How to Write Comedy for Radio: The Undergraduate Senior Thesis of Johnny Carson at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln, May 1949

From the University of Nebraska web site:

Entertainment and television icon Johnny Carson received his bachelor of arts degree in radio and speech (with a minor in physics) in 1949 from the University of Nebraska. While at Nebraska, he was a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity and served as master of ceremonies for the Kosmet Klub, a male dramatic society.

Before completing his bachelor of arts degree, Carson did a senior thesis for his broadcasting professor, William Dempsey. His 1949 senior thesis was entitled “How to Write Comedy for Radio,” which he recorded on a reel-to-reel tape. The 45-minute recording was a scholarly examination of the techniques and devices that radio comedy writers used to construct the jokes and gags in comedy radio shows. Using bits from several well-known comedians, such as Jack Benny and Bob Hope, Carson illustrated the various techniques used to write comedy, which he later effectively used in television through his “Tonight Show” monologues.

The link above will let you download the entire 49-minute, 69 MB MP3 file, truly a fascinating piece of American broadcast history. I just learned about Carson's thesis from the PBS Pioneers of Television 4-part series.

Comments

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