Movie review: ‘The Late Shift’

FloridaGator80
A promotional still photograph from the HBO movie “The Late Shift.”

OK, so it’s an obvious statement: The digital evolution has transformed many things and television and movies are no exception. Outside of the ragingly good special effects made possible today by computers, the advent of non-network and non-studio films have come a long way and offer quality and depth that was not thought possible as late as the early 1990s. Today, they’re Oscar contenders while then being criticized for not being “real” movies. However, some are great. One outstanding example is “The Late Shift,” which dramatizes a non-fiction book about the contest between Jay Leno and David Letterman for Johnny Carson’s spot at the “Tonight Show” desk at NBC. You’ll find it solid and worth watching.

‘The Late Shift’
(1996; 95 minutes; rated R; directed by Betty Thomas and starring John Michael Higgins, Daniel Roebuck and Kathy Bates)

THE ORIGIN OF THE LATE NIGHT WARS

(NOTE: I expanded this review with additional opinion and trivia and the updating of links on Nov. 7, 2019. I again expanded the review on May 23, 2021. I again expanded it on May 23, 2026.)

With the “retirement” of Jay Leno from NBC’s “The Tonight Show” earlier this year (as of the original writing of this review nearly seven years ago in 2014) and David Letterman’s announcement that he’ll be leaving the desk at “The Late Show” on CBS next year, it all brings back the original late night TV host war of the early 1990s.

Bill Carter, the New York Times media critic, wrote the non-fiction account (“The Late Shift”) of the story surrounding who would succeed Johnny Carson on NBC. The book came out in 1994 and the HBO movie from it debuted in 1996. He would write a sequel to it published in 2010 called “The War for Late Night” about the emergence of Conan O’Brien over Leno and the ongoing war between NBC and Letterman.

The HBO film (also titled “The Late Shift”) is absolutely excellent and it garnered a Golden Globe for Kathy Bates and seven Primetime Emmy nominations (but no wins). Both Leno and Letterman (especially Letterman) didn’t have complimentary things to say about it, but you should watch it if you can find it. It’s entertaining and Bates’ work alone is worth the effort.

The story is familiar: Leno’s hyper-aggressive agent “Helen Kushnick” played by Bates (I’m using quote marks on real people here as if they were just characters, but all spring from real people) wants NBC to confirm her client as Carson’s successor. “David Letterman,” played by John Michael Higgins, is the late-late night guy and NBC wants to keep him there. When Carson announces his retirement, it all hits the fan. Of course, we all know Letterman moved to CBS and Leno ultimately became the ratings leader over him.

A promotional still photograph from the HBO movie “The Late Shift.”

The real star is Bates as she bullies, blusters and cuts a wide and profane swath through the TV industry. Bates is so good it’s incredible that Greta Scacchi in “Rasputin” won over her for the Primetime Emmy. Bates should have won an Oscar if “The Late Shift” had been released in theaters, so the Emmy snub is puzzling. In any case, you’ll come to hate her even though you’re watching it on TV. Too bad, since such films were ultimately allowed to have a limited release in theater and thereby be “qualified” for an Oscar.

A promotional still photograph from the HBO movie “The Late Shift.”

Bates has enjoyed success in all facets of entertainment. She has won an Oscar for Best Actress (“Misery”) and nominated three-times more (“Primary Colors,” “About Schmidt” and Clint Eastwood’s “Richard Jewell”) and won another Golden Globe for “Misery” and nominated for eight others (including “Fried Green Tomatoes” and a pair for the remake of the tee-vee series “Matlock”). She won one of her two Primetime Emmys in a guest appearance as the ghost of “Charlie Harper” on “Two and a Half Men” and has been nominated 13 other times. Her other Emmy win was for “American Horror Story.”

A promotional still photograph from the HBO movie “The Late Shift.”

As for the two late night hosts Higgins and Daniel Roebuck as “Jay Leno,” both do good work here, but since we’re so familiar with the real hosts that they come up short. Roebuck’s voice is irritating (as is his necessary prosthetic chin) but Higgins actually is kind of effective as “David Letterman.” Higgins has been in the remake of “Fun with Dick and Jane” and “Bad Teacher,” while Roebuck has been in “The Fugitive” and “Final Destination.”

Higgis is now a Primetime Emmy nominee for the short “Tween Fest” and Roebuck remains nominee-less in any major awards category for TV or film.

