I think he was referring to the time the show was scheduled to end at 1:00 AM. A network show had never before been scheduled to end so late. He also made a joke about having 800 beds.
@@zoperxplex That's true, my friend, Steve said that the Hudson Theater was selected as the venue for "Tonight" because it sleeps about eight hundred people.
It is awesome to see this. However, given the way tech has evolved, it seems almost like a foregone conclusion at this point. Took a lot of people who could imagine the unimaginable to get us here.
The first live shot of his glasses, and then the whole picture out of focus until he puts on the glasses... was an inventive visual gag, complete with expert camera focussing that preceded a million late night TV innovations. Steve Allen was a genius.
I saw this first run. I was four years old. Seattle. My father worked graveyard at Boeing, and my mother waited up for him. So did I. I sneaked out and hid behind the sofa and watched with them. (I'm sure they knew I was there, but let me stay.) I loved Steve Allen. And his later show. Learned my sense of humor from him.
*HI MY DEAR! I LOVE YOUR WORDS AND I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M "TALKING" WITH A PERSON THAT SAW THOSE THINGS!!!* _IT'S AN HONOR FOR ME TO TALK WITH YOU! REALLY!_ *THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR EXPERIENCES!* _BIG HUG!!!_
Shmock, shmock ! But, all seriousness aside, I hope your fern is not dessicated, because if you've ever had your fern dessicated, you know how painful THAT can be ! Shmock, shmock!----Needless to say, i believe Steverino was the greatest!
@@ChadQuick270W I share your opinion. Tho I believe it started to tank under Jay Leno's watch. I think things would've turned out much differently and TTS would still be prestigious had Letterman taken over for Carson rather than Leno. I think Steve Allen and Jack Parr would've agreed w that. I know Johnny definitely would've agreed. #dancingitos
Elf, I recall getting our first black and white TV about this time and how exciting that was. It was another 10 years before we got a color TV. Look how far technology has come in our life time, amazing !
As was I. My mom and I used to sit up late and watch this on the old Silvertone B&W set. His "Smock-smock" actually became a favorite expression when I was in high school. When I look back now and see everyone nose deep in their cell phones, it reminds me that we actually had a good time back then and all the neighborhood kids used to play together.
I started seeing The Tonight Show around 1998, and it's so good to see how it all started. Shame there's no archive of all the episodes/shows from the beginning, I'd pay to watch them. :)
Steve Allen was the true America! Inventive, musical, intelligent, well spoken, science minded, tolerant, liberal and lots of fun! I miss those people in
Always loved Steve Allen….and Wally Cox was always a favorite. I was 6 years old in 1954 and we did not get a TV until I was seven years old so it is a real treat to get to see the first Tonight Show that I would not have seen when it was on originally. The times are so different now. I don’t think we have watched the Tonight Show since Jay Leno stopped being the host. Don’t watch the new one now…we watch the the olde shows with Johnny Carson and Ed McMann on the METV channel that shows vintage television shows. We love those.
David Letterman’s first few years were just him doing Steve Allen’s show. The Alka Seltzer suit, the Velcro suit…he should have given Steve Allen a writer’s credit for nearly his entire career.
greetings to the UK from Ohio !....my ancestors came here in the 1700s from Scotland and Wales [after that brief unpleasantness with Bonnie Prince Charlie ended badly....]
@@essessessesq Hi Ohio Thanks for your response.What an interesting family background you have.Scotland is a beautiful country despite the weather!.I'm from an Irish background.Wishing you a Happy Christmas and a great New Year.Cheers Jim
Steve Allen as host of the Tonight Show was a bit before my time but, from watching all the videos I can find of him, it's apparent, to me at least, he created the formula the others followed and stands head and shoulders above all those who followed him. The relaxed, self-deprecating humor, making fun of the show itself, the man in the street interviews, the crazy stunts. The man was a genius.
Steve allen was an adroit talent in a time when media needed one. And his circle of talented friends like wally Cox. Louis Nye, jayne meadow, impgene Coca and sid ceaser and others were the greatest support ensemble to bring us tv talk and variety. It truly was the golden age of television and i still enjoy Steve Allen when ever on.👍🏼🤗
In those days, through the 1970s, you could be a fascinating personality and have a career on television, on talk shows and game shows. Now, there's no room for that, and it's our loss.
My father was friends with Steve and they also worked together. Steve visited him in the hospital while he was being treated for cancer. I still have the photos of them working together on set, and the book Steve gave him in the hospital.
Steve Allen was one of the all time best comedian/hosts of the Tonight Show. He was very intellectual and silly, which is my favorite type of humorist. Silliness is essential. We have no silly humor anymore. It's all coarse and political and without imagination, for the most part.
Fallon gets close with the games he plays with celebrities. He wasn't even that political until the writers made him (he started losing ratings to Colbert).
Well said. You are right. If you get a chance, check out his book "Bigger than a Bread Box" if you can find it. I remember reading it many years ago and laughing out loud.
I remember watching Steve doing his man on the street commentaries and also the calls to businesses in which he would ask the most ridiculous questions to people that would try to give him a serious answer. His laugh was very infectious and he could play the piano like no one else at the time. What a talented man!
