May 12th, 1956- 1960

Interview/talk series which ran for four years, premiering May 12th, 1956, at 6PM on WNBC-TV in New York City.   

This weekly series of half-hour programs is planned and produced in cooperation with the faculties of various colleges and universities. Controversial and topical problems confronting our society will be selected for discussion. 

On this show, the topic is "The New Negro." A critical evaluation of the "new" Negro's self-assertiveness. Guests include Dr. Martin Luther King. 

Moderator is Richard Heffner.                               

October 30, 1956-May 31, 1957

Night beat was an hour-long talk/interview program hosted by Mike Wallace and broadcast on WABD-TV channel 5 in New York City. (Dumont). It was broadcast from 11 PM to 12 AM Tuesday through Friday evenings. Wallace served as host from October 1956 to May 1957. 

In this episode, we hear the final 7 minutes of a Mike Wallace interview with conservative, and recent editor of the National Review, William F. Buckley Jr.    

Topics covered include:
-The refusal by New York City Colleges, with the exception of Columbia University, of which Buckley is in disagreement, to allow John Gates to speak on their college campuses. 
- William F. Buckley Jr. espouses on the purpose of education is to find out certain truths, including Communism. 
-The doctrine of Academic Freedom.
-Yale University being a "hot bed" of communist enrollments. 
-A character portrait of William F. Buckley Jr. read by Mike Wallace written by the editor of the Yale Daily News Oct. 15, 1951...and its response by Buckley Jr. 
-March 4, 1957 TIME MAGAZINE article, two weeks ago, about William Buckley Sr. described as a capitalist and that he is intending to create an elementary school to train children, including his own 28 grandchildren, to "resist the blight of liberalism and communism." William F. Buckley Jr. expands on his father's philosophy by which he grew up.                                                                                                                               

HY GARDNER CALLING - Sunday Night, half hour broadcast, weekly, WRCA Ch. 4 New York City - 11:30pm - 12:30am  April 29, 1956-January 13, 1957

HY GARDNER - Mon-Fri, weekdays, WRCA CH. 4 New York City 11:15-11:25pm, 11:20-11:30pm, 11:15-11:30pm September 10, 1956-January 25, 1957

TONIGHT: AMERICA AFTER DARK Hy Gardner ten minute segments "Face to Face" (New format replacing Steve Allen's TONIGHT!,
revised format series hosted by Jack Lescoulie.Last broadcast January 28, 1957 - July 26, 1958 (M-F 11:15pm - 1:00am).   

HY GARDNER CALLING - February 12, 1958 - September 3, 1958
WABD (Dumont). 30 minute broadcast Wednesday evenings 8:30-9:00pm.

HY GARDNER CALLING - September 10, 1958 - January 14, 1959 
WNEW. 30 minute broadcast Wednesday evenings 8:30 - 9:00pm

HY GARDNER SHOW - October 25, 1959-August 14, 1960 WNEW 45 minute and 60 minute broadcast, Sunday evenings 10-11pm.

HY GARDNER SHOW - September 24, 1960 - September 29, 1962 WOR one hour weekly broadcast, Saturday evenings 12am-1am.

HY GARDNER SHOW - October 21, 1962 - April 4, 1964 WOR one hour weekly broadcast Saturdays or Sundays 7:00pm-8:00pm.

HY GARDNER SHOW - September 26, 1964-January 10, 1965 WOR one hour weekly broadcast Saturday 11:30pm-12:30am or 12:00am-1:00am.


Hy Gardner was a well-known New York Herald-Tribune columnist.  He  appeared regularly on Tonight! and America After Dark, a short-term substitute for Tonight! after Steve Allen abandoned it early in 1957. Gardner specialized in profiling show business celebrities and other news makers, and he hosted a nightly ten-minute TV interview program in New York called Face to Face. His weekly Sunday-night show, Hy Gardner Calling!, also aired only in the New York area and consisted of interviews conducted by telephone, with the subject seemingly at home, but actually seated in one studio, while Gardner sat at his desk in another. The telephone hook-up was real, and there was no physical proximity between host and guest. The show premiered in 1954 ? on New York City’s NBC affiliate station WRCA-TV, Channel 4, and ran until 1965. 

Hy Gardner interviews Mrs. Vivian Nearing, who dethroned champion Charles Van Doren on the "Twenty-One" quiz show, and Gino Prato, opera expert and the first winner on the "64,000 Question" quiz show.                                                                                                                               

 

PERSON TO PERSON hosted by Edward R. Murrow - Oct. 2, 1953, through June 29, 1959. Charles Collingwood hosted from Oct. 16, 1959, through Sept. 15, 1961. 

When Collingwood took over as host about half of the series' programs originated from foreign locations and were pre-recorded on videotape. While many of the Murrow segments exist on kinescope and can be accessed, most of the Collingwood segments are not available. 

Edward R. Murrow interviews Elizabeth Taylor and husband Michael Todd.                      

After the departure of the Tonight Show's first host, Steve Allen, Jack Lescoulie served as host from January 28th to June 21st, 1957. NBC renamed the show "Tonight! America After Dark."

Host Jack Lescoulie interviews old-time vaudevillian Fifi D'Orsay who sings a song.                                                               

April 28th, 1957- April 19th, 1958 (with Mike Wallace) continuing till September 14th, 1958-ABC

A half-hour interview series with host Mike Wallace.
On this debut show, Mike interviews actress Gloria Swanson.

Series Premiere.  

NOTE:
   Status of The Mike Wallace Interview
A total of 72 episodes of The Mike Wallace Interview were broadcast by ABC between 1957 and 1958. The series premiered on April 28th, 1957 and was sponsored by Phillip Morris through the April 19th, 1958 episode. The Fund for the Republic then sponsored a 13-week set of interviews entitled “Liberty and Freedom” (one of which was never broadcast) followed by an additional six episodes. The final broadcast took place on September 14th, 1958.

My article about The Mike Wallace Interview can be found here.

The Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin has 66 of the 72 episodes of The Mike Wallace Interview. Five are only available as audio recordings while the rest are kinescopes that have been digitized and made available for viewing online. The Ransom Center also has a transcript of the Ben Hecht interview (broadcast February 25th, 1958) but no audio or video. One of the episodes the Ransom Center does not have a copy of is the controversial Mickey Cohen broadcast from May 19th, 1957.

According to Steve Winston, Associate Curator of Film at the Ransom Center, “There are reports that the BBC still has some excerpts though we have not been able to locate the specific department that might hold them. Other than that, the interview appears to be lost.” Audio of the Cohen episode is part of Archival Television Audio, Inc. collection.

Also missing from the Ransom Center’s collection are the two retractions read by ABC’s Oliver Treyz on May 26th and December 14th. According to Winston, “We have no idea why the footage was not included in the kinescope. We don’t know if they were removed later, or if they were never recorded in the first place.” Archival Television Audio, Inc. has the May 26th retraction read by Treyz.

The UCLA Film & Television Archive has two episodes of the series: the Cyrus Eaton interview that is audio only at the Ransom Center and the Ben Hecht interview that the Ransom Center only has a transcript for. Both the Museum of Broadcasting and The Paley Center for Media have several episodes that are also part of the Ransom Center’s collection.

(According to a December 1957 article in The Los Angeles Times, a filmed “stand-by interview” with Evelyn Rudie was always ready to be used in the event a guest didn’t show up. It is not included in the episode count and its current whereabouts are unknown.)
                                            

April 28th, 1957-September 14th, 1958-ABC

A half-hour interview series with host Mike Wallace.

The Guest is Eldon Edwards, the "Imperial Wizard" of the Klu Klux Klan.

                                                

April 28th, 1957-September 14th, 1958 (ABC)

A half-hour interview series with host Mike Wallace.

Mike Wallace interviews gangster Mickey Cohen. Cohen discusses the rackets and calls the Los Angeles police chief William H. Parker "a sadistic degenerate."  
 
Also included, the opening of the "lost" Mike Wallace Interview, broadcast, the following week, May 26, 1958:
Host Mike Wallace issues an apology and retracts the statements made by Mickey Cohen, the week before, that adversely reflected the character of Los Angeles police chief William H.Parker and others.

Vice President of ABC TV Oliver Treyz appears and retracts all statements Mickey Cohen made adversely reflecting the character of the Los Angeles  Police Chief William H. Parker,  and others.

NOTE: The vast majority of the 72 episodes of ABC’s The Mike Wallace Interview are collected (and have been digitized) at the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas. Several of those episodes exist solely on audio. However, one of the most controversial episodes–in which Wallace interviewed Mickey Cohen–is not part of the Ransom collection. Nor can it be found at any of the other big four television archives.

