Johnny Carson's greatness is effortlessly on display in this random (and randomly screened on a local Nostalgia cable station) episode of his "Tonight Show" stint.
He brings out the best in guest Jean Marsh, the great actress of "Upstairs Downstairs" fame, here to plug her role in the Broadway play transferring from the West End with star Tom Conti aboard, "Whose Life Is It Anyway?". Johnny treats her like an old friend and brings out fabulous anecdotes and the expected raconteur abilities of the talented Jean, in a memorably direct and warm interview.
Even better is a lengthy grilling of Gov. Jerry Brown, who carefully dodges the question of whether he'll be announcing a run for president in a few months (even Marsh later acknowledges he'll be in the race). Brown is still the California governator nearly 40 years later, and his cogent description of the country's problems back then and how he would address them, beyond California, is right on the money and makes one wish folks of his caliber had ascended to the Oval Office, rather than the inept current denizen who even the Great Carson would have trouble eliciting anything but nonsense from, whatever classic interviewing skills he might apply.
He brings out the best in guest Jean Marsh, the great actress of "Upstairs Downstairs" fame, here to plug her role in the Broadway play transferring from the West End with star Tom Conti aboard, "Whose Life Is It Anyway?". Johnny treats her like an old friend and brings out fabulous anecdotes and the expected raconteur abilities of the talented Jean, in a memorably direct and warm interview.
Even better is a lengthy grilling of Gov. Jerry Brown, who carefully dodges the question of whether he'll be announcing a run for president in a few months (even Marsh later acknowledges he'll be in the race). Brown is still the California governator nearly 40 years later, and his cogent description of the country's problems back then and how he would address them, beyond California, is right on the money and makes one wish folks of his caliber had ascended to the Oval Office, rather than the inept current denizen who even the Great Carson would have trouble eliciting anything but nonsense from, whatever classic interviewing skills he might apply.