson as well..

[@jasonbeard4713]

Paar himself PAID to have his personal kinescopes thrown away, bit by bit, in the garbage.

[@sinrob1]

@@jasonbeard4713 Actually, the master tapes that Paar threw in the garbage were from his prime time show, not the Tonight Show.

[@brentbarnhart5827]

I have never seen this, nor even really knew why he left. WOW, what a piece of history. And Jack came across quite the class act, and put his foot down for being humiliated. I also had no idea Hugh Downs was on the show. (I've never watched many Paar episodes over my life, although I love the Tonight show with Carson.) Thanks for the great work! and for Sharing.

[@chekia7767]

Jack Paar told this joke on The Tonight Show on February 10, 1960 . He got it from his 13-year-old daughter. Her entire class had been given a mimeographed copy by their teacher. The Tonight Show was taped in the afternoon. NBC's censors cut the joke out of the broadcast which aired at 11:30 PM: An English lady, while visiting Switzerland, was looking for a room, and she asked a schoolmaster if he could recommend any to her. He took her to see several rooms, and when everything was settled, the lady returned home to make her final preparations for the move. When she arrived home, the thought suddenly occurred to her that she had not seen a W.C. That's a water closet to the British. We would call it a bathroom or a ladies' room. She immediately wrote a note to the schoolmaster asking him if there were a W.C. around. The schoolmaster was a very poor student of English. He decided to ask the parish priest what a W.C. was. Together they concluded the initials stood for Wayside Chapel. The school master then wrote the following note to the lady. Dear Madam, I am delighted to inform you that the W.C. is situated nine miles from the house you occupy, in the center of a grove of pine trees surrounded by lovely grounds. It is capable of holding 229 people and is open on Sunday and Thursday only. As there are a great number of people expected in the summer months, I suggest you come early, but there is usually plenty of standing room available. You will no doubt be glad to hear that a great many people bring their lunch and make a day of it. I would especially recommend you go on Thursday when there is musical accompaniment. It may interest you to know that my daughter was married in the W.C. and it was there she met her husband. I can remember the rush for the seats. There were ten people to a seat usually occupied by one. It was wonderful to see the expressions on their faces. The newest attraction is a bell donated by a wealthy resident of the district. It rings every time a person enters. A bazaar is to be held to provide plush seats for all the people, since they feel it is a long-felt need. My wife is rather delicate, so she can't attend regularly. I shall be delighted to reserve the best seat for you where you will be seen by all. For the children, there is a special time and place so they will not disturb the elders. Hoping to have been some service to you, I remain yours truly, The Schoolmaster.

[@SHIRLEYGiffordCashmanMS]

Thank you so much! This is hilarious!!😂😂

[@mercster]

This is a wonderful piece of history. Being 47 in 2024, I only know Hugh Downs from 20/20.

[@Bigbadwhitecracker]

I'm 60. I know him from Concentration.

[@johnshields6852]

I was born a few months after this show, long, long ago in another world.

[@westonsudduth782]

Understand your sentiment…I was born the next month and much has changed since…we were naive back then; even after McCarthyism/Red scare.

[@lloydclevenger6756]

I was born just a few weeks later. Class of 78!!!

[@danhogue782]

Me too in May

[@lecleland1]

I was 9 YO when this happened. But I remember parents and others talking about it

[@-oiiio-3993]

I was a developing fetus when this aired, born four months later (when the U.S. flag had 49 stars). Mom never was fond of Johnny Carson, whenever we 'channel surfed' (all seven channels; UHF if one felt adventurous) past The Tonight Show she'd often lament that it was better with Paar. Dad agreed.

[@500midnightmary]

@lecleland1: I started the year at age seven. My birthday was at the end of the year. Our TV back then was a blonde cabinet not much like TVs of today. I was too young for the Tonight Show. I was watching Romper Room, Captain Penny, and Barnaby (with Popeye cartoons). This was in the Cleveland area. We only had three channels, 3, 5, and 8. That was NBC, ABC, and CBS. Unbelievable for people these days. I do remember seeing Elvis Presley on the Ed Sullivan Show. (The actual title was Toast of the Town but everyone called it the Ed Sullivan Show.) We had an 8mm movie camera and my dad filmed it. We didn't have a sound camera and Elvis without sound is very interesting.

[@viddeojunke]

Talk About WOW ! A classic example of class and dignity and walking out was a Gd decision on his part.

[@SHIRLEYGiffordCashmanMS]

Please avoid curse words.

