The Tonight Show (September 26, 1974)

Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Art Carney, and the Ace Trucking Company are tonight's guests as The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Also includes instrumental intermissions by Doc Severinsen and his Orchestra.

[@whodidit99]

This show is almost 50 years old and still funnier than any of the talk show drek on the air today.

[@fireball7201]

And it was accepted and allowed and loved then but not now

[@lonicherryne6885]

Yes I'm agree today we have this ridiculous show Jimmy Kimmel and Fallon, ellen show ☹☹☹☹☹🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮

[@cookie5335]

Today's shows are all flashy lights bright settings and over edited And super high paced. These shows are more lay back - relaxed.

[@lewiscarey6984]

AGREED!! 👍👍👍

[@craigreuter1112]

Drek! Ha ha ha ha

[@marilynr.meier-obrien3366]

Johnnnnnnny can never be replaced He was so wonderful.

[@Chuck-e7d]

I haven't laughed so hard in such a long time. Those were the days

[@crivket1233]

I met Dom , in the mid 80s . He was a wonderful , kind and fun person!!!! ❤

[@johnsjohnson448]

Art Carney brought the house down with the greatest "audience" ever consisting of Burt and Dom. Hysterical. LOL. Simply stated, Doc and the NBC Orchestra were the greatest in Late Night Music. Thanks for sharing.

[@victorkreitner754]

Anytime you have Dom, Burt, and Art on the same stage together you know it's going to be a good night. So sad knowing all these great people are gone, but their memories live on eternally. This shows you have to live life to the fullest or you're not living.

[@szqsk8]

I loved the spontaneous moments like this. Today's talk shows are so ccripted down to the inth degree the hosts don't blink unless it's on the script/cue cards.

[@January.]

*so scripted

[@5litreho]

The Golden Age of Television

[@93Jubilee]

The Unapologetic sexism! Shameful

[@durban64]

Real comedy never gets old regardless of how old it is

[@stephendeluca4479]

Really one of the funniest of the Tonight Shows- from start to finish.

[@larrygrebler5054]

Know wonder people stayed up so late to watch this.

[@dansmith8844]

Really ?? People really drink THAT much before Carson comes on !! OR does Carson really drink THAT much before he comes on !! Either way, it ain’t working !! There is nothing like a naturally funny Tonight Show host….. and guess what………he’s nothing like one. I’ll give him one more shot tomorrow…….. otherwise……..23 skidoo !!ll

[@dansmith8844]

Hey DeLuca, forget the booze before Carson comes on and THEN give us your wrap !! Sheeeesh !!

[@stephendeluca4479]

@@dansmith8844 Hi Dan, Not sure what you meant here. If you are saying that I was buzzed or drunk when I watched this and that being inebriated colored my reaction, you are mistaken. I was not. I just have a poor sense of humor.

[@jessiem276]

@@dansmith8844 You don't know what you're talking about.

[@CookieCaspari]

Boy does this take me back. I had just graduated from high school when this episode was on. It's so fun to see it again. Thanks for sharing.

[@robertahubert9155]

Ed was such a good sport he took so many insults from Johnny and just let it roll off his back. John also took a lot of insults from guests and the audience. Both of these guys had such good character.❤️❤️

[@ofthedifference]

Now, THAT'S entertainment! Grown men in suits playing with each other so silly - I love it! Having good all-American fun with their friends - that's the key to growing old gracefully - keeping a bit of the child within you. This was a hilarious episode ... there will never be another late night show to equal The Tonight Show.

[@echoecho3108]

Omg. Thanx, pannoni, for sharing! Only saw clips with Dom, and with Burt in recent years. Hadn't seen the entire show since first-run. Forgot how absolutely hilarious it was. RIP, Johnny, and thanx so very much, for the magic, music and memories. Thanx again, pannoni, for sharing this little gem with us.

[@jpolar394]

When Art Carney started to play the piano, I would of crap in my pants if he started playing Swaney River.😆😆😆

[@helbitkelbit1790]

According to Ralph cramden , Norton wrote swannie river

[@rondobson1828]

Notice @ 54:19 Carson mentions Carney rehearsing with Gleason and Carney is quick to say "never" ...as in Gleason never rehearsed with him or anyone.

[@pianopappy]

From one of my favorite "Honeymooners" shows--"The $99,000 Answer".

[@just4music687]

Art Carney is hilarious. Does anyone else see a lot of him in Christopher Lloyd?

