Hal Gurnee

Director


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About
About this interview

In his four-hour interview, Hal Gurnee talks about his early years, and his first job in television, working at the DuMont Network with stars like Dennis James and Jackie Gleason. He describes starting as a director on Tonight Starring Jack Paar, detailing many aspects of the show, including favorite guests, announcer Hugh Downs, trips to Cuba and the Berlin Wall, and Paar’s infamous walk-out. He recounts directing a few other talk and variety shows, like The Jimmy Dean Show, The Garry Moore Show, and Jack Paar’s comeback attempt on ABC, Jack Paar Tonite. Gurnee discusses his long association with directing David Letterman’s talk shows, starting with The David Letterman Show in 1980, Late Night with David Letterman, and Late Show with David Letterman. He speaks of many aspects of Letterman’s shows including famous bits like Stupid Pet Tricks, memorable guests like Madonna and Andy Kaufman, and directing remotes out of the studio, one of which featured Johnny Carson in a cameo. He concludes by discussing what he enjoyed about directing television, and giving an overview of his career. Ron Simon conducted the interview on December 14, 2018 in New York, NY.

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.

"I don't think David Letterman and I ever had a conversation about what was on the air. But one day, he gave me the greatest compliment from him. He said 'You know, Hal, I think you're the oddest person I ever met.' And that was it."

People Talking About ...
Highlights
Hal Gurnee on some of his favorite Tonight Starring Jack Paar guests, including Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, and James Cagney
03:18
Hal Gurnee on the popularity of Tonight Starring Jack Paar, and on Paar's feud with Walter Winchell
01:54
Hal Gurnee on the early qualities that made David Letterman a good host on The David Letterman Show, and on introducing him to Jack Paar
02:50
Hal Gurnee on working with the Late Night with David Letterman writing staff, and on bits like the SkyCam and the ThrillCam
03:09
Hal Gurnee on classic Late Night with David Letterman bits including the velcro suit, and the Alka-Seltzer suit
01:53
Hal Gurnee on moving to CBS to direct Late Show with David Letterman from The Ed Sullivan Theater
06:31
Full Interview

Play Full Interview

Chapter 1

On his early life and influences; on his earliest experiences of television; on his first television job, at the DuMont Television Network as a page
On some of the shows at DuMont during his time there; on early network sports broadcasts; on working on Jackie Gleason's Cavalcade of Stars
On how he came to work on Tonight Starring Jack Paar; on the production of Tonight Starring Jack Paar; on Jack Paar, and on the importance of the show
On becoming the director of Tonight Starring Jack Paar; on the Tonight Starring Jack Paar set, and on working with Paar and announcer Hugh Downs; on Paar dealing with NBC and the producers of the show
On his voice being heard on-air at times on Tonight Starring Jack Paar; on the popularity of Tonight Starring Jack Paar, and on Paar's feud with Walter Winchell; on Paar becoming bored with his show
On the Tonight Starring Jack Paar audience and orchestra; on Jack Paar doing live commercials during Tonight Starring Jack Paar; on NBC not saving the tapes of the show
On Tonight Starring Jack Paar announcer Hugh Downs; on Tonight Starring Jack Paar regulars Cliff Arquette as "Charlie Weaver," Alexander King, Dody Goodman, and Peggy Cass; on directing the show from the Berlin Wall a few months after the wall went up

Chapter 2

On the responsibilities of the crew working under the director on a show; on Jack Paar having John and Bobby Kennedy, and Richard Nixon on as guests on Tonight Starring Jack Paar at various times; on some of his favorite Tonight Starring Jack Paar guests, including Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, and James Cagney
On Jack Paar walking off the set of Tonight Starring Jack Paar during a broadcast, forcing Hugh Downs to take over; on NBC executive Sylvester L. "Pat" Weaver's role in getting Tonight Starring Jack Paar on the air; on the legacy of Tonight Starring Jack Paar
On directing Tonight after Jack Paar and before Johnny Carson, with a series of guest hosts, including Jerry Lewis; on directing the weekly The Jack Paar Program starting in 1962; on The Jack Paar Program showing footage of The Beatles from England a few weeks before they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show
On shooting the pilot for the American version of That Was the Week that Was; on the end of The Jack Paar Program
On directing The Jimmy Dean Show, featuring Jim Henson's "Rowlf the Dog" Muppet; on directing The Garry Moore Show; on Lily Tomlin on The Garry Moore Show, and on the show being taped at The Ed Sullivan Theater
On directing The David Frost Show; on Robert Mitchum appearing on The David Frost Show; on retiring and coming back for Jack Paar Tonite

