O'Toole, Stewart, Letterman and Carson

"Nothing ever will beat working with my beloved Kate Hepburn.
Nothing. Because she was funny, she was brave, she was doughty
and at five o'clock she'd say: [imitating Hepburn] 'It's five o'clock, pig' --
I was the pig -- 'It's five o'clock, pig, it's time for a white wine and a cigarette."
-- Peter O'Toole, earlier this week, on The Daily Show

Peter O'Toole, usually quick with a tale, mostly revolving around another legendary actor or actress and too much to drink, was out promoting his new movie Venus last week.

On The Late Show With David Letterman, he was as good as you'd expect. He had his stories ready and Dave, obviously enamored with the tales, ate it up, asking just the right question at just the right time to keep the interview rolling.

O'Toole also was interviewed this week on The Daily Show by the man who very well could replace Letterman when he retires, Jon Stewart. Late in the interview, Stewart asked the question that elicited the sparkling quote about Hepburn above.

Watch the Stewart interview here. Watch the Letterman interview here. O'Toole is clearly sharper in the Letterman spot. How much credit, do you think, should go to the interviewer knowing what questions to ask, and at just the right time?

One of these days, somebody is going to give David Letterman the credit for just what a great interviewer he is, how he has gotten better at it over the years, how he can say the right thing at the right time to keep the interview moving, set up his guest for just the right joke and make sure his guest winds up looking good -- all the while making jokes and being funny himself.

Sounds a little like Johnny Carson, no?