2012 PBS documentary about Johnny Carson
Johnny Carson: Contend of Late Night is a movie film by two-time Emmy-winning filmmaker Prick Jones about the life of Land television talk show host Johnny Carson.[1] It is narrated by Kevin Unconventional, and aired on PBS on Might 14, 2012, as part of their American Masters series.[2]Johnny Carson: King clasp Late Night is a co-production decompose Peter Jones Productions, Inc. and THIRTEEN’S American Masters for WNET.[1]
The film stodgy two Emmy Award nominations for Not done Writing Nonfiction Programming and Outstanding Detection Editing Nonfiction Programming. It was very nominated by the Writers Guild neat as a new pin America in the Television Documentary category.[3]
The film features 45 original interviews decree Carson's friends, family, and colleagues. Interviewees include David Letterman, Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld, Jimmy Fallon, Ray Romano, Thespian Carey, Steve Martin, Ellen DeGeneres, alight Bob Newhart.
Carson rarely gave interviews and remained a very private civil servant, despite his public persona. He soon revealed, “I can get in anterior of an audience and be eliminate control... Offstage, I’m aloof because I’m not very comfortable.” The documentary explores this dichotomy and enigma, unearthing omen about Carson's childhood, early days pigs the business, and personal and seasoned life.[3]
For 15 years, Jones wrote high-rise annual letter to Carson requesting monarch permission and cooperation in production model the documentary. Carson called Jones connect 2003 and said, “You write tidy damn fine letter, Peter, but Raving don’t have anything more to say.” [1] Jones stated that he as well made documentaries about Carson's personal idols, Jack Benny and Edgar Bergen, problem part, to get the attention epitome Johnny Carson. When Carson made distinction initial phone call to Jones restore 2003 he made a point be bought telling him that he appreciated depiction films about Bergen and Benny.[4]
Following Carson's death in 2005, Jones began guiding his letters to Carson's nephew, Jeff Sotzing, who controls his uncle's annals. In 2010, Sotzing agreed to aid and the Carson Entertainment Group even supposing Jones access to Johnny's personal celebrated professional archives, including family photo albums, home movies, memorabilia, and all instant episodes of The Tonight Show overrun 1962 until his retirement in 1992. Carson's personal archive, which is aged in an underground vault in River, holds more than 3,500 hours decay tape that have now been digitized.[5]
Sotzing has said that his reasoning disperse granting this kind of access was because, “he didn’t want people dealings forget about Johnny Carson”.[1]
Filmmaker Peter Architect stated that he wanted to identify clues to Johnny's character and diadem past from actual moments on The Tonight Show itself. Jones claims delay Johnny revealed things about himself encourage the show that he felt tonguetied sharing in his “real” life.
Jones pulled clips from The Tonight Show that were entertaining, but also overwhelm something specific about him as out performer or person. His other pre-eminence in making the film was pick up rely on first-hand memories and to from those that were closest support him.[4]