# 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:** 49
**Author:** ![cococ173](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3ab097/32.png) [@cococ173](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cococ173)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2014, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/961 "2014-05-19T02:20:23Z")
I hate to post this since Sam Stone’s post was a perfect ending to the thread. I feel obligated to report I saw my Carol Burnett connection today. The email he sent was not an answer from Carol since he did not see her yet. The 'guess" of Anthony Newley was from a friend of his at NBC. I felt like spanking him. ---
**Author:** ![shawnasmom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@shawnasmom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shawnasmom)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2014, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/962 "2014-07-21T04:13:02Z")
🙂["The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" Episode dated 11 November 1970 (TV Episode 1970) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3731662/) the man name is Al Traina he is a magazine publisher ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2014, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/963 "2014-07-21T04:55:14Z")
> [@shawnasmom](#): > > 🙂["The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" Episode dated 11 November 1970 (TV Episode 1970) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3731662/) the man name is Al Traina he is a magazine publisher DING DING DING! WE HAVE A WINNER! [Check the first two images](https://www.google.com/search?q=Albert+Salvatore+Traina&client=safari&rls=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=hZvMU6S1GNDroASLu4CQAw&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1227&bih=930) against the [photo from the OP](https://scontent-b-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1.0-9/10257806_10203391221998919_3316284087444893607_n.jpg). Oh yeah, [here’s his obit](http://www.chebeague.org/obits/atraina/). That’s the guy: Al Traina. On a personal note, after reading his obit, it occurs to me that this man is partially responsible for me becoming who I am today: I read tons of Ziff-Davis publications growing up. So… what does **shawnasmom** win for finally figuring this out? For her sake I hope it’s not another turn in the barrel or an evening with the squid (and/or goat). ETA: on the other hand, I see that this is **shawnasmom** ’s only post; apparently she joined just to let us know that it was Mr. Traina in the picture. In light of that, perhaps an evening with the squid and the goat is in order; it could be a kind of combination reward party/initiation ceremony, couldn’t it? ---
**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:** [July 21, 2014, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/964 "2014-07-21T05:48:05Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > DING DING DING! WE HAVE A WINNER! Yeeeah, we actually had a winner in May, courtesy of **[Vashbul](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=17371785#post17371785)** rocking some old-school periodical research, with a big assist from yours truly since [I figured out what the event was](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=17336234#post17336234)(the Photoplay awards) way back in April. (Yep, damn right I’m harping on taking credit for this, since I took so much heat when people insisted I was wrong for weeks… looking at you in particular, **Sherred!** :D). For all we know **shawnasmom** found this guy because the answer spread from **Vashbul** ’s original post here. Or maybe our newcomer found it on her own, although that seems less likely since she offers no explanation of how she sussed it. Either way, **Vashbul** did the leg work and our long national nightmare was over, thank God! ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2014, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/965 "2014-07-21T05:48:31Z")
Pssst: Post [808](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=17371785&postcount=808). ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2014, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/966 "2014-07-21T05:54:56Z")
> [@choie](#): > > Yeeeah, we actually had a winner in May, courtesy of **[Vashbul](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=17371785#post17371785)** rocking some old-school periodical research, with a big assist from yours truly since [I figured out what the event was](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=17336234#post17336234)(the Photoplay awards) way back in April. (Yep, damn right I’m harping on taking credit for this, since I took so much heat when people insisted I was wrong for weeks… looking at you in particular, **Sherred!** :D). > > For all we know **shawnasmom** found this guy because the answer spread from **Vashbul** ’s original post here. Or maybe our newcomer found it on her own, although that seems less likely since she offers no explanation of how she sussed it. > > Either way, **Vashbul** did the leg work and our long national nightmare was over, thank God! My sincere and abject apologies are due both of you; I’m sorry. Please accept my congratulations on a job well done! Your country, indeed, the entire world, owes you both a debt of gratitude. ---
**Author:** ![fisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@fisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fisha)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2014, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/967 "2014-07-21T12:22:44Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > My sincere and abject apologies are due both of you; I’m sorry. Don’t be sorry, just read the entire thread next time before you post. Seriously. Weren’t you the least bit curious what the first twenty pages contained? ---
**Author:** ![shawnasmom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@shawnasmom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shawnasmom)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2014, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/968 "2014-07-21T14:01:41Z")
I started looking for who the mm was when someone one facebook posted the picture, I googled the image and your page came up. I just googled Johnny Carson show and IMDb page gaves all the show and guest thats how I found it it took me only a couple of hours and thought I would be nice and post the answer for you all have a nice day:)😃 ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2014, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/969 "2014-07-21T21:14:52Z")
