Inventing Late Night: Steve Allen and the Original Tonight Show

by Ben Alba

Book Overview

"If you have ever turned on the TV after the 11 o'clock news and laughed, you owe Steve Allen a debt of gratitude." That's how Entertainment Weekly described Steve Allen's enormous contribution to American popular culture in a tribute to the legendary entertainer after his death on October 30, 2000. Steve Allen created the Tonight show -- America's longest running entertainment show and most successful late-night TV show. In so doing he led the way for other American icons: Johnny Carson, Jack Paar, David Letterman, and Jay Leno. The formula we all now take for granted did not exist before Allen: the desk, the opening monologue, breezy chats with celebrities, wacky stunts, comedy sketches, cameras roaming down the hall and outside the theater, off-the-cuff interviews with passers-by, and ad-lib banter with the studio audience. It's all great fun and it's all due to the incredibly witty, incurably silly, musically gifted, and ever-likeable Steve Allen.Based on exclusive interviews, Ben Alba has produced this wonderful history of the first Tonight show, complete with terrific photos from the show and revealing insights from over 30 entertainment legends who knew and worked with Steve Allen -- including Sid Caesar, Carl Reiner, Jonathan Winters, Don Knotts, Louis Nye, Tom Poston, Bill Dana, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, Andy Williams, Tim Conway, the Smothers Brothers, Diahann Carroll, Eartha Kitt, Bill Dana, and Doc Severinsen. In addition, Jay Leno, David Letterman, Bill Maher, Bob Costas, and other TV veterans reflect on Allen's contributions.Starting with Allen's early career in radio, Alba shows how the young radio talent developed many of the elements that would soon light up late-night television. He then highlights Allen's many innovations that made the Tonight show so appealing and enduring: the single-guest and single theme shows, road shows and live segments from across the country, Broadway shows visiting Tonight, creating a forum for jazz artistry and a groundbreaking showcase for African-American talent, musical tributes, and the use of the studio audience as a comedy goldmine.Alba has created an invaluable, entertaining, and revealing behind-the-scenes look at the birth of an American television institution and its brilliant inventor, whose influence continues to make America stay awake and laugh --night after night.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1591023424
• ISBN13: 9781591023425
• Release Date: October 2005
• Publisher: Prometheus Books
• Length: 370 Pages
• Weight: 1.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.5" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Inventing Late Night

I normally read a book in about one week. It took me a day and a half to read "Inventing Late Night" - I could not put it down! Ben Alba's book is hilarious, insightful, impeccably researched, sensitive and portrays an accurate accounting of the genesis of late night TV. He gives full credit to the genius of Steve Allen and is loaded with transcripts from many of Allen's side-splitting comedy bits. As a fan of Allen for over fifty years, I've read every accounting possible concerning his numerous contributions to TV. None is more poignant, dead on precise, humorous and intelligent than Alba's "Inventing Late Night".

Book Review-Steve Allen and Original Tonight Show

Anyone who is old enough to remember the zany antics of the original Tonight Show with Steve Allen is sure to enjoy this wonderful book. Steve was a person with so many talents--comedian, writer, lyricist, composer--and we saw all of them in those early days. This book does a great job of showing how the Tonight Show--even today--has a heritage that goes back to the marvelous genius of Steve Allen!

learning from the masters

Ben Alba has written a masterpiece that magically brings you back to the roots of television entertainment. I beleive that this book will not only remind older readers why they enjoyed Steve Allen & Company (what company!) but young readers will be left with a new appreciation of all those who have followed. It won't be long into this book before you realize that Leno, Letterman & Conan and many others did learn from the master.. Steve Allen. The musical talents that were part of this show from the beginning all went on to long successful careers. This powerful musical ensemble included Doc Severinsen, Steve Lawrence, Eydie Gorme' and Andy Williams... In Summary: A must read book will remind us how much enjoyment Steve Allen brought to our era and bring a hightened appreciation for all the shows that have followed.

INVENTING LATE NIGHT:Steve Allen And the Original Tonight Show

A great read. As a long time fan of Steve Allen... having been a fan from the very beginning of his show... I believe this marvelous book will delight those who were around back then.. and will help those who were not around back then to know and appreciate Mr. Allen's very special and wonderful talents. Ben Alba's book is a flashback to the glorious, live television days of Steve Allen and the original and best Tonight Show. It not only caused me to recall fond memories but helped me to refresh memories starting to fade... and to fill in details not previously known. Such a shame that the great Steve Allen's Tonight Show film history was not saved. But... so great that this book was written to tell the story. I have already purchased multiple copies to give to family and friends this Christmas.

A Great, Refreshing Read

"Inventing Late Night: Steve Allen and the Original Tonight Show," by Ben Alba evokes an exceptionally rich chapter in the history of popular culture even as it restores recognition to the accomplishments of host Steve Allen and his many gifted collaborators. "Inventing," is indeed the operative term. At that time, there were many blank areas in the tv program schedule, including late night; and the "national" network, in an early stage of growth, had yet to extend beyond the Eastern Seaboard. Under Steve Allen's direction, the Tonight Show was the first network program to create a late night viewership; the revenues it brought in encouraged the spread of the network across the nation. That same success afforded host Allen much creative freedom in both the format and content of his show. The former has pop culture iconic status: opening monologue; celebrity interviews at the desk; roaming cameras; insane stunts. However, the content of the show, rarely imitated, has arguably never been matched by any tv program in the range of its appeal to the mind. A decade ago, the Lounge revival in music inspired a healthy reassessment of artists like Louie Prima, Keely Smith, as well as towering icons as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr. It is intriguing to read about performers who were every bit as spontaneous, witty and jazzy as the rat packers; but who were from another world - that of New York City when high culture was still vibrant, every other layer of culture had its own appealing energy; and central to it all was nightlife. Many of the most stimulating artists of the 20th century appeared on Allen's prototypical Tonight Show. Jazz immortals like Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus and Thelonius Monk did extended sets. Occasional programs were devoted to a particular songwriter, with the composer himself at the piano -- including Richard Rodgers, Johny Mercer and others. Vocals were provided a fabulous small group of resident singers that included Andy Williams, Steve Lawrence, and Eydie Gorme. Though Steve Allen was a young man during his Tonight Show years, he displayed inspired judgment time and again. He is revealed as an exceptionally creative person who was intrigued by the immediacy and intimacy of the television medium - especially its stastonishing capacity to transmit an addictive antic energy. He also comes through as a fully principled individual unafraid to take on serious issues like capital punishment and organized crime. Author Alba writes in an engaging, transparent style. He has a mindful yet breezy perspective perfect for his subject matter. His book is filled with interviews with key figures from the early Tonight Show in which they are candid and fresh and sharp in their recollections. Though recurring editing problems are a minor annoyance, the book is a fully refreshing history of a show that provided virtually everybody connected with it with the best time in their lives.