Watched this in a house built in 1962. I’m thinking the house remembers when it was first aired and viewed in it and that it’s thrilled to watch and hear it again over my shoulder. :)
His first shows were recorded on old style video tape, which were erased and reused. However, some of the copies that were sent to the various NBC affiliates were saved. You have to remember that video tape in those days, while being better in quality, was very expensive compared to film. Ironically, film, made from nitrate, was prone to self destruction if not stored properly. These old TV programs are the stuff of legend, they broke new ground and were truly the beginnings of everything you see today.
Many of the early Tonight Shows survive on kinescope and are probably in hands of film collectors. Very likely the first show even survives. The kinescopes are on safety film, nitrate film was discontinued years ago before the Tonight Show was on the air.
This clip is from the 25th anniversary show in 1987 and Johnny set up the piece by mentioning this had been found at an NBC station in Texas I think. You can hear original bandleader Skitch Henderson giggling ahead of Ed's familiar laugh.
Since this was the 13th week of the show, it could not have occurred in 1962. The show began on Oct 1, 1962, so early-mid January 1963 would be the approximate date.
@@bullettube9863 Actually TONIGHT as hosted by Steve Allen was carried live. TONIGHT was live until some time after Jack Paar took over, when it switched to videotape. Tape wasn't available until 1956 at the earliest. THE JACK PAAR SHOW, as it was then known, started being carried on videotape sometime around 1958, as Paar said he liked to watch himself on tv. The show switched to color videotape sometime in 1960. As other commenters have stated, videotape, especially in color, was very expensive back then, so it was often reused. What remains of Allen's, Paar's, & Carson's early shows is kinescope, which was a cheap usually B&W film of a monitor of a live (or taped) broadcast. Early Carson moments like his duet w/ Pearl Bailey & Ed Ames' errant tomahawk throw were preserved on kinescope, not their original color videotape. There have been short segments of Carson's show on color videotape to emerge lately, but as far as I know, the earliest full show is still the New Year's Eve 1965-66 show. I have this show on tape & DVD, and it's appeared on RUclips also.
@@jehobden I worked as a messenger for PAT films in1969, we distributed mostly educational films and cartoons to schools and libraries. I used to travel out to NBC's film vault in New Jersey to pick up or drop off video tape and films. I used my motorcycle in the city, but PAT also had a van for the Jersey run. PAT had a kinescope machine and made really bad videotape versions of old films! My buddy ran films from Rockefeller center out to LaGaurdia airport twice a day in a Ford van that leaked exhaust fumes into he cab and was horrible in the winter. Another biking buddy worked for CBS, on w57th, they had a great cafeteria and we used to eat there all the time. He ate for free and we paid very low prices plus the coffee or soda was free. I'm sure I saw a lot of famous people, but since I watched so little TV I never recognized anyone.
@@bullettube9863 Maybe you'd know then... Is it true that a fire at an NBC warehouse in Ft. Lee, NJ back in the 1970s caused a loss of a lot of NBC's kinescopes & videotapes? I know the NBC 50th Annversary show had a lot of good videotapes, including clips from lots of HALLMARK HALL OF FAME episodes from the 1960s. i'd love to have a chance to see those, if they're still on color tape somewhere.
@@jehobden I remember reading about that fire, but since I lived back home at the time I never learned any details. The NBC vaults were located in a tunnel built into the palisades rock formation. I never went inside the vault itself, you entered the shipping and receiving office and handed over your delivery or they brought your films to you. There were several fires involving the old nitrate films, but those occurred in Hollywood. I had also heard that a lot of nitrate film was stored in an old zinc mine in New Jersey, which amazed me because I didn't know zinc could be found east of the Rockies.
![Gunna - today i did good [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ulGLk8TaXcI/mqdefault.jpg)
Watched this in a house built in 1962. I’m thinking the house remembers when it was first aired and viewed in it and that it’s thrilled to watch and hear it again over my shoulder. :)
And any ghosts that happen to have been around during that era!
His first shows were recorded on old style video tape, which were erased and reused. However, some of the copies that were sent to the various NBC affiliates were saved. You have to remember that video tape in those days, while being better in quality, was very expensive compared to film. Ironically, film, made from nitrate, was prone to self destruction if not stored properly. These old TV programs are the stuff of legend, they broke new ground and were truly the beginnings of everything you see today.
Many of the early Tonight Shows survive on kinescope and are probably in hands of film collectors. Very likely the first show even survives. The kinescopes are on safety film, nitrate film was discontinued years ago before the Tonight Show was on the air.
Sadly, that film strip he's holding is about all NBC saved of his first ten years on the air.
Paco Chamaco The guys from NBC were total idiots for that.
Someone once put on Google Video before it ended a Tonight Show episode from 1963 around Christmas.
