Product Description

The best of jack paar (featuring woody allen fidel castro bill cosby bette davis judy garland & more) plus some of paars greatest episodes in their entirety & his favorite monologues & interviews. Studio: Uni Dist Corp (music) Release Date: 03/30/2004 Run time: 384 minutes Rating: Nr

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7453 in DVD
• Brand: Uni
• Released on: 2004-03-30
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Box set, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 3
• Running time: 384 minutes

Amazon.com
Jack Parr kept a low public profile after turning over the reigns of The Tonight Show to Johnny Carson in 1962. Thus, his passing in January 2004, did not receive nearly the attention it deserved. The Jack Paar Collection restores the legacy of the talk-show pioneer who brought the art of conversation to the barren landscape of late-night television. But, I kid you not, it is an indispensable time capsule that preserves appearances and performances by politicians, personalities, and entertainers who shaped the 20th century. And Robert Goulet, too. Disc 1 of this three-disc set is an appreciation of Paar that combines vintage clips with reminiscences and insights from the likes of Regis Philbin, Hugh Downs, who served as Paar's announcer, Dick Cavett, one of his writers, and the Smothers Brothers, who were among the legendary performers who made their earliest TV appearances on the Tonight Show stage (there are hilarious clips featuring Woody Allen, Bill Cosby, and, from 1964, Kermit the Frog, then just a tadpole in local television).

As Paar demonstrated when he quit The Tonight Show after one of his jokes was censored, anything could happen. In one hilarious clip, he fouls up a Goulet-Judy Garland duet by mixing up their cue cards. Washington Post TV critic Tom Shales observes that, unlike predecessor Steve Allen and successors Johnny Carson and Jay Leno, Jack Parr's Tonight Show combined "the edge of journalism and sparkle of showbiz." Then-Sen. John F. Kennedy was one of the first politicians who ventured into this more informal, unpredictable setting. There is amazing footage of guest Richard M. Nixon playing piano. Discs 2 and 3 present the master at work. Disc 2 contains complete monologues and guest interviews with Nixon, the boxer formerly known as Cassius Clay, Liberace, Billy Graham, and Robert Kennedy. Disc 3 offers three complete broadcasts, including a 1964 program with Cosby and Richard Burton (an added bonus is an embedded clip of Burton's towering performance as Hamlet). Forgive the obvious pun, but to watch Jack in his prime is to see why today's hosts are just not up to Paar. --Donald Liebenson

About the Actor
Television and radio pioneer Jack Par has been called the most imitated personality in broadcasting. He virtually created the late-night talk show format as the host of The Tonight Show , one of television's longest continuously running programs. The Washington Post said, "Jack Paar was genuine, and the footprints he left on the loony moonscape of television are enormous; they will be there forever."

As the stars of stage and screen were rising around him, Paar was becoming an icon himself, on television sets in the homes of millions of Americans across the country. During the Golden Age of television, Paar was its golden boy, charming guests and viewers alike.

From 1957 to 1962, Paar was the king of late-night television as host of The Tonight Show, which NBC eventually renamed The Jack Paar Show. He turned it from a typical variety format into something very different. With a rare combination of intelligence, irreverence and intuition, he invented a new genre of programming that would become ubiquitous to television.

Paar helped launch the careers of such performers as Carol Burnett, Woody Allen and Liza Minnelli, but his guests weren't limited to the glitterati. He discussed religion with Billy Graham, visited Albert Schweitzer in Africa, and talked politics with Richard Nixon, all before the transfixed eyes of the American television audience.

Paar's career was not without turbulence and controversy. He was criticized for his interview with Fidel Castro in Cuba, and he caused an international incident when he broadcast his show from Berlin as the Wall went up.

He had countless feuds with columnists like Walter Winchell and Dorothy Kilgallen. He even quit the show briefly in 1960 as a matter of principle, after NBC edited out a joke that used the term "water closet." Almost in tears and clearly angry, Paar looked into the camera and said, "I am leaving The Tonight Show . There must be a better way of making a living than this." That famous "walk-off" and Paar's triumphant return a few weeks later had the country abuzz.

In 1962, Paar left the show permanently. After five successful years, he'd become weary of the grind of nightly television and sniping by the press, and he wanted to travel, spend more time with his wife and daughter, and branch out into other areas. From 1962 to 1965, Paar hosted a weekly primetime variety show. In the late 1960s, he reappeared once again, this time as a producer of primetime documentaries, introducing Americans to the interesting curiosities and cultures of Japan, Africa, Asia, Europe, and more.

Customer Reviews

Great Paar Collection, with One Problem
As someone who grew up with Jack Paar's Friday night program, I love this three CD set. Smart TV, the interviews with famous politicians and the monologues are all first rate. All present Paar as he was, a man from whom you could expect the unexpected.
The third disc - three full length Paar programs -- was a slight
letdown. I am disappointed that the famous Garland/Goulet show
(which Paar thought was his best) was substituted for a subpar Paar/Garland program from London. All in all, a must for anyone who enjoys great TV.

AN ABSOLUTE VISUAL CATASTROPHY!!!!!!!
In August 1998, a VHS 2 tape release titled "As I Was Saying"
was released. It was a very well done documentary about Jack
Paar, the pioneer and first to introduce the talk show format
to the American public. While the video quality was obviously
not as clear and crisp as that offered by DVD, it neverthless
was good and made for enjoyable viewing. It remains one of the
favorites in my 300 plus collection of VHS tapes. But like
almost all collectors, I am anxious to convert my collection
entirely to DVD as the titles are released in that format.

Several weeks ago, I read that "The Jack Paar Collection" was
being released on DVD, and that it contained many of the same
segments of "As I Was Saying". My order was immediately on its
way. It arrived yesterday. To say I was disappointed would be
kind. THIS 3 DISK DVD IS A TRAVISTY! No attempt, whatsoever,
has been made to restore the quality of the 35-40 year old
tapes. They are a visual CHAOS. Even the audio quality is bad.
To see and hear the GREAT Judy Garland looking the worst I have ever seen her SCREECHING out an unknown song called "Never Will
I MARRY" on a London stage is an outrage to all her fans.
There are three complete one hour shows squeezed onto one disk.
The visual quality is terrible. The shows themselves are not much better. The great actress Bette Davis is so hoarse during
her appearance, you can't understand her. And on, and on.

I just read that "As I Was Saying" has just been released on
DVD. Do yourself a favor and buy it, and leave this one in the garbage can where it belongs.

Where's the real good stuff?
I bought this DVD hoping to recapture the 50's "Paar" experience. It didn't happen. Some short segments are very entertaining - but there aint' enough of em! Where, Oh Where, are Charlie Weaver, Genvieve, Dodie Goodman, Hans Conried, Hermione Gingold, Jack Douglas and his charming Japanese wife, Rieko? These were the "Regulars" we tuned in nightly to see interact with Jack. Jack himself would be disappointed. You 50's folks, think twice about buying this superficial compilation.