Chapter 3

On moving to Ireland, and on directing some PBS music shows; on being coaxed out of retirement to direct The David Letterman Show; on what it was like returning to directing talk shows with The David Letterman Show, and on what made the show different
On David Letterman rehearsing and working out bits for The David Letterman Show; on the early qualities that made David Letterman a good host on The David Letterman Show, and on introducing him to Jack Paar; on The David Letterman Show producer Barry Sand
On his friendship with David Letterman during his years directing Late Night with David Letterman; on The David Letterman Show being cancelled after a short run, and on the show winning a daytime Emmy; on coming back with Letterman to direct Late Night with David Letterman in 1982
On the opening of the first episode of Late Night with David Letterman with Larry "Bud" Melman; on the differences between The David Letterman Show and Late Night with David Letterman; on Bill Murray being the first guest on Late Night with David Letterman
On how David Letterman compared to other talk show hosts he worked with, and on Letterman on air persona on Late Night with David Letterman; on working with the Late Night with David Letterman writing staff, and on bits like the SkyCam and the ThrillCam; on David Letterman doing remotes outside the studio on Late Night with David Letterman
On directing an episode of Late Night with David Letterman in an airplane; on how GE taking over NBC impacted Late Night with David Letterman; on doing on-air bits on Late Night with David Letterman, including "Hal Gurnee's Network Time Killers"
On Late Night with David Letterman announcer Bill Wendell, stage manager Biff Henderson, and writer/performer Chris Elliott; on classic Late Night with David Letterman bits including the velcro suit, and the akla seltzer suit; on classic Late Night with David Letterman bits like Stupid Pet Tricks and the Top Ten List
On classic Late Night with David Letterman bits like Small Town News, and destroying objects; on special episodes of Late Night with David Letterman like the Custom Made Show and the 360 Degrees Show; on David Letterman's interview style, and on favorite guests
On Andy Kaufman appearing on Late Night with David Letterman ; on the Sonny and Cher reunion show on Late Night with David Letterman ; on Darlene Love appearing on Late Night with David Letterman and on Larry "Bud" Melman dressed as Santa Claus
On Marv Albert and Donald Trump appearing on Late Night with David Letterman; on having Jack Paar as a guest on Late Night with David Letterman; on Johnny Carson appearing on Late Night with David Letterman

Chapter 4

On the opening sequences to Late Night with David Letterman; on working with Late Night with David Letterman musical director Paul Shaffer; on David Letterman's temper and on his not being chosen to host The Tonight Show
On moving to CBS to direct Late Show with David Letterman from The Ed Sullivan Theater; on making the transition from Late Night with David Letterman to Late Show with David Letterman; on taking on the role of supervising producer in addition to directing for Late Show with David Letterman
On directing the first episode of Late Show with David Letterman and on the running bits on the show; on Madonna's infamous appearance on Late Show with David Letterman and other memorable guests; on being honored with Emmy Awards for his work on Late Show with David Letterman
On retiring from Late Show with David Letterman; on directing The Chris Rock Show and The Man Show; on the final episode of Late Show with David Letterman
On David Letterman's legacy, and on where he fits in the pantheon of talk show hosts; on the Directors Guild of America; on what he likes about directing television
On his mentors, including Jack Paar and Garry Moore; on advice to aspiring television directors; on his then-current television watching habits
On career achievements and regrets; on how he would like to be remembered
Shows

Cavalcade of Stars

View Show Page
Hal Gurnee on working on Jackie Gleason's Cavalcade of Stars
02:27

