PAAR FORTHE COURSE

He was laid back and irreverent before laid back and irreverent became cool. He brought in guests who were less Hollywood stars and more raconteurs who wove interesting stories. He told jokes that angered his network. Once, he even quit his job on live TV. He was Jack Paar and he began his run as host of NBC’s “Tonight” show 65 years ago. INVENTING THE MODERN TALK SHOW

Steve Allen — the first host of NBC’s late-night talk show, “Tonight” — came up with a lot of what we think of today as late night talk show shtick. He indulged himself and his viewers with goofy skits and pretaped man-on-the-street interviews.

But it wasn’t until Jack Paar came along as host in the summer of 1957 that “Tonight” became must-watch TV. In addition to comedy bits and whatnot, Paar put more emphasis on his sit-down chats — which, in those days, were all done on live TV. NBC wouldn’t begin videotaping “Tonight” for later broadcast for another decade or more.

Paar focused less on Hollywood stars and more on interesting figures who could tell interesting stories. He brought in guests such as philanthropist Minnie Guggenheim, gossip columnist Elsa Maxwell, humorist Alexander King and the Rev. Billy Graham. In 1959, Paar traveled to Cuba to interview rebel leader Fidel Castro. In 1961, he broadcast from Berlin, where Communist East Germany had begun building a wall. In 1962, he brought in Richard

Nixon, who had lost the 1960 presidential race and the 1962 California gubernatorial race. Nixon played a piece he had written for piano.

Perhaps one of Paar’s most famous stunts was unrehearsed and unexpected: Angry that NBC had edited out a prerecorded comedy bit from his Feb. 10, 1960, broadcast, Paar told his live audience the next night, “There must be a better way of making a living than this” and walked off the set. His sidekick, Hugh Downs, was forced to complete that night’s show.

A month later, Paar returned to his job. “I said there must be a better way of making a living,” he told

his audience. “Well, I’ve looked… and there isn’t.”

Weary of filling 1 hour and 45 minutes of airtime five nights a week, Paar left “Tonight” for good in March 1962. NBC brought him back to host a Friday prime-time variety show, “The Jack Paar Program,” that lasted nearly three years. Later still,

he hosted another late-night show, “Jack Paar Tonite,” once a month on ABC.

Paar would make various guest appearances on TV shows over the years. After a number of heart issues, he would die in 2004 at age 85.

NBC TELEVISION By Charles Apple | THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

GETTY IMAGES Before his TV career took off, Paar had appeared in several movies — including playing Marilyn Monroe’s boyfriend in 1951’s “Love Nest.”