Back in the day, guests would come on to Johnny Carson and yeah, sometimes they would “plug” their latest project, but those were always the most boring segments. The best guests were the ones who knew how to banter, to keep the conversation rolling, who made Johnny laugh. Not the careerists – but the people who knew how to tell a story. If you are familiar with this clip of Mel Brooks talking about his first meetings with Cary Grant – that’s what I’m talking about. BRILLIANT. Johnny Carson doesn’t say one word. And it takes a long time to get to the punch line. The story itself is funny and detailed – you know, this is how people who know how to tell stories talk … but the punch line (“Tell him I’M NOT IN”) comes way at the end, and the payoff is enormous because Mel Brooks has done his job, as an anecdotalist, leading up to that point. The laughter is a thunderclap.
Now this is old-school Borscht Belt humor – these are the guys who basically created much of what America thinks is funny – they were GODS … so Johnny having them on (and others like them) … was always a delight, because you weren’t going to hear polite back-and-forth about a starlet’s first movie that was opening that weekend. You were going to hear some tall tales. You were going to see someone who knows how to, you know, TALK.
Anyway, the clip below is of Neil Patrick Harris on the Jimmy Fallon Show, doing a magic trick.
First of all – both men couldn’t be more charming to me in this clip. They are doing a bit together. It’s improvised – but watch how they keep that ball in the air.
Second of all – I am sure Neil Patrick Harris has projects to “plug”, and things in his career to talk about.
But he spends his time on that show doing a magic trick – and watch how it unfolds, and develops. And wait for the payoff – which is HUGE.
These are men of my generation and the generation directly behind mine.
But it’s nice to see that old-school talk-show style alive and well with the two of them.
And “charming” sometimes now has the connotation of something coy, or precious, or hoity-toity. But I found this clip “charming” in the TRUE meaning of the word. I couldn’t stop smiling the entire time I watched it, and I wanted it to go on forever.
I must watch it again and again! Totally what people want to see! I have a huge smile onmy face right now!
Isn’t it awesome??
It made me think of Altman too!
Member how you had to leave the room, Jean? hahahaha
“I hate magic!”
“take that, magic!”
thanks for sharing, sheila; started my day on exactly the note it needed ^_^
I’m gonna have to watch this at home tonight or tomorrow. Glad you mentioned it.
For some actors, it takes a certain performance for me to get what they’re about, to make me a fan. Examples: I didn’t much care for Johnny Depp until I saw Crybaby, and after that I was a fan. I didn’t get Will Ferrell at all until I saw Zoolander, and then it was as if I finally understood why people thought he was funny. “I FEEL LIKE I’M TAKING CRAZY PILLS!” And it took Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog for me to really appreciate Neil Patrick Harris.
Ken – I’ve been a fan of Neil Patrick Harris for a long time and it’s really nice to see him now – out, proud, hysterical – he seems very comfortable in his own skin to me.
But he’s so charming here …
I can RELAX – unlike with other talk shows where you have to listen to a stilted starlet talk about her new horror movie.
These two guys are just riffing.
I love it!!
I am so totally in love with NPH. If he needed a beard, I’d SO be there waiting to have his little beard babies!
Awesome clip and I have to agree…charming is the word I would use.
I loved those old Johnny Carson segments where they’d be smoking a cigarette, drinking a scotch, just having a conversation. Now, everything is timed and scripted and rushed a long. God forbid we spend a moment too long with someone.
I love to watch old Tonight Shows. Johnny didn’t care if you had a movie out, or a book, you were just out there, like De said, having a conversation.
Burt Reynolds on Johnny used to send my dad into paroxysms of laughter that would wake me and my brother up. We’d stumble out into the living room and there’d be my dad writhing on the couch, giggling. Same with Dean Martin.
Awesome clip, great blog!
Wonderful clip. There’s a clip making the rounds today because of Dom DeLuise’s death that is so much like this one it’s almost scary – Dom is showing Johnny a magic trick (involving eggs), and the next you know all you-know-what has broken loose.
Old school talk show charm is one of the reasons I always enjoy seeing Bruce Willis show up on Letterman. He’ll wear or do something crazy and he might have a project but he’s really there to make Dave laugh and bs for a few minutes. It’s fun to watch.
Bruce Willis is TOTALLY old-school. He is comfortable in his own skin. He came and talked at my school and I swear he talked more about his days as a bartender in New York than about his career. He said, “Honestly, I was more famous as a bartender than I ever have been as an actor.”
His presence was wonderful – you got none of that too-eager ego thing … It was great!
God, I love NPH. Have you seen the Dr. Horrible Sing-along Blog? I think you’d like it!
http://www.hulu.com/watch/28343/dr-horribles-sing-along-blog
That was refreshing. Not to mention charming. Darnit, I wish my aspiring-magician nephew were turning 13 next week (instead of 11) so I could show it to him! He would eat that up. But his mom would fire me from being his aunt.