It can, however, be found at Archival Television Audio, Inc. ATA has the complete Mickey Cohen episode (originally broadcast May 19th, 1957). It also has the retraction read by ABC’s Oliver Treyz the following week, October 26, 1957; Ransom has this episode (with Senator Wayne Morse) but the retraction by Treyz is not included nor is a brief retraction by Wallace himself. 
                                                                                                                        

April 28th, 1957-September 14th, 1958 (ABC)

A half-hour interview series with host Mike Wallace.

Mike Wallace interviews gangster Mickey Cohen. Cohen discusses the rackets and calls the Los Angeles police chief William H. Parker "a sadistic degenerate."  
 
NOTE: The vast majority of the 72 episodes of ABC’s The Mike Wallace Interview are collected (and have been digitized) at the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas. Several of those episodes exist solely on audio. However, one of the most controversial episodes–in which Wallace interviewed Mickey Cohen–is not part of the Ransom collection. Nor can it be found at any of the other big four television archives.

It can, however, be found at Archival Television Audio, Inc. ATA has the complete Mickey Cohen episode (originally broadcast May 19th, 1957). It also has the retraction read by ABC’s Oliver Treyz the following week, October 26, 1957; Ransom has this episode (with Senator Wayne Morse) but the retraction by Treyz is not included nor is a brief retraction by Wallace himself. 
                                                                                                           

April 28th, 1957-September 14th, 1958-ABC

A half-hour interview series with host Mike Wallace.

Host Mike Wallace issues an apology and retracts the statements made by Mickey Cohen, the week before, that adversely reflected the character of Los Angeles police chief William H.Parker and others.

Vice President of ABC TV Oliver Treys appears and retracts all statements Mickey Cohen made adversely reflecting the character of the Los Angeles  Police Chief William H. Parker,  and others.

Wallace interviews Wayne Morse, Democratic Senator from Oregon.

                                                                                         

April 28th, 1957-September 14th, 1958-ABC

A half-hour interview series with host Mike Wallace.

Mike Wallace interviews "Commando" Chuck Kelly, a World War 11 hero. He discusses his misfortunes in civilian life, his business failures, Pollyanna attitudes, wartime experiences, his feelings about killing Germans, the Red Cross, the American Legion, and WACS.                                                                

April 28th, 1957-September 14th, 1958-ABC

A half-hour interview series with host Mike Wallace.

Mike Wallace interviews Steve Allen. Topics include his feud with Ed Sullivan, ratings, and programming. He comments on American journalist Westbrook Pegler, and Eddie Cantor. 
                                                               

April 28th, 1957-September 14th, 1958-ABC

A half-hour interview series with host Mike Wallace.

Nine minutes highlighting salient topics.
Steve's discussion includes: 
-Ed Sullivan 
-Criticism of TV Awards
-Impressions of Westbrook Pegler, Ted Williams, Eddie Cantor Billy Graham, Bob Harrison of Confidential Magazine.  



                                                                                       

April 28th, 1957-September 14th, 1958-ABC

A half-hour interview series with host Mike Wallace.

Mike Wallace interviews actress Diana Barrymore.                                                

April 28th, 1957-September 14th, 1958-ABC

A half-hour interview series with host Mike Wallace.

Mike Wallace interviews architect and writer Frank Lloyd Wright. 

                                                                       

April 28th, 1957-September 14th, 1958-ABC

A half-hour interview series with host Mike Wallace.

Mike Wallace interviews Senator James Eastland of Mississippi.
Eastland, a violent segregationist talks about civil rights.                                                          

April 28th, 1957-September 14th, 1958-ABC

A half-hour interview series with host Mike Wallace.

Dagmar is interviewed on a myriad of topics including:
-Psychoanalysis
-Jayne Mansfield
-Problems of Television
-Income Taxes
-Usage of Tranquilizers 

Dagmar comments of Jayne Mansfield appearing earlier this evening on The Ed Sullivan Show. She states that what is more important than Beauty is Brains. 
Dagmar talks about her debut on OPEN HOUSE seven years ago when she was purely a sex object. She tells Mike that she would love to do a Broadway Musical. 
Other discussion includes, why she left television, making more money now off TV, Jerry Lester's comment about her, marriage to Danny Dayton, love to have a child at 36 years of age... would be an excellent mother, admiration for Danny Thomas, and hating to be still called an "intellectual idiot." 
Dagmar discusses her eating habits and improtance that everyone should receive a college education. Also comments on women wrestlers. 


                                                                                       

1957-1958 (ABC)
1959-1960 (WNTA)

A series of interviews hosted by Mike Wallace. This program was carried in 1957-1958 by ABC television and in 1959-1960 by WNTA-TV Channel 13 in New York City.

Guest: Fred Otash, private detective, employed by "Confidential" Magazine. 
Subject: The ethics of private investigation. 

This program is joined in progress. 
                                                                                        

Louis Armstrong is profiled. He is interviewed by Edward R. Murrow in Paris during his world tour. A number of his instrumentals are heard, including "Mack The Knife."          

July 29, 1957- March 30,1962. 

Diahann Carroll's first appearance on The Tonight Show with Jack Paar. First Afro American to appear with Jack Paar on The Tonight Show. Diahann sings "Out of This World."

At 11:15pm Hans Conreid announces the opening of the show.

At midnight we hear announcer Hugh Downs formally announcing   the guests of tonight's show stating, "The National Broadcasting Company Presents THE NEW TONITE SHOW starring Jack Paar."

Jack Paar gives his customary 5 minute monologue, and introduces panel consisting of Dody Goodman, and Hans Conreid. Jack Haskell sings, "Darn That Green." Paar reminisces about a an old buddy he met from World War Two whom he had not seen in years. Orchestra leader, Jose Melies plays a piano medley. Dody Goodman reads her fan mail and answers questions. Jack introduces "New Discovery," Diahann Carroll who sings "Out of This World." She would be invited back by Jack appearing Oct. 2, 4, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18. Stand-up comedian Tubby Boots appears...his first TV show appearance. Paar talks to Hugh Downs about a ten year old boy, John Redding, who wanted to be on the show very badly and relates about his experience when coming to the show. Hugh tells anecdotal story about his son. Hans Conreid relates a story about his 3 year old son. Jack tells story about his eight year old daughter, Randy, who reacted to her mother Miriam, who said to her that "when two people love one another they become one." Randy replied, "YIKES, no wonder half the people in the world are disappearing." Hugh and Hans tell amusing anecdotes about their own children. Dody Goodman recalls how she spends her day...dinner at Horn & Hardart. Paar, Goodman, Conreid check out the latest design in beds. Downs signs off, stating tomorrow's guests. 

*FOR THE RECORD, as archivists are aware, most of THE JACK PAAR TONIGHT SHOW SERIES which were broadcast on NBC TV from July 29,  1957 thru March 30, 1962 (A final BEST OF PAAR rerun originally televised November 21, 1961...guest Jack Benny)were ERASED, DESTROYED OR WHEREABOUTS UNKNOWN. 

2" Quadruplex Video Tape was expensive ($600 for a one hour reel), weighting 13 pounds, requiring great storage space. Video Tape could easily be erased and was used for new program recordings...retained briefly for a re-run and then erased or discarded. Legend has it that even Jack Paar himself hired a junk man to come to his home garage and paid to have JACK PAAR TONIGHT SHOW recordings discarded (reels of kinescopes and video tapes) that were now cluttering up his space. 

During this era in television history archiving television programming was not a primary concern or vision, and considered an arcane pursuit. 

THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS retains in their archive only 4 program excerpts accounting for only one hour or material of JACK PAAR TONIGHT SHOWS (November 14, 1958, December 23, 1959, October 19, 1959, and one 33&1/3rd audio disc promotional from 1957 presenting Jack Paar the new host  of the TONIGHT SHOW. 

THE PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA retains in their archive only 7 program excerpts accounting for only four and a quarter hours of material (July 29, 1957, November 1, 1957, November 7, 1958, November 10, 1958, November 14, 1958, July 22, 1959, December 21, 1959).

UCLA FILM & TV ARCHIVE retains in their archive only 8 program excerpts accounting for only seven hours of material (August 12, 1957, November 1, 1957, November 10, 1958, November 11, 1958, November 14, 1958, July 22, 1959, December 21, 1959).

For 65 years Phil Gries, creator and owner of ARCHIVAL TLEVISION AUDIO, Inc. has continued to be a passionate television audio archive collector. TRULY UNIQUE TODAY AS AN INDEPENDENT TV AUDIO ARCHIVE. Currently, in 2024, to date, ATA has collated and archived over 22,000 TV Audio Air Checks representing 20,000 hours of sound...tens of thousands of broadcasts which represent the ONLY SURVIVING BROADCAST RECORD OF A SPECIFIC TELEVISION SHOW (1946-1982). 

