A long-awaited biography of Johnny Carson proves he’s the Everest of celebrity subjects — tempting but perilous

As a longtime admirer of Johnny Carson and his enigmatic charm, I found “Carson the Magnificent” to be an engaging yet somewhat conflicted exploration into the life of an iconic figure. Zehme, with his fervor for Carson’s legacy, manages to capture both the magic and the darkness that defined the late-night host.

Johnny Carson, the person who turned “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” into a beloved American tradition, has spent more time away from late-night television than he did on it.

People of a certain maturity will find this astonishing if not downright startling. When Carson parted ways with “The Tonight Show” in 1992, it was a significant cultural earthquake. For nearly three decades, he was the undisputed master of television hosting. He was cool, not warm, and mischievous rather than passionate. He essentially created the opening monologue, launched numerous comedy careers, such as those of David Letterman, his chosen successor, and Jay Leno, his eventual replacement. Approximately 50 million viewers watched his last performance on “The Tonight Show.

Today, a significant number of people recognize him primarily as a symbol of an era when it was plausible for a late-night show to attract an audience of 10 million viewers (Stephen Colbert, the present ruler of this time slot, typically draws fewer than 3 million). This is because there are young adults who associate the famous phrase “Heeeeerrrrre’s Johnny” more with Jack Nicholson’s character in “The Shining” rather than with Ed McMahon’s nightly introduction.

It seems like Bill Zehme’s long-awaited biography “Carson: The Magnificent,” completed by Mike Thomas, is being published at the perfect time. Today’s television may still produce stars deserving of blessings and scrutiny, but it’s hard to envision any who will leave as profound an impact on their audience as Carson did.

If you’re a Johnny Carson admirer, you’ll understand what I mean: the unique qualities that made him stand out — the tailored suits, the casual posture, the constantly moving pencil, the sharp one-liners and cool raised eyebrows that could reduce to uncontrollable chuckles. Fans of Carson often point out that despite his polished demeanor, he was a small-town Nebraska guy at heart; that he was skilled in magic and music; that he initially declined the “Tonight Show” offer, but once he accepted, everyone important eventually sat next to him on the couch.

It’s frequently overlooked that he openly acknowledged being a habitual, violent, blackout alcoholic who went through three marriages (he was on his fourth at the time of his death), a man who was largely absent as a father, and a person who meted out severe punishment for perceived betrayal by immediately and completely cutting off ties are usually just side notes in the story.

In “Carson the Magnificent,” we find not just a comprehensive biography of Carson, but a heartfelt testament from a devoted fan. Zehme, the author, poured decades of love into this work, a labor of affection for Carson. However, it was also a labor of love for Thomas, Zehme’s co-author, who unfortunately passed away in 2023 after a long fight with cancer.

A well-known and esteemed biographer of celebrities, Zehme frequently wrote celebrity features for Esquire, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, and Playboy. He authored books on Frank Sinatra and Andy Kaufman, and collaborated with Leno and Regis Philbin on their memoirs. For many years, he tirelessly attempted to breach Carson’s fortress of privacy, eventually securing the first interview following Carson’s momentous retirement in 2002.

Three years later, after Carson’s death, Zehme began research on a biography.

It didn’t take long for him to acknowledge that the icon truly lived up to its reputation as a Sphinx. In the preface of “Carson the Magnificent,” Thomas references an email Zehme wrote to Michael Barrie, former writer for the “Tonight Show.” Zehme described Carson as being… enormously expressive only when in front of the camera, yet mysteriously reserved off-camera. He was like a national monument that was always on display.

Furthermore, according to Zehme’s opening remarks, Carson’s “spectral anger” appears to linger eternally; enduring vows of silence from the mysterious ones are particularly evident when it comes to his more human shortcomings.

Despite being diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2013, Zehme persisted in his work, finishing about three-quarters of “Carson the Magnificent”. Following Zehme’s passing, a Chicago-based arts and entertainment writer and author named Thomas stepped in to complete what was referred to by The New York Times as one of the great unfinished biographies.