I loved Steverino when he had his morning show about 1955-56. He always had that zany quality....smaack amaack!! I was a little kid but I got it anyway! Then he went to late night and the Tonight Show was born.
I remember this show when it first aired. Steve was a very funny talented guy. Many years ago, I was standing in crowd waiting to board a plane in Maui. We traded glances and I think he wondered if I remembered him. Boy did I.
Wow, this is like a History of TV! Gene Rayburn without his iconic "Match Game" stickshift microphone, Andy Williams making his debut... Steve Allen was HOF terrific!
I was always a Steve Allen fan since I discovered him in the early 60s as a kid. He was amazing at funny ad libbing and quick witted funny , all the while making it look relaxed and easy. He truly was great.
Although I didn't watch TV the first 3 years of the 1950's, I saw the rest of the decade. We will never see such a cornucopia of entertainment in our lifetimes. There was everything, and most of it was live. We only had about 4 or 5 channels, but there was something interesting to watch every hour of every day. I miss those days.
Whenever I watch TV like this I can't help thinking about their historical context. It's sobering to think this was broadcast only 9 years after the end of WW2 and Joseph McCarthy was a force to be reckoned with.
It's so amazing that we've saved the first Tonight Show, seeing that NBC "wiped" all the tapes from that era. Very happy to see this was one of the episodes that were saved by someone.
Glad that Steve's first Tonight show was preserved, but sadly footage of Johnny Carson's first Tonight Show was lost (save for an audio copy of the opening)
RayNDeere there are episodes out there of some of Johnny Carson’s shows that have been erased. I still believe somewhere the first episode is out there. Would love to see it.
The most relaxed host of them all, and one of the great ad libbers. But it was Paar himself who destroyed his recordings out of a kind of backhanded hubris.
No video of the first Carson Tonight show is known to exist. However, a considerable portion of the audio of that program survives. I believe it is available from "Archival Television Audio, Inc." www.atvaudio.com/ Owner Phil Gries has collected thousands of hours of audio from long-lost live TV shows from 1946 to 1982. Check him out.
This guy was genuinely funny with his voice, wit and actions. Although i live in Australia, we used to get the Steve Allen show on late night TV in the 1960s, and we loved his spontaneity and comic mannerisms.
Very interesting seeing early Gene Rayburn. After doing the sports schtick w/Allen, I thought his quick news update was going to be some sort of parody as well. Very surprised it was, simply, a news update.
Steve's focus was more on sketch comedy. He did interview guests but that wasn't the main part of the show. When Jack Paar took over, the monologue stayed, but beyond that Jack introduced a new format of just talking to celebs and sometimes controversial guests. These interviews could be quite funny but not always. When Johnny came on, he basically combined Steve and Jack, doing sketch comedy and interviewing guests, but with exception to some of his early shows in the 60s, he never had any controversial guests.Johnny hated confrontation and controversy, and he didn't want to imitate Paar. It's also easy to see that Johnny borrowed from Jack Benny. Jack had a portly announcer, so did Johnny. While Doc Severinson wasn't fond of the drink as Phil Harris reportedly was, you could argue that he was sort of a more flamboyant Dennis Day, but the drunk jokes went to Ed.
Matthew Kaiser Johnny borrowed form the Great One as well. He had the highest praise for Jackie Gleason. Jackie pushed for years to get his own talk show, but it never happened.
The original Tonight Show was 'Broadway Open House', where performers who were in NY would drop by and perform. Originally nobody who was in power thought anybody would watch TV late at night. It was almost a throwaway time slot.
Steve was the greatest genus of early television. He was the perfect night time host at the opposite end of the day from the Today Show and the host there, Dave Garroway. I've watched the reruns all of my life. I also miss Tomorrow with Tom Snyder.
As a teenager I watched Steve in the early 60s and loved his show with all the skits and the man in the street segments Steve Allen invented the late night format
Interestingly enough, Pat Weaver had envisioned the comedian Fred Allen as the host of a "Tonight Show" format. But by this time, Allen's health had declined enough that he was content just to be a weekly panelist on "What's My Line".
I honestly believe that NBC never wanted to see what happened with Tonight with Carson happen ever again, where the artist/performer annexed complete control of the show - from rights, creative, royalties, merch, etc. NBC always had the highest ratings, but probably felt like their bottom line took a bit of a bath those last 10 years, as Carson really successfully had syphoned the money away from them. Oligarchs whether it be Jack Welch or internationals like Comcast don't much like that. Therefore, hire underwhelming performers who can't build up that cachet, and problem's solved.
In England in 1954 television was a VERY different thing. Unlike the US where television would be on the air from 7.00am each day and then conclude with this example of the late night talk show, BBC and later ITV would be limited to 5/6 hours a day. On this day for example, the one television station in England - the BBC had the following schedule for the whole day, just to give the US viewer an example of the different television culture between our two countries below: Monday September 27th 1954 - BBC Television Service: 3.00pm - Film, Danger on the Air (1938). Film concluded at 4.10pm and television signed off until 5.00pm. 5.00pm - Children's Television - an hour of programming for the younger viewer which concluded at 6.00pm. 7.25pm - The Weather and BBC News and Newsreel - news read in sound only with no in-vision newscaster 7.45pm - The Driving Club - a motoring show 8.30pm - This Is Showbusiness - a variety show 9.30pm - Musicians to Moscow - British musicians visit to Moscow 10.20pm - Fashion Spotlight - fashion programme 10.35pm - The News, read in sound only with no in-vision newscaster. 10.45pm - Sign Off (or closedown as it was known in England). There, around 5 and a half hours of television on this day in England that the Tonight Show launched in America.
