Jack Paar
Who Jack Paar is
American talk show host, comedian and writer who began as a humorous radio disc jockey in the Midwest and entertained troops as a master of ceremonies in World War II. He was the second host of The Tonight Show, from 1957 to 1962, and made it a ratings success, then hosted NBC's prime-time The Jack Paar Program (1962–1965) and ABC's Jack Paar Tonite (1973), which gave comics including Freddie Prinze their national TV debuts. He also wrote several memoirs, beginning with I Kid You Not (1960).
At a glance
- Born
- 1918
- Died
- 2004
- Style
- Conversational television
- Podcasts
- I Kid You Not, My Saber Is Bent, 3 On a Toothbrush and 1 more
- On screen
- Up To Paar, Bank on the Stars, The Morning Show and 7 more
Specials, shows and podcasts
On screen
- Up To Paar host, 1952
- Bank on the Stars host, 1953
- The Morning Show host, CBS, 1954
- Tonight Starring Jack Paar / The Jack Paar Show host, NBC, 1957–1962
- The Jack Paar Program host, NBC, 1962–1965
- Jack Paar Tonite host, ABC, 1973
- Love Nest Marilyn Monroe's boyfriend, 20th Century Fox, 1951
- Walk Softly, Stranger film role, 1950
- Variety Time emcee, RKO, 1948
- Footlight Varieties emcee, RKO, 1951
Podcasts
- I Kid You Not book, 1960
- My Saber Is Bent book, 1961
- 3 On a Toothbrush book, 1965
- P.S. Jack Paar book, 1983
Comedians like Jack Paar
Each linked to them by something on the record — a stage they both came through, a bill, a show, a style or a home town.
- Freddie Prinze also in Jack Paar Tonite
- Martin Short also in The Morning Show
- Tig Notaro also in The Morning Show
Career timeline
- 1918Born
- 1948Variety Time (emcee, RKO, 1948) On screen
- 1950Walk Softly, Stranger (film role, 1950) On screen
- 1951Love Nest (Marilyn Monroe's boyfriend, 20th Century Fox, 1951) On screen
- 1951Footlight Varieties (emcee, RKO, 1951) On screen
- 1952Up To Paar (host, 1952) On screen
- 1953Bank on the Stars (host, 1953) On screen
- 1954The Morning Show (host, CBS, 1954) On screen
- 1957Tonight Starring Jack Paar / The Jack Paar Show (host, NBC, 1957–1962) On screen
- 1960I Kid You Not (book, 1960) Book
- 1961My Saber Is Bent (book, 1961) Book
- 1962The Jack Paar Program (host, NBC, 1962–1965) On screen
- 19653 On a Toothbrush (book, 1965) Book
- 1973Jack Paar Tonite (host, ABC, 1973) On screen
- 1983P.S. Jack Paar (book, 1983) Book
- 2004Died
Questions about Jack Paar
What podcast does Jack Paar host?
I Kid You Not, My Saber Is Bent, 3 On a Toothbrush and P.S. Jack Paar.
What TV shows and films are they in?
Up To Paar, Bank on the Stars, The Morning Show, Tonight Starring Jack Paar / The Jack Paar Show, The Jack Paar Program and Jack Paar Tonite, among 10 credits.
Who are some comedians like them?
Freddie Prinze (also in Jack Paar Tonite), Martin Short (also in The Morning Show) and Tig Notaro (also in The Morning Show).
The full SUCDb record
The full record — the career in order, the specials and credits, and the sources for each — is on SUCDb, with their place on the Legends ballots.
Sources
- Wikipedia — Jack Paar ↗ Birth and death years, radio start and wartime emceeing, Tonight Show 1957–1962, prime-time and ABC shows, Freddie Prinze debut on Jack Paar Tonite, books
Updated 5 October 2026 · the record checked 27 September 2026