The television debut of The Original Amateur Hour was on the DuMont
Television Network with host Ted Mack. The show, which aired until 1954,
was a continuation of Major Bowes Amateur Hour which had been a radio
staple from 1934 to 1945.

Edward Bowes

Major Bowes Amateur Hour, radio‘s best-known talent show, was one of 
the country’s most popular programs broadcast in the 1930s and 40s. It 
was created and hosted by Edward Bowes who presided over the radio 
program until his death on his 72nd birthday, June 14, 1946. 

Bowes brought his amateur hour to New York City’s radio station WHN 
in April 1934. On March 24, 1935, the NBC Radio picked up the show,
with sponsor Chase and Sanborn. It ran on NBC until September of
1936, when it moved to CBS Radio for the remainder of its run on
radio in 1952.  By then the show was known simply as The Original
Amateur Hour.

Bowes with a young contestant on the CBS Radio show

At the age of 12 Johnny Carson found a book on magic at a friend’s
house and immediately purchased a mail-order magician’s kit. He
debuted as "The Great Carsoni" at 14 and was paid $3. Other
performances at local picnics and county fairs followed for the
future late night television talk show host. 

Johnny Carson joined the U.S. Navy on June 8, 1943 and
received V-12 officer training at Columbia University and
Millsaps College. He was Commissioned an ensign late in
WW ll and was assigned to the USS Pennsylvania in the
Pacific. Carson served as a communications officer in
charge of decoding encrypted messages. He was aboard
a troopship enroot to the combat zone when the bombing
of Hiroshima and Nagasaki brought an end to the war.