The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson Season 11 Episode 49 Joan Rivers (guest host), Charles Nelson Reilly, Milt Kamen, Kreskin
- December 8, 1972
Joan Rivers guest hosts The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in season 11 episode 49. The show begins with Rivers joking about her excitement to be guest-hosting and her nervousness about filling in for Carson. Up first is comedian and actor Charles Nelson Reilly, who talks about his experience directing a play and doing voiceovers for animated films. Milt Kamen, a comedian, and actor known for his impressions, follows Reilly and shares some of his impressions with the audience.
Next, The Amazing Kreskin takes the stage to perform some of his famous mentalism tricks. Rivers and Kreskin banter back and forth, with Kreskin jokingly predicting the outcome of the 1980 presidential election and even successfully guessing the serial number on a dollar bill chosen at random by an audience member.
The show continues with Rivers interviewing the guests and engaging in lively banter with them. Reilly shares his views on the differences between directing a play and acting, and Kamen talks about his career in show business and offers some insights into how he develops his impressions.
Throughout the episode, Rivers also takes the time to interact with the audience, urging them to share their stories and offering up some of her own. She also takes the opportunity to promote a new book she has written.
As the show comes to a close, Kreskin returns to the stage for a final trick, which involves predicting the order in which the guests will leave the stage. The trick has Rivers and the audience laughing and applauding, and it's a fitting end to a night full of funny and entertaining moments.
Overall, season 11 episode 49 of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson offers a fun, engaging, and lighthearted tribute to the art of comedy and show business, with Joan Rivers at the helm as a witty and charming host. The guests bring their own brands of humor and entertainment to the table, and Kreskin's mentalism tricks add an extra element of intrigue to the proceedings. Fans of classic television and comedy are sure to enjoy this episode.