MovieChat Forums > The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) Discussion > Chevy Chase 1979

Chevy Chase 1979

posted 8 years ago by lonnieanixt
6 replies | jump to latest

In 1979 Chase really was on top of the world and the way he walks out there says it all. Like a conquering hero or the cock of the walk. He seems a little loopy but i don't think he is on drugs, maybe a few drinks to loosen up, but who knows, though he does affect a kind of spaced out personae.
my favorite part of the interview.
Chevy turns to Ed: " Ed, how are you?"
Ed: "just fine."
Chevy points to Ed, " you were a clown in the circus once, weren't you?"
Ed: " Thats right."
Chevy:in a questioning and almost sad tone: "what happened."
ED: First taken aback, then answers," The Circus left town and i stayed in the city."
Carson: " You were uncle..."
Chevy: " Uncle Homo."
Carson: admonishes Chevy as the audience laughs." Not Uncle Homo."
Chevy puts his hands up as to say i don't even know where that came from.
Carson: then adds "That came later."
Johny looks at Ed and starts to talk to him Chevy is laughing and the audience is responding to the weird turn of events, Carson is trying to keep from laughing but is trying to get the show back on the rails.
Carson: to Ed: " What was your title.."
Ed: " I was myself...i used my own name."
Carson: " Uncle Ed?"
Ed; a little upset and curt;" Just Ed, thats all."
After that Carson brings it back to Chevy and the two continue. they talk about a chicken act.
Carson: " I always wondered what the chicken said?"
Chevy: "the chicken said: " Pluck it."

[–] sea_salt53 8 years ago

Chevy's brand of humor fell flat. Lots of quick mutterings that Johnny and the audience didn't hear. "Uncle Homo"? I'm sure Chevy regretted saying that as soon as it left his mouth!

The interview started on a sour note. You could easily detect Johnny's displeasure with Chevy's choice of outfit - jeans and a windbreaker jacket! It was like he just strolled in the studio from a trip to the grocery store. Wear a suit if you're going on "The Tonight Show"! Chevy also showed a clip of various bloopers from his special "The National Humor Test". Bloopers?! Why not show a skit? The audience - and Johnny - didn't laugh.

I will give Chevy props for mentioning the names of some of the writers on his special and saying that they were really great - Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, (and I'm pretty sure he included) Harry Shearer. Chevy also mentioned the French comic director Jacques Tati as being an influence. Very obscure reference for 1979. He said that Tati was only in his 50s at the time when he was actually almost 80! Ooops.

This particular episode of "The Tonight Show" is noteworthy for the extremely awkward interaction between Gallagher and Chevy near the end of the show - in Barbara Bach's interview segment. I'm going to create a separate post for that now!

[–] lonnieanixt 8 years ago

I think the best word that sums up Chase is smug. I know the cast of SNL hated him and when he came back to host the show he almost got into a fight with Belushi. Chase had a totally affected way of thinking, and that moment with Ed really sums it up-why would he say Uncle Homo, it obviously insulted Ed, and who is Chase to insult Ed. Even when he asked Ed-" What happened" this was a form of intimidation, i think Chase felt he was smarter than everybody else because he got so big so fast.

[–] vbv20 8 years ago

Chase's appearances have been very interesting. I've seen three so far.

The first was I believe his first Carson appearance when he was either still on SNL or had just left and he appeared to be nervous as hell. He was very quiet, rather serious, not funny, and was basically just "the guy who fell down a lot."

And the other two appearances he was absolutely full of himself (and apparently high as a kite on the episode where he was with Richard Pryor.)

And it was Bill Murray who he almost had the backstage fistfight with moments before guest hosting SNL. Belushi was the one who broke it up and supposedly kept Murray from going after Chase when the show ended.

[–] loungelizard5000 8 years ago

True, it was Bill Murray that had a fight with Chase backstage at SNL.

[–] tmaj48 8 years ago

There was a lot of talk around NBC at the time that Carson would soon retire and Chase was the first choice for replacing him. Chase probably thought that he could be as cocky as he wanted since the show was practically his anyway. Fortunately, it didn't happen--Carson stayed until 1992. In the meantime, Chase began his own
late-night talk show on Fox, which didn't last very long. The most (only) notable thing about the show was the wall-size aquarium in the background of the set; the few viewers who tuned in found watching the fish more entertaining than paying attention to Chase.

I'm not crying, you fool, I'm laughing!

Hewwo.

[–] Carson_no1 8 years ago

I would love to see this episode.