Chris Rock Show, The

View Show Page
Hal Gurnee on directing The Chris Rock Show
01:12

David Frost Show, The

View Show Page
Hal Gurnee on directing The David Frost Show
06:14
Hal Gurnee on Robert Mitchum appearing on The David Frost Show
02:28

David Letterman Show, The

View Show Page
Hal Gurnee on being coaxed out of retirement to direct The David Letterman Show
03:52
Hal Gurnee on what it was like returning to directing talk shows with The David Letterman Show, and on what made the show different
06:26
Hal Gurnee on David Letterman rehearsing and working out bits for The David Letterman Show
01:31
Hal Gurnee on the early qualities that made David Letterman a good host on The David Letterman Show, and on introducing him to Jack Paar
02:50
Hal Gurnee on The David Letterman Show producer Barry Sand
00:31
Hal Gurnee on The David Letterman Show being cancelled after a short run, and on the show winning a Daytime Emmy
04:30
Hal Gurnee on the differences between The David Letterman Show and Late Night with David Letterman
01:21

Garry Moore Show, The

View Show Page
Hal Gurnee on directing The Garry Moore Show
02:49
Hal Gurnee on being fired from The Garry Moore Show for punching Joe Cates
02:31
Hal Gurnee on Garry Moore and his former co-star Carol Burnett
01:37
Hal Gurnee on Lily Tomlin on The Garry Moore Show
01:13
Hal Gurnee on directing The Garry Moore Show from The Ed Sullivan Theater on CBS
01:52

Jack Paar Program, The (1962-65)

View Show Page
Hal Gurnee on directing the weekly The Jack Paar Program, starting in 1962
03:30
Hal Gurnee on The Jack Paar Program showing footage of The Beatles from England a few weeks before they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show
01:52
Hal Gurnee on the end of The Jack Paar Program
03:19

Jack Paar Tonite

View Show Page
Hal Gurnee on retiring and going to back to work for Jack Paar Tonite
04:55

Jimmy Dean Show, The

View Show Page
Hal Gurnee on directing The Jimmy Dean Show, featuring Jim Henson's "Rowlf the Dog" Muppet
04:47
Hal Gurnee on Jimmy Dean having an idea for The Jimmy Dean Show that was a forerunner to reality television
02:38

Late Night with David Letterman

View Show Page
Hal Gurnee on his relationship with David Letterman during his years directing Late Night with David Letterman
01:45
Hal Gurnee on coming back with Letterman to direct Late Night with David Letterman in 1982
01:16
Hal Gurnee on the opening of the first episode of Late Night with David Letterman with Larry "Bud" Melman
01:58
Hal Gurnee on the differences between The David Letterman Show and Late Night with David Letterman
01:21
Hal Gurnee on Bill Murray being the first guest on Late Night with David Letterman
01:16
Hal Gurnee on how David Letterman compared to other talk show hosts Gurnee worked with, and on Letterman's on-air persona on Late Night with David Letterman
02:15
Hal Gurnee on working with the Late Night with David Letterman writing staff, and on bits like the SkyCam and the ThrillCam
03:09
Hal Gurnee on David Letterman doing remotes outside the studio on Late Night with David Letterman
02:45
Hal Gurnee on directing an episode of Late Night with David Letterman in an airplane
01:56
Hal Gurnee on how GE taking over NBC impacted Late Night with David Letterman
02:19
Hal Gurnee on doing on-air bits on Late Night with David Letterman, including "Hal Gurnee's Network Time Killers"
02:05
Hal Gurnee on Late Night with David Letterman announcer Bill Wendell
01:28
Hal Gurnee on Late Night with David Letterman stage manager Biff Henderson
01:01
Hal Gurnee on Late Night with David Letterman writer/performer Chris Elliott
01:12
Hal Gurnee on classic Late Night with David Letterman bits including the velcro suit, and the Alka-Seltzer suit
01:53
Hal Gurnee on classic Late Night with David Letterman bits like "Stupid Pet Tricks" and the "Top Ten List"
02:42
Hal Gurnee on classic Late Night with David Letterman bits like "Small Town News," and destroying objects
01:35
Hal Gurnee on special episodes of Late Night with David Letterman, like the "Custom Made Show" and the "360 Degrees Show"
01:08
Hal Gurnee on David Letterman's interview style, and on favorite guests
02:31
Hal Gurnee on Andy Kaufman appearing on Late Night with David Letterman
01:23
Hal Gurnee on the Sonny and Cher reunion show on
00:36
Hal Gurnee on Darlene Love appearing on Late Night with David Letterman, and on Larry "Bud" Melman dressed as Santa Claus
01:42
Hal Gurnee on Marv Albert and Donald Trump appearing on Late Night with David Letterman
02:37
Hal Gurnee on having Jack Paar as a guest on Late Night with David Letterman
01:23
Hal Gurnee on Johnny Carson appearing on Late Night with David Letterman
01:34
Hal Gurnee on the opening sequences to Late Night with David Letterman
02:15
Hal Gurnee on working with Late Night with David Letterman musical director Paul Shaffer
01:47
Hal Gurnee on David Letterman's temper, and on his not being chosen to host The Tonight Show
04:22