[@JeffSherlock]

People were tuning in every week night, watching Paar having a building nervous breakdown. They wondered if tonight would be the night it happened.

[@Kelly-oq9nh]

This was terrific. Thank you for bringing it to us. I wasn’t old enough to really remember seeing Jack Paar, but I did grow up watching Johnny Carson, who I thought it was terrific. People lack character now and it seems like anything goes on the TV or in the movies. Even sports have become a mess. Jack Parr’s vulnerabilities were apparent , but, so was his character.

[@johntilson2535]

It's no coincidence Johnny Carson sounded and even looked a little like Jack Paar...

[@richierugs6544]

well steve allen was before carson and that was really good tv

[@essessessesq]

@@richierugs6544 yes! Steverino invented Tonight...the desk, the microphone, the band, the skits, and going into the audience to chat with people etc etc he was funny PLUS smart....

[@quantumleap359]

@@essessessesq And could write songs, and played piano! Very cool guy.

[@jupiterlegrand4817]

Good to see this. Johnny Carson was great (maybe the greatest), but Jack Parr was something else. More thoughtful, way more personal and emotional, quieter...something we'll never see again.

[@beeenn649]

Jack Paar was very special, and I believe he was much better than Carson. Look at the Judy garland and Robert Goulet appearance on the Jack Parr show and you'll see why Jack Parr was as great as he was.

[@-oiiio-3993]

@@beeenn649 An era of politeness and erudition, now gone.

[@jmen4ever257]

IF he had stuck it out another 5-10-15 years, Carson just might have also had had to stick it out longer, to catch up.

[@evanleehome2178]

Thanks, Ragged Jack 2, for running this. I remember this as a little kid but had never seen this clip. Today, the network would have cut to commercial. NBC totally screwed up and let Parr down. Parr had principals that are greatly lacked today. "Subscribed".

[@toonist123]

RaggedJack 2, thanks for all your work on this, and for posting -- what a piece of television history! ...And I would love to hear the joke that started all this!

[@lindacottone9917]

Thanks for posting this piece of television history.

[@jack002tuber]

I had to google what he said that was cut. Look for it, it's worth the time. LOL.

[@KCCardCo]

I quit a job thinking there was something better and it never happened. Jack I feel your pain.

[@titus2120]

I was a child when this show was on, but for some reason I remember him very fondly as a very smart and ver kind man. It’s good to see him again.

[@-oiiio-3993]

Professional on all counts, both Paar and Downs. How we have descended since.

[@ccrewcutt]

This feels like the source material for ‘Network’.

[@Mr1930s]

The writer of Network, Paddy Chayefsky, started out as a television writer.

[@Mike-ke4yp]

I remember this a kid but could not fully grasp it as I was too young. The guy had more cajoles then a lot of talk show or Hollywood types these days. I had not seen this before since NBC NEVER wanted this aired again. Thanks for finding and posting this piece of anti-censorship material! Awesome !!

[@PL-rf4hy]

He did have some big cajoles to do that!

[@georgeford3687]

18 months before I was born. Had no idea this happened. I knew of Jack Paar but my whole experience has been with Johnny.

[@-oiiio-3993]

I was a developing fetus when this aired, born four months later (when the U.S. flag had 49 stars). Mom never was fond of Johnny Carson, whenever we 'channel surfed' (all seven channels; UHF if one felt adventurous) past The Tonight Show she'd often lament that it was better with Paar. Dad agreed.

[@Janster59]

It was nice to see a man that cared about integrity-God love you Jack....

[@JamJells]

Great piece of history. Painful as it was at the time, it's a great view into the attitudes and feelings of those from those days. Lessons to learn.

[@brachiator1]

I never saw this clip before, but have read TV histories about it. Very fascinating.

[@MisterBourgolini]

The fact that Jack Paar got Hugh Downs to host the rest of this show just shows that even the unprepared like Hugh Downs will find a way to make things work. I mean Down was the face of television until 2004 when Regis Philbin broke his record for most time logged on television. Downs and Philbin died in 2020.

[@WilliamKiely-r3l]

Like others have said here. This is an amazing pieces of early TV history. I was 4 yrs old in 1960 and I can’t help but remember what a great country this was in retrospect.

[@jimAndCheryl]

I was 2 and yes it is a very pale shadow of what it was GOD BLESS

[@moonrich3492]

You must be a member of the privileged part of our society. It was terrible for most minorities and many women, in particular.

