Johnny Carson and the Fantasy of America

IT’S BEEN THREE DECADES since he retired, which means he’s been off the air longer than he was on. But he remains relevant this year. In the middle of denouncing late-night hosts at a rally, Donald J. Trump praised Carson’s greatness, begging him to return. Carson is a figure of power and intimidation in the new movie “Saturday Night,” which portra... See more

He was an even-keeled former game show host from the Midwest who specialized in light banter and easygoing punchlines. Standing with military posture, he never appeared to be working that hard and the biggest laughs in his monologue were often in the silent pauses after a joke bombed. How could someone so robotic and bland become a late-night giant... See more