Jack Paar

Jack Paar was an American talk show host, comedian, writer and film actor who was born in Canton, Ohio, and moved as a child to Jackson, Michigan. After leaving school at 16, he worked as a radio broadcaster and humorous disc jockey in the Midwest before serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, entertaining troops in the South Pacific. He signed with RKO and appeared in films including Variety Time (1948), Walk Softly, Stranger (1950) and Love Nest (1951). On television he hosted The Tonight Show from 1957 to 1962, first as Tonight Starring Jack Paar and later as The Jack Paar Show, making it a ratings success. He drew national attention in 1960 by walking off the program over a censored joke and returned after NBC apologized. His prime-time The Jack Paar Program ran for three years starting in 1962. He received Emmy nominations in 1951 and 1958.