Here’s an amusing anecdote from his early history in TV
Career boosted by Jack Paar’s ‘water closet’ joke
Downs began his work as Paar’s second banana in 1957, after a stint as host of NBC’s “The Home Show.”
In a highly publicized incident in February 1960, Paar stormed off the air in a dispute involving network cutting a Paar “water closet” (toilet) joke [below] the censors disliked. Downs won praise for calmly telling the audience “I’d like to think this is not final” and keeping the live show running until signoff time.
Downs said later that he expected that Paar would at any minute return to the stage “with some punch line or something. He didn’t.”
But Downs said he was eventually grateful for the boost the brouhaha gave his career.
Paar finally returned to the show a few weeks later.
Paar’s departure from “Tonight” in 1962 paved the way for Johnny Carson. Downs, meanwhile, began his nine-year run as host of the “Today” show. Walters was a “Today” colleague for part of that time. She admired Downs and praised his generosity and collegiality.
He expressed his views modestly in the 1995 book “The Box: An Oral History of Television, 1920-1961”: “In a way the less talent you have or deploy, the less chance you have of overexposure. That may be why I have been on network television more than anybody in the world.”
The W.C. Joke
Jack Paar
An English lady visited Switzerland and was having difficulty finding a room, so she asked the local schoolmaster to help her. After a satisfactory room was found, she returned to her home in England and started packing.
Suddenly, it occurred to her that she hadn’t noticed a W.C., so she wrote the schoolmaster about it.
The Schoolmaster not knowing the meaning of W.C., asked the parish priest and together they decided that it must mean “Wayside Chapel”. He wrote her the following letter:
Dear Madame,
It is my pleasure to inform you that there is a W.C. just nine miles from your new home, in the center of a grove of pine trees. It seats 229 people, and is open on Thursdays and Sundays. This is an unfortunate situation if you are in the habit of going regularly. You will, no doubt, be glad to hear that some people bring their lunches and make a day of it.
I would especially recommend Thursdays, for then there is an Organ accompaniment. The accoustics in the W.C. are excellent; even the most delicate sound can be heard.
My son was married in the W.C. and there was such a rush for seats that ten people had to sit in the same seat. The looks on their faces were very interesting.
My wife is sickly, but dedicated. She doesn’t go regularly, and hasn’t gone for nearly a year.
I will be glad to reserve a seat in the W.C. for you, where you will be seen and heard by everyone.
Hoping I have been of some assistance.
Sincerely yours,
The Schoolmaster