Late Show with David Letterman

View Show Page
Hal Gurnee on moving to CBS to direct Late Show with David Letterman from The Ed Sullivan Theater
06:31
Hal Gurnee on making the transition from Late Night with David Letterman to Late Show with David Letterman
02:23
Hal Gurnee on taking on the role of supervising producer in addition to directing for Late Show with David Letterman
01:12
Hal Gurnee on directing the first episode of Late Show with David Letterman, and on the running bits on the show
02:45
Hal Gurnee on Madonna's infamous appearance on Late Show with David Letterman and other memorable guests
04:26
Hal Gurnee on being honored with Emmy Awards for his work on Late Show with David Letterman
02:01
Hal Gurnee on retiring from Late Show with David Letterman
01:21
Hal Gurnee on the final episode of Late Show with David Letterman
00:52

Man Show, The

View Show Page
Hal Gurnee on directing Jimmy Kimmel's The Man Show
00:58

That Was the Week that Was

View Show Page
Hal Gurnee on shooting the pilot for the American version of That Was the Week that Was
02:56

Tonight

View Show Page
Hal Gurnee on directing Tonight after Jack Paar and before Johnny Carson, with a series of guest hosts including Jerry Lewis
05:15
Hal Gurnee on various guest hosts of Tonight between Jack Paar and Johnny Carson, including Merv Griffin and Jack E. Leonard
01:47

Tonight Starring Jack Paar aka The Jack Paar Show

View Show Page
Hal Gurnee on how he came to work on Tonight Starring Jack Paar
03:55
Hal Gurnee on the production of Tonight Starring Jack Paar
01:41
Hal Gurnee on Jack Paar, and on the importance of Tonight Starring Jack Paar
02:02
Hal Gurnee on becoming the director of Tonight Starring Jack Paar
06:33
Hal Gurnee on the Tonight Starring Jack Paar set, and on working with Paar and announcer Hugh Downs
01:58
Hal Gurnee on Jack Paar dealing with NBC and the producers of Tonight Starring Jack Paar
01:28
Hal Gurnee on his voice being heard on-air on Tonight Starring Jack Paar while he was directing
02:01
Hal Gurnee on the popularity of Tonight Starring Jack Paar, and on Paar's feud with Walter Winchell
01:54
Hal Gurnee on Jack Paar becoming bored with Tonight Starring Jack Paar
00:45
Hal Gurnee on the Tonight Starring Jack Paar audience and orchestra
03:12
Hal Gurnee on Jack Paar doing live commercials during Tonight Starring Jack Paar
01:08
Hal Gurnee on there being very few taped episodes of Tonight Starring Jack Paar in existence
01:32
Hal Gurnee on Tonight Starring Jack Paar announcer Hugh Downs
01:57
Hal Gurnee on Cliff Arquette as "Charlie Weaver" on Tonight Starring Jack Paar
01:13
Hal Gurnee on Alexander King on Tonight Starring Jack Paar
01:07
Hal Gurnee on Dody Goodman and Peggy Cass on Tonight Starring Jack Paar
00:55
Hal Gurnee on directing Tonight Starring Jack Paar from the Berlin Wall
05:15
Hal Gurnee on Tonight Starring Jack Paar going to Cuba
00:52
Hal Gurnee on Jack Paar having John and Bobby Kennedy, and Richard Nixon on as guests on Tonight Starring Jack Paar at various times
02:47
Hal Gurnee on some of his favorite Tonight Starring Jack Paar guests, including Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, and James Cagney
03:18
Hal Gurnee on William F. Buckley Jr. appearing on Tonight Starring Jack Paar
01:03
Hal Gurnee on Woody Allen appearing on Tonight Starring Jack Paar
01:30
Hal Gurnee on Jack Paar walking off the set of Tonight Starring Jack Paar during a broadcast, forcing Hugh Downs to take over
04:36
Hal Gurnee on NBC executive Sylvester L. "Pat" Weaver's role in getting Tonight Starring Jack Paar on the air
02:26
Hal Gurnee on Jack Paar's decision to leave Tonight Starring Jack Paar in 1962
01:47
Hal Gurnee on the legacy of Tonight Starring Jack Paar
01:39
Topics

