July 29, 1957- March 30,1962.
For four years and eight months, Jack Paar reigned supreme as host of the Tonight Show with a crew of regulars, but only two stayed with him for the entire run; announcer Hugh Downs and band leader Jose Melies, a former army buddy. Familiar faces who appeared many times with Jack included Dody Goodman, Betty Johnson, Elsa Maxwell, Alexander King, Genevieve, Jack Douglas; and wife Reiko, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Hans Conried, Peggy Cass, Cliff (Charley Weaver) Arquette, and Johnathan Winters. Hugh Downs substituted for Jack Paar 79 times, more than any other substitute host there were 20 different performers over the period of the series run. Joey Bishop substituted for Paar 31 times. Arlene Francis, 30 times, Jonathan Winters, 26 times, Orson Bean, 21 times, and Johnny Carson 15 times. Altogether there were 243 broadcasts that had substitute hosts filling in for Paar during Jack Paar's TONIGHT SHOW tenure. The title of the late-night broadcast changed to THE JACK PAAR SHOW which took effect on February 3, 1958. The first videotaped broadcast aired on January 5, 1959. "Best of Paar " Re-runs began on July 10, 1959. The first color broadcast aired on September 19, news bulletin on the "Explorer I" satellite, launched today.
Jack's guest is Jonathan Winters, Arlene Francis, George Kirgo all join in a forum of round table discussion topics including the discovery of the wheel, outer space civilizations, the inevitability of war, and the intellect of friend Alexander King.
Jack Paar mentions that during last evenings show Victor Borge told a joke about a plane crash that was not know by anyone until the 11 O'clock News. Paar says that he against that type of subject as humor.
During this exchange of philosophical thinking Jack Paar, Jonathan Winters, Hugh Downs, Arlene Francis and George Kirby discuss the subject of "During the History of the World, War is Inevitable." Jonathan Winters describes his imaginary symbolic character "The Man with the Glass Head."