this guy is writing jokes. >> seth: this is the great steve allen and this is really exciting -- is this device. it is literally a boom box. [ laughter ] >> seth: you just brought a boom box. >> i didn't have the equipment. i was 15 years old. >> seth: you and jay leno actually gave you feedback on some of your material. >> well that -- you know, when i got a little older i wanted to write for comedians. >> seth: yeah. >> and so one of the first people i tried to write for was jay leno and he was hosting "the tonight show" here and there, and i wrote a whole bunch of jokes and sent it to him, and one night at midnight the phone rings. my grandma answers. i lived with her, because i can't afford an apartment, and then i hear "judd, jay leno's on the phone", and i'm like "hello" and he's like "hey, i read your material, and it wasn't really that good." "i mean, it's close." "it's close, but -- but you got to keep working at it", and i'm like "this is the nicest man in the world." who calls people to say the material is terrible? >> seth: yeah. that's above and beyond in kindness. >> would

but people like steve allen, he would see my set and say you got it. david brenner would say, you've got to work on this 24-7 and you can become a star. >> rose: but who did you really admire, pryor lenny bruce? >> i listened to lenny bruce's album at the high school where i graduated, when i heard the berkeley album, he was already dead. he died in '66. he died the night i bottomed out, and he died and i went to the hospital and saved myself. >> rose: you went to the hospital and saved yourself? you took yourself to the hospital? >> i was hold up in my house doing crystal metaphor about ten days. >> rose: that long? yeah, i looked like a jewish -- what's his name -- who hid out in the hotels in vegas? come on. >> rose: howard hughes. yeah, i looked like howard hughes' very thin rabbi at that point. people came over, you're going to die no, i'm not. >> rose: people would come over and -- >> knock down my door you're going to die. i would say, no, i'm not. >> rose: why didn't they get your butt out of there? >> true friends did. they took me to the doct

. >> exactly. 15 i interviewed seinfeld when i was 15 steve allen for high high school radio stationuding one with you for the book. >> jon: yes. we you interviewed me via phone. >> that's right. and coy tell on the phone that you were going to quit the show, i could tell. >> jon: on the phone? >> i said. >> jon: how on the phone? >> i think that one home where you said oh god oh god i'm out of gas. what am i going to do. (laughter) >> jon: so you felt like that gave it away. look at this. so this is-- see if you can get this. okay. that's you at like 15 with jay leno. and then right over here is you being interviewed. has that, i just find that. >> look at that wait wait look at me with green shorts and dennis miller. >> jon: holy [bleep] look at denis's hair too. look at that. that is prime miller right there. >> lack at that hair. >> jon: i got to tell you man that's a great head of hair. but has anyone ever been able to-- you interviewed leno was an idol of yours you loved comedy you were a comedy nerd. you go out and immediate him you talk to him 20 years later you are sitting o

guys like steve allen, who i was a friend with, he would see my set and say you got it.id brenner said you got to work on this 20 you can become a star. people like that -- charlie: did you admire? richard: i listened to lenny bruce's album where i graduated. when i heard the berkeley album -- he was already dead. he died the night i bottomed out. i was holed up in my house doing crystal meth for about 10 days. i looked like a jewish -- who who hid out in hotels in vegas? i looked like howard hughes very thin rabbi. people came over, are you going to die? i was in denial. true friends did. the doctor said, what are you doing? i said i'm dying, it's over. no mas. that was it. charlie: you have to tie yourself up to do that. richard: there are different types of programs and i had friends who were horrible junkies. if they can clean themselves up -- that is the good part of having a lot of friends. if this guy was a junkie and came back 18 times -- i like alcohol, the cocaine came last. i dated a sweet girl and she experimented. she said you are so mean on booze, nicer on

. >> i am too young for steve allen and jack par.rman, conan, space ghost and i wouldn't put stewart and colbert on the list because they do a different thing. >> it is apples and oranges. >> joanne, are you surprised i am not on the list? >> very. and i voted for you too. >> what choice was that? >> i like to speak for the younger generation out there. chelsea hand t -- chelsea handler made the list. and jimmy fallon is doing a great job. when he laughs you must think you are the funniest person in the world. his laugh is infectious. he looks like he is peeing himself every time. >> you have a thing for jimmy don't you? >> i have friends who write for the show and they say he is peaking himself -- he is peeing himself every show. >> are you surprised me and dina soar -- dina shore is not on the list? >> that's right. it is another snub. i am actually in bed before 10:00 most nights. i never have heard of any of those people. >> do you watch late night talk shows? >> i actually have some of these guys i like. conan o'brian is my favo

. >> jimmy: this is you with the great steve allen and that is a big tape recorder. regis hotel. that is an enormous tape recorder. that's how he knew i wasn't professional. >> jimmy: when the tape recorder is bigger than you. looks like something from the fat boys video. >> we should break dance. i loved comedians and wanted to know how they did it and i put the book together. it has all of the interviews and did ten more recently. i did louis c.k. and colbert and chris rock and amy schumer and if you are interested in the arts or comedy there's a lot of information in there. >> reporter: out of all the people you talked to was there one thing that stood out more than the others? >> when i was young, what they told me is it took a long time to get funny. when i was a kid, someone said it takes seven years to find yourself. that helped me. i thought it is okay to be bad for a really long time. >> jimmy: which happens and has to happen. every once in a while lightning strikes and you get a teenager eddie murphy or something like that. but it doesn't happen frequently.