ARCHIVAL TELEVISION AUDIO, INC. retains over 100 complete and excerpt JACK PAAR TONIGHT SHOW air checks (44 hours), including the complete Jack Paar's first anniversary telecast which was broadcast live from Havana Cuba (June 28, 1958). These originally recorded off the air pristine sound direct line 1/4" reel to reel audio tracks, recorded at the time of the original broadcasts, represent the only broadcast record of a "lost" visual telecast. ATA is the largest single repository (one collection), in the United Sates of Jack Paar Tonight Shows recordings. 

The combined archives of The Library of Congress, Paley Center for Media, and UCLA Film & Television only retain a composite total of 13 hours of representative JACK PAAR TONIGHT SHOW broadcasts excerpts...none complete. 

For four years and eight months Jack Paar reigned supreme as host of the TONIGHT SHOW with a crew of regulars, but only two stayed with him for the entire run; announcer Hugh Downs and band leader Jose Melis, a former army buddy. Familiar faces who appeared many times with Jack included Dody Goodman, Betty Johnson, Elsa Maxwell, Alexander King, Genevieve, Jack Douglas; and wife Reiko, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Hans Conreid, Peggy Cass, Cliff (Charley Weaver) Arquette, and Jonathan Winters.

 Hugh Downs substituted for Jack Paar 79 times, more than any other substitute host. There were 20 different substitute hosts for Paar over the period of the series run. Joey Bishop substituted for Paar 31 times. Arlene Francis, 30 times, Jonathan Winters, 26 times, Orson Bean, 21 times and Johnny Carson 15 times. All together there were 243 broadcasts which had substitute hosts filling in for Paar during Jack Paar's TONIGHT SHOW tenure. The title of the late night broadcast changed to THE JACK PAAR SHOW which took effect on February 3, 1958. The first video-taped broadcast aired on January 5, 1959. The final LIVE broadcast aired on July 3, 1959. "Best of Paar " Re-runs began on July 10,1959. Beginning July 20, 1959 Jack Paar began taking off Monday nights & guest hosts would substitute for him (approximately on alternate Mondays). The first color broadcast aired on September 19, 1960.
Theme music, "Everything is Coming Up Roses" was first used beginning in the Fall of 1959. 

Location broadcast telecasts of the program telecast away from the Hudson Theater in New York City occurred 14 times during this series run. 

Jan. 13-17, 1958                     Miami Beach, Florida
July 28, 1958                        Havana, Cuba           
Nov. 3-21, 1958                      Hollywood, California
March 2-20, 1959                     Hollywood, California
Nov. 10-12, 1959                  Nassau, Bahamas (Video Tape)
Nov. 30- Dec. 10, 1959               Hollywood, California
March 28-April 1, 1960            London, England (Video Tape)
Nov.9-11, 1960                    Hawaii (Video Tape) - b&w
Nov.14-24, 1960                     Hollywood, California
March 21-24, 1961                 London, England (Video Tape)
Sept. 12-14, 1961                 West Berlin (Video Tape)
Nov. 14-17, 1961                  Hollywood, California (Tape)
Nov. 21-24, 1961                  Hollywood, California (Tape)
March 13-16, 1962                 London, England (Video Tape)

OBSERVATION: Listening to the few extant audio air check COMPLETE JACK PAAR TONIGHT SHOW broadcasts, as originally televised, AND RECORDED DIRECT LINE RESULTING IN  PRISTINE PLAYBACK SOUND,  retains the essence and specialty which Jack Paar was able to convey as host of his late night talk show. He set the standard for how the TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JACK PAAR format evolved, including introducing the standard monologue at the beginning of every show, which continues to evolve to this day...however, sans the whit, charm, warmth, ease, unpredictability, vulnerability, pace and controversy which Paar brought to TV audiences at night. Jack Paar was stellar, and he is sorely missed by most Baby Boomers who remember watching him in real time.

Mostly forgotten by todays' younger audiences Jack Paar needs to be re-evaluated at length to place him royally as one of the most, if not the most, important LATE NIGHT HOSTS IN THE HISTORY OF LATE NIGHT TELEVISION. 

Interestingly, current documentaries examining the history of Late Night television, including the recent CNN 6 hour retrospective on the subject THE STORY OF LATE NIGHT (2021), which solicited Archival Television Audio, Inc. and paid $2,000 just for it's confirmed summary inventory of Paar Tonight Show broadcasts, using some of the audio in the documentary, relegates only 15 minutes of screen time to Jack Paar's contributions as one of many late night hosts.  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

April 28th, 1957-September 14th, 1958-ABC

A half-hour interview series with host Mike Wallace.

The Guest is Lili St. Cyr, stripper and burlesque dancer.

                                                             

Marie Torre later in her career hosted an interview  program originally titled "Contact" and was later renamed "The Marie Torre Show." Torre was a newscaster at KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1962-1977 and was the station's first female anchor. 

On this program, which cannot be traced as to station and circumstances, but most definitely broadcast on October 26, 1957, Marie Torre interviews Elsa Maxwell  discusses among other topics:

"Why every party I host I like to beat the last one like the one I hosted last month, September 3rd in Venice" 

"I loved attending the Mike Todd Mammoth Madison Square Party held the other night (October 17, 1957), celebrating the first anniversary of AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS, where 800 people asked me for my autograph"

"I never went to a psychiatrist"

"I won a beautiful baby contest once and now in my 60's look at me"

"I dislike of westerns on television. They are boring." 
                                                

Writer Gilbert Seldes comments on current US values of education, he emphasizes the layman's contempt for educated man, all this in light of current Russian scientific feats, recent quiz program contestants.              

President Eisenhower is scheduled to give a thirty-minute speech to the nation, to be covered by all three networks. 
This address was originally scheduled to be presented on November 13th in Oklahoma City. A different address may be scheduled for that time. 
Mr. Eisenhower is expected to speak on national security which will be the first in a series of White House speeches in the next several weeks. Mr. Eisenhower will also speak on atomic power, mechanisms to destroy targets 45 miles away, the strength of B-52 bombers, and soon to be B-58 bombers and atomic submarines. 

April 28th, 1957-September 14th, 1958-ABC

A half-hour interview series with host Mike Wallace.

Mike Wallace interviews Elsa Maxwell. Topics include her opinions on international party makers, personalities such as Khrushchev, Jayne Mansfield, Elvis Presley, Maria Callas, Cleveland Amory, the immorality in high society, and divorce. 



                                                                          

April 28th, 1957-September 14th, 1958-ABC

A half-hour interview series with host Mike Wallace.

Mike Wallace interviews Bennett Cerf. The topics include the current state of television.

                                                             

April 28th, 1957-September 14th, 1958-ABC

A half-hour interview series with host Mike Wallace.

Mike Wallace interviews columnist Drew Pearson. The topics include the current crisis resulting from Sputnick and Vanguard, President Eisenhower illness, he predicts Richard Nixon will be the President of the United States within a year (following Eisenhower's resignation), he speaks of Senator John F. Kennedy and his "synthetic public relations buildup," he claims that Kennedy's book "Profiles in Courage" was ghost-written, he also comments on former President Truman and Eisenhower's press secretary James Hagerty.

                                                                                       

July 29, 1957- March 30,1962. 

For four years and eight months Jack Paar reigned supreme as host of the Tonight Show with a crew of regulars, but only two stayed with him for the entire run; announcer Hugh Downs and band leader Jose Melies, a former army buddy. Familiar faces who appeared many times with Jack included Dody Goodman, Betty Johnson, Elsa Maxwell, Alexander King, Genevieve, Jack Douglas; and wife Reiko, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Hans Conried, Peggy Cass, Cliff (Charley Weaver) Arquette, and Johnathan Winters. Hugh Downs substituted for Jack Paar 79 times, more than any other substitute host there were 20 different performers over the period of the series run. Joey Bishop substituted for Paar 31 times. Arlene Francis, 30 times, Jonathan Winters, 26 times, Orson Bean, 21 times and Johnny Carson 15 times. Altogether there were 243 broadcasts that had substitute hosts filling in for Paar during Jack Paar's TONIGHT SHOW tenure. The title of the late-night broadcast changed to THE JACK PAAR SHOW which took effect on February 3, 1958. The first videotaped broadcast aired on January 5, 1959. "Best of Paar " Re-runs began on July 10, 1959. The first color broadcast aired on September 19, 1960.  

Bob Clayton subs for Hugh Downs as announcer for this one show. 

Guests: Betty Johnson, Dody Goodman, Genevieve, comedian George Givot, and Jessie Weiss, owner of Stone Crab Restaurant.
Jose Melis and his orchestra.

At desk, Jack introduces panel. Jose Melis plays a number. Dody Goodman sings "Someone Is Sending Me Flowers" Genevieve sings "United States Medley."

Commercials: Bufferin, NBC promoting "Wagon Train" and color TV, Perry Como Show, Steve Allen Show, Dinah Shore, Eddie Fisher, and Milton Berle Shows, all in color on NBC.                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

July 29, 1957- March 30,1962. 