[@WilliamKiely-r3l]

@@moonrich3492 That is a load of crap. Everybody struggled. Almost every household had two parents raising kids. No one had time to run around acting like a victim of something. It was a much safer society.

[@EmperorofMu]

​@@WilliamKiely-r3lthis video is specifically a guy playing the victim. Mad that the network didn't air the funny story he told. Then complains, cries and quits.

[@johncronin9540]

@@EmperorofMu. From what I saw, I don’t think Jack’s anger was just directed at NBC. It sounds as if he was being heavily criticized by some of the newspapers of that era, and not just over one joke cut from a monologue. Newspapers were a big thing then, and he mentions how he had issues even reading the newspaper, which suggests some feud was occurring between Jack and newspaper critics. Perhaps Jack was perceiving more criticism than there actually was; I can’t say for sure, not being around in 1960. He was probably the type of person who should have just ignored the criticism, but some performers have a very difficult time doing that. It looked a bit like a possible nervous breakdown, and perhaps he needed the time away. As it was, he did leave the show two years later, quite possibly suffering from burnout, which can happen, even with very successful individuals. Obviously, Johnny Carson was very different, though I remember some saying that it really took him some time to hit his stride. I do remember Johnny once saying that he deliberately tried to avoid controversy and always being “edgy”, and instead wanted to take The Tonight Show in a slightly different direction, and focus on light entertainment. I’m sure he was very much aware of Jack’s experience as host, and any new host will have his own way of doing things. I’m not saying one host and their style is better than another- people’s personalities are unique, and any host/performer has to be himself or herself. But it wouldn’t surprise me if I learned that Jack was happier having left the program for good in 1962. I remember someone (It may have been Johnny Carson himself-I can’t remember) talking about Jack on the Tonight Show, and claiming that he liked to flirt with danger (not physical danger, but controversy, and controversial subjects). If that’s true, it can lead to serious pushback from newspapers and newspaper columnists, the only “social media” of that era, and when network executives pile on, or feel the pressure, I can see how this kind of thing could happen.

[@larrysorenson4789]

Hey! I wanted to see Shelly Bernan. ☹️

[@benvad9010]

I never saw Hugh Downs look so young. Wow

[@Orange-Jumpsuit-Time]

I did, as a young child of the early 1960's you could watch him host a mid morning game show called Concentration, and as a child, if you were lucky enough to watch that show meant you weren't in school that day.

[@Anth230]

Why?

[@igorschmidlapp6987]

@@Orange-Jumpsuit-Time Remember, Hugh took over the Today show with Barbara Walters, before ABC stole them for their Evening News...

[@randalltufts3321]

Parr was a class act. His honesty and unwavering principal is a breath of fresh air. He was profetic on newspapers turned scandal rags. The more things change , the more they remain the same, or worse , like now. The media is still manipulating and dividing the public to this very day

[@jenaauerstedt7650]

I'm sure that someone else further down the thread has posted this, but in case not, Paar stayed off the show for about three weeks. NBC recognized that he did have a huge following and had, indeed, helped to build their ratings for late night. He came back only after extracting an apology from NBC and getting clearance to tell the offending story. And famously, when he did return, after sustained applause, he opened his first monologue with, ". . . as I was saying before I was interrupted," leading to another round of audience cheering.

[@MrChristopherHaas]

so what was censored? what did he say?

[@jenaauerstedt7650]

The joke has to do with a woman who was looking for a room with a water closet (toilet - often expressed with the euphemism (“W.C.”). She writes to her minister to inquire about a room with a “W.C.” - which the minister assumes is referring to the “Wayside Chapel” (also abbreviated “W.C.”). The rest of the joke is the minister giving glowing descriptions of where she can find a “W.C.” - e.g., out in a field with a great view, etc. The humor comes from the presumed consternation that would be stirred in her mind hearing about what she thinks is a bathroom in all of these public places where the minister is describing the chapel as being located.

[@MrChristopherHaas]

@@jenaauerstedt7650 oh dear. Oh dear dear dear 😂

[@MrChristopherHaas]

@@jenaauerstedt7650 thanks

[@ZiddersRooFurry]

@@jenaauerstedt7650 What a stupid reason to be censored.

[@jeffscheiner1553]

Not a lot of spontaneity in TV. This was one.

[@-oiiio-3993]

At least the network had the 'nads to allow Paar's exit to be aired.

[@marknewton6984]

It was real.