Few television personalities have possessed the wit, humility, and urbane charm of Steve Allen. Indeed, the first several minutes of this broadcast perfectly captures the many talents of this most distinctive - and sorely missed - entertainer.
The “beer” reference when Steve moves to the desk was for the origin show of the tonight show he hosted on the local nbc affiliate in New York and called the “Knickerbocker Beer Show”. Knickerbocker was the sponsor. Then beer was a local staple not national brands. In 1954 the show was expanded nationally and extended to 90 minutes as the Tonight Show. Steve was so right when he said this will last forever.
Back in the day Steve was so disturbed by the growing lack of morals on TV, I remember he created and paid for his own commercial against filth on TV. I’ll never forget it. I was likely a preteen or barely into my teens at the time, so maybe early 70’s. Or earlier. He had character. And he was right.
It is absolutely amazing to see this. I was only two years old at the time so my parents didn't let stay to watch. By the time I was old enough Steve Allen had long since turned the reigns of the show over to his successors. I only wish he had saved all of his shows. It would have been a real historic treasure.😊❤
If NBC ever decided to do a show about how long the tonight show has been on it would take four nights or more to air at a total of thirty two hours four hours a night
Actually it was eight years, as the original Match Game debuted on NBC on New Year’s Eve 1962. Gene would do that version from NYC through September of 1969, with the new version starting again four years later. Gene was really in his element on that show.
Mibbitmaker I have seen Dave (way back when doing his first show) praise Steve in the highest manner, calling him his idol and a genius. I never saw him praise Johnny particularly, but I don't follow things like I used to......He probably learned a lot about interviewing skills from Johnny....that's where JOhnny was at his best.....
"This program will go on forever". "If it's as popular as ("Today" and "Home) the other Weaver shows, they'll have a program called "Son Of Today". Boy, was he on target.
"This program is going to go on forever". Steve was referring to the length of the show (90 minutes). But the Tonight Show HAS gone on forever - 68 years (as of 2022). BTW the announcer on the first few years was Gene Rayburn.
If this was broadcast "live" then it was shot on video, not on film. But this was produced a few years before the Video Tape Recorder was invented, so the only way to record this was to use a Kinescope - in essence, a film camera was pointed at a TV monitor!
This is great! I was 3 years old when this was on, but was never allowed to watch, even later when Carson was on. Yes, I can see some of Letterman’s stuff in this.
I'm surprised that any footage has survived from the original "Tonight Show". There is a book called "Inventing Late Night" that states that the network kinescopes were deliberately destroyed in order to make room for additional network footage at the NBC storage warehouse in NJ. Where has this been hiding? Steve Allen created the late night gig. All those who followed in his footsteps, including Carson, owe their careers to him.
It lasted for some time up through Jay Leno and when he retired the sled turned down hill and raced full bore into the abyss! Allen was great, Paar had his moments, Carson was an icon and I recall as a mere boy sneaking out to the living room to watch until late at night! Got to see the Leno version with THE GREATEST AND ONLY TRUSTED NEWSMAN IN THE WORLD, Walter Cronkite. What an incredible treat that was! Thank to Mr. DiFlorio for this incredible memory!
The funniest episode that I can remember: Steve was doing a skit about an African safari. He was supposed to be sleeping in a sleeping bag while a bad guy put a fake tarantula on his body. Obviously unrehersed, a live tarantula was placed on his chest. Steve's eyes opened, widened, he said "Oh yeah?" and leaped to his feet. As funny as that was, a few minutes later while finished with the skit and seated at his desk, the crew dropped a net with numerous fake spiders sewn in on him. Another Olympic worthy leap across the stage followed by about 5 minutes of stress-reducing laughter that stopped the show. A perfect example of the spontaneous foolish entertainment his show was known for.
Why does 'How's your fern?' enter my mind whenever I think of Steve Allen.? Does anyone out there remember this often commentary that Allen invented and often used? As a kid sneaking out to the tv on the screen porch to watch his shows every night in summer it still sticks with me today.🌿
yes, that was one of his catch phrase...and "SHMOCK! SHMOCK!" and lines like "Oops, i just left a dangling participle...and if you've every left YOUR participle dangling someplace, then you know jhow VERY embarrassing that can be!"
He had a way with subtlety and inuendo that made it unnecessary to mantion names, we all knew and understood he was not an attack dog. He was a genuine mind in line withhis audience
Hi Ho Stevereno. You were the best. I loved the Steve Allen Show at 8.00 PM EST every Sunday night opposite Ed Sullivan on CBS who must have lost much of his audience when Steve showed on NBC.
In Ed's defense, though, his variety show continued until it's cancellation in 1971 so he didn't lose that much of an audience...but yes, for awhile, the two went head to head in the ratings.
There is no doubt that Steve Allen was a witty comedic genius. He was also a humanitarian and caring heart. Great also as a panelist on What's My Line ? --- the greatest Game Show EVER.🎯✔
At 2:41, Steve’s words were prophetic: “This program is going to go on forever”.