Jonathan Winters subs for Jack Paar.

For four years and eight months Jack Paar reigned supreme as host of the Tonight Show with a crew of regulars, but only two stayed with him for the entire run; announcer Hugh Downs and band leader Jose Melies, a former army buddy. Familiar faces who appeared many times with Jack included Dody Goodman, Betty Johnson, Elsa Maxwell, Alexander King, Genevieve, Jack Douglas; and wife Reiko, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Hans Conried, Peggy Cass, Cliff (Charley Weaver) Arquette, and Johnathan Winters. Hugh Downs substituted for Jack Paar 79 times, more than any other substitute host there were 20 different performers over the period of the series run. Joey Bishop substituted for Paar 31 times. Arlene Francis, 30 times, Jonathan Winters, 26 times, Orson Bean, 21 times and Johnny Carson 15 times. Altogether there were 243 broadcasts that had substitute hosts filling in for Paar during Jack Paar's TONIGHT SHOW tenure. The title of the late-night broadcast changed to THE JACK PAAR SHOW which took effect on February 3, 1958. The first videotaped broadcast aired on January 5, 1959. "Best of Paar " Re-runs began on July 10, 1959. The first color broadcast aired on September 19, 1960.  

The guest host is Jonathan Winters. Includes a five-minute news bulletin on the "Explorer I"  satellite, launched today.                                                                                                                                                                                      

July 29, 1957- March 30,1962. 

For four years and eight months Jack Paar reigned supreme as host of the Tonight Show with a crew of regulars, but only two stayed with him for the entire run; announcer Hugh Downs and band leader Jose Melies, a former army buddy. Familiar faces who appeared many times with Jack included Dody Goodman, Betty Johnson, Elsa Maxwell, Alexander King, Genevieve, Jack Douglas; and wife Reiko, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Hans Conried, Peggy Cass, Cliff (Charley Weaver) Arquette, and Johnathan Winters. Hugh Downs substituted for Jack Paar 79 times, more than any other substitute host there were 20 different performers over the period of the series run. Joey Bishop substituted for Paar 31 times. Arlene Francis, 30 times, Jonathan Winters, 26 times, Orson Bean, 21 times and Johnny Carson 15 times. Altogether there were 243 broadcasts that had substitute hosts filling in for Paar during Jack Paar's TONIGHT SHOW tenure. The title of the late-night broadcast changed to THE JACK PAAR SHOW which took effect on February 3, 1958. The first videotaped broadcast aired on January 5, 1959. "Best of Paar " Re-runs began on July 10, 1959. The first color broadcast aired on September 19, 1960.  

Guest: Elsa Maxwell 

Topics discussed:

Autographs on women's chests
Roberto Rosallini
Teenage girls attending bars
Meeting boys
                                                                                                                                                                                

July 29, 1957- March 30,1962. 

Hugh Downs opens he broadcast announcing guests on the show, 
Cliff Arquette as Charlie Weaver, Betty Johnson, Marge Green and Elsa Maxwell. Jack Paar does his monologue, second day back from vacation. Orchestra leader Jose Melies plays a piano medley. Guest Ralph Jacobs who is a bartender a a Bohemian Restaurant in the Village discusses the concept "I want you, I  love you, I need you." He recites poetry, and praises those who write sayings on walls. 

Jack states that what makes The Tonight Show so popular is how charming a person can be perceived when sitting in a chair.

Now has 102 Stations. Introduction of Marge Green former writer for Ernie Kovacs. Jack relates true story. Recently, he and family was staying at a hotel when he was told that his daughter Randy was downstairs in the restaurant having breakfast with Rev. Billy Graham. Jack goes down to confirm. Graham mentions to Paar he had better shave if he wanted to be on time for Sunday services which Jack had no intention of going but now felt committed.  

Jack introduces Betty Johnson who sings, "Sleepy Time Down South." Jack introduces Charley Weaver who began appearing on the show a month ago. Jonathan Winters comes up in conversation. Elsa Maxwell is introduced. She discusses topics such as the Sack Dress, The Duke and Duchess of Windsor, and her intentions to fly to the moon. Maxwell praises rising talent Ann Bancroft and new play she just viewed starring Henry Fonda. Other names are talked about including Jayne Mansfield, & Gina Lollobrigida. Jack, who confides that he likes to rest admires Elsa for being so much on the go. Other topics on Maxwell's mind...juvenile delinquency, Mothers and Fathers running the country, importance of being gay and happy. 

Charlie Weaver and Marge Green talk about Jonathan Winters.

Jack Paar reminds his audience that on tomorrow's Tonight Show they are flying in from the West Coast, Tim Moore who played "The Kingfish" on TV's AMOS 'N' ANDY. Recent shooting incident is now resolved and Moore is back with his wife again.

Betty Johnson sings, "All The Way." Jack talks with Marge Green and Charlie Weaver. Introduction of comedian Bernie West who does a seven minute stand-up routine. Later he would go on to be a prolific TV writer responsible for shows such as The Ropers, Three's Company and The Jeffersons. Jose Melies plays the piano ("Love Nest"). Jack says, "Good Night." Hugh Downs closes the show by reminding viewers of guests who will be on tomorrow's night show.

*Most of this series does not survive in any broadcast form. Kinescopes were discarded, burned, decomposed...whereabouts unknown. 2" Quadruplex Video Tape was expensive ($300 for a one hour reel), weighting 26 pounds, requiring great storage space. Video Tape could easily be erased and was used for new program recordings...retained briefly for a re-run and then erased or discarded. Legend has it that even Jack Paar himself hired a junk man to come to his home garage and paid to have JACK PAAR TONIGHT SHOW recordings discarded (reels of kinescopes and video tapes) that were now cluttering up his space. 

During this era in television history archiving television programming was not a primary concern or vision, and considered an arcane pursuit. 

ARCHIVAL TELEVISION AUDIO, INC. retains over 70 complete and excerpt JACK PAAR TONIGHT SHOW air checks (34 hours), including the complete Jack Paar's first anniversary telecast which was broadcast live from Havana Cuba (June 28, 1958). These originally recorded off the air pristine sound direct line 1/4" reel to reel audio tracks, recorded at the time of the original broadcasts, represent the only broadcast record of a "lost" visual telecast. ATA is the largest single repository (one collection), in the United Sates of Jack Paar Tonight Shows recordings. The combined archives of The Library of Congress, Paley Center for Media, and UCLA Film & Television retain a composite total of 13 hours of representative JACK PAAR TONIGHT SHOW broadcasts excerpts, all KINESCOPES (sound quality inferior to originally direct line 1/4" reel to reel home recordings at the time of the broadcast). No COMPLETE intact visual and audio broadcasts survive. There are no extant video taped surviving RECORDINGS of the JACK PAAR TONIGHT SHOW...not even an excerpt. 

For four years and eight months Jack Paar reigned supreme as host of the TONIGHT SHOW with a crew of regulars, but only two stayed with him for the entire run; announcer Hugh Downs and band leader Jose Melis, a former army buddy. Familiar faces who appeared many times with Jack included Dody Goodman, Betty Johnson, Elsa Maxwell, Alexander King, Genevieve, Jack Douglas; and wife Reiko, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Hans Conreid, Peggy Cass, Cliff (Charley Weaver) Arquette, and Jonathan Winters.

 Hugh Downs substituted for Jack Paar 79 times, more than any other substitute host. There were 20 different substitute hosts for Paar over the period of the series run. Joey Bishop substituted for Paar 31 times. Arlene Francis, 30 times, Jonathan Winters, 26 times, Orson Bean, 21 times and Johnny Carson 15 times. All together there were 243 broadcasts which had substitute hosts filling in for Paar during Jack Paar's TONIGHT SHOW tenure. The title of the late night broadcast changed to THE JACK PAAR SHOW which took effect on February 3, 1958. The first video-taped broadcast aired on January 5, 1959. The LAST LIVE broadcast was aired July 3, 1959. "Best of Paar " Re-runs began on July 10,1959. Beginning July 20, 1959 Jack Paar began taking off Monday nights & guest hosts would substitute for him (approximately on alternate Mondays). The first color broadcast aired on September 19, 1960.
Theme music, "Everything is Coming Up Roses" was first used beginning in the Fall of 1959. 

Location broadcast telecasts of the program telecast away from the Hudson Theater in New York City occurred 14 times during this series run. 