After the obvious headliners, there’s a string of actors giving top-notch supporting performances including:

  • A promotional still photograph from the HBO movie “The Late Shift.”

    After Bates, three-time Golden Globe nominee (not for this one) Treat Williams plays super-agent “Michael Ovitz” and gives a memorable performance. He is suave and exudes the commanding and confident nature of the real man. Williams has also been in “Mulholland Falls” and was nominated for “Prince of the City,” a TV version of “A Streetcar Named Desire” and for “Hair.”

  • An Oscar nominee (not for this one), Bob Balaban teams up with Reni Santoni as they play NBC executives “Warren Littlefield” and “John Agoglia,” who are backers of Leno and vitriolic enemies of Bates. Both give their best here with smooth performances that don’t overwhelm, but manage to quietly be a foundation of the film. Balaban has been in “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “Absence of Malice” and “A Mighty Wind” as was nominated for Best Picture as co-producer of “Gosford Park.” Santoni was Clint Eastwood’s partner in “Dirty Harry” (click here to read my review) as well as being in “Cobra” and “Rain Man.” Santoni died at 82 in 2020 of throat and lung cancer.
  • John Kapelos, who was the all-seeing janitor “Carl” in “The Breakfast Club,” plays “Robert Morton,” the executive producer of Letterman’s show. Kapelos makes it look easy in the role and has also been in “Roxanne” and “Weird Science” (click here to read my review).
  • Steven Gilborn was excellent as the smooth-talking “Peter Lassally,” who was Carson’s executive producer and moves over to the Letterman team after Johnny’s retirement. Gilborn was been in “Doctor Dolittle” and “The Brady Bunch Movie” and its sequel, “A Very Brady Sequel” (click here to read my review). A prolific actor with 116 acting credits, Gilborn died at 72 in 2009 of cancer.

I could spend another 1,000 words about other supporting cast members and the real people they portrayed in the film, but you should check it out for yourself.

The single worst discordant note in “The Late Shift” comes from the performance by Rich Little, who was apparently cast only because he’d dye his hair white and could make a feeble attempt to imitate Carson’s voice. Little brings nothing to the character and the physical difference between himself and Carson is a distraction, too. Sandra Bernhard comes in a close second for worst effort in a bit part playing herself as a guest on the “Letterman” show. However, a check is a check and she received payment for her pathetic effort.

Since it was released on HBO, “The Late Shift” isn’t ranked (of course) with respect to box office receipts. Just in case you forgot, 1996’s No. 1 film at the box office was “Independence Day” at $306.1 million. Other top earners that year were “Twister” at No. 2 with $241.7 million and “Scream” at 16th with $103 million. Here are the films from 1996 that I’ve reviewed:

Additional film and cast notes (via IMDb.com):

  • Bates’ middle name is Doyle and her nickname is “Bobo;” Balaban’s middle name is Elmer; and Santoni’s full birth name was Reinaldo Santoni.
  • As to the actors’ heights as compared to the real person: Higgins is 5-foot-11, while Letterman is 6-foot-1½; and Roebuck comes in at 6-foot, while Leno is 5-foot-11.
  • If you want to see a young Bates, check her out in her fourth acting credit in 1978: An episode on “The Love Boat” (season 1, episode 13) where she plays a honeymooner who, along with her new husband, has bad luck in trying to consummate the marriage (click here for my look at that wonderful, kitschy TV series).
  • Directly from IMDb.com: “In this film, Bob Balaban played NBC President Warren Littlefield. He also played the character Russell Dalrymple on Seinfeld (1989), the NBC executive who was inspired by Littlefield.”
  • Director Betty Thomas has been at the helm of movies of varying genres from “Private Parts” to “The Brady Bunch Movie” and “28 Days” (Sandra Bullock in rehab).
  • Right after the film’s premiere, Higgins was booked onto Letterman’s show but was kept off-stage as Letterman finally ended the show without having Higgins appear.
  • Williams had an uncredited role in “Marathon Man.” He played a jogger in Central Park and had another uncredited role as an “Echo Base Trooper” in “Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back.”
  • Finally and directly from IMDb.com: “Both David Letterman and Jay Leno were vocal in their disapproval of the film, with Letterman calling it ‘the single biggest waste of film since my wedding photos.’ In an interview he said his self-loathing tendencies were overplayed, in particular a scene where he throws baseballs at an archery target, and he also took issue with the orange/brown hair color given to the actor who played him, John Michael Higgins.”

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