I think he was referring to the time the show was scheduled to end at 1:00 AM. A network show had never before been scheduled to end so late. He also made a joke about having 800 beds.
@@zoperxplex you must be fun at parties
@@zoperxplex That's true, my friend, Steve said that the Hudson Theater was selected as the venue for "Tonight" because it sleeps about eight hundred people.
70 years strong!
Who could have ever imagined we'd have the first Tonight Show at our fingertips? It's really incredible.
Remarkable
Not only that… that we also *don’t* have Carson’s first Tonight Show.
@@September2004 Part of it exists and is on YT
@@chesterproudfoot594Only the audio of it exist. The actual master recording footage is no longer around.
It is awesome to see this. However, given the way tech has evolved, it seems almost like a foregone conclusion at this point. Took a lot of people who could imagine the unimaginable to get us here.
The first live shot of his glasses, and then the whole picture out of focus until he puts on the glasses... was an inventive visual gag, complete with expert camera focussing that preceded a million late night TV innovations. Steve Allen was a genius.
Ernie Kovacs right behind him on that score.
First and the best!
Most intelligent of them all....
Will never be another complete personality like Steve Allen
The Father of all late night talk shows! Thanks for resurrecting this historic broadcast. I'd rather forgotten what a good pianist Steve was!
He was a genius among geniuses--he also wrote songs.
He's always been one of my idols and to this day, I enjoy plays on words like he did so well.
I saw this first run. I was four years old. Seattle. My father worked graveyard at Boeing, and my mother waited up for him. So did I. I sneaked out and hid behind the sofa and watched with them. (I'm sure they knew I was there, but let me stay.) I loved Steve Allen. And his later show. Learned my sense of humor from him.
*HI MY DEAR! I LOVE YOUR WORDS AND I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M "TALKING" WITH A PERSON THAT SAW THOSE THINGS!!!* _IT'S AN HONOR FOR ME TO TALK WITH YOU! REALLY!_ *THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR EXPERIENCES!* _BIG HUG!!!_
Sage Lawrence wow thank you for sharing ! True history God bless !
Shmock, shmock ! But, all seriousness aside, I hope your fern is not dessicated, because if you've ever had your fern dessicated, you know how painful THAT can be ! Shmock, shmock!----Needless to say, i believe Steverino was the greatest!
Yes the innocence of TV back then.. It was just good family entertainment.. Now it's sex, violence, and cursing.. Horrible
What a great story. I’m a little younger, so I remember the first Saturday Night Live.
2:39 "This program is gonna go on forever."
Well, he wasn't wrong about that!
Well, Steve Allen was always a smart man.
Barry Thomas of course it’s a joke today compared to what it once was. Just my opinion of course.
@@ChadQuick270W I share your opinion. Tho I believe it started to tank under Jay Leno's watch. I think things would've turned out much differently and TTS would still be prestigious had Letterman taken over for Carson rather than Leno. I think Steve Allen and Jack Parr would've agreed w that. I know Johnny definitely would've agreed.
#dancingitos
He was right, although it would end up in Jimmy Fallon’s stupid hands
Esteban Grijalva Considering Fallon hasn’t beaten Colbert [ratings-wise] in over a year, NBC may take it from him :/
Steve was only 31 at the time. Loved him. Had the funniest laugh in the world and he was a genuinely gifted musician and songwriter. RIP.
He was 33 born in 1921
He wrote the music for a broadway musical but unfortunately it bombed.
He looked 55..
@@douglasgreen437 everybody looked 55 in 1955
I was born in 51. I grew up with this guy. He was the funniest of all late night hosts & the most talented.
Steve Allen could actually do it all. The man had so many talents.
One of TVs Best! 📺 😊
He was the best...
@georgelustrea2912 Nope. Johnny Carson is the king of late night television.
@@georgelustrea2912he certainly was. He was funny , musical and very intelligent.
Absolutely one of the best.
I was 8 years old when this aired, I'm 73 now, great memories of those day's!!!!!!
Elf Owl wish I had been born back then they sound like fun times
Elf, I recall getting our first black and white TV about this time and how exciting that was. It was another 10 years before we got a color TV. Look how far technology has come in our life time, amazing !
As was I. My mom and I used to sit up late and watch this on the old Silvertone B&W set. His "Smock-smock" actually became a favorite expression when I was in high school.
When I look back now and see everyone nose deep in their cell phones, it reminds me that we actually had a good time back then and all the neighborhood kids used to play together.
I started seeing The Tonight Show around 1998, and it's so good to see how it all started. Shame there's no archive of all the episodes/shows from the beginning, I'd pay to watch them. :)
Steve Allen was the true America! Inventive, musical, intelligent, well spoken, science minded, tolerant, liberal and lots of fun! I miss those people in
Classic liberal
Always loved Steve Allen….and Wally Cox was always a favorite. I was 6 years old in 1954 and we did not get a TV until I was seven years old so it is a real treat to get to see the first Tonight Show that I would not have seen when it was on originally. The times are so different now. I don’t think we have watched the Tonight Show since Jay Leno stopped being the host. Don’t watch the new one now…we watch the the olde shows with Johnny Carson and Ed McMann on the METV channel that shows vintage television shows. We love those.
