Jack Paar

Jack Paar was an immensely creative, influential, and, for the times, edgy entertainer who starred on both radio and television. This radio show started as a 1947 summer replacement for Jack Benny on Benny's recommendation to the sponsor.

Paar's radio show was a half-hour variety show featuring monologues, satirical skits, and songs. Lucky Strike continued it on ABC into the fall season, but terminated it when Paar refused to add a running gag, like Fred Allen's "Allen's Alley," to the show. This presaged an independent (some at the time called it "temperamental") streak that was one of the hallmarks of his career.

Subsequently, Paar bounced around to various gigs in film, television, and radio, before settling in for a five year run as the host of The Tonight Show, succeeding Steve Allen, the show's first host. Paar's influence can still be seen in late night television today.

For more information, see PBS and Wikipedia.

Series description provided by Frank Bell.