# 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:** 4
**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, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/61 "2014-04-30T15:57:50Z")
> [@Ximenean](#): > > Glen Campbell looks more like David Frost than that guy. Woody Allen looks more like David Frost than that guy. ---
**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:** [April 30, 2014, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/62 "2014-04-30T16:05:32Z")
It’s Richman. Here he is in what is probably the role best known to most people: > **[Peter Mark Richman](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Peter_Mark_Richman)** > > Peter Mark Richman (16 April 1927 – 14 January 2021; age 93) played Ralph Offenhouse in the Star Trek: The Next Generation first season episode "The Neutral Zone". Richman was no stranger to science fiction, appearing in two episodes of The Outer... He was a guest star in a lot of shows in the '60s and early '70s. He was also considered as a replacement for Spock on _ **Star Trek** _ when Leonard Nimoy balked at returning to the show under his original contract. ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/63 "2014-04-30T16:07:38Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > No way is Joel Grey taller than Robert Young, unless he’s sitting on a couple phone books. Well, the couch is lower and cushier. But I guess I wasn’t thinking about his height. > [@DSeid](#): > > Yup. David Frost. [22nd Primetime Emmy Awards](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/22nd_Primetime_Emmy_Awards) hosted by him and Danny Thomas. It fits for most of them, but what is Glen Campbell doing there? A young [Michael Constantine](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/76/Michael_Constantine_Lloyd_Haynes_Room_222_1969.JPG/220px-Michael_Constantine_Lloyd_Haynes_Room_222_1969.JPG) was a winner in that group. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/64 "2014-04-30T16:08:58Z")
He doesn’t seem to have Richman’s slightly sinister mien, although it is a reasonable suggestion. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/65 "2014-04-30T16:09:55Z")
> [@Ximenean](#): > > Several times I have seriously wondered if people are looking at the correct person. It’s the guy on the far right (as we look). Right? Yep. Jack Warden, Jack Klugman and George C. Scott? I have to wonder if people are trying to be funny. Or if they have that neurological disorder where they have no facial recognition ability. ---
**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:** [April 30, 2014, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/66 "2014-04-30T16:14:28Z")
> [@Ximenean](#): > > He doesn’t seem to have Richman’s slightly sinister mien, although it is a reasonable suggestion. Keep in mind that he’s almost twenty years younger in the Carson photo than when he was on _ **TNG** _, and a bit thinner too. ---
**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, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/67 "2014-04-30T16:14:56Z")
> [@Aquadementia](#): > > Well, the couch is lower and cushier. But I guess I wasn’t thinking about his height. > It fits for most of them, but what is Glen Campbell doing there? _The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour_ was nominated for an Emmy in 1970 under the category of “Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction or Scenic Design: For a Variety Single Program.” See [here](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063902/awards?ref_=tt_ql_4). Campbell himself was not nominated, but he could have shown up on this show for it. However, the Mystery Man is not David Frost. ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/68 "2014-04-30T16:32:37Z")
BTW, how sure are you that this is a show devoted to the Emmys? Because I found a few newspaper listings dated November 11 for the Tonight Show ([here’s a sample from the Hutchinson News in Kansas](http://newspaperarchive.com/us/kansas/hutchinson/hutchinson-news/1970/11-07/page-26) – zoom in for the 10:30pm listing) for an episode devoted to the \*Photoplay \*Awards, with guests John Wayne, Danny Thomas, Marlo Thomas, Karen Valentine, Carol Burnett, James Brolin, Robert Young, Bette Davis, and Glen Campbell. You can also see a _TV Guide_ listing for that date [from their Eastern Virginia edition](http://www.radiodiscussions.com/showthread.php?615072-Retro-Eastern-Virginia-Wednesday-November-11-1970) (scroll to WAVY Ch. 10 Norfolk for the 11:30pm listing). Obviously the guy in question is not John Wayne, Bette Davis, or Glen Campbell. 🙂 But considering this group of people otherwise matches the photograph, this may help narrow things down. Maybe a producer from \*Photoplay \* (which, for you youngsters out there, was an early version of _Us_ or _People_) or something? (I should mention that the 50th Annual \*Photoplay \*Awards were hosted on the Glen Campbell show, which possibly explains his inclusion.) ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/69 "2014-04-30T16:39:42Z")
Marlo Thomas has an active Facebook page. Maybe someone with a FB account could share that photo and ask her if she knows who the guy is. ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/70 "2014-04-30T16:46:34Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > Marlo Thomas has an active Facebook page. Maybe someone with a FB account could share that photo and ask her if she knows who the guy is. [People already have.](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10202271650286824&set=o.116482595050178&type=1) No reply yet. ---