UA-cam is the closest thing we have for a time machine
Not according to Tesla.
David Letterman’s first few years were just him doing Steve Allen’s show. The Alka Seltzer suit, the Velcro suit…he should have given Steve Allen a writer’s credit for nearly his entire career.
and Dave has always admitted he idolized and copied Steverino
Greetings from UK.Thanks so much for posting this.Pure Class.When USA ruled the TV airwaves!.Steve Allen superb!!!!.
greetings to the UK from Ohio !....my ancestors came here in the 1700s from Scotland and Wales [after that brief unpleasantness with Bonnie Prince Charlie ended badly....]
@@essessessesq Hi Ohio Thanks for your response.What an interesting family background you have.Scotland is a beautiful country despite the weather!.I'm from an Irish background.Wishing you a Happy Christmas and a great New Year.Cheers Jim
thanks! Steve Allen was Irish, too!@@doodeen
Steve Allen as host of the Tonight Show was a bit before my time but, from watching all the videos I can find of him, it's apparent, to me at least, he created the formula the others followed and stands head and shoulders above all those who followed him. The relaxed, self-deprecating humor, making fun of the show itself, the man in the street interviews, the crazy stunts. The man was a genius.
Unfortunately for some of us,
It was not before our time.
Now this is a genuine moment of history. Wow! Great that this was recorded at the time and has been digitized now.
Steve allen was an adroit talent in a time when media needed one. And his circle of talented friends like wally Cox. Louis Nye, jayne meadow, impgene Coca and sid ceaser and others were the greatest support ensemble to bring us tv talk and variety. It truly was the golden age of television and i still enjoy Steve Allen when ever on.👍🏼🤗
In those days, through the 1970s, you could be a fascinating personality and have a career on television, on talk shows and game shows. Now, there's no room for that, and it's our loss.
My father was friends with Steve and they also worked together. Steve visited him in the hospital while he was being treated for cancer. I still have the photos of them working together on set, and the book Steve gave him in the hospital.
I adored STEVE ALLEN ! I cried after his demise.The hospital failed him. 😢
This sure brings back memories. Loved the Tonight show from the start even way before Jack and Johnny. Steve Allen was always entertaining!
Steve Allen was one of the all time best comedian/hosts of the Tonight Show. He was very intellectual and silly, which is my favorite type of humorist. Silliness is essential. We have no silly humor anymore. It's all coarse and political and without imagination, for the most part.
Amen to that. Bill Burr is good most of the time, though.
Fallon gets close with the games he plays with celebrities. He wasn't even that political until the writers made him (he started losing ratings to Colbert).
Late Night TV died when Craig Ferguson and Letterman left CBS.
Well said. You are right. If you get a chance, check out his book "Bigger than a Bread Box" if you can find it. I remember reading it many years ago and laughing out loud.
He was naturally comfortable welcoming to watch👍🏼⚘
This was actually very funny, Steve Allen is one of the funniest (and smartest) people ever
Yes, he truly was!
Good musician too. An intelligent conversationalist. A man of many talents.
Steve Allen was one of a kind pioneer TV personality.
I remember watching Steve doing his man on the street commentaries and also the calls to businesses in which he would ask the most ridiculous questions to people that would try to give him a serious answer. His laugh was very infectious and he could play the piano like no one else at the time. What a talented man!
If only we could have all the Steve Allen tonight shows on DVD that would be great 📀
Wonder if his 60s show is available. It's like early tonight. Allen, Letterman, Leno, and Tom Snyder. Allen and Leno the best. Parr was boring.
i think women liked Paar because he was so ''needy'' and emotional @@ronaldpokatiloff5704
I love Steve Allen! He was brilliant and talented in so many fields. It’s so nice to be able to watch some his shows.
I loved Steverino when he had his morning show about 1955-56. He always had that zany quality....smaack amaack!! I was a little kid but I got it anyway! Then he went to late night and the Tonight Show was born.
We cannot lose this ever
I remember this show when it first aired. Steve was a very funny talented guy. Many years ago, I was standing in crowd waiting to board a plane in Maui. We traded glances and I think he wondered if I remembered him. Boy did I.
I was there. I saw the two of you looking at each other. It was special.
Me too I was there i actually spoke to Allen afterwards about it.. he said he sure does hope people got inspired by his work if anything
What ever happened to this kind of TV entertainment, I really miss it! This broadcasting was worth staying up late for!
Appreciate his talent now.. actually putting together a format before our eyes, live!
70 years later.. I guess Steve was right, it still goes on forever! 👍
Of course that is not what he meant
Wow, this is like a History of TV! Gene Rayburn without his iconic "Match Game" stickshift microphone, Andy Williams making his debut... Steve Allen was HOF terrific!
I was always a Steve Allen fan since I discovered him in the early 60s as a kid. He was amazing at funny ad libbing and quick witted funny , all the while making it look relaxed and easy. He truly was great.
Although I didn't watch TV the first 3 years of the 1950's, I saw the rest of the decade. We will never see such a cornucopia of entertainment in our lifetimes. There was everything, and most of it was live. We only had about 4 or 5 channels, but there was something interesting to watch every hour of every day. I miss those days.