[@kevinnelson66]

I've heard about this, but this is the first time I've seen the video. Felt bad for Hugh Downs who was left hanging. My mom actually did see this. She used to watch Jack Parr while waiting for dad to come home when he was working swing shift at the time.

[@YouDummy]

Paar was such an enigma to me. I was born in '65 and Paar was gone by '62. Steve Allen was always visible for decades after The Tonight Show, but back in my generation, Paar was off the radar for many of us. Always fascinated by him and would have loved to been in that generation to see him in that time period.

[@70sleftover]

Same here. My father was a big fan of Jack Paar but all I ever knew of him was from my dad's recollections of that post-Steve-Allen-but-before-Johnny-Carson era. Paar made very rare appearances (after his final, final Tonight Show) that I never saw - until maybe that Pat Sajak Show. My parents were not big fans of Carson - Mom was a real late night TV viewer and would say he or The Tonight Show in general was "vulgar" - Mom was more into The Late Show on our local CBS station or the Midnight Special or In Concert where she would learn what was cool (or strange) in rock music and report it to us kids the next day!

[@DocLaw172]

Wow! I never knew about this. Kudos to Jack Paar to standing up for his beliefs and against the mutton-headed machinations of the network (which still goes on to this day).

[@patriciafeehan7732]

Jack Paar was one of the greatest hosts of The Tonight Show. Steve Allen, Jack Paar and Johnny Carson. I have a lot of respect for Jack Paar, he did the right thing. They were always editing his show over foolish comments.

[@MrAitraining]

Yeah but you don't drone on about it during a live show with an audience and then screw over your sidekick by leaving so the guy has to stall and apologize for him. How awkward for Hugh who obviously was blindsided by this.

[@patriciafeehan7732]

@@MrAitraining You don’t realize years ago television was absolutely live. If you listened, the only man who knew was his co-host. One time they cut out Jack’s comment of Portnoy’s Complaint, it was the title of a best seller at the time. The network had screwed him for the last time. All those lines are read before “air time” He stood up for free speech sacrificing his own career because it was the RIGHT thing to do! He was an amazing man and one of Johnny Carson’s frequent guests.

[@patriciafeehan7732]

@@MrAitraining Was George Carlin droning when stood up against The Las Vegas Gaming Commission? No. He fired his agent, walked out the hearing and said: For a city that makes it’s living off Craps, I find it unbelievable that the word sht is banned. He never went back to Vegas, until they begged.

[@MrAitraining]

@@patriciafeehan7732 it was courageous but even he said it was biggest regret of his life. So it's not something he was proud of. If he knew it would mess up his career (a guest on johnny Carson isn't a career) he wouldnt have done it. At least Hugh knew better to leave and wasn't seen as a rebel and had a long career

[@patriciafeehan7732]

@@MrAitraining I must be honest and agree there is no argument with that assessment. But, the network taunted Paar in a way that would be illegal today. They were the Almighty Three Powerful Networks and NBC used tactics that were deplorable. There would contracts and it would NOT happen today. Paar’s tenure as host was fantastic.

[@kevinp3550]

I was a small child at the time, and I occasionally heard about Jack Parr, always hearing good things about him. I knew that he had done something "shocking" , but never heard the particulars. A huge shout out to those people who brought this story to life. Looking back I'll argue that this story's importance has actually grown

[@GizmoFromPizmo]

My mom used to LOVE Jack Paar. I was very young at this time and not in school yet but the Jack Paar Show is one of my earliest memories. Censorship was a problem back in those days as it is in these days. A few people take a stand against it. Jack Paar is one of the early ones.

[@JB---]

Lol, that music box was adorable and funny.

[@blu3collar949]

Hugh Downs was the voice of the man on the song "Little Blue Man".

[@tribalflute3895]

THE SHOW MUST GO ON! Why? Because we're here and there will never be another right now!

[@gerrymcguire7521]

Would love to see him on a talk show today! Would be number one!

[@luisreyes1963]

He did an appearance on Late Night with David Letterman on NBC in the 80's. Jack Paar passed away in 2004.

[@roachtoasties]

Well, Jack came back several weeks later. I've read the text of the water closet joke. I don't see what the big deal was, but I guess things were different in 1960.

[@DW-nb2zc]

This man had a commanding stage presence and let his stories speak for themselves No frills or gimmicks needed

[@EugeneONeill-pf5bj]

Wow! I had no idea this existed! I heard the audio multiple times but never the actual video.

[@dhpbear2]

Thanks for this, jack! Great job!

