I JOINED "THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON" IN AUGUST OF 1973. HIRED AS A TALENT COORDINATOR, MY JOB WAS TO CHAT WITH AND PREPARE THE NOTES FOR GUESTS APPEARING ON THE PROGRAM. MY VERY FIRST ASSIGNMENT AND INTERVIEW WAS WITH JACK PALANCE.
INITIALLY HE WAS HARD TO TALK TO BUT HE FINALLY WARMED UP AND IT WAS THEN I LEARNED THAT THIS GUY--WHO WE ALL KNEW MOSTLY AS A HARD-EDGED SCREEN VILLAIN--WAS IN FACT A CULTURED MAN WHO LIKED TO WRITE POETRY. THAT WAS THE "HOOK" I NEEDED! AFTER CONVINCING HIM TO SHARE ONE OF HIS POEMS ON THAT FIRST SHOW, HE EVENTUALLY BECAME A REGULAR AND THE HIGHLIGHT OF EVERY VISIT WAS WHEN HE READ ONE OF HIS WRITINGS FOR JOHNNY AND THE VIEWERS.
HE WAS A DECENT, NICE MAN AND I WILL MISS THE FACT THAT HE IS NO LONGER WITH US.
Posted by: Howard Papush Los Angeles, CA November 13, 2006