The Merv Griffin Show: 40 of the Most Interesting People of Our Time

While creating both Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune would be enough for most resumes (and bank accounts), Merv Griffin is still best known as a TV talk-show host, one forever in the shadow of Johnny Carson. This three-disc set makes a fascinating case for reevaluating Griffin's 1962-86 on-air legacy (even if it means dredging up the memory of Rick Moranis' devastatingly funny Merv send-up on SCTV). Griffin's ingratiating knack for putting his guests at ease strikes a pleasant contrast to today's interviewing styles and helps explain his ability to book tough-to-get guests, which here include Rose Kennedy, Grace Kelly, and Richard Burton (captured in what Griffin calls his "wonderful arrogance")—and you never saw Martin Luther King Jr. take questions from the audience on The Tonight Show. Some of the most fascinating and entertaining interviews capture icons and superstars at the beginning or end of their careers: a near-unrecognizable, pre-counterculture George Carlin performs in a suit and tie in a 1965 appearance, as does Richard Pryor in a clip from 1966, while Billy Crystal delivers an embryonic version of his classic "Ten Commandments" routine, as well as an impression of an aunt who would later be featured in his Tony Award-winning show, 700 Sundays. Jay Leno is asked about pet peeves, a bit that would evolve into "What's your beef?", while Jerry Seinfeld is seen in one of his earliest TV appearances, as is a polite and soft-spoken Tom Cruise (he calls Merv "sir"), fresh from Risky Business. And how precious it is to spend some quality time in the presence of Orson Welles (who died two hours after this appearance with Merv), talking expansively about Rita Hayworth and Marlene Dietrich; Jack Benny, who regales the audience with stories about his checkered movie career; and Walter Cronkite, who makes prescient observations about the direction of TV news. Though generally a softie, Griffin still posed the occasional tough question, as when he asked Richard Nixon in the run-up to the 1968 presidential campaign how he would battle the stigma of being "a loser." A welcome companion to the box sets devoted to Jack Paar's, Johnny Carson's, and Dick Cavett's talk shows, this set serves up fascinating portraits of the personalities who helped shape the 20th century. Recommended. (D. Liebenson)