It went downhill in the 90s
Imagine intellectual comedy. Back when cleverness, talent and humor all came together to take our attention OFF the political strife of the period.
I watched Steve and The Tonight Show until he left. He was my all time favorite. I loved seeing this first episode. I hope to watch more.
Whenever I watch TV like this I can't help thinking about their historical context. It's sobering to think this was broadcast only 9 years after the end of WW2 and Joseph McCarthy was a force to be reckoned with.
It's so amazing that we've saved the first Tonight Show, seeing that NBC "wiped" all the tapes from that era. Very happy to see this was one of the episodes that were saved by someone.
Tape was not invented for another 2 years
So how was this recorded and preserved?
(Asking for a friend.)
Didn't BASF invent recording tape during WWII?
(Sorry)
@@davidmende4438 Judging by the quality it appears to be a Kinescope. It was probably recorded at a later date.
Steve Allen a true pioneer of Television and an all around amazing talent!
I was 4 months old. But I remember watching him later on the Steve Allen Show. SCHMOCK!
Glad that Steve's first Tonight show was preserved, but sadly footage of Johnny Carson's first Tonight Show was lost (save for an audio copy of the opening)
Just as sad NBC didnt save hardly any of Paars Tonight Shows first or last just a tape exist of Paars final Tonight on 3-29-62. Audio that is.
Supposedly, only the first half-hour exists.
RayNDeere there are episodes out there of some of Johnny Carson’s shows that have been erased. I still believe somewhere the first episode is out there. Would love to see it.
The most relaxed host of them all, and one of the great ad libbers. But it was Paar himself who destroyed his recordings out of a kind of backhanded hubris.
No video of the first Carson Tonight show is known to exist. However, a considerable portion of the audio of that program survives. I believe it is available from "Archival Television Audio, Inc." www.atvaudio.com/ Owner Phil Gries has collected thousands of hours of audio from long-lost live TV shows from 1946 to 1982. Check him out.
This guy was genuinely funny with his voice, wit and actions. Although i live in Australia, we used to get the Steve Allen show on late night TV in the 1960s, and we loved his spontaneity and comic mannerisms.
I knew Steve Allen played piano but damn he was killing it
I didn’t know until today. Wow
Steve was a great pianist. His interview with Bill Evans about jazz and jazz piano is informed by his own skill and knowledge.
Steve co-wrote the haunting theme from "Picnic." BTW, Merv Griffin, although he rarely played on his show, was an excellent pianist.
never knew that about Picnic there...thanks!@@akrenwinkle
The first announcer for "Tonight"was Gene Rayburn.
Very interesting seeing early Gene Rayburn. After doing the sports schtick w/Allen, I thought his quick news update was going to be some sort of parody as well. Very surprised it was, simply, a news update.
Big Bertha was so big she was blank
did not know that, thank you!
As you can see the "Tonight" show was not originally a talk show. It was a variety show.
I understand the desk, chair and sofa format originated during the Jack Paar era (1957-1962).
Steve did have a desk with a mic. He talked with guests. This is just the first show so it was definitely a work in progress.
Steve's focus was more on sketch comedy. He did interview guests but that wasn't the main part of the show. When Jack Paar took over, the monologue stayed, but beyond that Jack introduced a new format of just talking to celebs and sometimes controversial guests. These interviews could be quite funny but not always. When Johnny came on, he basically combined Steve and Jack, doing sketch comedy and interviewing guests, but with exception to some of his early shows in the 60s, he never had any controversial guests.Johnny hated confrontation and controversy, and he didn't want to imitate Paar. It's also easy to see that Johnny borrowed from Jack Benny. Jack had a portly announcer, so did Johnny. While Doc Severinson wasn't fond of the drink as Phil Harris reportedly was, you could argue that he was sort of a more flamboyant Dennis Day, but the drunk jokes went to Ed.
Matthew Kaiser Johnny borrowed form the Great One as well. He had the highest praise for Jackie Gleason. Jackie pushed for years to get his own talk show, but it never happened.
The original Tonight Show was 'Broadway Open House', where performers who were in NY would drop by and perform.
Originally nobody who was in power thought anybody would watch TV late at night. It was almost a throwaway time slot.
Steve was the greatest genus of early television. He was the perfect night time host at the opposite end of the day from the Today Show and the host there, Dave Garroway. I've watched the reruns all of my life. I also miss Tomorrow with Tom Snyder.
I'll watch Steve Allen anytime!
As a teenager I watched Steve in the early 60s and loved his show with all the skits and the man in the street segments Steve Allen invented the late night format
Steve Allen: The Father of the Tonight Show. He set up the matrix - couch, opening monologue, etc. - that all those who followed have used.
Not entirely true. Jack Paar introduced the desk, chair and sofa.
steve had the desk, chairs and microphone...Paar did switch to a couch@@AdamIthink
Interestingly enough, Pat Weaver had envisioned the comedian Fred Allen as the host of a "Tonight Show" format. But by this time, Allen's health had declined enough that he was content just to be a weekly panelist on "What's My Line".
Best talk show host of all time. Mr. Steve Allen.
Nope. Johnny Carson is the king of late night television.
7:00 "I could turn this into a national beer if I get thirsty enough," haha...
Boy, he knew the power that TV had, even back then!
It didn't go on forever.
It ended when Carson retired.