Advice

View Topic
Hal Gurnee on advice to aspiring television directors
02:22

Cold War

View Topic
Hal Gurnee on directing Tonight Starring Jack Paar from the Berlin Wall
06:16

Creative Influences and Inspiration

View Topic
Hal Gurnee on his mentors, including Jack Paar and Garry Moore
00:41

Emmy Awards

View Topic
Hal Gurnee on The David Letterman Show being cancelled after a short run, and on the show winning a Daytime Emmy
04:30
Hal Gurnee on being honored with Emmys for his work on Late Show with David Letterman
02:01

First Big Break

View Topic
Hal Gurnee on his first television job, at the DuMont Television Network as a page
02:35

Historic Events and Social Change

View Topic
Hal Gurnee on directing Tonight Starring Jack Paar from the Berlin Wall
06:16

John F. Kennedy

View Topic
Hal Gurnee on Jack Paar having John and Bobby Kennedy, and Richard Nixon on as guests on Tonight Starring Jack Paar at various times
02:47

Memorable Moments on Television

View Topic
Hal Gurnee on Jack Paar walking off the set of Tonight Starring Jack Paar during a broadcast, forcing Hugh Downs to take over
04:36

Pivotal Career Moments

View Topic
Hal Gurnee on his first television job, at the DuMont Television Network as a page
02:35
Hal Gurnee on becoming the director Tonight Starring Jack Paar
06:33
Hal Gurnee on his mentors, including Jack Paar and Garry Moore
00:41

Pop Culture

View Topic
Hal Gurnee on The Jack Paar Program showing footage of The Beatles from England a few weeks before they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show
01:52

Richard M. Nixon

View Topic
Hal Gurnee on Jack Paar having John and Bobby Kennedy, and Richard Nixon on as guests on Tonight Starring Jack Paar at various times
02:47

Rock 'n' Roll on TV (1950s & '60s)

View Topic
Hal Gurnee on The Jack Paar Program showing footage of The Beatles from England a few weeks before they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show
01:52

Television Industry

View Topic
Hal Gurnee on advice to aspiring television directors
02:22

Television and the Presidency

View Topic
Hal Gurnee on Jack Paar having John and Bobby Kennedy, and Richard Nixon on as guests on Tonight Starring Jack Paar at various times
02:47

War

View Topic
Hal Gurnee on directing Tonight Starring Jack Paar from the Berlin Wall
06:16
Professions

Directors

View Profession
Hal Gurnee on the responsibilities of the crew working under the director on a show
04:54
Hal Gurnee on what he likes about directing television
01:21
Hal Gurnee on advice to aspiring television directors
02:22
Genres

Comedy Series

View Genre
Hal Gurnee on shooting the pilot for the American version of That Was the Week that Was
02:56

