Hank Bradford, the clever stand-up comic who performed a half-dozen times on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson before serving a five-year stint as head writer on the program, has died. He was 88.
Bradford died Jan. 18 in Los Angeles, his family announced.
Bradford did uncredited dialogue rewrites on the Burt Reynolds-starring Smokey and the Bandit (1977) — when he got the script, “it wasn’t a comedy,” he revealed to host Mark Malkoff on a 2017 episode of The Carson Podcast — and wrote for such TV shows as M*A*S*H, Private Benjamin and Three’s Company.
The Brooklyn native made his first appearance on the Tonight Show in September 1966 when it was based in New York. He got a spot inside the writers room in 1969, succeeded Marshall Brickman as head writer in 1970 and moved with the show to Burbank in 1972.
Bradford’s role on the fabled NBC late-night program was...
Bradford died Jan. 18 in Los Angeles, his family announced.
Bradford did uncredited dialogue rewrites on the Burt Reynolds-starring Smokey and the Bandit (1977) — when he got the script, “it wasn’t a comedy,” he revealed to host Mark Malkoff on a 2017 episode of The Carson Podcast — and wrote for such TV shows as M*A*S*H, Private Benjamin and Three’s Company.
The Brooklyn native made his first appearance on the Tonight Show in September 1966 when it was based in New York. He got a spot inside the writers room in 1969, succeeded Marshall Brickman as head writer in 1970 and moved with the show to Burbank in 1972.
Bradford’s role on the fabled NBC late-night program was...
- 2/9/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In 1968, John Lennon and Paul McCartney went to New York and appeared on The Tonight Show. The pair were in the city to announce that they had established their company, Apple Corps. McCartney said he had been uneasy for much of the trip, but Lennon said he found the Tonight Show appearance particularly off-putting. He explained why he thought the interview was so embarrassing.
Ed McMahon, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and Joe Garagiola | NBCU Photo Bank John Lennon said a ‘Tonight Show’ appearance with Paul McCartney was embarrassing
When Lennon and McCartney appeared on The Tonight Show, regular host Johnny Carson was absent. In his place was guest interviewer Joe Garagiola, a former baseball player. This was Lennon and McCartney’s primary problem with the interview. After the pre-show interview, they raised an issue with the fact that Garagiola would be interviewing them.
“I told them who Joe was, all in the most laudatory terms,...
Ed McMahon, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and Joe Garagiola | NBCU Photo Bank John Lennon said a ‘Tonight Show’ appearance with Paul McCartney was embarrassing
When Lennon and McCartney appeared on The Tonight Show, regular host Johnny Carson was absent. In his place was guest interviewer Joe Garagiola, a former baseball player. This was Lennon and McCartney’s primary problem with the interview. After the pre-show interview, they raised an issue with the fact that Garagiola would be interviewing them.
“I told them who Joe was, all in the most laudatory terms,...
- 6/10/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
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