> [@fisha](#): > > Don’t be sorry, just read the entire thread next time before you post. Seriously. > > Weren’t you the least bit curious what the first twenty pages contained? Maybe the first page or two-- after that, tldr. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2014, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/970 "2014-07-21T21:29:59Z")
> [@fisha](#): > > Don’t be sorry, just read the entire thread next time before you post. Seriously. > > Weren’t you the least bit curious what the first twenty pages contained? Or even the last two pages. On the bright side, it does look like someone updated the IMDb as a result of this thread! ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2014, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/971 "2014-07-22T00:22:37Z")
So the theory is that the IMDB page (["The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" Episode dated 11 November 1970 (TV Episode 1970) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3731662/)) for that episode of The Tonight Show didn’t exist before this thread? Is there an IMDB for every episode of The Tonight Show? ---
**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:** [July 22, 2014, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/972 "2014-07-22T00:42:30Z")
> [@randwill](#): > > So the theory is that the IMDB page (["The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" Episode dated 11 November 1970 (TV Episode 1970) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3731662/)) for that episode of The Tonight Show didn’t exist before this thread? Naturally various posters scoured the IMDB for clues at the beginning of this thread, but without success. It is evident that the current page is a recent addition. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2014, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/973 "2014-07-22T01:06:18Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > Yes. I continue to believe this is a hoax, for these reasons: > \ > \*\*\*It’s an odd coincidence that of the (literally) thousands of episodes of Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show that are listed and described in both wikipedia and IMDb, the night claimed to be that on which the photo was taken is _blank_ on both sites. > [@randwill](#): > > So the theory is that the IMDB page (["The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" Episode dated 11 November 1970 (TV Episode 1970) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3731662/)) for that episode of The Tonight Show didn’t exist before this thread? Is there an IMDB for every episode of The Tonight Show? > [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > Naturally various posters scoured the IMDB for clues at the beginning of this thread, but without success. It is evident that the current page is a recent addition. IMDb is user-populated, with site moderation. It was not populated in our searches above. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2014, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/974 "2014-07-22T04:17:05Z")
Let’s alert Peter Mark Richman. ---
**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:** [July 22, 2014, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/975 "2014-07-22T04:25:33Z")
Oh God, **Maserschmidt** –I think those quotes gave me PTSD flashbacks. (_Sideshow Bob Shudder_) Yes, the bizarre fact was that Wikipedia, IMDB, and even a comprehensive fan site for the Johnny Carson show did _not_ list that episode. And no matter how much painstaking keyword research I did to find and post actual, _contemporaneous_ magazine/newspaper TV listings in official newspaper archives that _did_ show the episode, people still claimed it was some Byzantine hoax where apparently someone got into two different archived newspaper databases–as well as traveled through time to post on a message board from several years ago (where a _TV Guide_ listing gave the event)–in order to create this Photoshopped image of some dude sitting next to several 1970s guests who thoughtfully left the chair next to Carson empty so that forty years hence this unknown geek would pull the prank of the century on some Facebook walls and one medium-level popularity message board. I’m serious. _That theory_ was actually considered more believable than the idea that often error-ridden, user-edited sites like Wikipedia and IMDB were incomplete! 😃 I felt like changing my username to **Cassandra**. (It is cute that **shawnasmom** thought that IMDB wasn’t, like, the first or second place people would’ve tried after nearly 1000 posts! 😃 Oh if only it had been this easy! But it does give one a good feeling to know that as a result of this thread, IMDB’s records are now .0000000000000000000001% more complete.) ---
**Author:** ![istrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dec6dc/32.png) [@istrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istrum)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2015, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/976 "2015-04-20T23:15:00Z")
The IMBb movie site has him listed as Al Traina … ["The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" Episode dated 11 November 1970 (TV Episode 1970) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3731662/) ---
**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 21, 2015, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/977 "2015-04-21T13:47:55Z")
> [@istrum](#): > > The IMBb movie site has him listed as Al Traina … ["The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" Episode dated 11 November 1970 (TV Episode 1970) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3731662/) Can we get a zombie facepalm gif? ---
**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 21, 2015, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/978 "2015-04-21T14:06:55Z")
Oh man! Vashbul was banned? He should have been given a pass for his legendary find her. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2015, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/979 "2015-04-21T14:17:45Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > Can we get a zombie facepalm gif? OK, that whole exchange was great for a laugh. Not to mention Istrum has been a member since September 2004, but missed the whole thread during its initial appearance. ---
**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 21, 2015, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321/980 "2015-04-21T15:30:13Z")
> [@istrum](#): > > The IMBb movie site has him listed as Al Traina … ["The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" Episode dated 11 November 1970 (TV Episode 1970) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3731662/) Well, yeah, but I have it on very good authority that that listing was the result of this thread. Very. Good. Authority. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321.md?page=48) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge-who-is-the-man-sitting-with-all-the-stars-on-johnny-carson/687321.md?page=50)