Late Night

View Genre
Hal Gurnee on directing Late Night with David Letterman
08:24
Hal Gurnee on directing Late Show with David Letterman
20:41

Music Shows & Variety Shows/Specials

View Genre
Hal Gurnee on working on Jackie Gleason's Cavalcade of Stars
02:27
Hal Gurnee on directing The Jimmy Dean Show
07:29
Hal Gurnee on directing The Garry Moore Show
10:04

Sports

View Genre
Hal Gurnee on early sports broadcasts on television
01:24

Talk Shows

View Genre
Hal Gurnee on directing Tonight Starring Jack Paar
39:44
Hal Gurnee on directing Tonight Starring Jack Paar and The Jack Paar Program
42:37
Hal Gurnee on directing The David Frost Show
13:39
Hal Gurnee on directing The David Letterman Show
21:26
Hal Gurnee on directing Late Night with David Letterman
43:22
People

Woody Allen

View Person Page
Hal Gurnee on Woody Allen appearing on Tonight Starring Jack Paar
01:30

Cliff Arquette

View Person Page
Hal Gurnee on Cliff Arquette as "Charlie Weaver" on Tonight Starring Jack Paar
01:13

William F. Buckley, Jr.

View Person Page
Hal Gurnee on William F. Buckley Jr. appearing on Tonight Starring Jack Paar
01:03

Carol Burnett

View Interview Page
Hal Gurnee on Garry Moore and his former co-star Carol Burnett
01:37

James Cagney

View Person Page
Hal Gurnee on James Cagney being one of his favorite Tonight Starring Jack Paar guests
00:53

Johnny Carson

View Person Page
Hal Gurnee on Johnny Carson appearing on Late Night with David Letterman
01:33

Peggy Cass

View Person Page
Hal Gurnee on Dody Goodman and Peggy Cass on Tonight Starring Jack Paar
00:55

Joseph Cates

View Person Page
Hal Gurnee on being fired from The Garry Moore Show for punching Joseph Cates
02:31

Cher

View Person Page
Hal Gurnee on the Sonny and Cher reunion show on Late Night with David Letterman
00:36

Jimmy Dean

View Person Page
Hal Gurnee on directing The Jimmy Dean Show, featuring Jim Henson's "Rowlf the Dog" Muppet
04:51

Hugh Downs

View Interview Page
Hal Gurnee on the Tonight Starring Jack Paar set, and on working with Paar and announcer Hugh Downs
01:59
Hal Gurnee on Tonight Starring Jack Paar announcer Hugh Downs
01:57
Hal Gurnee on Jack Paar walking off the set of Tonight Starring Jack Paar during a broadcast, forcing Hugh Downs to take over
04:36

Chris Elliott

View Person Page
Hal Gurnee on Late Night with David Letterman writer/performer Chris Elliott
01:12

David Frost

View Person Page
Hal Gurnee on directing The David Frost Show
06:14

Judy Garland

View Person Page
Hal Gurnee on Judy Garland being one of his favorite Tonight Starring Jack Paar guests
01:01

Jackie Gleason

View Person Page
Hal Gurnee on working on Jackie Gleason's Cavalcade of Stars
02:27

Merv Griffin

View Person Page
Hal Gurnee on various guest hosts of Tonight between Jack Paar and Johnny Carson, including Merv Griffin and Jack E. Leonard
01:47

Jim Henson

View Person Page
Hal Gurnee on directing The Jimmy Dean Show, featuring Jim Henson's "Rowlf the Dog" Muppet
04:51

Dennis James

View Person Page
Hal Gurnee on Okay, Mother featuring Dennis James, and on assistant directing wrestling broadcasts
03:57

Robert F. Kennedy

View Person Page
Hal Gurnee on Jack Paar having John and Bobby Kennedy, and Richard Nixon on as guests on Tonight Starring Jack Paar at various times
02:47

John F. Kennedy

View Person Page
Hal Gurnee on Jack Paar having John and Bobby Kennedy, and Richard Nixon on as guests on Tonight Starring Jack Paar at various times
02:47

