Published in The Kansan City Kansan April 21, 2004, my weekly column focused on the great talk show host/comedian Jack Paar (1918-2004). By the way, the DVD set mentioned is still available at around $20.
By Steve Crum
There was a time before Letterman, Leno, and even Johnny Carson when Jack Paar dominated late night TV. A favorite question of those days, often repeated by Paar himself, was “What is Jack Paar really like?”
Since he was known for sincerity and frequently shedding tears on camera, the question was of course unnecessary. Jack Paar was who we saw five nights a week for 90 minutes per. He remains the most revealing, fascinating, what you see is what you get personality in show business history.
A three-disk DVD set, The Jack Paar Collection (Shout Video, approximately $30) is sublime nostalgia for former Paar addicts like myself, and surely an appetitive-wetting sampling for young talk show and TV history enthusiasts who missed Parr’s far too brief career. Whereas 
Johnny Carson retired after 30 years at The Tonight Show helm, Paar called it quits after five. His choice. Tired of the daily grind, Paar then hosted a popular one hour Friday evening variety-talk show for the next three years.
With little fanfare (his choice again), he retired to spend more time with his beloved wife Miriam and daughter Randy. Anyone who watched the Paar show knows these names since Jack often talked of them.
Paar certainly talks family on this nicely packaged DVD set, and he talks showbiz, too. Big time. Paar attracted THE stars of his time, including politicians (Richard Nixon, Fidel Castro, JFK, and RFK); movie stars (Bette Davis, Judy Garland, Richard Burton); sports celebs (Cassius Clay before he was Muhammad Ali); authors (Alexander King, Jack Douglas); and comedians. Bill Cosby’s career was launched on Parr’s program, and Jonathan Winters and Woody Allen certainly benefited from their appearances.
All the above are featured during a boggling six hours, 40 minutes covering the themed disks: “The Best of Jack Paar,” a PBS documentary; “Complete Interviews” + “Jack’s Favorite Monologues”; and finally three complete hour-long episodes. Some highlights:
•During a choice interview with Richard Burton in which he reminisces about Sir Winston Churchill, a DVD feature enables one to click on a detour clip of Burton performing Hamlet on Broadway.
•Vaughn Meader impersonates John F. Kennedy in a cut from his best selling First Family record album.
•Judy Garland is hilarious joking about Marlene Dietrich, and sings two show stopping numbers.
•Jack interviews the new Cuban leader Fidel Castro in Havana.
•Cassius Clay recites poetry to Liberace’s piano accompaniment.
•Robert Kennedy speaks publicly for the first time since his brother’s assassination,.
•A very young Bill Cosby does his classic sketch “Noah!”
•Jack walks off The Tonight Show after his “water closet” joke is censored.
•Senator John F. Kennedy speaks as a presidential candidate.
•Jack fights a bull in Mexico with Cliff “Charley Weaver” Arquette.
•Former announcer Hugh Downs and The Smothers Brothers recall the Paar years.
•Hear Jack’s catchphrase, “I kid you not.”
Picture quality is very good overall, considering the age and rarity of the material. All footage is in black and white. Sound is monaural and quite clear. It is a shame the original 1957-62 Paar Tonight Show years are unavailable. These were pre-videotape times when the shows were performed live.—except for Kinescoping. Footage for this set is mainly from Parr’s 1962-65 weekly show, the earliest days of videotaping.
Jack Paar did not stay retired for long after 1965. In 1973, he was lured back by ABC to host a talk show opposite none other than Johnny Carson, who had replaced him at NBC. Even with the old Paar charm and wit, and returning veteran guests like Genevieve and former regular guest Peggy Cast as his announcer, the show folded after a few weeks. Paar “came back” for two specials in the 1980s. His fourth nonfiction book, P.S. Jack Paar, was published in 1983. Then it was truly retirement to his home in Connecticut.
Paar’s career began in the Army when as a sergeant, he entertained fellow soldiers with monologues. Jack Benny was so impressed he offered Paar a radio job after military duty. Paar took Benny’s offer. That led to more radio shows, and a brief movie career that included 1951’s forgettable Love Nest, co-starring Marilyn Monroe. Quiz show hosting and a CBS morning variety show followed. Then came The Tonight Show gig.
In 1998, Paar had triple-bypass surgery complicated by an embolism. In March of last year, he suffered a mild stroke. During the years before his Jan. 27, 2004 death, Paar enjoyed friends and family. He loved painting miniature replicas of classic paintings.
“I’m complicated, sentimental, lovable, honest, loyal, decent, generous, likable, and lonely,” Paar once said. “My personality is not split, it’s shredded.” Enjoy the complicated genius of Jack Paar with this superb DVD collection.
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