Jack Paar

Jack Harold Paar (May 1, 1918 - January 27, 2004) was an American radio and television talk show host.

Born in Canton, Ohio, Paar began his broadcasting career in radio, working first in Cleveland, Ohio and later, throughout the Midwest. After World War II, Paar tried his hand at acting and comedy, frequently appearing on the Ed Sullivan Show. It was during an impressive stint as a guest host on Jack Benny's radio show that he caught the attention of NBC officials who eventually offered him his most well known role, host of The Tonight Show. Paar was the program's host from 1957 to 1962; after 1959 it was known as The Jack Paar Show.

During Paar's career, he was the cause of two international incidents. In 1959, he was criticized for his interview with Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. Two years later, he broadcasted his show from Berlin just as the Berlin Wall was going up. His last sign-off in 1962 featured him, almost in tears, saying "I am leaving The Tonight Show. There must be a better way to make a living than this." With that, he walked out of the empty studio, his dog by his side.

Later that year, he hosted a Friday night variety show that lasted three years on NBC. Paar came back for another late-night show in March 1975, on ABC. This time, his nightly show was only one week out of each month. The show, which was in direct competition with Tonight, only lasted five months. In 1986, NBC hosted a special featuring Paar entitled Jack Paar Comes Home.

Paar died at his Greenwich, Connecticut home as a result of a long illness at age 85 with his daughter and wife by his side.

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