David Letterman

View Person Page
Hal Gurnee on being coaxed out of retirement to direct The David Letterman Show
03:52
Hal Gurnee on David Letterman rehearsing and working out bits for The David Letterman Show
01:31
Hal Gurnee on the early qualities that made David Letterman a good host on The David Letterman Show, and on introducing him to Jack Paar
02:50
Hal Gurnee on his relationship with David Letterman during his years directing Late Night with David Letterman
01:45
Hal Gurnee on how David Letterman compared to other talk show hosts he worked with, and on Letterman's on-air persona on Late Night with David Letterman
02:15
Hal Gurnee on David Letterman doing remotes outside the studio on Late Night with David Letterman
02:45
Hal Gurnee on David Letterman's interview style, and on favorite guests
02:31
Hal Gurnee on David Letterman's legacy, and on where he fits in the pantheon of talk show hosts
02:15
Hal Gurnee on David Letterman's temper, and on his not being chosen to host The Tonight Show
04:22

Jerry Lewis

View Interview Page
Hal Gurnee on directing Tonight after Jack Paar and before Johnny Carson, with a series of guest hosts including Jerry Lewis
05:15

Madonna

View Person Page
Hal Gurnee on Madonna's infamous appearance on Late Show with David Letterman and other memorable guests
04:26

Robert Mitchum

View Person Page
Hal Gurnee on Robert Mitchum appearing on The David Frost Show
02:29

Garry Moore

View Person Page
Hal Gurnee on directing The Garry Moore Show
02:49
Hal Gurnee on his mentors, including Jack Paar and Garry Moore
00:41

Bill Murray

View Person Page
Hal Gurnee on Bill Murray being the first guest on Late Night with David Letterman
01:16

Richard M. Nixon

View Person Page
Hal Gurnee on Jack Paar having John and Bobby Kennedy, and Richard Nixon on as guests on Tonight Starring Jack Paar at various times
02:47

Jack Paar

View Person Page
Hal Gurnee on how he came to work on Tonight Starring Jack Paar
03:55
Hal Gurnee on the production of Tonight Starring Jack Paar
01:41
Hal Gurnee on Jack Paar dealing with NBC and the producers of Tonight Starring Jack Paar
01:28
Hal Gurnee on the popularity of Tonight Starring Jack Paar, and on Paar's feud with Walter Winchell
01:54
Hal Gurnee on directing Tonight Starring Jack Paar from the Berlin Wall
06:16
Hal Gurnee on Jack Paar becoming bored with Tonight Starring Jack Paar
00:45
Hal Gurnee on retiring and going back to work for Jack Paar Tonite
04:55
Hal Gurnee on the early qualities that made David Letterman a good host on The David Letterman Show, and on introducing him to Jack Paar
02:50
Hal Gurnee on having Jack Paar as a guest on Late Night with David Letterman
01:22
Hal Gurnee on mentors, including Jack Paar and Garry Moore
00:41

Chris Rock

View Person Page
Hal Gurnee on directing The Chris Rock Show
01:12

Mickey Rooney

View Interview Page
Hal Gurnee on Mickey Rooney being drunk when he was a guest on Tonight Starring Jack Paar
01:24

Paul Shaffer

View Interview Page
Hal Gurnee on working with Late Night with David Letterman musical director Paul Shaffer
01:46

Ed Sullivan

View Person Page
Hal Gurnee on The Jack Paar Program showing footage of The Beatles from England a few weeks before they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show
01:52

Lily Tomlin

View Person Page
Hal Gurnee on Lily Tomlin on The Garry Moore Show
01:14

Donald J. Trump

View Person Page
Hal Gurnee on Donald Trump appearing on Late Night with David Letterman
02:14

Sylvester L. "Pat" Weaver

View Person Page
Hal Gurnee on NBC executive Sylvester L. "Pat" Weaver's role in getting Tonight Starring Jack Paar on the air
02:26

Walter Winchell

View Person Page
Hal Gurnee on the popularity of Tonight Starring Jack Paar, and on Paar's feud with Walter Winchell
01:54

All Interviews

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