How True
I honestly believe that NBC never wanted to see what happened with Tonight with Carson happen ever again, where the artist/performer annexed complete control of the show - from rights, creative, royalties, merch, etc. NBC always had the highest ratings, but probably felt like their bottom line took a bit of a bath those last 10 years, as Carson really successfully had syphoned the money away from them. Oligarchs whether it be Jack Welch or internationals like Comcast don't much like that.
Therefore, hire underwhelming performers who can't build up that cachet, and problem's solved.
@@jpwjr1199 How true
@@jpwjr1199 do you mean cachet?
@@hankkingsley2976 why, yes! Thank you - typing fast on cell phone. What the hell, I'll correct it.
I would have LOVED to see Willie Mays on this first show!
Steve Allen was very smart and very funny, qualities sorely lacking today
In England in 1954 television was a VERY different thing. Unlike the US where television would be on the air from 7.00am each day and then conclude with this example of the late night talk show, BBC and later ITV would be limited to 5/6 hours a day. On this day for example, the one television station in England - the BBC had the following schedule for the whole day, just to give the US viewer an example of the different television culture between our two countries below:
Monday September 27th 1954 - BBC Television Service:
3.00pm - Film, Danger on the Air (1938). Film concluded at 4.10pm and television signed off until 5.00pm.
5.00pm - Children's Television - an hour of programming for the younger viewer which concluded at 6.00pm.
7.25pm - The Weather and BBC News and Newsreel - news read in sound only with no in-vision newscaster
7.45pm - The Driving Club - a motoring show
8.30pm - This Is Showbusiness - a variety show
9.30pm - Musicians to Moscow - British musicians visit to Moscow
10.20pm - Fashion Spotlight - fashion programme
10.35pm - The News, read in sound only with no in-vision newscaster.
10.45pm - Sign Off (or closedown as it was known in England).
There, around 5 and a half hours of television on this day in England that the Tonight Show launched in America.
How do you know this stuff?
Something called research, the BBC have complete listings, nearly complete from 1923-2009 on their archive site.
Ok. No need to be dickhead about it John boy.
Sorry if I cam across like that, but if you want the website I will give it to you?
Could you post it again, I fell asleep the first time through.
Steve Allen. . .the Father of the Tonight Show
Yeah, just think what we would have missed if the father paid for the network to get an abortion?
I wish more people knew about Steve Allen. He was an impresario and renaissance man.
At 2:39sec "This show is gonna go on forever...." He was more correct than he could possibly imagine.
Wow. “Fine and Dandy” was old even back then!
Few television personalities have possessed the wit, humility, and urbane charm of Steve Allen. Indeed, the first several minutes of this broadcast perfectly captures the many talents of this most distinctive - and sorely missed - entertainer.
In NYC, this program (Tonight) was boadcast live,11:30 PM - 1:00 AM, Monday to Friday.
The “beer” reference when Steve moves to the desk was for the origin show of the tonight show he hosted on the local nbc affiliate in New York and called the “Knickerbocker Beer Show”. Knickerbocker was the sponsor. Then beer was a local staple not national brands. In 1954 the show was expanded nationally and extended to 90 minutes as the Tonight Show. Steve was so right when he said this will last forever.
Back in the day Steve was so disturbed by the growing lack of morals on TV, I remember he created and paid for his own commercial against filth on TV. I’ll never forget it. I was likely a preteen or barely into my teens at the time, so maybe early 70’s. Or earlier. He had character. And he was right.
Steve was the king of ad libbers
What a brilliant man!
Reading that fan letter was brilliant!
It is absolutely amazing to see this. I was only two years old at the time so my parents didn't let stay to watch. By the time I was old enough Steve Allen had long since turned the reigns of the show over to his successors. I only wish he had saved all of his shows. It would have been a real historic treasure.😊❤
Steve Allen, Jack Paar, Johnny Carson. It ended there.
Jay leno I forgot the current host name
If NBC ever decided to do a show about how long the tonight show has been on it would take four nights or more to air at a total of thirty two hours four hours a night
Truth!
I quit after Carson.
NO. It ended with Leno.
Who knew that 20 years later, Gene Rayburn would be hosting Match Game!
Actually it was eight years, as the original Match Game debuted on NBC on New Year’s Eve 1962. Gene would do that version from NYC through September of 1969, with the new version starting again four years later. Gene was really in his element on that show.
Wally Cox!
I recently watched him on an episode of “I Spy”.
A very good actor, and from what I hear, a great comedian.
David Letterman always called out Johnny Carson as his mentor and idol, but after you watch this you'll quickly realize his show was 98% Steve Allen.
I was thinking the same thing when I was watching it. Even their voices are nearly identical! I also think their affinity for dry humour is similar.
Reza Haider Who's voice is identical to who's ... Allen's to Carson's? Allen's to Letterman? I'm just not seeing it.
Dave's also been up front about being influenced by Steve Allen as well. Especially one if his 1960s shows.
Mibbitmaker I have seen Dave (way back when doing his first show) praise Steve in the highest manner, calling him his idol and a genius. I never saw him praise Johnny particularly, but I don't follow things like I used to......He probably learned a lot about interviewing skills from Johnny....that's where JOhnny was at his best.....
Yes. It's very evident.
