Jack Paar, who helped shape the talkshow format as host of NBC's "The Tonight Show," from 1957-62, died Tuesday at his home in Greenwich, Conn., after a long illness. He was 85.
He had quadruple bypass surgery in 1999 and suffered a stroke in early 2003. His wife and daughter were by his side when he died, according to son-in-law Stephen Wells.
Nominated for five Emmys, the witty, sardonic and intense Paar was one of the best-known names in entertainment during his "Tonight Show" years. With Paar behind the host's mic, "Tonight" was known for intelligent, emotional conversation and the electricity between host and guests.
Paar was famous for his feuds with public figures, including gossip columnists Walter Winchell and Dorothy Kilgallen, and a battle for talent with CBS' Ed Sullivan. He liked to push the envelope of network standards, and in February 1960, he tearfully quit the show on camera after NBC censored a joke that used the term "water closet," telling viewers, "There must be a better way of making a living than this."
Peacock topper Robert Sarnoff lured him back after a three-week "vacation," and his return was a national sensation.
But Paar left for good in 1962, while still in his prime, leaving the "Tonight Show" host chair to be filled by Johnny Carson.
The Canton, Ohio, native started in broadcasting as a radio announcer in Cleveland and throughout the Midwest. During World War II, he developed his comedy skills as part of a special services company that entertained the troops in the South Pacific. After the war, he worked as an actor and comic, appearing in a handful of films in the late '40s and early '50s. including "Love Nest" with rising star Marilyn Monroe.
He segued to television in the early '50s, making many appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show" and hosting the gameshow "Up to Paar." A successful guest-hosting stint on Jack Benny's radio show led to an offer to host "The Tonight Show" when the show's first host, Steve Allen, ankled in 1957.
Under Allen, "The Tonight Show" had followed a standard variety-show format, but Paar changed the show into something new -- virtually inventing the modern talkshow format.
Paar wanted intelligent talk, and that's what he got. He scored a coup in 1960 when presidential candidates John Kennedy and Richard Nixon made separate appearances on the show, visited Albert Schweitzer in Africa and talked religion with Billy Graham. He refused to pander to stars promoting projects. "You didn't get on if you didn't have anything to say, if I didn't trust you," he once said.
Paar helped launch the careers of Woody Allen, Liza Minnelli and Carol Burnett, and he assembled a talented group of regulars for the show, including humorist Alexander King, thesp Cliff Arquette, Peggy Cass and Hans Conried. His announcer-sidekick was Hugh Downs.
After leaving "The Tonight Show," Paar went on to host "The Jack Paar Program," a primetime variety show, from September 1962 until '65. He later produced primetime documentaries introducing Americans to world cultures. He was also the author of several books, including "I Kid You Not." (As reported by VARIETY)
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