Book review – “And now… Here’s Johnny” by Nora Ephron

I picked this up at a second hand book store only because it was (a) cheap and (b) written by Ephron, presumably as a quickie during her journo years. I say “presumably” because it’s actually a very good book, well written and entertaining, and it seems to be fair. Published in 1967, it’s a bio of the famous American Tonight Show host, about whom I have heard a lot about but never seen more than a minute’s footage of. Ephron gives background to the show, Carson’s life and early career, the false dawn of stardom (he was given his own show in the 50s but it flopped – but then he came back hosting a day time quiz show), and success on the Tonight Show. Space is also given to Jack Paar, who comes across as a more complex and interesting creature than Carson – but Carson is not without interest too: a driven, talented man, seemingly stand offish but probably just Protestant. It doesn’t shy away from his less appealing straights eg greed, sacking his manager and producer. And like a good journo Ephron lets Carson’s idiotic-sounding second wife hang herself merely by quoting her. (He eventually got rid of her a few years after this book came out.)