[@robertwyssman5992]

yes

[@bryanrendleman2001]

I definitely do now. Art was a great jazz pianist.

[@janekailey2173]

No

[@stevegallant3395]

I was a little over 3 months old when this aired... For the longest time I thought the world started when I was born LOL

[@dondoyle8474]

Dom DeLuise and Johnny Carson that was one of the best segment I’ve ever seen

[@michellepost3098]

I remember the NBC peacock well. That and the CBS eye symbol were often shown before the start of shows. When this ep was made, I was 13 and had started 8th grade. My parents often watched this show. I did during summers, until I was out of high school and could watch it any night. The celebs on this were actually talented and had been famous for years. I liked when he interviewed people who were 100 or more, and still had active lives. Johnny was hilarious.

[@johnking5174]

You get the feeling back in 1974 they actually cared about the television they put out. Maybe this was down to the fact there was only a handful of TV channels to pick from - usually for us NBC, CBS, ABC, PBS, and one or two independents. That meant around 6 or 7 stations and that was it. So they cared about what they aired, as they had a captive audience.

[@billholt4326]

12 in 7th grade here.

[@nonenoneonenonenone]

I love these posts because we get to hear the band play all the way through the breaks. Top-notch players, if not better. The artwork is neat, too. Contemporary graphic art.

[@justacoupleofkids320]

I loved Johnny Carson when he was on, watched him all the time, but this is the craziest I’ve ever seen him and his guests…

[@dixiepeterson2565]

I was a junior in high school when this episode was on. The only Tonight show funnier than this one is the episode where Dean Martin flicked cigarette ashes into George Goble's drink and George had the classic line, "Did you ever feel that the world was a tuxedo and you were a pair of brown shoes?". My family went to bed after Burt Reynolds' appearance, so I didn't get to see Art Carney. What a funny and talented guy! I didn't know he knew how to play the piano.

[@HAL9000s3]

Best. Crack. Ever. Gobel was great.

[@josephforest7605]

Not one Japanese airplane , got past Tulsa .

[@gleasonparker1684]

Good to hear band playing between takes back from commercial.

[@jessiem276]

Burt Reynolds was gorgeous here 😍 This was so funny!

[@carycomic1954]

A true classic in every sense of the word! :-) I have to wonder, though, if Jimmy Fallon and any of his guests would be willing to be just as interactive to that extreme? And something tells me...not!

[@rickrick5041]

Dom deLuise was funny. Carson was always very very funny and talented. He was smart. He was quick witted and hilarious. He could do just about anything. He even juggled a bit. He did the eggs from Laurel and Hardy. He was one of the most talented performers in history.

[@kittendiotima4212]

Classic episode, providing clips for many anniversary episodes.

[@airport862]

Johnny demonstrated his good character and sense of fairness by putting an egg in his own pants because he knew Dom wouldn't do it to him.

[@nightowl5475]

The longest yard was the new Burt Reynolds picture that just came out. It was really funny. I saw it when it first came out. It was before Burt made Smokey & the Bandit. Back in the 70’s Burt was the number 1 movie star actor.

[@kevinfitzmaurice4072]

Fred Willard is the instructor in the Ace Trucking Company sketch--sort of a precursor to "Saturday Night Live," which premiered about a year later.

[@helbitkelbit1790]

Truth be told...Jack Benny was doing "Saturday night live" years before.....years before snl

[@garyrasberryjr.552]

The guy on the right is Bill Seluga, better known as Raymond J. Johnson (Of "You can call me Ray, You can call me Jay..." fame)

[@josephforest7605]

R I P to all of them .

[@doc1554]

I think that Ace Trucking skit should be added to some Congressional library ...that is masterful and priceless..you could hear Johnny laughing in the background and see how much he appreciated that skit when he went to a commercial...what a Gem!! Just realized that Mr. Saluga was the man back in the late sixties and seventies who was on all the commercials and shows yelling youze can call me Ray J jr....etc........funny man....

[@nonenoneonenonenone]

Brilliant choice of guests. It's like you can always tell a Pat McCormick joke in the monologue.

[@DonaldGerbino]

The stars had a great comradery, dosent exist anymore

[@thecommenter7518]

There are no more stars of this caliber anymore, so thankful that I grew up in the 70’s and knew of all of these great, memorable entertainers. Makes me long for those times again 😪

[@depaola63]

Classic 💎 I was 11 on this night 🌈 great times indeed ❤️ Harry and Tonto won Art the OSCAR ⭐️ He was a master at his craft , loved the piano playing too ⭐️

[@andrewbuhman1066]

As soon as he announced Dom and Burt, I knew his suit was gonna get ruined.