Jan. 13-17, 1958                     Miami Beach, Florida
July 28, 1958                        Havana,Cuba           
Nov. 3-21, 1958                      Hollywood, California
March 2-20, 1959                     Hollywood, California
Nov. 10-12, 1959                  Nassau, Bahamas (Video Tape)
Nov. 30- Dec. 10, 1959               Hollywood, California
March 28-April 1, 1960            London, England (Video Tape)
Nov.9-11, 1960                    Hawaii (Video Tape) - b&w
Nov.14-24, 1960                     Hollywood, California
March 21-24, 1961                 London, England (Video Tape)
Sept. 12-14, 1961                 West Berlin (Video Tape)
Nov. 14-17, 1961                  Hollywood, California (Tape)
Nov. 21-24, 1961                  Hollywood, California (Tape)
March 13-16, 1962                 London, England (Video Tape)




                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

HY GARDNER CALLING - Sunday Night, half hour broadcast, weekly, WRCA Ch. 4 New York City - 11:30pm - 12:30am  April 29, 1956-January 13, 1957

HY GARDNER - Mon-Fri, weekdays, WRCA CH. 4 New York City 11:15-11:25pm, 11:20-11:30pm, 11:15-11:30pm September 10, 1956-January 25, 1957

TONIGHT: AMERICA AFTER DARK Hy Gardner ten minute segments "Face to Face" (New format replacing Steve Allen's TONIGHT!,
revised format series hosted by Jack Lescoulie.Last broadcast January 28, 1957 - July 26, 1958 (M-F 11:15pm - 1:00am).   

HY GARDNER CALLING - February 12, 1958 - September 3, 1958
WABD (Dumont). 30 minute broadcast Wednesday evenings 8:30-9:00pm.

HY GARDNER CALLING - September 10, 1958 - January 14, 1959 
WNEW. 30 minute broadcast Wednesday evenings 8:30 - 9:00pm

HY GARDNER SHOW - October 25, 1959-August 14, 1960 WNEW 45 minute and 60 minute broadcast, Sunday evenings 10-11pm.

HY GARDNER SHOW - September 24, 1960 - September 29, 1962 WOR one hour weekly broadcast, Saturday evenings 12am-1am.

HY GARDNER SHOW - October 21, 1962 - April 4, 1964 WOR one hour weekly broadcast Saturdays or Sundays 7:00pm-8:00pm.

HY GARDNER SHOW - September 26, 1964-January 10, 1965 WOR one hour weekly broadcast Saturday 11:30pm-12:30am or 12:00am-1:00am.


Hy Gardner was a well-known New York Herald-Tribune columnist.  He  appeared regularly on Tonight! and America After Dark, a short-term substitute for Tonight! after Steve Allen abandoned it early in 1957. Gardner specialized in profiling show business celebrities and other news makers, and he hosted a nightly ten-minute TV interview program in New York called Face to Face. His weekly Sunday-night show, Hy Gardner Calling!, also aired only in the New York area and consisted of interviews conducted by telephone, with the subject seemingly at home, but actually seated in one studio, while Gardner sat at his desk in another. The telephone hook-up was real, and there was no physical proximity between host and guest. The show premiered in 1954 ? on New York City’s NBC affiliate station WRCA-TV, Channel 4, and ran until 1965. 

Hy Gardner interviews operatic star Maria Callas and her father, George Callas.                                                                                                                              

April 28th, 1957-September 14th, 1958-ABC

A half-hour interview series with host Mike Wallace.

Guest: Tennessee Williams 

                                                                          

April 28th, 1957-September 14th, 1958-ABC

A half-hour interview series with host Mike Wallace.

The Guest is Tennessee Williams.

                                                                          

April 28th, 1957- April 18th, 1958 (with Mike Wallace) continuing till September 14th, 1958-ABC

A half-hour interview series with host Mike Wallace.
Mike interviews playwright Tennessee Williams.

NOTE:
One of the rare "lost" MIKE WALLACE INTERVIEW broadcasts, of which all but two of the 72 broadcasts survive.  

NOTE:
         Status of The Mike Wallace Interview
A total of 72 episodes of The Mike Wallace Interview were broadcast by ABC between 1957 and 1958. The series premiered on April 28th, 1957 and was sponsored by Phillip Morris through the April 19th, 1958 episode. The Fund for the Republic then sponsored a 13-week set of Mike Wallace interviews entitled “Liberty and Freedom” (one of which was never broadcast) followed by an additional six episodes. The final broadcast took place on September 14th, 1958.

The Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin has 68 of the 72 episodes of The Mike Wallace Interview, donated by Mike Wallace in the 1960's. Four of these broadcasts are only available as audio recordings while the rest are kinescopes. 
The Ransom Center also has a transcript of the Ben Hecht interview (broadcast February 25th, 1958) as well as a kinescope of this show. One of the episodes the Ransom Center does not have is a copy of is the controversial Mickey Cohen broadcast from May 19th, 1957.

According to Steve Winston, Associate Curator of Film at the Ransom Center, “There are reports that the BBC still has some excerpts though we have not been able to locate the specific department that might hold them. Other than that, both interview and retractions appears to be lost.” 

Also missing from the Ransom Center’s collection are the two retractions read by ABC’s Oliver Treyz and Mike Wallace on May 27th  which Archival Television Audio, Inc. does have and December 14th. According to Winston, “We have no idea why the footage was not included in the kinescope. We don’t know if they were removed later, or if they were never recorded in the first place.” 

The UCLA Film & Television Archive has two episodes of the series: the Cyrus Eaton interview that is audio only at the Ransom Center and the Ben Hecht interview that the Ransom Center also retains as a kinescope. Both the Museum of Broadcasting and The Paley Center for Media have several episodes that are also part of the Ransom Center’s collection.

(According to a December 1957 article in The Los Angeles Times, a filmed “stand-by interview” with Evelyn Rudie was always ready to be used in the event a guest didn’t show up. It is not included in the episode count and its current whereabouts are unknown.)
                                                                                    

Nathan Leopold measures his thirty three years in prison for the "thrill" murder of fourteen-year-old Bobby Franks and seeks mercy in a release. Leopold along with Richard Loeb kidnapped and murdered young Franks in May 1924 in Chicago. They called the murder a demonstration of their intellectual superiority. Both men were sentenced to life plus 99 years in prison, with Loeb being murdered by a fellow prisoner in 1936. Leopold was released on parole in 1958.                     

TEX AND JINX Radio & Television BROADCAST HISTORY:

April 22, 1946- February 27, 1959. 

WEAF (WNBC, WRCA), New York weekdays at 8:30 A.M. until 1954; at 1:00pm,1954-1955; then at 6:30 and 10:35pm until July 31, 1958, moving briefly to WOR, broadcasting at 2:15pm.

 In addition to the Kollmars (Dorothy Kilgallen and husband Richard Kollmar) and  the Fitzgeralds (Pegeen and husband Ed Fitzgerald), another well-recognized New York couple, newlyweds Tex McCrary and Jinx Falkenburg, added their own bread-and-bacon banter to the local airwaves between 1946 and 1959. Their gabfest, initially Hi Jinx but later revised to Tex and Jinx, was beamed over WEAF which was subsequently re-lettered WNBC and later WRCA. In limited doses, the flagship outlet of the National Broadcasting Company transmitted Meet Tex and Jinx to the whole country during 1947 and 1948. 

Tex and Jinx devoted most of their airtime to lofty and noble concepts, visitors and sidebars. Tex and Jinx [on WEAF-WNBC-WRCA] were interviewing Bernard Baruch, Margaret Truman, or Ethel Waters…. McCrary built the show on the assumption that the early morning audience was not stupid, as programmers generally assumed; that people in general had fresher minds and were more open to serious topics at the beginning of the day.” 

Their joint radio venture began in April 1946 just 10 months following their nuptials (June 10, 1945). Launched as a breakfast feature, the series later shifted to afternoons and finally into the evening hours before departing the ether a dozen years afterward. They were branded by one journalist “Mr. Brains and Mrs. Beauty.” 

In early 1947 NBC put them on its television network as a portion of a Sunday evening quarter-hour dubbed Bristol-Myers Tele-Varieties. “The McCrarys were naturals for TV,” wrote a reviewer, “with their combination of friendly chatter, interviews, and features.” That summer the web awarded them an exclusive Sunday night half-hour format under the appellation At Home with Tex and Jinx. A decade later, in the 1957-58 season, the duo hosted a daytime NBC-TV showcase, The Tex and Jinx Show. 

When hepatitis sidetracked Falkenburg in 1958 from their broadcast commitments, McCrary carried on solo on their radio show for another couple of years. In the 1980s, however, the couple separated, remaining on genial terms. McCrary died in New York on July 29, 2003 and Falkenburg expired just 29 days later in the same city, on August 27, 2003. 

NOTE::
The scores of TEX AND JINK SHOWS archived by Archival Television Audio, Inc. were originally obtained as original 16" Electronic Discs from Barry Farber, producer of the show (1957-1959), in 1960 after he had begun his own career in front of the mike at WINS Radio. These discs  were subsequently transferred to 1/4" reel to reel tape, and then disposed. These broadcasts are rare and represent  the largest known collection of TEX AND JINX extant broadcasts in the world. 

