And One for the Road

IT WAS THE WEEK THAT TV FANS THOUGHT WOULD never come. A year after announcing his intention to retire as host of the Tonight show at the end of his 30th season, Johnny Carson stepped through the curtains at NBC'S Burbank studios for the last four times. He made wisecracks about Dan Quayle, chatted with guests like Tony Bennett and Robin Williams, and modestly accepted a nightly shower of accolades and standing ovations. The sentimental high point came on Thursday night, when Carson's final guest, Bette Midler, plied him with musical tributes, closing the show with a rendition of One for My Baby (and One More for the Road) as the camera showed Carson looking on, misty-eyed.

For his final show, Carson dispensed with guests and spent the hour reminiscing and screening clips from past years. "And so it has come to this," he said, perched on a stool at the end. He thanked sidekicks Ed McMahon and Doc Severinsen and expressed a hope that if he returns to TV, viewers will "be as gracious in inviting me into your homes as you have been." Then, fighting back tears, he said simply, "I bid you a very heartfelt good-night."