In each instance, the only negative (if it is such a thing) is the topical humor of the monologue. Johnny makes a quip, everyone laughs, and I run to Wikipedia to find out he is referring to President Ford's budget director. The rest? It's a truckload of people simply making it happen. Even better? These were recorded by some friendly man in a station control room long ago. This means, after the national ads, nothing but Doc and the boys groovin' it out. And thus, the "more to come" bumper slides.
They're a lost art, especially for today's late night talk shows. Moreover, they're usually difficult for an audience to see. This certainly was not the case back then. But Johnny's bumper cards certainly evolved over time.
I may be over-thinking this, but the above bumper card comes from when the show was still shot out in New York. 1971 New York, well...it was swank, but then (as now) doesn't hold a joint to LA. This rigid "art" was typical of the episodes of the time.
Ah. here we are. They're more proud to say they're in Dealville than anything else. What, we're moving to Burbank? Make that shag carpet, Kenny. Yeah, and a lot of live ferns.
Once settled, you'd see motifs of the California lifestyle, one the show began to embrace completely.
There were variants on this theme, but it continued throughout the first year or so in California. After this identity was established, the cards were...OK, I want to put this point across without any accusations at all. I've used the word "swank." Is "funk" an appropriate word? "Imbibed during creation" an appropriate phrase?
Whichever you choose, an artist would be given room to make a whole series of cards, filling an entire episode, on a rotating basis. Let 'er rip.
"Fred, I had this dream last night..."
"Go for it, pal."
One of the multiple reasons the show moved full-time to CA was greater access to film starts, a lifeline a talk show desperately needs (as do studios). It's fun to see their spirit caught up in this wave.
So, we're doing an episode on New Year's Eve, and it's the late '70s. Our guest will be Robert Blake. Johnny returns from commercial with "10 seconds to the New Year" and says a brief word...followed by "3...2...1..."
Guy on the left: "HAWWWWWW"
Just as the pioneers headed west, so did this show. It wasn't easy...we had tough conditions, unexpected troubles, and a constant fear for our lives. But enough about NBC in the late 70s.
Yeah...perhaps there was research showing more people trip while watching Tonight than any other show?
Well, it's getting late...time to go to bed. Hey, what's on after the show?
Chuck Mangione? Turn on the coffee pot! We're going ALL NIGHT!
