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Jun

23

McMahon’s legacy

By Ron Wynn | Filed Under Books, Film, Television 

Being either a good sidekick or straight man ranks among the toughest jobs in show business. Ed McMahon, who died Tuesday at 86 in Los Angeles at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, was great in both roles.

His career encompassed much more than simply being the announcer and sidekick on The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson for 30 years, though that will surely be the thing most people remember.

But McMahon had already enjoyed a rich and varied professional life prior to meeting and working with Johnny Carson on the game show Who Do You Trust? from 1957-1962. He’d been a carnival barker,  bingo caller, DJ and emcee for game shows in Philadelphia.

McMahon was also a decorated fighter pilot in the United States Marine Corps, and remained in the reserves after being discharged in 1946. By the time of his retirement he had the rank of Colonel and was also commissioned as a Brigadier General in the California Air National Guard.

The Carson/McMahon relationship thrived because they were polar opposites. Despite his comic brilliance, Johnny Carson was often aloof away from the set. McMahon was always warm and welcoming, and that became one of many things Carson worked into his monologues over their three-decades on-air relationship. McMahon would laugh it up whether Carson was scoring or bombing. When Carson did his routines, McMahon was there to suffer the abuse and help the bits with loud, prominent laughter.

However McMahon also had a busy career away from The Tonight Show. He was a commercial superstar for decades, served as an anchor on holiday parades and even found time to appear in a few films. The best was the 1967 drama The Incident, as well as the original version of Fun With Dick and Jane.

He was known for many years as the spokesperson for various sweepstakes, particularly the American Publishers Sweepstakes. His Budweiser commercials were equally celebrated, and one of his final achievements included an appearance in the film Pitch People, which examined the history of professional product endorsers.

During his time in Philadelphia, at one point his next-door neighbor was a fellow named Dick Clark. McMahon and Clark developed a friendship that rivaled the one he had with Carson, and the two eventually co-hosted the show TV Bloopers and Practical Jokes for 16 years.

McMahon also had a 12-year run as host of Star Search, which launched the careers of many top performers in multiple fields.

Yet another aspect of his life that was sometimes overlooked was his public service. McMahon co-hosted the Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon for decades, helping raise millions to fight muscular dystrophy. He did lots of other benefits in Los Angeles and around the nation, including regular appearances for the United Negro College Fund.

McMahon authored two sets of memoirs detailing his rich career. Here’s Johnny: My Memories of Johnny Carson, The Tonight Show and 46 Years of Friendship detailed the unique aspects of his bond with the famed comic.  Laughing Out Loud offered more insider details, plus some personal philosophy and reflections.

Unfortunately, McMahon encountered some fiscal problems late in life, along with medical difficulties. But none of  those things could overshadow the achievements of someone who became a legend by NOT being the main star, but the best number two guy of all time.

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