[@coolfinetime]

It was a crazy night😊

[@sylviastreet6785]

It’s 2021, the news should be as unexciting, a slow day!

[@tstahler5420]

I think the first show I remember, John Denver was a guest and he kept saying "far out" lol. I'm guessing '72 or '73, I was 7 or 8.

[@DonaldGerbino]

A better time

[@tdunph4250]

I had just started kindergarten when this episode came out. Unbelievable!

[@elizabethhestevold1340]

Absolutely Hillarious from get go!! Good to Laugh these days! 😂🇩🇰🇺🇸📬 Carney,...a little Victor Borge there?!😎 wonder what was in that Green Room??

[@rosalinkrieger3352]

That's Fred Willard in the sketch!

[@shaneinaz00]

Johnnys hair! I love it!

[@jillkjv3816]

Man, I was 16. A lifetime ago!

[@MorlokKurak]

Johnny made a Night Stalker reference. (Darin McGavin) Loved that show!

[@martinbliley9977]

I'm miss Johnny Carson

[@bjohnkautzman1041]

It always seems like the monologues that bombed were the most entertaining. I guess that was one of Johnny's talents. This is likely one of the five greatest episodes of The Tonight Show ever.

[@sylviastreet6785]

President Ford had a problem with what he was signing? Welcome to 2021!

[@perrybarton]

Classic episode! I like the fact that Art Carney played “September Song,” given that this took place in that month. It’s the little things…

[@mikedrown2721]

I was 28 years old when this was shown on NBC. Love Ed's HAW HAW HAW 😂👍

[@JohnQPublic345]

There had only been 6 previous NFL Superbowls when this aired

[@ginacable5376]

Burt has a wonderful laugh

[@cookie5335]

I like watching these old shows when I get depressed with the state of the world today ack then it seemed impossible we'd be where we are today. Anyway it's an escape to a better time

[@malikanouar905]

Burt you deserve more credit he never got an oscar it's unfair because he was phenomenal talanted and handsome RIP Burt Reynolds

[@crivket1233]

Met Dom once , SUPER NICE GUY !!! 😃

[@richardwoolley7854]

King Carson.

[@JRM---516]

The Tonight Show Band was killer as showcased here!

[@alexkerry7631]

Anyone notice Johnny's slight of hand at 28:56 ? He wanted to be a magician as a kid, and I'm sure he was great. That egg fight was awesome!

[@carlyyates9576]

johnny Carson!! 🙂😀😀😀

[@lindaclark9925]

I love johnny carson. I want to see him in heaven, i really do. And my dad, various teachers, friends...thank Jesus

[@kevinmorgan8534]

Actually Carson was an atheist.

[@lindaclark9925]

@@kevinmorgan8534 he was not, stop...!

[@williamwatson4625]

I was expecting Johnny to say something funny about our 38th POTUS since Nixon got forced out of the Presidency just a month prior.

[@JohnQPublic345]

Johnny would be over 100 today had he lived longer. His last words were "those damn cigarettes"

[@93Jubilee]

Love Dom

[@irgski]

RIP Fred Willard.

[@benkleschinsky]

Is it true that they would show those long commercial breaks with the music instead of commercials? Would that have just been on satellite feeds or cable?

[@just4music687]

It was commercials; the music was for the studio audience. But sometimes we'd catch a nice longer piece of the music; not too long though maybe a minute or less.

[@JohnQPublic345]

As far as I can remember, the music breaks were 30 seconds max. Regular commercials were played around them

[@user-kb1hw2yq2f]

Burt was a cool cat. Funny but cool.

[@philrisser6853]

youd get more Subs if you play more johnny episodes..the guy from tee vee classics i seen go from 2500 subs to 5000 in three weeks when i first started and all his people want johnny

[@mellohope57]

Great Band.

[@mikebradshaw6484]

When the show was over Johnny didn't even look at Art Carney.

[@markevan1]

Fred Willard had no idea what was funny and I'm amazed that he ever got anyone to pay him to prove it.

[@bruce92106]

Almost every one of Johnny Carson reruns top comments are people young and old commenting they've never laughed so hard and there's been nothing like Carson since. So why doesn't TV brass pull their heads outta their asses and find another good ole wholesome red blooded Midwest farm boy again just like Carson was and make him a talkshow host!? It really is what America needs again the exact same thing the exact same way.