. >> rose: johnny carson was influenced by steve allen. >> yeah, all of those things start to, you knowluence you, i think. >> rose: but it feels comfortable, at least. >> i feel a lot more comfortable now, just in the manner that people -- in the manner that -- i'm just overwhelmed by the way people have responded. >> rose: that's the reason you feel comfortable. is it the idea you didn't step on the banana, you didn't do anything people would have said after you have been on, how did this ever happen? why did he -- why did they ever think he could do this? and in fact said isn't it interesting what he's doing? >> yeah, i'm overwhelmed by that, really. i'm incredibly relieved and grateful. >> rose: could this happen in prime time, a show like this, or -- you know, jay leno tried to do it but jay leno is jay leno. >> i'm not sure. >> rose: late night there's a feeling of freeness and -- >> and also the feeling of being the end of someone's day. >> rose: yeah. i feel like the change -- not that i know anything about the history of late night at all, i don't. i didn't grow up here. but i

filling koffman and woody allen's and seasons one and two and real world and netflix in full dairy of a teenage girl that opens in theatres this august and universal pictures steve jobs in october programs ability to draw visible production helps to provide long term employment for local crews and actors the money keeps the city front and center in the world attracting tourism in addition 9 program ass also has been supportive of low indicia films shot in the city and our rebate program is a blessing because any money those productions that are doing films for 10 thousand 90 thousand a few thousand dollars can make a difference for a rebate check we anticipate more productions taking advantage of the rebate program after the tax state credit into effect july 1st, this is an additional 5 percent when film out u outside of the la it increases their tax credit from 20 to 25 percent productions want to stay in california and producers time to film in san francisco but costs is a factor the expanded tax credit will make it more cost effective to as a result see more if we want the increase in production in san francisco it is essentially, we extend the tax program i

steve keeley joins us live inside ame church where this vigil happened. >>> this first african methodist episcopal church in the country where richard allen founded ame church in 1791 right next door to the synagogue where you can see locks alarms, security, as we see jewish houses of worship happen targets of hatred, they have already done what all of the ame churches and all religious churches were doing almost immediately yesterday upon hearing about charleston. founded on peace, love togetherness houses of freedom, religion have to sadly be fortresses of safety in this modern world of unexplainable terror and hate. >> it does not feel well in our soul. so we're here tonight in a grieving community of struggling and fight to go keep everybody safe. >> it is important to remember each person who lost their life and in charleston, south carolina. they have been called victims in the media. we cannot call them runners. >> if we don't stand up and don't stand with courage, and have a greater defile answer and greater courage and strength then the stand right now in the middle of this and say that nobody is going to change us from doing the work that god has

. >> mike allen, thank you so much. steve, thank you.rling. >> she was quivering. >> i think that people don't want to really talk about the real questions. >> steve, thank you as well. >> thank you. >> good to be here. >> make sure you watch steve's coverage of mika and clinton's rollout tomorrow at 8:00 a.m. that will be exciting. we'll be watching "up." what do you have on sunday on "meet the press"? >> we'll be doing the dynasty rollouts mitt romney who has the big con fab of kanld dates. we have campaign chair of hillary and we're going to talk about iraq a lot of what is going on. there. >> all right. chuck todd, that will be "meet the press" this sunday. gene, we'll let you go now. >> okay. see you next week. >> thank you, gene. >> up next the chief of staff for the u.s. army general ray ordierno is our guest next. my school reunion. i don't know. who wants to play in idaho? gotta get milwaukee up to speed. we win in flint, we take the lead. we'll close the deal if we just show... when it's go, go to the new choicehotels.com. the

allen west joining us today from dallas. sir, thank you very much for getting up early on this monday morning. >> thank you. >> you bet. >> no worries, steve you, sir. >>> it's about 19 minutes after the top of the hour. the video is insane. a child sent flying off a carnival ride. oh my goodness. what happened next an absolute miracle. how this one ends coming up. we're going to tell you. plus he's back. it's arnold and brian one-on-one. >> you know what? i want to show my body too. let's be honest. >> the question is have you gotten rid of your chest hair? >> wait. wasn't brian supposed to be asking the questions? the former california governor turns the tables on brian next. are those made with all-beef, karen? yeah, they're hebrew national. but unlike yours they're also kosher. only certain cuts of kosher beef meet their strict standards. they're all ruined. help yourself! oh no, we couldn...okay thanks hebrew national. a hot dog you can trust. ♪ how's it progressing with the prisoner? he'll tell us everything he knows very shortly, sir. as you were... where were we? 13 serving 14! service! if your boss stops by, you act like you're wo