Tex McCrary comments on the recent death of Mike Todd. Also, interviews with Todd.

Hosts: Tex McCrary and Jinx Falkenburg.                                      

July 29, 1957- March 30,1962. 

Brief excerpt beginning with Jack Paar setting the record straight, stating "...the only way to kill a lie is to reveal the truth," referring to what he believes have been miss-truths said about him over and over again by columnist Walter Winchell. 

Elsa Maxwell joins the conversation updating Jack about her gay card games, Belgium pavilion, and appreciation of South Pacific play.  

 For four years and eight months Jack Paar reigned supreme as host of the Tonight Show with a crew of regulars, but only two stayed with him for the entire run; announcer Hugh Downs and band leader Jose Melies, a former army buddy. Familiar faces who appeared many times with Jack included Dody Goodman, Betty Johnson, Elsa Maxwell, Alexander King, Genevieve, Jack Douglas; and wife Reiko, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Hans Conried, Peggy Cass, Cliff (Charley Weaver) Arquette, and Johnathan Winters. Hugh Downs substituted for Jack Paar 79 times, more than any other substitute host there were 20 different performers over the period of the series run. Joey Bishop substituted for Paar 31 times. Arlene Francis, 30 times, Jonathan Winters, 26 times, Orson Bean, 21 times and Johnny Carson 15 times. All together there were 243 broadcasts which had substitute hosts filling in for Paar during Jack Paar's TONIGHT SHOW tenure. The title of the late night broadcast changed to THE JACK PAAR SHOW which took effect on February 3, 1958. The first video-taped broadcast aired on January 5, 1959. "Best of Paar " Re-runs began on July 10,1959. The first color broadcast aired on September 19, 1960.                                                                                                                                                                

July 29, 1957- March 30,1962. 

Brief excerpt beginning with Jack Paar setting the record straight, stating "...the only way to kill a lie is to reveal the truth," referring to what he believes have been miss-truths said about him over and over again by columnist Walter Winchell. 



 For four years and eight months, Jack Paar reigned supreme as host of the Tonight Show with a crew of regulars, but only two stayed with him for the entire run; announcer Hugh Downs and band leader Jose Melies, a former army buddy. Familiar faces who appeared many times with Jack included Dody Goodman, Betty Johnson, Elsa Maxwell, Alexander King, Genevieve, Jack Douglas; and wife Reiko, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Hans Conried, Peggy Cass, Cliff (Charley Weaver) Arquette, and Johnathan Winters. Hugh Downs substituted for Jack Paar 79 times, more than any other substitute host there were 20 different performers over the period of the series run. Joey Bishop substituted for Paar 31 times. Arlene Francis, 30 times, Jonathan Winters, 26 times, Orson Bean, 21 times, and Johnny Carson 15 times. Altogether there were 243 broadcasts that had substitute hosts filling in for Paar during Jack Paar's TONIGHT SHOW tenure. The title of the late-night broadcast changed to THE JACK PAAR SHOW which took effect on February 3, 1958. The first videotaped broadcast aired on January 5, 1959. "Best of Paar " Re-runs began on July 10, 1959. The first color broadcast aired on September 19, news bulletin on the "Explorer I"  satellite, launched today. 

In this episode of the show, Jack accuses columnist Walter Winchell of lying.

Guest is Elsa Maxwell.                                                                                                                                                                                                        

TEX AND JINX Radio & Television BROADCAST HISTORY:

April 22, 1946- February 27, 1959. 

WEAF (WNBC, WRCA), New York weekdays at 8:30 A.M. until 1954; at 1:00pm,1954-1955; then at 6:30 and 10:35pm until July 31, 1958, moving briefly to WOR, broadcasting at 2:15pm.

 In addition to the Kollmars (Dorothy Kilgallen and husband Richard Kollmar) and  the Fitzgeralds (Pegeen and husband Ed Fitzgerald), another well-recognized New York couple, newlyweds Tex McCrary and Jinx Falkenburg, added their own bread-and-bacon banter to the local airwaves between 1946 and 1959. Their gabfest, initially Hi Jinx but later revised to Tex and Jinx, was beamed over WEAF which was subsequently re-lettered WNBC and later WRCA. In limited doses, the flagship outlet of the National Broadcasting Company transmitted Meet Tex and Jinx to the whole country during 1947 and 1948. 

Tex and Jinx devoted most of their airtime to lofty and noble concepts, visitors and sidebars. Tex and Jinx [on WEAF-WNBC-WRCA] were interviewing Bernard Baruch, Margaret Truman, or Ethel Waters…. McCrary built the show on the assumption that the early morning audience was not stupid, as programmers generally assumed; that people in general had fresher minds and were more open to serious topics at the beginning of the day.” 

Their joint radio venture began in April 1946 just 10 months following their nuptials (June 10, 1945). Launched as a breakfast feature, the series later shifted to afternoons and finally into the evening hours before departing the ether a dozen years afterward. They were branded by one journalist “Mr. Brains and Mrs. Beauty.” 

In early 1947 NBC put them on its television network as a portion of a Sunday evening quarter-hour dubbed Bristol-Myers Tele-Varieties. “The McCrarys were naturals for TV,” wrote a reviewer, “with their combination of friendly chatter, interviews, and features.” That summer the web awarded them an exclusive Sunday night half-hour format under the appellation At Home with Tex and Jinx. A decade later, in the 1957-58 season, the duo hosted a daytime NBC-TV showcase, The Tex and Jinx Show. 

When hepatitis sidetracked Falkenburg in 1958 from their broadcast commitments, McCrary carried on solo on their radio show for another couple of years. In the 1980s, however, the couple separated, remaining on genial terms. McCrary died in New York on July 29, 2003 and Falkenburg expired just 29 days later in the same city, on August 27, 2003. 

NOTE::
The scores of TEX AND JINK SHOWS archived by Archival Television Audio, Inc. were originally obtained as original 16" Electronic Discs from Barry Farber, producer of the show (1957-1959), in 1960 after he had begun his own career in front of the mike at WINS Radio. These discs  were subsequently transferred to 1/4" reel to reel tape, and then disposed. These broadcasts are rare and represent  the largest known collection of TEX AND JINX extant broadcasts in the world. 

The guest is quiz show host Jack Barry. Barry discusses how people get on his quiz show.                                              

July 29, 1957 - March 30, 1962.

Jonathan Winters was the first person to substitute host for Jack Paar on his Tonight Show late night television show. 
This episode is one of 26 broadcasts on which Jonathan held down the hosting chair for Jack during his reign. 

Hugh Downs opens the broadcast listing guests to appear. Jonathan Winters does a comedy routine doing the voices of characters, baby Elizabeth, brother Lenny, Mother and Father as they travel by car on a vacation. 

Guest Nita Naldi (1894-1961) appears in a rare interview with Jonathan, who besides asking serious questions about her silent career working with John Barrymore and Rudolph Valentino, kids with her as well. 

Naldi speaks of working with Cecil B. Demille on The Ten Commandments and states that her favorite contemporary actors are Gary Cooper, Burt Lancaster and Charlton Heston. She also mentions her interest watching current westerns on television including "Have Gun Will Travel." 

Movie clips of Nita Naldi acting in "Blood and Sand," and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are shown with Winters and Naldi commenting on working with Rudolph Valentino and John Barrymore. 

Orson Bean joins the panel. He mentions that he will be substituting for Jack Paar next week and mentions the guests who will be appearing. Orson and Jonathan kid one another and set up an ad-lib moment where Orson interviews Jonathan in character as cowboy, Gary Longstreet, Jasper Snodgrass, collector of odd objects, and as an Indian Chief. 

Jose Melis plays on the piano "Silhouette." 

Jack takes a moment to deeply express gratitude to Jack Paar who has given him the opportunity to host The Tonight Show in his absence during personal challenging events in his career.

1957-1958 (ABC)
1959-1960 (WNTA)

A series of interviews hosted by Mike Wallace. This program was carried in 1957-1958 by ABC television and in 1959-1960 by WNTA-TV Channel 13 in New York City.

Guest: English writer and philosopher Aldous Huxley who died on November 22nd, 1963 during live TV coverage of the JFK assassination. His death was announced during the live assassination coverage. 
                                                                                        

1957-1958 (ABC)
1959-1960 (WNTA)

A series of interviews hosted by Mike Wallace. This program was carried in 1957-1958 by ABC television and in 1959-1960 by WNTA-TV Channel 13 in New York City.

The guest is the former President of NBC television, Slyvester (Pat) Weaver. Weaver is recognized as the originator of the television spectacular and other programming innovations. Wallace is expected to ask Weaver's opinions of TV today; what he thinks the medium should offer to the public; why Weaver charges that the men running TV networks are not keeping the public informed, entertained, or aware; and why he thinks that TV as it exists today is a dying medium. 
                                                                                        

July 29, 1957- March 30,1962. 