The story behind the creation of the book offers insights into Carson that are just as valuable as the information within it. To any seasoned biographer, Johnny Carson is like the legendary Mount Everest – both enticing and fraught with danger as a subject of study.

While Zehme’s research is extensive, those seeking sensational disclosures or juicy insider tales from the 2013 “Johnny Carson” book, authored by Carson’s former attorney Henry Bushkin, may find themselves underwhelmed.

From my perspective as a film critic, for enthusiasts of Carson, the biographical aspects may resonate – many are recounted in the exceptional 2012 “American Masters” documentary titled “Johnny Carson: King of Late Night.” This book delves deeper, examining early interviews with Carson and utilizing these, along with a thorough analysis of “The Tonight Show,” interviews with his ex-wife Joanna Carson, as well as numerous friends, family members, and colleagues. The argument presented is compelling – that the enchantment of magic, its subtleties, and deceptions, were not just a childhood whim for Carson, but rather an enduring, influential force that governed his life.

In Zehme’s work, he leaps from one moment to another, passionately arguing for the title of the book (with frequent, hurried asides). This approach not only drives the story forward but also occasionally causes it to stumble. The blend of writing styles – Zehme’s dynamic and Thomas’ straightforward – introduces an extra element of back-and-forth motion. It’s a delight for readers who recall the style of Kenneth Tynan and Tom Shales, who wrote about late-night hosts in a manner typically saved for poets and presidents.

A more troubling aspect in Zehme’s portrayal is downplaying Carson’s longstanding pattern of infidelity and his tumultuous relationship with alcohol. It’s often suggested that Carson’s self-destructive marital behaviors can be linked to an emotionally distant upbringing, while his drinking problem seems to be hinted at rather than explicitly addressed.

As a movie buff, let me rephrase it for you: “Sometimes I’d wake up the morning after, realizing I had caused a ruckus that left bruises on the women who were like family to me – my sons’ wives. This was during my first marriage, as Zehme puts it. Later, during an interview with Mike Wallace for ’60 Minutes’, my third wife Joanna shared her fear, speaking of a time when I was in my drunken stupor.

Instead, the focus seems to be heavier on Carson’s eventual regret, and his open statement about his struggle with alcohol, as opposed to considering if alcoholism or his passion for magic played a significant role in shaping the enigmatic persona of this public figure, by keeping the spotlight more on his acknowledged alcohol issues.

Despite the profound impact of his son Rick’s car accidental death in 1991, which left a lasting mark on Johnny, this event is not given much attention. Later, Doc Severinson, a longtime friend and band leader of Johnny’s, stated that “Johnny was never the same, ever, after that,” but this statement is based solely on Severinson’s account. It’s important to note that Carson chose not to attend his son’s funeral, as one of Rick’s friends reported that Carson found the prospect of press coverage turning the service into a spectacle unappealing.

In other words, Zehme’s exceptional journalistic skills prevent him from overlooking the unsettling qualities of his topic, which were frequently characterized as distant and reserved, yet his deep admiration for the subject might be preventing him from delving deeper into those aspects.

At the beginning of the book, Zehme draws a parallel between Carson and Sinatra, both individuals who significantly moved their audiences during challenging times. “Sinatra provided a powerful emotional bond through his performances, while Carson was skilled at providing an emotional diversion … even inducing unlikely laughter when you thought it impossible to laugh again.

The difference is that while Sinatra’s voice remains omnipresent in modern life, “the ephemeral magic of Johnny Carson, who loomed just as large and swung just as mightily … no longer hums and flickers into nightscape ambiance.”

The apprentice refers to Carson as “Carson the Extraordinary,” recognizing in him what many others did – a man whose influence sparked dreams across generations, far beyond what even the most imaginative Hollywood figure-head could have anticipated, symbolically speaking. Despite not being a movie star himself, he still managed to cast an even larger shadow.

Zehme, with Thomas’ help, was determined that the world not forget.

Mary McNamara is the Pulitzer Prize-winning culture columnist and critic for The Times.

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2024-10-28 20:32