# Challenge! Who is the man sitting with all the stars on Johnny Carson? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 30, 2014, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321 "2014-04-30T00:42:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/1 "2014-04-30T00:42:30Z")
[Here is the picture.](https://scontent-b-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1.0-9/10257806_10203391221998919_3316284087444893607_n.jpg) There is a bunch of people on Facebook going crazy trying to figure out who the blonde man closest to Johnny’s desk is. The others are: Danny Thomas Marlo Thomas Carol Burnett Glen Campbell Robert Young James Brolin Karen Valentine and Ed. For some reason, the man looks British to me. The Dope collectively can answer almost anything. Can you answer this? ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/2 "2014-04-30T00:51:27Z")
My first impression was that it was Hugh O’Brian. Who’s not blond, but I think it’s just the lights reflecting off his har. ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/3 "2014-04-30T01:14:53Z")
Dick Cavett? ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/4 "2014-04-30T01:32:28Z")
Has a resemblance to [Peter Mark Richman](https://www.google.com/search?q=peter+mark+richman&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=eVJgU4nvBIKTyASgxYKoAQ&sqi=2&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ&biw=1229&bih=881), but Richman would have been an unlikely talk show guest, in my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/5 "2014-04-30T01:41:34Z")
He looks very familiar, but that is definitely not Dick Cavett or Hugh O’Brian. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/6 "2014-04-30T01:43:37Z")
Zelig? ---
**Author:** ![kaiwik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaiwik/32/3978_2.png) [@kaiwik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaiwik)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/7 "2014-04-30T01:43:52Z")
Robert Young? ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/8 "2014-04-30T01:46:26Z")
> [@kaiwik](#): > > Robert Young? Robert Young is elsewhere in the photo – second right seated, next to mystery man. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/9 "2014-04-30T02:29:48Z")
Looks like it may be nominees for either the Golden Globes or the Emmy’s for 1971. All of these actors had hit shows that year. Still have no idea about the mystery man. ---
**Author:** ![nevadaexile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/10 "2014-04-30T02:59:52Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > Looks like it may be nominees for either the Golden Globes or the Emmy’s for 1971. All of these actors had hit shows that year. Still have no idea about the mystery man. Might be the winners from 1971 as Young, Brolin and Valentine all won that year. Still doesn’t help identify the mystery man.😕 ---
**Author:** ![Kelby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a587f6/32.png) [@Kelby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kelby)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/11 "2014-04-30T03:13:23Z")
Alec Guinness? ---
**Author:** ![MrKnowItAll](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrknowitall/32/87_2.png) [@MrKnowItAll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrKnowItAll)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/12 "2014-04-30T03:17:34Z")
My guess is that it’s Mike Connors, who won the Golden Globe for “Mannix” in 1970. Burnett also won a Golden Globe that year, and Robert Young was nominated. That would have been for the 27th Golden Globe Awards. I know Connors had darker hair than he appears to have in this photo, but that might just be from the lighting, particularly since he’s sitting right next to the desk. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/13 "2014-04-30T03:20:15Z")
> [@Kelby](#): > > Alec Guinness? He does bear a resemblance to Guinness, except for the sunken eyes. Guinness’ eyebrows are higher. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/14 "2014-04-30T03:22:21Z")
> [@MrKnowItAll](#): > > My guess is that it’s Mike Connors, who won the Golden Globe for “Mannix” in 1970. Burnett also won a Golden Globe that year, and Robert Young was nominated. That would have been for the 27th Golden Globe Awards. > > I know Connors had darker hair than he appears to have in this photo, but that might just be from the lighting, particularly since he’s sitting right next to the desk. Wrong eyebrows and hair line. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/15 "2014-04-30T03:27:28Z")
My guess would be George C. Scott. ---
**Author:** ![Clarisse\_McClellan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Clarisse\_McClellan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clarisse_McClellan)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/16 "2014-04-30T03:33:31Z")
Jack Warden, who in 1971 won Outstanding Performance By an Actor in a Supporting Role in Drama for Brian’s Song ---
**Author:** ![MrKnowItAll](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrknowitall/32/87_2.png) [@MrKnowItAll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrKnowItAll)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/17 "2014-04-30T03:35:05Z")
Looking over the list of nominees, Glen Campbell was up for New Star of the Year, no doubt for his work on _True Grit_. I thought there was an issue of this not being the right set for the Tonight Show in 1970, which was much more “modernized”. However, I looked at some footage from 1969, and it’s dead on. The Golden Globes were presented in January, so they probably hadn’t changed to the new set at that point. ---
**Author:** ![nevadaexile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/18 "2014-04-30T03:39:13Z")
> [@Clarisse\_McClellan](#): > > Jack Warden, who in 1971 won Outstanding Performance By an Actor in a Supporting Role in Drama for Brian’s Song Not [Jack Warden](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jack_Warden.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![nevadaexile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/19 "2014-04-30T03:41:01Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > My guess would be George C. Scott. Not [George C. Scott](http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:George_C._Scott_-_publicity.JPG). ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/20 "2014-04-30T03:42:53Z")
The description [here](http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/classic-television-revisited/images/21373838/title/marlo-thomas-photo) says it’s [Ted Bessell](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Bessell). I figure that because he’s the only one in that picture you didn’t know. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321.md?page=2)