# 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:** 10
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/181 "2014-05-01T13:14:28Z")
So what were the circumstances that led to the testing and validation of that special skill? ---
**Author:** ![nevadaexile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/182 "2014-05-01T13:16:04Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Say … what does Marcel Marceau look like without his makeup? This. Awful film,BTW. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/183 "2014-05-01T13:26:27Z")
It definitely could be Marcel Marceau. In fact, he’s the best suggestion so far. What is that brown-ish, bronze-ish band around his right calf? Marlo is wearing a bracelet around her upper left arm. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/184 "2014-05-01T13:33:06Z")
> [@nevadaexile](#): > > This. > > Awful film,BTW. You suck at making links. You keep using MSWord smart quotes. [Corrected link](http://mykindofstory.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/william-castle-shanks-01.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/185 "2014-05-01T13:35:00Z")
A thought occurred to me while I was out taking a walk… This could well have been an episode of _ **Tonight** _ where Johnny had a guest host. If it was, that would explain why Johnny isn’t in the picture _at all_, and why the Mystery Man (guest host?) isn’t seated in Johnny’s place. I’m inclined to think this was a photo op staged for an episode honoring 1970’s Emmy Award winners, and placing him in the armchair was the best way to get them all in one full-frontal group. In this case, it’s more likely that the Mystery Man is Sid Caesar (though I’m still not ready to say unequivocally that it is). It’s much less likely Richman would have been asked to guest host; he was neither a comedian not a star the calibre of Caesar. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/186 "2014-05-01T13:51:58Z")
It would also explain why _everyone_\* except\*\* the Mystery Man\* was listed as a guest that night. I don’t recall that either _ **Tonight** _ or NBC publicized guest hosts in advance. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/187 "2014-05-01T13:54:54Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Say … what does Marcel Marceau look like without his makeup? 1962 : [File:Marcel Marceau (1962).jpg - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Marcel_Marceau_%281962%29.jpg) 1974: [File:Marcel Marceau - AP 1974.jpg - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Marcel_Marceau_-_AP_1974.jpg) ---
**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:** [May 1, 2014, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/188 "2014-05-01T14:29:54Z")
I vote for Richman. From looking at a close up of the color pic, it is the closest resemblance. ---
**Author:** ![Cartoonacy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/848f3c/32.png) [@Cartoonacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartoonacy)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/189 "2014-05-01T15:12:53Z")
If it’s true that these are the Photoplay award winners, is it possible that the mystery man is a representative of Photoplay magazine? Perhaps the publisher, an editor, or a columnist? I searched, but only found that Photoplay was founded by James Quirk, who died in 1932. I found a lot of references to his nephew, author and critic Lawrence J. Quirk, but an image search on the name (and also on “Larry Quirk”) only returned pictures of random celebrities. ---
**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:** [May 1, 2014, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/190 "2014-05-01T15:16:53Z")
I demand an end to all other internet activity until this is answered. I can’t sleep, can’t work, can’t eat as much as I want to, all because I don’t know the answer to this question. This has to end! If there’s no answer in 24 hours we vote on it, and whoever it is had to change their name to make the results valid. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/191 "2014-05-01T16:11:02Z")
Someone already asked Marlo Thomas on Facebook, by the way. About the same time Stoid posted this thread. [Here.](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10202271650286824&set=o.116482595050178&type=1&theater) Unfortunately the other people responding to the inquiry don’t seem to know anything about anything. Also it seems that Marlo gets a lot of spam posted to her FB account - almost everything posted after this photo was spam - so whoever runs the page might not look too closely at posts. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/192 "2014-05-01T16:56:48Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > A thought occurred to me while I was out taking a walk… > > This could well have been an episode of _ **Tonight** _ where Johnny had a guest host. … Jerry Lewis was the regular guest host then. It aint him. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/193 "2014-05-01T17:12:15Z")
> [@nevadaexile](#): > > Perhaps you are unable to to determine the height of seated people by looking at them either in person or in a photo. I do not have this talent. More importantly, I do not erroneously think I have this talent. > [@](#): > > While it’s not a very useful talent, it is a talent that I have. I have my doubts. > [@](#): > > Since you don’t know me personally and we’ve never met, if you were correct about your statements, then that’s the only thing that is a matter of chance on here. > > Again…I am leaning towards the photo being a fake. The person in the photo doesn’t seem to match up with the others in it, the assembled guests don’t have a single coordinated appearance on the Tonight Show listed anywhere on the Internet (and a publicity hound like Danny Thomas would have made certain that his presence was acknowledged) and there should be more than a single photo of the event available. A fake would be possible, it doesn’t look like one to me. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/194 "2014-05-01T17:13:40Z")
I’m gonna go into crazytown, but what about Doc Severinson: [http://virginvinylrecords.com/store/images/9000/r9831.jpg](http://virginvinylrecords.com/store/images/9000/r9831.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/195 "2014-05-01T17:24:39Z")
The ears look more like Peter Mark Richman. I’m going to vote Richman with a possibility of Caesar. > [@Lobohan](#): > > I’m gonna go into crazytown, but what about Doc Severinson: [http://virginvinylrecords.com/store/images/9000/r9831.jpg](http://virginvinylrecords.com/store/images/9000/r9831.jpg) Not such a crazy idea, but I can’t seem to find a pic of him where he doesn’t have at least a mustache. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/196 "2014-05-01T17:32:55Z")
I was just trying to figure out if there’s any significance to the direction they’re all facing (Ed & Mystery Man are both facing to our left, like Johnny does, and all the others are facing to the right, like guests do, indicating that the MM may have been a co-host), but Occam’s Razor suggests that Robert Young just answered a question from Johnny, and Ed is checking out Karen Valentine’s rack. And how sad is it that we got to almost 200 replies before somebody said “Hey, how about Doc?” ---
**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:** [May 1, 2014, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/197 "2014-05-01T17:54:25Z")
In 1970, the Tonight Show was set in New York. Didn’t move to Burbank until 1972. The TV guide listings posted up thread, said they filming in California that week primarily for the Photoplay awards. So this pic wouldn’t have been from the regular set they were using at that time. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/198 "2014-05-01T18:34:08Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > In 1970, the Tonight Show was set in New York. Didn’t move to Burbank until 1972. The TV guide listings posted up thread, said they filming in California that week primarily for the Photoplay awards. So this pic wouldn’t have been from the regular set they were using at that time. That’s brilliant. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/199 "2014-05-01T18:36:06Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > And how sad is it that we got to almost 200 replies before somebody said “Hey, how about Doc?” I considered Doc but ruled it out for the same reason as **Green Bean** –the guy in the picture has no 'stache. The nose and chin really do look like Sid Caesar to me, but lights or no lights, I have a hard time convincing myself that the person in the picture could have black hair. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/200 "2014-05-01T18:54:06Z")
How about [Jonathan Smith](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Harris)? IMDB doesn’t show him doing anything noteworthy in 1970 but it sure looks like him. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321.md?page=11)