The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson: Burt Reynolds (June, 1986)

"Burt Reynolds Saws Johnny in Half | Carson Tonight Show. Original Airdate: June 06, 1986" 

Source:Johnny Carson enjoying Burt Reynolds magical appearance on his show. (Pun intended)

From Johnny Carson

So Burt comes out and they're just telling each other "how good is it to see each other", etc and Johnny tells Burt: 

"We've known each other what 20 years? You come out here and you have nothing to plug: no movie, no album, TV show, etc", 

and Burt says: "That right there tells you my career is insufficient". 

And Johnny says: "Well put". 

And Burt says: "That's all right. I'm here because I want to be here". 

So this small talk right here (or is that small chat?) reminds me of an interview that Johnny Carson did of comedian Steve Martin back in 1978: 

"Steve Martin tells Johnny Carson he has to leave on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” in 1978. One of the funniest moments on the Johnny Carson show! More Steve Martin on Johnny Carson’s show". 

When the fact is, Steve Martin has nowhere else to be that night: 

Doesn't have a hooker waiting to see him

Doesn't have to meet his drug dealer

Doesn't have to meet with lawyer to talk about his latest divorce or paying off his latest mistress, etc. He has nowhere else to be. Steve Martin could've jumped in the Pacific Ocean that night and tried to swim to Hawaii from California and no one in the world would have missed him... according to Steve Martin. (And I'm having a little fun with this) So why not just hang out with Johnny Carson and just kill time? 

And you can see the whole skit with Martin and Carson on The New Democrat

And then Burt was telling Johnny about turning 50 years old and he said: "And when I turned... 50" and he said it really softly 

And Johnny replies: "I didn't hear that. 

With Burt replying: "I know. Because when you get as old as you, you can't here". 

As I said on Tuesday right here: 

"I swear if Burt Reynolds didn't act full-time, he would've been a full-time standup comedian and probably 1 of the best ever, who would do comedy films, or action/comedy films, perhaps just as research for his own standup material, or just for the hell of it. He was so quick that when you put him on Johnny Carson (who was a full-time comedian) and Burt becomes the comedian and can make Johnny Carson look as straight and stiff Ted Koppel anchoring ABC News Nightline.". 

From The New Democrat

Burt comes on Carson with no script and no material to work with, comedically and he just goes off of what Carson is asking him and talking to him about and Burt Reynolds who was never a full-time standup comedian and perhaps never did standup at all, becomes the comedian on the show and Johnny becomes the straight journalist. That's how quick and funny Burt Reynolds was. 

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