Word: carsoni
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...Born in Corning, Iowa, and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska, Carson found his calling when he read a magic book. He dubbed himself the Great Carsoni and quickly learned - or found within himself, the secrets of conjuring -misdirection, poise, timing, a commanding personality -which are also the secrets of standup comedy. His model was Jack Benny, the radio comedian. Benny could pull a laugh out of a sour audience with only a pause and a stare, which was pretty daring for an aural medium. Dick Cavett, who would later write for Carson and host his own talk show...
...gimmick of using two guys instead of two skis was too good to pass up. Which explains what Johnny was doing skimming around on the rib cages of two skiing champs, Dave Dershimer and Joe Powroznik, while filming his first TV special, "Johnny Carson Discovers Cypress Gardens." The great Carsoni, who has not been water-skiing for nearly twelve years, even did his opening monologue riding around the lake on the shoulders of two skiers before they dumped him unceremoniously on the beach. Said Johnny: "The ride wasn't too bad, but you guys really oughta practice your landing...
...Philadelphia housewife and secretary), "whenever the family wants to needle John, we say, Take a card, take a card.' " Still, determination paid off. At 14, Johnny was a pro. His mother stitched up an impressive black banner emblazoned with yellow Chinese-like characters reading THE GREAT CARSONI, and Johnny played the Norfolk Rotary Club and local parties...
Cleopatra. From high school in 1943, the Great Carsoni joined the Navy V12 program, served aboard the U.S.S. Pennsylvania and later in Guam. He saw no combat, but he had plenty of time to polish his magic act and work on ventriloquism. He recalls that he devoted a long night to decoding a Navy message, and delivered it to the admiral's quarters at 7 a.m. Visiting with the admiral was Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal, who asked the young ensign what he was going to do after the war. "I hadn't really given it much...
Carson started in show business in his home town of Norfolk, Neb., where at twelve he appeared as The Great Carsoni, the mitey master of magic and ventriloquism (he can still do both). After graduation as a journalism major from the University of Nebraska, he became a disk jockey, was a writer for CBS's Red Skelton, then quipster-quiz-master for ABC's afternoon Who Do You Trust? And in his five years of squeezing comedy out of contestants, Carson found just the honing he needed for The Tonight Show...
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