Jack Paar - As I Was Saying...And More!
Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
In just five years, Jack Paar changed the way Americans watched television. The first successful host of the Tonight Show (Steve Allen, Ernie Kovacs, and others were given chances prior to Paar), from 1957 to 1962 Paar made the late-night talk show a staple. In an era when celebrity still carried a measure of dignity, Paar both treated his guests with respect and got them, for the first time, to open up to the American public.
As I Was Saying... breaks up Paar's career between three videos. The first tape concerns itself mostly with Paar's pre-Tonight Show life: his start in radio, his stint in the Army, and his early days in Hollywood, where Jack Benny served as his mentor. Paar's Army hitch proves to be a turning point in his life--it was then that he first performed in front of an audience, and his job hosting the acts that come through to perform for the troops brought him national fame and Benny's attention.
The second tape shows the development of Paar's conversational humor, along with plenty of clips from the Tonight Show. There are early clips with Bill Cosby and Woody Allen, clips with Jonathon Winters and Buddy Hackett, and a sampling of Paar's own monologues. Paar's defining moment is explained in detail: after NBC censored a joke he made about a water closet (the British term for a restroom), Paar walked off the show; his return, a month later, is considered one of television's classic moments. He strolled onstage, struck a pose, and looked right into the camera. "As I was saying, before I was interrupted...," he said, and the audience erupted.
The third tape is hosted by Paar himself and is an edited tour through his post-Tonight Show career and life. Almost no mention is made of his failed variety show or brief stint as a Johnny Carson competitor; instead, there are clips of Paar as a guest on Carson's show and on Pat Sajak's short-lived program. There is also footage from Paar's African excursions, which are little more than well-filmed and -narrated home movies. They're nice for Paar completists, but hardly as entertaining as the first two tapes. --Randy Silver
Description
Jack Paar, a pioneer in late night television, brought conversation, comedy, and wit to millions of Americans who tuned in nightly to watch Jack, his celebrated guests, and their antics. This exciting, two-hour documentary takes the viewer on a journey through the life and career of this TV originator; from his early days in radio, in the army, to his pre- Tonight Show years in Hollywood, through the golden era of the late 50's and 60's when television was live and unrehearsed. Includes rare, vintage television clips with Judy Garland, John F. Kennedy, and Jonathan Winters, the comedy of Paar guests Bill Cosby, Godfrey Cambridge, and Woody Allen, as well as many insights, provocative and original segments, including Paar's famous walk-off incident from The Tonight Show following being censored. This special edition DVD is like a visit to a television museum and a look at TV's best. It's a must for any collector!
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Jack Paar - As I Was Saying...And More!
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ASIN: B0001XAR4A Release Date: 2004-03-23 |
Amazon.com
In just five years, Jack Paar changed the way Americans watched television. The first successful host of the Tonight Show (Steve Allen, Ernie Kovacs, and others were given chances prior to Paar), from 1957 to 1962 Paar made the late-night talk show a staple. In an era when celebrity still carried a measure of dignity, Paar both treated his guests with respect and got them, for the first time, to open up to the American public.As I Was Saying... breaks up Paar's career between three videos. The first tape concerns itself mostly with Paar's pre-Tonight Show life: his start in radio, his stint in the Army, and his early days in Hollywood, where Jack Benny served as his mentor. Paar's Army hitch proves to be a turning point in his life--it was then that he first performed in front of an audience, and his job hosting the acts that come through to perform for the troops brought him national fame and Benny's attention.
The second tape shows the development of Paar's conversational humor, along with plenty of clips from the Tonight Show. There are early clips with Bill Cosby and Woody Allen, clips with Jonathon Winters and Buddy Hackett, and a sampling of Paar's own monologues. Paar's defining moment is explained in detail: after NBC censored a joke he made about a water closet (the British term for a restroom), Paar walked off the show; his return, a month later, is considered one of television's classic moments. He strolled onstage, struck a pose, and looked right into the camera. "As I was saying, before I was interrupted...," he said, and the audience erupted.
The third tape is hosted by Paar himself and is an edited tour through his post-Tonight Show career and life. Almost no mention is made of his failed variety show or brief stint as a Johnny Carson competitor; instead, there are clips of Paar as a guest on Carson's show and on Pat Sajak's short-lived program. There is also footage from Paar's African excursions, which are little more than well-filmed and -narrated home movies. They're nice for Paar completists, but hardly as entertaining as the first two tapes. --Randy Silver
Description
Jack Paar, a pioneer in late night television, brought conversation, comedy, and wit to millions of Americans who tuned in nightly to watch Jack, his celebrated guests, and their antics. This exciting, two-hour documentary takes the viewer on a journey through the life and career of this TV originator; from his early days in radio, in the army, to his pre- Tonight Show years in Hollywood, through the golden era of the late 50's and 60's when television was live and unrehearsed. Includes rare, vintage television clips with Judy Garland, John F. Kennedy, and Jonathan Winters, the comedy of Paar guests Bill Cosby, Godfrey Cambridge, and Woody Allen, as well as many insights, provocative and original segments, including Paar's famous walk-off incident from The Tonight Show following being censored. This special edition DVD is like a visit to a television museum and a look at TV's best. It's a must for any collector!Customer Reviews:
Paar's Television Legacy.......2007-04-30
Classic Paar.......2007-04-27
BUT...A TERRIBLE VIDEO TO DVD TRANSFER ! ! !.......2005-06-26
The REAL King of Late Night.......2004-06-22
The only beef I have at all with this DVD is actually Amazon's manner of advertising it. They use the description for the VHS version to describe the DVD version. The VHS and the DVD versions are slightly different. The VHS version consists of 3 videos, with one video hosted by Jack talking about his Post-Tonight Show ventures. The DVD does not contain any of this footage (I didn't see any footage of Jack on "The Pat Sajak Show" and the Johnny Carson footage is very brief). So I think Amazon needs to write a better description for the DVD version as its NOT quite the same as the VHS version.
But for any of you out there who are like me and too young to remember anyone else hosting the Tonight Show other than Johnny Carson, you owe it to yourself to pick up this DVD as well as "The Jack Paar Collection". Jack is the real King of Late Night, but that's not to take away from Johnny Carson. If anything, I can see where Johnny has copied many of his mannerisms and his delivery style from Jack.
Please don't provide just "clips"!!!.......2004-05-10
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