Ed McMahon passed away overnight, at the age of 86, surrendering his role as the prototype first of and at the same time, the last of, the television sidekick.
For most of his career he was paired, inseparably, with Johnny Carson, the IronMan of late night talk shows. As an aside, Pat Weaver (that would be Sigourney Weaver’s dad) was the guy who back in the mists of time figured that America needed some kind of late-night gabfest with a host and a sidekick and a band on TV to while away the after-11 pm hours.
McMahon’s job was to have a hearty laugh and do the live commercials from time to time. Of course, McMahon did more than that, but the job description is only a paragraph or two, if you stretch it out. Ed McMahon was very much the master of playing straight, or feeding a line, or simply being Ed to the Tonight Show machine.
There was of course, much more. He was a fighter pilot with the Marines in WWII, then flew as a Tactical Air Controller and artillery spotter in Korea, retiring with the rank of Colonel. You would have never know it to look at his public persona. He was Brigadier General in the California Air National Guard.
Which brings us to his passing, assuming they have television in the Afterlife, there will be one heck of a Tonight show, tonight. Johnny and Ed. The original Tonight Show band leader, Skitch Henderson is sitting in and Freddie de Cordova, the long-time director is up in the booth.
As for the guests? A lot of it would depend on who the bookers could get: Judy Garland? Groucho? Ernie Kovacs? Jack Paar? Frank, Dino and Sammy? Senor Wences? George Carlin?
Perhaps there will be a piece with Carnac the Magnificent telling Ed McMahon’s favourite joke:
Sis boom, bah.
Describe the sound made when a sheep explodes.
Good night Ed.
RoadDave 