This show had been locally broadcast in New York for about fourteen months prior to going to the full NBC network.
Amazing to see so little has changed.
I was only a year old when this premiered . I’ve always liked Steve growing up.
Just looked it up--- it was only 2 days after this appearance that Willie Mays would make The Catch.
"This program will go on forever". "If it's as popular as ("Today" and "Home) the other Weaver shows, they'll have a program called "Son Of Today". Boy, was he on target.
Sure seems like it has.
That "son of tonight" is now the Late Night franchise
you mean girl ;)
Cats01 - He would have been on target had he predicted a program called “Tomorrow.”
Steve Allen was one of a kind thank you for posting this I’ve always had a great fascination with the Tonight Show😎
Didn't know Steve Allen played piano so well. 😃
No doubting the influence on Letterman here - it's so much like Dave
"This program is going to go on forever". Steve was referring to the length of the show (90 minutes). But the Tonight Show HAS gone on forever - 68 years (as of 2022). BTW the announcer on the first few years was Gene Rayburn.
If this was broadcast "live" then it was shot on video, not on film. But this was produced a few years before the Video Tape Recorder was invented, so the only way to record this was to use a Kinescope - in essence, a film camera was pointed at a TV monitor!
A multitalented original from early TV. Always loved his wacky humor. He started a lot of people's careers too. Hey Gene Rayburn!
This is great! I was 3 years old when this was on, but was never allowed to watch, even later when Carson was on. Yes, I can see some of Letterman’s stuff in this.
I'm surprised that any footage has survived from the original "Tonight Show". There is a book called "Inventing Late Night" that states that the network kinescopes were deliberately destroyed in order to make room for additional network footage at the NBC storage warehouse in NJ. Where has this been hiding?
Steve Allen created the late night gig. All those who followed in his footsteps, including Carson, owe their careers to him.
Maybe it's in with the porn stuff, HA
I grew up hearing a lot about Steve Allen. I watched his syndicated show all the time.
That piano boogie was the cat’s meow! Steve was so talented!
It lasted for some time up through Jay Leno and when he retired the sled turned down hill and raced full bore into the abyss! Allen was great, Paar had his moments, Carson was an icon and I recall as a mere boy sneaking out to the living room to watch until late at night! Got to see the Leno version with THE GREATEST AND ONLY TRUSTED NEWSMAN IN THE WORLD, Walter Cronkite. What an incredible treat that was! Thank to Mr. DiFlorio for this incredible memory!
Leno was the best, after Steve. Letterman was overrated but OK
@@ronaldpokatiloff5704 Leno was absolutely the worst host in the history of the show. Johnny Carson was and is the king of late night television.
The funniest episode that I can remember: Steve was doing a skit about an African safari. He was supposed to be sleeping in a sleeping bag while a bad guy put a fake tarantula on his body. Obviously unrehersed, a live tarantula was placed on his chest. Steve's eyes opened, widened, he said "Oh yeah?" and leaped to his feet. As funny as that was, a few minutes later while finished with the skit and seated at his desk, the crew dropped a net with numerous fake spiders sewn in on him. Another Olympic worthy leap across the stage followed by about 5 minutes of stress-reducing laughter that stopped the show. A perfect example of the spontaneous foolish entertainment his show was known for.
Was a classy show.....once.
I was 9 years old when this aired. I remember this! When late night was creative!
Why does 'How's your fern?' enter my mind whenever I think of Steve Allen.? Does anyone out there remember this often commentary that Allen invented and often used? As a kid sneaking out to the tv on the screen porch to watch his shows every night in summer it still sticks with me today.🌿
yes, that was one of his catch phrase...and "SHMOCK! SHMOCK!" and lines like "Oops, i just left a dangling participle...and if you've every left YOUR participle dangling someplace, then you know jhow VERY embarrassing that can be!"
Notice he wasn’t bad mouthing presidents or talking politics? Very refreshing.
He had a way with subtlety and inuendo that made it unnecessary to mantion names, we all knew and understood he was not an attack dog. He was a genuine mind in line withhis audience
Times were different...presidents weren’t bad mouthing ordinary Americans either
@@victorbasta2349 You’re trying to make it not refreshing here.
To make it clear, I agree that those were the days. We’ll never see the likes of these great men again
because nasty libs werent a thing back then. they even knew which bathroom to use unlike today LOL
Allen was a musical genius with an equally wonderful sense of humor.
My favorite pioneer of late night , when it was late night!😊👍
Hi Ho Stevereno. You were the best. I loved the Steve Allen Show at 8.00 PM EST every Sunday night opposite Ed Sullivan on CBS who must have lost much of his audience when Steve showed on NBC.
In Ed's defense, though, his variety show continued until it's cancellation in 1971 so he didn't lose that much of an audience...but yes, for awhile, the two went head to head in the ratings.
Life is good and people generally get along and are optimistic after major wars. The problem is humanity won't survive another one!
I really loved the Steve Allan Show. He was an absolute riot!
There is no doubt that Steve Allen was a witty comedic genius. He was also a humanitarian and caring heart.
Great also as a panelist on What's My Line ? --- the greatest Game Show EVER.🎯✔
Craig Ferguson was the last of the really good late night TV hosts. I think Steve, Jack, and Johnny would have liked him.