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[On the other hand]

Don't think I ever watched a full episode of the Carson-era Tonight show, even after I was old enough to a) take an interest in talk-shows, and b) stay up late. My impressions of McMahon were actually formed largely from reading some jokes about him in Mad Magazine, where they made fun of him for being a second-fiddle who never says anything memorable. Plus, I remember him from the Dick Clark bloopers show in the '80s.

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[On the other hand]

[Rteacher]

According to Entertainment Weekly, he is considered "one of the greatest sidekicks" of all time.

As the announcer for Johnny Carson for 30 years on the Tonight show, he became famous for his booming "Heeeeeeeere's Johnny!" at the start of each show, and he was a perfect foil for Carson's various comedy routines (eg: "Carnac"...)

He also hosted Star Search, co-hosted TV Bloopers and Practical Jokes with Dick Clark, and was featured in many commercials, most notably Budweisor.

As the presenter of American Family Publishers Sweepstakes, he did a lot of TV spots around Super Bowl time every year.

He had a distinguished military career as a fighter pilot in the Marines during World War II and returned to active service in Korea. One of his ancesters had served in the military under Napolean III, and McMahon occasionally related his father's claim that "mayonaise" was named after that relative.

Despite all his TV work, cameo roles in movies, and some best-selling books, McMahon struggled mightily in recent years to keep his Beverly Hills Mansion out of foreclosure.

My guess is that he'll take birth again in some family in about nine months - maybe as a puppy in Hollywood.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_McMahon

[cangel]

He was a sell out that would lend his "good" name to anyone presenting a paycheck. Still, he will be missed by those who loved him, but not by me. He should have gone to prison for 2 decades of Publisher's Clearing House scams!

[ManintheMiddle]

Ed McMahon was a Marine air pilot in WW2 and Korea and by all insider accounts the best second banana in talk show history, a perception widely and readily acknowledged in on-air eulogies of sorts by both Conan O'Brien and David Letterman, the latter having appeared on or sat in for Johnny Carson on more than two dozen occasions.

McMahon was the "laugh track" for Carson and also the one who set the standard for other second fiddles. Carson paid tribute to him as "a rock" on his last episode in 1992. McMahon loved his role and reinforced the duet's impact for three decades. His laugh and good humor was genuine, which anyone with half a brain viewing the show over the years could readily acknowledge. Paul Schaffer and his ilk are crap by comparison, although Schaffer doubles as a musician, which is his real calling.

cangel: where's the proof that these were scams? I know of one individual related to the wife of one of my friends who won big-time in the Sweepstakes about a decade ago.

And, yes, OP, McMahon was involved with lots of charities. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone in Hollywood who has a bad word to say about him.

I feel sorry for all of you who missed the golden age of talk TV. Carson, Paar, Allen, and the like were brilliant, naturals who are irreplaceable.

[cangel]

There's no doubt about his wartime past but his entire reputation was bought and sold time and time again. As for the sweepstakes, there was a huge class-action lawsuit and they had to stop claiming, "you may have already won," and "you are one of a very small number who are up for the big prize," blah blah blah... All you have to do is buy a subscription!!! A simple internet search turns up tons of dirt on these scammers! Not to mention, he is the pitchman for Cash 4 Gold which has ripped off every person who has had the misfortune of sending in their valuables. He was a fraud with his fake laughts on Carson, he is a fraud to every consumer who had the misfortune to listen to his sorry @*s! Heck of a veteran though.

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhheeeeeere's Heaven!

[ManintheMiddle]

Now, now cangel, isn't this a little harsh of an indictment for you?

I'll grant you that McMahon's promotions were often tawdry, especially by today's standards. But from what I know the sweepstakes themselves did produce actual winners although, as you say, the advertising was often suspect if not sleazy. Even O'Reilly noted that his pitch on the Super Bowl commercial for gold made him come across as a little pathetic.

McMahon was something of a huckster but let's keep in mind that in his day men in show business were expected to succeed on every level and owning a mansion was a testament to success. His was a generation of TV personalities that cut their teeth the hard way on 50's improvisation, which made them all more quick-witted than what you see today. That's why people like John Candy who were the same had to earn their keep on the comedy circuit. There are, of course, exceptions, most notably Robin Williams, whose real start was on TV. But even there he ad-libbed. And Bill Murray appeared on SNL at a time when they were writing the show format as they went along, so improv was encouraged. You even saw it in the more "mundane" fare of Carol Burnett and Tim Conway. Nowadays, it's all too glib for my taste.

Still, I hope you'll admit, it doesn't negate his contribution to The Tonight Show. Even Conan O'Brien, a Harvard grad, East Coast type, and shrewd comedian readily pointed out that McMahon made what he did as second banana seem effortless when in fact his personality was only partly to credit for his role on the set. And in Star Search he introduced the public to such rising talents as Ray Romano. He was also a terrific announcer.

I've found that most of the people (not you) who poo-poo his role on the show haven't watched much of it, or any of it. He put the finishing touches on Carson, a rather reclusive man, with his gregarious presence. They were truly a duet, having already found compatibility in their 50's show preceding The Tonight Show.

[cangel]

As a sidekick, he played the role as well as anyone in the business. His association however, with the likes of Publisher�s Clearing House, who never presented a single BIG prize to anyone who didn�t fork out literally $1000 or more on subscriptions, as well as the Cash 4 Gold shysters, has sullied his legacy.

[yawarakaijin]

The CNN headline was brutal. "Johnny Carson's sidekick, Dead." I mean, jesus christ. He had to play second fiddle all his life to Carson and then.. even in death. Poor call by CNN I thought. The absolute least they could have done was used the poor guys actual name in his obituary.

[On the other hand]