**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:** [April 30, 2014, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/71 "2014-04-30T16:47:53Z")
Richman was a guest star on _ **Name of the Game** _ (the first period show that came to mind when I saw the picture), which was also nominated for an Emmy in 1970. He could have been included in the photo in that connection: > **["The Name of the Game" Laurie Marie (TV Episode 1969) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0657005/)** > > Laurie Marie: Directed by Harvey Hart. With Anthony Franciosa, Peter Mark Richman, Antoinette Bower, John Kerr. When Laurie Marie goes missing, a reward is offered, attracting all kinds of strange characters. Jeff Dillon becomes suspicious of a... ---
**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, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/72 "2014-04-30T16:51:09Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Richman was a guest star on _ **Name of the Game** _ (the first period show that came to mind when I saw the picture), which was also nominated for an Emmy in 1970. He could have been included in the photo in that connection: > > ["The Name of the Game" Laurie Marie (TV Episode 1969) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0657005/) I considered him. It’s a possibility. Doesn’t look quite right, but the picture has him at an odd angle. Unlike the others he doesn’t seem to be posing, that will easily throw off my limited facial recognition ability. ---
**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:** [April 30, 2014, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/73 "2014-04-30T17:08:40Z")
Of all the names offered, Richman is the best match; but if his daughter denies that it’s him she would probably know his face the best. ---
**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, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/74 "2014-04-30T17:37:22Z")
[Corbett Monica?](https://www.google.com/search?q=corbett+monica&safe=strict&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=ZTRhU9y2NtXKsQS04oKICg&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAw&biw=1267&bih=929) ---
**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, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/75 "2014-04-30T17:41:35Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > [Corbett Monica?](https://www.google.com/search?q=corbett+monica&safe=strict&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=ZTRhU9y2NtXKsQS04oKICg&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAw&biw=1267&bih=929) The pictures don’t show him with hair like that. That’s one of the problems here, men were experimenting with hair styles in 1971, any of them might have appeared in this photo with a cut they weren’t commonly known for. As mentioned previously, he appears to have light colored hair, something that might be only the lighting. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/76 "2014-04-30T17:59:40Z")
It’s probably a behind-the-scenes person like _Tonight Show_ producer [Peter Lassally](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Lassally). ---
**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:** [April 30, 2014, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/77 "2014-04-30T18:23:17Z")
> [@nevadaexile](#): > > [Nope.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ted_Bessell.JPG) I think you’re wrong on that count. OP Pic: [https://scontent-b-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1.0-9/10257806\_10203391221998919\_3316284087444893607\_n.jpg](https://scontent-b-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1.0-9/10257806_10203391221998919_3316284087444893607_n.jpg) Ted Bessell in 1969: [http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/That\_Girl\_scene\_1969.JPG](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/That_Girl_scene_1969.JPG) ---
**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:** [April 30, 2014, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/78 "2014-04-30T18:32:00Z")
[Paul Ehrlich](http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_R._Ehrlich) was a frequent guest then … sort of looks like him. Although does not fir with everyone else, would just have been another guest. ---
**Author:** ![tbook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df705f/32.png) [@tbook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tbook)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/79 "2014-04-30T19:04:13Z")
Edward Mulhare[https://www.google.com/search?q=Edward+Mulhare&rlz=1C1RNNN\_enUS372&es\_sm=122&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=W0hhU8vnGeTg2gWxsYGQDg&ved=0CLQBEIke&biw=1280&bih=628](http://https://www.google.com/search?q=Edward+Mulhare&rlz=1C1RNNN_enUS372&es_sm=122&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=W0hhU8vnGeTg2gWxsYGQDg&ved=0CLQBEIke&biw=1280&bih=628) ---
**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:** [April 30, 2014, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/80 "2014-04-30T19:08:42Z")
Dudes, it’s almost certainly Ted Bessell. Look at the pics posted above. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321.md?page=5)