[@angelbulldog4934]

The one thing that stands out in my mind about Paar: he had a video of the Beatles before they appeared on Ed Sullivan. I was starstruck and crazy in love at 13 or so.

[@marknesselhaus4376]

I was only 3 1/2 years old at the time so this is my first viewing of this.

[@rivaridge7211]

The same here - I read about this over the years so it was fun to actually see it. (I was also 3 1/2 when this first aired - born August 1956. Cheers!

[@StevenSmith-pt8rz]

It would be fantastic if the film footage of the show that was censored could be found and viewed. Has anyone ever tried to find it ?

[@patrickthomas8890]

Might’ve been destroyed.

[@Nigelrathbone1]

So thats how Hugh Downs got his start as side kick.

[@MrEwciii2001]

I liked Jack Paar very much. He was a likable guy with a very engaging personality. Funny anecdote. When my dad heard of Carson taking over the show he said, he won’t make it. He’s no Jack Paar.

[@creativologist1813]

Paar did return a couple of weeks later and hosted for two more uears years before Johnny took over the reigns.

[@johnwood551]

I’m 72 and remember seeing him,but I grew up watching Johnny Carson.. HE managed to make a living doing that show and NO ONE has ever come close to matching Johnny.

[@geraldbaker4019]

The best thing to come out of Jack Paar’s career was the formatting of the tonight show, all the comedians he got on his show and the hiring of Dick Cavett. Everything else Paar did in his career was either to belittle, whine, or mislead the public about his character and that of others.

[@Nigelrathbone1]

He walked off to protest priggish overbearing censorship. He quit on principal, and that was egg on NBCs face.

[@seejayszolc8415]

principle

[@PatrickOnPoint]

For those that don’t know the story Jack Paar walked off "The Tonight Show" on February 11, 1960, because NBC censored a joke about a "water closet" (a British term for a bathroom). Paar was upset that the network removed the joke without informing him, feeling it undermined his creative control and integrity. He famously returned to the show a month later, beginning his first monologue with the line, "As I was saying before I was interrupted...".

[@secretariatgirl4249]

Wow, I have a small box like that with the SAME little figures on it!!!~ I was 9 years old in 1960!!

[@rivaridge7211]

It sounds as though you might have a valuable collector's item. I just noticed your channel's name - the greatest horse ever! You might recognize mine as well. Cheers! 😃

[@secretariatgirl4249]

@@rivaridge7211 yes, the one who ACTUALLY saved the farm!! I wrote about my pilgrimage to Sec's birthplace and grave...wept unabashedly...find it on the link to blog on my channel

[@rivaridge7211]

@@secretariatgirl4249 Thank you - I will look for it.

[@ModernDayRenaissanceMan]

That's a great magnetic music box

[@LucasKombo]

The fact that this exists is incredible.

[@romanmartinez6458]

This is my very first time watching Mr. Paar. I really enjoyed it and was fascinated by their enjoyment of the wind up/ music box. I'm not sure what it's called.

[@TimothyTimPSP]

You did a fantastic job with this video. Very impressive. Taking someones video is one thing, but what you did was greatly improve the experience and quality. You must have been thrilled when it started coming together.

[@RaggedJack2]

I was indeed! Genuinely couldn't believe I managed to stabilize the camera to a fixed 4:3 aspect ratio (with an acceptable amount of film jittering lol). Then everything else fell in line quickly after that. I appreciate you viewing the original upload on the "KJM" channel. You might check out the source of the audio on the "epaddon" channel as well (Both are linked in the pinned comment/description). Take care.

[@AlvinUselton]

This is the first time I have ever heard of Jack Parr ! And I really like this guy man if he doesn’t come back NBC lost a monumental tv personality. He’s a quality high caliber talent and a valuable asset to the network.

[@johnzeszut3170]

He was before my time but I do remember watching him from time to time - every now and then he would burst into tears! But still better than what is on t.v. now.

[@JoeBuck207]

The applause sounds so strange.

[@scarygary-qq1pj]

No it doesn't.

[@Aaron-zt5ee]

Yeah, it sounds like they’re all clapping in unison or something.

[@marisafernandez3397]

That was a wonderful clip. He was emotional in the end but he carried himself off with dignity. He would be appalled today at the media cencorship

[@raymondkb2nzo788]

What a Guy he was great

[@marknewton6984]

We need him today.

[@jojopuppyfish]

11:08 I'm Hugh Downs and this is 20/20