For four years and eight months Jack Paar reigned supreme as host of the Tonight Show with a crew of regulars, but only two stayed with him for the entire run; announcer Hugh Downs and band leader Jose Melies, a former army buddy. Familiar faces who appeared many times with Jack included Dody Goodman, Betty Johnson, Elsa Maxwell, Alexander King, Genevieve, Jack Douglas; and wife Reiko, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Hans Conried, Peggy Cass, Cliff (Charley Weaver) Arquette, and Johnathan Winters. Hugh Downs substituted for Jack Paar 79 times, more than any other substitute host there were 20 different performers over the period of the series run. Joey Bishop substituted for Paar 31 times. Arlene Francis, 30 times, Jonathan Winters, 26 times, Orson Bean, 21 times and Johnny Carson 15 times. Altogether there were 243 broadcasts that had substitute hosts filling in for Paar during Jack Paar's TONIGHT SHOW tenure. The title of the late-night broadcast changed to THE JACK PAAR SHOW which took effect on February 3, 1958. The first videotaped broadcast aired on January 5, 1959. "Best of Paar " Re-runs began on July 10, 1959. The first color broadcast aired on September 19, 1960.  

Monologue. Betty Ann Grove sings " My Lucky Star." Orchestra instrumental led by Jose Melis. Cliff Arquette ( Charlie Weaver) reads "Letter from Mama." Genevieve sings "So Glad" and discusses animal cruelty with Jack.                                                                                                                                                                                    

A daily morning radio talk show heard at 8:30 AM weekdays on the NBC radio network. It was hosted by Tex McCrary and his wife Jinx Falkenburg. Although officially titled "New York Close-Up, it was often billed in newspaper radio listings as Tex and Jinx. 

Tex McCrary interviews columnist Eric Browder.  

Hosts: Tex McCrary and Jinx Falkenburg.   

Debut show.                                              

July 29, 1957- March 30,1962. 

For four years and eight months Jack Paar reigned supreme as host of the Tonight Show with a crew of regulars, but only two stayed with him for the entire run; announcer Hugh Downs and band leader Jose Melies, a former army buddy. Familiar faces who appeared many times with Jack included Dody Goodman, Betty Johnson, Elsa Maxwell, Alexander King, Genevieve, Jack Douglas; and wife Reiko, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Hans Conried, Peggy Cass, Cliff (Charley Weaver) Arquette, and Johnathan Winters. Hugh Downs substituted for Jack Paar 79 times, more than any other substitute host there were 20 different performers over the period of the series run. Joey Bishop substituted for Paar 31 times. Arlene Francis, 30 times, Jonathan Winters, 26 times, Orson Bean, 21 times and Johnny Carson 15 times. Altogether there were 243 broadcasts that had substitute hosts filling in for Paar during Jack Paar's TONIGHT SHOW tenure. The title of the late-night broadcast changed to THE JACK PAAR SHOW which took effect on February 3, 1958. The first videotaped broadcast aired on January 5, 1959. "Best of Paar " Re-runs began on July 10, 1959. The first color broadcast aired on September 19, 1960.  

Guest: Tom Poston discusses how his "forgetfulness" character on the Steve Allen Show was developed. "Jose Melis instrumental "Unspoken" Genevieve reads the day's baseball scores. 

                                                                                                                                                                                

July 29, 1957- March 30,1962. 

For four years and eight months Jack Paar reigned supreme as host of the Tonight Show with a crew of regulars, but only two stayed with him for the entire run; announcer Hugh Downs and band leader Jose Melies, a former army buddy. Familiar faces who appeared many times with Jack included Dody Goodman, Betty Johnson, Elsa Maxwell, Alexander King, Genevieve, Jack Douglas; and wife Reiko, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Hans Conried, Peggy Cass, Cliff (Charley Weaver) Arquette, and Johnathan Winters. Hugh Downs substituted for Jack Paar 79 times, more than any other substitute host there were 20 different performers over the period of the series run. Joey Bishop substituted for Paar 31 times. Arlene Francis, 30 times, Jonathan Winters, 26 times, Orson Bean, 21 times and Johnny Carson 15 times. Altogether there were 243 broadcasts that had substitute hosts filling in for Paar during Jack Paar's TONIGHT SHOW tenure. The title of the late-night broadcast changed to THE JACK PAAR SHOW which took effect on February 3, 1958. The first videotaped broadcast aired on January 5, 1959. "Best of Paar " Re-runs began on July 10, 1959. The first color broadcast aired on September 19, 1960.  

Guests: Gypsy Rose Lee, Genevieve, singer Mary Lou Brewer. 

Genevieve and Jose Melis discuss live show from Havana, Cuba on July 28th (First Anniversary Show). 
Jack with anecdotes about Jose. 

                                                                                                                                                                                

July 29, 1957- March 30,1962. 
 
 LIVE from Havana Cuba, on the eve of the program's first anniversary, Jack Paar originates his show in Havana Cuba, where actor Caesar Romero and songstress Genevieve are guests. Three production numbers come from the Tropicana night club, including Miss TV of Cuba, 1958 Gina Romand; Freddy and Gladys, Cuban dance team; Jack Paar and Jose Melis doing "Cino Cino" with a troupe of girl dancers. Part of the show will originate from the new Habana Hilton Hotel where the Orchestra Symphonic Albinuera has allowed Jose Melis to return to his native country and conduct the entire symphony in the "Spellbound Concerto" by Miklos Rosa. It is a ten minute masterful rendition. 

Singer Betty Johnson and Hugh Downs host this ambitious TONIGHT SHOW from New York during the 11:15pm to 11:30pm opening broadcast segment. 

Hugh Downs opens the show from New York with co-host Betty Johnson. Films taken in Cuba narrated by Downs are heard. At 11:30pm EST the show switches live from Havana Cuba. Caesar Romero introduces the show in Spanish (poor reception but much better during the Midnight repeat announcement). Jack Paar's monologue is heard. He then introduces a musical number. Jack states that this is his third trip to Cuba. Transition to Mambo and Cha Cha dancing music. Jack introduces film actor, Caesar Romero, grandson of Jose Marti, the George Washington of Cuba. Romero explains that this is the first International Broadcast seen in Cuba and the USA at the same time. Jack Paar takes pride in introducing his good friend and conductor Jose Melies who conducts the Havana Orchestra in "The Spellbound Concerto." Cuban Star Pumereo, the most popular and revered in Cuba is interviewed by Paar. Jack states that this broadcast is not a typical Tonight Show. Jose Melies and Jack do a Lipton Tea Commercial...Jose in English, and Jack in Spanish. The Havana Symphonic Habanero plays the Cuban Concerto. Jack, Genevieve and Melies all converse with one another. Heard is the finale. Jack bids all "Thank You." He states he will be back doing tomorrow's show from New York. Sign off. 

This complete TV Audio Air Check is one of the jewels representing over 20,000 hours of archived sound in the Archival Television Audio, Inc. collection.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

July 29, 1957- March 30,1962. 

This broadcast marks the FIRST ANNIVERSARY of
"TONIGHT SHOW WITH JACK PAAR." 

Dody Goodman makes a surprise guest appearance.
Jack plays some clips representing past programs during the the first year. 

Opening of the broadcast by announcer Hugh Downs. Jack, in his monologue states, "...well, we've been on a year...looked in the mirror and saw a few brown hairs." Paar discusses last night's broadcast live from Havana Cuba. Ten Cameras. Nobody could speak English. Pandemonium. It was like the opening of a Super Market. Everyone gracious...one of the few pro American countries. Jack reminisces that only five years ago life was much different and challenging for him. Jack introduces Mrs. Miller who has not missed a show. 

Betty Johnson sings, "Deed I Do." Jack shows kinescopes of past year (Classic Boo Boo $7,000 a minute commercials that went wrong)...Jockey Brand Briefs...Jerry Lewis breaking up a Polaroid commercial...Bufferin bottle blow up, etc. 

Further remembrances regarding past year...Zsa Zsa Gabor, Bob Hope, Jack E. Leonard, Jerry Lewis...
Jack introduces Genevieve who sings a song in French. She discusses with Jack trip to Cuba...gambling...Cuban language (double meanings) upon which Jack Paar tells of incident where he goes to a restaurant and requests a "hot chicken." The manager brings to Jack's table a woman of the night. 

Jack introduces Charlie Weaver (Cliff Arquette). Mount Idy letters from home, and Mama...Leonard Box...

Bill Baird Marionettes appear. Midnight Open again announced by Hugh Downs. Jack states that it is good to be home. "Last night it was so hot there. Everyone there pinches other people. Jose Melies plays the theme from Moulin Rougue. 

