If This Is Anyone Other Than Steve Allen, You're Stealing My Bit.

I just read Inventing Late Night: Steve Allen And The Original Tonight Show.  The book isn't especially well written, and it has a bit of a chip on its shoulder about Allen's importance, but is still worth checking out.

We often hear about the succession of Tonight Show hosts--Jack Paar to Johnny Carson to Jay Leno, with other names, like Letterman, Conan O'Brien and Dick Cavett, playing their part in opposition.  But the name often left out is the one who started it all.

Steve Allen was a multi-talented guy with a quick wit who brought his slightly twisted humor to radio and then TV.  So when Pat Weaver at NBC decided to create a Tonight show Allen stepped in, fully formed, essentially bringing to the nation a format he'd already created in smaller venues.  And that format exists to this day.



Sure, it changed along the way, with Paar, for example, emphasizing the talk show aspect, whereas Allen's was closer to a variety show.  But many things we see to this day--a desk and chairs, recurring comedy routines, going into the audience or on the street, looking at the news, silly stunts, etc.--come from Allen (as many gracious talk show hosts, like David Letterman and Jay Leno, are happy to admit).

Tonight debuted in 1954 and Allen stayed until 1957 before moving on to other projects, occasionally returning to the talk show format, though not for NBC.  He'd often have guests not generally seen on TV, such as highbrow authors, politicians, jazz artists and newer comics. (He also got a prime time Sunday night show where he introduced certain rock and rollers, though he didn't like the music).  Unfortunately, most of these shows (along with most of Paar and early Carson) were destroyed to save shelf space.

Tonight asked a lot of Allen--he had to be an actor, interviewer, pianists, writer, monologist, etc.  Perhaps he wasn't great at all these roles, but he was at least proficient, and the sum was greater than the parts.  If he excelled at one thing, it was extemporaneous humor.  Interviewing people on the street, or in the audience, he came up with great lines and reactions that grew naturally out of the situation.  I don't think anyone who's come after him has been better.