What do we have here? Hmm…looks like seven and a half minutes from the original Tonight with Steve Allen. It wasn't called The Tonight Show back then — a fact that absolutely every single person who ever writes about TV history overlooks…and probably should. But as far as I know, it wasn't called The Tonight Show until the Monday after Jack Paar left. That first non-Paar show was guest-hosted by Art Linkletter…so if you want to get real nit-picky annoying about things, the answer to the question, "Who was the first person to ever host an episode of The Tonight Show?" is Art Linkletter.
Note: If you're ever on Jeopardy! and you're in Final Jeopardy! and everything is riding on your response to "The first host of The Tonight Show," don't answer Art Linkletter. Say Steve Allen.
Anyway, gang — as Mr. Allen used to say — footage of any pre-Carson Tonight is very rare and Johnny's early years are about 98% lost, as well. So this clip is nice to see, even if not a lot happens in it. It's mostly Steverino playing with a doll and then singing a forgettable song with Skitch Henderson at the piano…