[@lonicherryne6885]

Dom deluise played in 1978a movie with burt Reynolds called the end I saw him he was very funny 😊😊😊😊😊🙂🙂🙂🙂😁😁😁😁😁😄😄😄😄😄

[@wookinooki9023]

there was something going on between Burt and Dom here.

[@neiljohnson7914]

A lot of people have died since 1974

[@Solitude47152]

Nice suit, good color

[@ssnoc]

A time when people still had a good sense of humor -

[@MustertheBrohirrim]

bro they DO NOT have this much fun on any other show...way too safe these days

[@MyThirdPlaceLtd]

0:07

[@nlewis]

When Art Carney goes over and starts dancing to the beat of the drums and puts his hand on the wall and shakes his head back and forth and knocks his knees around like he's really into it so that his junk will bounce around and implying to everyone that that's what he was doing that I repeat that was my father all the way I didn't know until I saw this clip tonight that Art Carney and Robin Williams that was my dad

[@tertommy]

Fred Willard

[@thomasandersen2938]

Do you any with wayne newton as a guest

[@wordpressobsessed9067]

Love to buy a car and gas in 2021 at 1974 prices!

[@tmcche7881]

First off, you couldn't get gas except on an even or odd day, depending upon your license plate number. It wasn't cheap, relative to one's income. Adjusting for inflation, gas was about the same as it is today (~$3 per gal).

[@wordpressobsessed9067]

@@tmcche7881 I paid $1.29 in March 2020 at a gas station in southern Michigan. I long for the Trump and pandemic days.

[@tmcche7881]

@@wordpressobsessed9067 ... I hear you, gasoline was well under $3 before cv19, under President Trump. That was before Dominion had their opinion about the vote count. At least we're not in Europe where it's going to be an expensive cold winter. And they laughed when President Trump warned them about being dependent on Russian energy.

[@ChadQuick270W]

This is how they should be shown with the original intro from the “in living color” peacock and Ed’s introduction. The Antenna TV version is not good.

[@keithhelton3178]

LMAO

[@TheAvenstar]

Am I alone on this? I'd rather watch the old commercials.

[@anthonyjona7779]

Yes

[@stevegallant3395]

I think Carson is a little overrated

[@christopherl7089]

@@stevegallant3395 Those who don't find the Carson show funny have to be either Justin Bieber or Donald Trump fans.

[@victoryak86]

@@christopherl7089 um, that’s such a brilliant statement! Does all that gravel hurt when you move your head?

[@jessiem276]

@@christopherl7089 What does Trump have to do with it?? Still have TDS, huh?

[@felixthelmocevallosmorales41]

John William Carson 23 de octubre de 1925 23 de enero de 2005 98 años 79 años 19 años 🎙️🎙️🎭🎭🎙️🎙️🎭🎭🎙️🎙️

[@anthonydworak8127]

Johnny was second only to the great Sammy Maudlin

[@bettycogswell9851]

Johnny has lost control....

[@Bionic_Fonzie]

Ace Trucking Company laid all those eggs Dom used in his skit. They were awful.

[@buzzkill808raven2]

I love tracking the progress of Johnny's come-over throughout the span of the show. You can see his insecurity grow a little each episode. Maybe that's why he was such an angry, overly-sensitive drunk

[@lindaclark9925]

What the- SPIT. TAKE. ...he was great. And....HE WOULD AGREEl

[@victoryak86]

Buzkill is right! Can’t tell if this is a serious comment or not. If it is, get help.

[@jessiem276]

Why are you here watching if you felt that way about him?

[@chirelle.alanalooney8609]

Oh come on Ed, you really OVER DO YOUR PHONEY LAUGHING AT JOHNNY'S jokes that Are NOT FUNNY!

[@richardgaines7767]

Bad job

[@timothymasterson1748]

THIS SHOW A UNFUNNY BOMB

[@mikedrown2721]

You were born in the 1990s that's why

[@mrmadwolf3694]

@@mikedrown2721 hell I was born in 90 and I love it

[@larrygrebler5054]

Don't get it? This was the funniest episode I ever seen!

[@victoryak86]

I wonder what “this one” thinks is funny.

[@jessiem276]

You don't know what funny is ...must be a kid.

[@frankrolls6834]

The only reason you do not see this harmless fun on late night T.V. is because of American politicians. Good bye America.

[@MyThirdPlaceLtd]

0:37

[@MyThirdPlaceLtd]

0:34

[@MyThirdPlaceLtd]

0:40