A very emotional Jack Paar welcomes back Dody Goodman who has not appeared on the show for four months after Jack "fired" her (last appearance was on March 4). Dody and Jack reminisce. 
Jack reads congratulatory card from Jonathan Winters. Jack, Genevieve and Dody in conversation. Jack sign off. 

*Most of this series does not survive in any broadcast form. Kinescopes were discarded, burned, decomposed...whereabouts unknown. 2" Quadruplex Video Tape was expensive ($300 for a one hour reel), weighting 26 pounds, requiring great storage space. Video Tape could easily be erased and was used for new program recordings...retained briefly for a re-run and then erased or discarded. Legend has it that even Jack Paar himself hired a junk man to come to his home garage and paid to have JACK PAAR TONIGHT SHOW recordings discarded (reels of kinescopes and video tapes) that were now cluttering up his space. 

During this era in television history archiving television programming was not a primary concern or vision, and considered an arcane pursuit. 

ARCHIVAL TELEVISION AUDIO, INC. retains over 70 complete and excerpt JACK PAAR TONIGHT SHOW air checks (34 hours), including the complete Jack Paar's first anniversary telecast which was broadcast live from Havana Cuba (June 28, 1958). These originally recorded off the air pristine sound direct line 1/4" reel to reel audio tracks, recorded at the time of the original broadcasts, represent the only broadcast record of a "lost" visual telecast. ATA is the largest single repository (one collection), in the United Sates of Jack Paar Tonight Shows recordings. The combined archives of The Library of Congress, Paley Center for Media, and UCLA Film & Television retain a composite total of 13 hours of representative JACK PAAR TONIGHT SHOW broadcasts excerpts...none complete. 



 For four years and eight months Jack Paar reigned supreme as host of the TONIGHT SHOW with a crew of regulars, but only two stayed with him for the entire run; announcer Hugh Downs and band leader Jose Melis, a former army buddy. Familiar faces who appeared many times with Jack included Dody Goodman, Betty Johnson, Elsa Maxwell, Alexander King, Genevieve, Jack Douglas; and wife Reiko, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Hans Conreid, Peggy Cass, Cliff (Charley Weaver) Arquette, and Jonathan Winters.

 Hugh Downs substituted for Jack Paar 79 times, more than any other substitute host. There were 20 different substitute hosts for Paar over the period of the series run. Joey Bishop substituted for Paar 31 times. Arlene Francis, 30 times, Jonathan Winters, 26 times, Orson Bean, 21 times and Johnny Carson 15 times. All together there were 243 broadcasts which had substitute hosts filling in for Paar during Jack Paar's TONIGHT SHOW tenure. The title of the late night broadcast changed to THE JACK PAAR SHOW which took effect on February 3, 1958. The first video-taped broadcast aired on January 5, 1959. "Best of Paar " Re-runs began on July 10,1959. Beginning July 20, 1959 Jack Paar began taking off Monday nights & guest hosts would substitute for him (approximately on alternate Mondays). The first color broadcast aired on September 19, 1960.
Theme music, "Everything is Coming Up Roses" was first used beginning in the Fall of 1959. 

Location broadcast telecasts of the program telecast away from the Hudson Theater in New York City occurred 14 times during this series run. 

Jan. 13-17, 1958                     Miami Beach, Florida
July 28, 1958                        Havana,Cuba           
Nov. 3-21, 1958                      Hollywood, California
March 2-20, 1959                     Hollywood, California
Nov. 10-12, 1959                  Nassau, Bahamas (Video Tape)
Nov. 30- Dec. 10, 1959               Hollywood, California
March 28-April 1, 1960            London, England (Video Tape)
Nov.9-11, 1960                    Hawaii (Video Tape) - b&w
Nov.14-24, 1960                     Hollywood, California
March 21-24, 1961                 London, England (Video Tape)
Sept. 12-14, 1961                 West Berlin (Video Tape)
Nov. 14-17, 1961                  Hollywood, California (Tape)
Nov. 21-24, 1961                  Hollywood, California (Tape)
March 13-16, 1962                 London, England (Video Tape)




                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

July 29, 1957- March 30,1962. 

Genevieve sings a song in French. Jack Paar mentions that only three entertainers have made the cover of TIME magazine, including himself. In a light moment mentions that one time he was arrested for keeping a library book out too long. Also, reflection by Jack how he always wanted to be a comedian. Relates how overjoyed he was when he received first job call to work at the Garden Theater...$3 a night. When he arrived he found no dressing room, no other acts on the bill affair, was told that he would not be expected to tell any jokes. 
He was hired to give away live turkeys to the audience. 
Other stories of the past by Paar include hosting bingo nights, and working as a comedian at The Knickerbocker Theater. "AN INTERESTING LOW BUDGET LIFE THEN."

Guest, Kay Ballard, from Cleveland Ohio, sings two songs, and then does a stand-up routine in song, "Go Bravely On."

Rare and unusual parody of "DRAGNET" skit with Jack and Hugh Downs investigating the case of the "missing blubber" by a woman living in Alaska, played by Genevieve (reminiscent of similar routine parody of TV hit series, "DRAGNET" done eleven years later on the TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON with Johnny playing the role of Joe Friday. 

Guest Minnie Guggenheimer displays her great sense of humor during a conversation with Paar. 

 *Most of this series does not survive in any broadcast form. Kinescopes were discarded, burned, decomposed...whereabouts unknown. 2" Quadruplex Video Tape was expensive ($300 for a one hour reel), weighting 26 pounds, requiring great storage space. Video Tape could easily be erased and was used for new program recordings...retained briefly for a re-run and then erased or discarded. Legend has it that even Jack Paar himself hired a junk man to come to his home garage and paid to have JACK PAAR TONIGHT SHOW recordings discarded (reels of kinescopes and video tapes) that were now cluttering up his space. 

During this era in television history archiving television programming was not a primary concern or vision, and considered an arcane pursuit. 

ARCHIVAL TELEVISION AUDIO, INC. retains over 70 complete and excerpt JACK PAAR TONIGHT SHOW air checks (34 hours), including the complete Jack Paar's first anniversary telecast which was broadcast live from Havana Cuba (June 28, 1958). These originally recorded off the air pristine sound direct line 1/4" reel to reel audio tracks, recorded at the time of the original broadcasts, represent the only broadcast record of a "lost" visual telecast. ATA is the largest single repository (one collection), in the United Sates of Jack Paar Tonight Shows recordings. The combined archives of The Library of Congress, Paley Center for Media, and UCLA Film & Television retain a composite total of 13 hours of representative JACK PAAR TONIGHT SHOW broadcasts excerpts...none complete. 



 For four years and eight months Jack Paar reigned supreme as host of the TONIGHT SHOW with a crew of regulars, but only two stayed with him for the entire run; announcer Hugh Downs and band leader Jose Melis, a former army buddy. Familiar faces who appeared many times with Jack included Dody Goodman, Betty Johnson, Elsa Maxwell, Alexander King, Genevieve, Jack Douglas; and wife Reiko, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Hans Conreid, Peggy Cass, Cliff (Charley Weaver) Arquette, and Jonathan Winters.

 Hugh Downs substituted for Jack Paar 79 times, more than any other substitute host. There were 20 different substitute hosts for Paar over the period of the series run. Joey Bishop substituted for Paar 31 times. Arlene Francis, 30 times, Jonathan Winters, 26 times, Orson Bean, 21 times and Johnny Carson 15 times. All together there were 243 broadcasts which had substitute hosts filling in for Paar during Jack Paar's TONIGHT SHOW tenure. The title of the late night broadcast changed to THE JACK PAAR SHOW which took effect on February 3, 1958. The first video-taped broadcast aired on January 5, 1959. "Best of Paar " Re-runs began on July 10,1959. Beginning July 20, 1959 Jack Paar began taking off Monday nights & guest hosts would substitute for him (approximately on alternate Mondays). The first color broadcast aired on September 19, 1960.
Theme music, "Everything is Coming Up Roses" was first used beginning in the Fall of 1959. 

Location broadcast telecasts of the program telecast away from the Hudson Theater in New York City occurred 14 times during this series run. 

Jan. 13-17, 1958                     Miami Beach, Florida
July 28, 1958                        Havana,Cuba           
Nov. 3-21, 1958                      Hollywood, California
March 2-20, 1959                     Hollywood, California
Nov. 10-12, 1959                  Nassau, Bahamas (Video Tape)
Nov. 30- Dec. 10, 1959               Hollywood, California
March 28-April 1, 1960            London, England (Video Tape)
Nov.9-11, 1960                    Hawaii (Video Tape) - b&w
Nov.14-24, 1960                     Hollywood, California
March 21-24, 1961                 London, England (Video Tape)
Sept. 12-14, 1961                 West Berlin (Video Tape)
Nov. 14-17, 1961                  Hollywood, California (Tape)
Nov. 21-24, 1961                  Hollywood, California (Tape)
March 13-16, 1962                 London, England (Video Tape)