Idiots for real
I wrote this once, but this proves long before Conan/Leno, NBC was making stupid decisions about The Tonight Show!
NEVER can be replaced, just copied....The nightly stage is empty without him...♥
Not even copied. He was unique in time and space.
This clip is from the 25th anniversary show in 1987 and Johnny set up the piece by mentioning this had been found at an NBC station in Texas I think. You can hear original bandleader Skitch Henderson giggling ahead of Ed's familiar laugh.
My right ear sure enjoyed Carson's voice
Since this was the 13th week of the show, it could not have occurred in 1962. The show began on Oct 1, 1962, so early-mid January 1963 would be the approximate date.
This is new years eve night of '62 . Starting with Oct.1st. The beginning of the 13th week would have been on Dec. 31 st.
you are typical of someone who posts something without thinking about it. the 13th week would still be in dec. 1962
@@sirraymondbell6711 You both have miscalculated. The 13th week would have been Dec. 24-28.
1. Oct. 1-5
2. Oct. 8-12
3. Oct. 15-19
4. Oct. 22-26
5. Oct. 29-Nov. 2
6. Nov. 5-9
7. Nov. 12-16
8. Nov. 19-23
9. Nov. 26-30
10. Dec. 3-7
11. Dec. 10-14
12. Dec. 17-21
13. Dec. 24-28
How can Johnny's first show not be found, yet Steve Allen (the original host) first show from 1953 is on youtube?
NBC was still using film, before they switched over to video tape when Carson took over.
@@bullettube9863 Actually TONIGHT as hosted by Steve Allen was carried live. TONIGHT was live until some time after Jack Paar took over, when it switched to videotape. Tape wasn't available until 1956 at the earliest. THE JACK PAAR SHOW, as it was then known, started being carried on videotape sometime around 1958, as Paar said he liked to watch himself on tv. The show switched to color videotape sometime in 1960. As other commenters have stated, videotape, especially in color, was very expensive back then, so it was often reused. What remains of Allen's, Paar's, & Carson's early shows is kinescope, which was a cheap usually B&W film of a monitor of a live (or taped) broadcast. Early Carson moments like his duet w/ Pearl Bailey & Ed Ames' errant tomahawk throw were preserved on kinescope, not their original color videotape. There have been short segments of Carson's show on color videotape to emerge lately, but as far as I know, the earliest full show is still the New Year's Eve 1965-66 show. I have this show on tape & DVD, and it's appeared on RUclips also.
@@jehobden I worked as a messenger for PAT films in1969, we distributed mostly educational films and cartoons to schools and libraries. I used to travel out to NBC's film vault in New Jersey to pick up or drop off video tape and films. I used my motorcycle in the city, but PAT also had a van for the Jersey run. PAT had a kinescope machine and made really bad videotape versions of old films! My buddy ran films from Rockefeller center out to LaGaurdia airport twice a day in a Ford van that leaked exhaust fumes into he cab and was horrible in the winter. Another biking buddy worked for CBS, on w57th, they had a great cafeteria and we used to eat there all the time. He ate for free and we paid very low prices plus the coffee or soda was free. I'm sure I saw a lot of famous people, but since I watched so little TV I never recognized anyone.
@@bullettube9863 Maybe you'd know then... Is it true that a fire at an NBC warehouse in Ft. Lee, NJ back in the 1970s caused a loss of a lot of NBC's kinescopes & videotapes? I know the NBC 50th Annversary show had a lot of good videotapes, including clips from lots of HALLMARK HALL OF FAME episodes from the 1960s. i'd love to have a chance to see those, if they're still on color tape somewhere.
@@jehobden I remember reading about that fire, but since I lived back home at the time I never learned any details. The NBC vaults were located in a tunnel built into the palisades rock formation. I never went inside the vault itself, you entered the shipping and receiving office and handed over your delivery or they brought your films to you. There were several fires involving the old nitrate films, but those occurred in Hollywood. I had also heard that a lot of nitrate film was stored in an old zinc mine in New Jersey, which amazed me because I didn't know zinc could be found east of the Rockies.
That does sound like a Peter Ustinov joke!
Late December 1962, probably after Christmas.
If it was week 13 then it had to be in early 1963, not 1962.
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson*
Didn't Carson agree to that? That's an L, Carson.
Carson was quoted once saying that NBC may as well make guitar picks out of the tapes of his old shows. I'm glad his attitude changed over time.
Too bad there's no video of him interviewing his first guest, Jesus. I Remember watching, thinking, gosh those are nice sandals.
Too funny! Carl Reiner used to have Mel Brooks on his show playing the part of the two thousand year old man!
In B&W
The show actually began airing in color in the fall of 1960, but a lot of early color shows were only saved as black and white kinescopes.