Thursday, March 29, 1962: Jack Paar

From The New York Times:

Jack Paar did his final late show for the National Broadcasting Company last night after a run of almost five years.

The concluding telecast combined tributes to the star with comedy, controversy, sentiment and music.

Among those who paid their respects in a filmed segment of the program were Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, former Vice President Richard M. Nixon and the Rev. Dr. Billy Graham. All had appeared on Paar programs in the past.

Although the telecast was in the nature of a farewell to Mr. Paar, he is not leaving the air permanently. He will return to the network in the fall with a once-a-week show to be presented on Friday nights from 10 to 11 o'clock.

Last night's program marked his final appearance in a Monday-through-Friday series that began on July 29, 1957. The show has been presented from 11:15 p.m. to 1 a.m. In recent years it has been pre-recorded on tape earlier in the evening.

* "Jack Paar Gets All Misty-Eyed as Fans Tell Him How Great He Is" (Sarasota Journal, March 30): @

* Video from Archive of American Television: @

* "Jack Paar at the Berlin Wall" (from Television Quarterly): @

* Earlier post on appearance by John F. Kennedy (June 16, 1960): @

* Earlier post on appearance by Richard Nixon (August 25, 1960): @

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