After three decades as the colorful bandleader to The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, master trumpeter Doc Severinsen defies nature with a relentless schedule of touring and performing into his nineties. A musical icon traces his groundbreaking career and personal trials underscoring a life of inspiration and obsession.
In 2018, at the age of 90, Doc Severinsen is still going strong as he leaves home and sets off on a performance tour. At the gym, Doc demonstrates his grueling work-out routine while his trainer calls him "a freak of nature". He shares childhood memories of growing up in a small town in Oregon, and also looks back on his early marriages, including struggles with alcoholism, and his determination to find stability for his children. The film follows Doc around the country through joyful live performances as he nostalgically retraces the steps of his career from his big band beginnings to The Tonight Show.
As Doc joins The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, he becomes beloved by millions of American households nightly. Through archival clips and contemporary interviews, we relive thirty years of music, comedy, and friendship of America's favorite talk show.
When Johnny Carson retires from The Tonight Show in 1992, Doc moves to Mexico. However, not ready to give up performing, he continues touring nonstop, even forming a new band, The San Miguel Five. Surrounded by family and doing what makes him happy, bringing joy to audiences, Doc is savoring every moment.
"As a document of a major figure in the history of American television and intersections between that medium and music, its value is clear. Visually, the documentary adeptly weaves together recent footage with older archival film, video, and still images. Of course, students of the trumpet may find this documentary attractive, but its strongest academic appeal likely applies to those exploring American television history and its key performers." — Educational Media Reviews Online
"Explores his work as a musician, on 'The Tonight Show' and off, and dives deeply into his personal life, his marriages and his family's history with alcoholism. If the movie uncovers much that viewers didn't know about him, Severinsen said, 'I found out how much I didn't know, too.'" — The New York Times
"Toe-tapping documentary by Kevin S. Bright and Jeff Consiglio. Never Too Late traces Severinsen's journey from small town Oregon to New York and The Tonight Show, including the move with Carson to the West Coast. But it's more than a show business documentary. Severinsen opens up about alcoholism in his early life, his relationship with his children and powerhouse workout routine that keeps him fit and thinking young." — San Francisco Chronicle
"Revealing documentary...intimate, surprising film...[Bright and Consiglio's] cameras reveal a man always in motion, forever striving to hit that impossible high note and never sitting still. Never Too Late: The Doc Severinsen Story combines interviews with Doc's inner circle, terrific music and elated trumpet playing, and hilarious, iconic Tonight Show moments for an inspirational, honest, and illuminating portrait." — Mill Valley Film Festival
"Never Too Late: The Doc Severinsen Story celebrates a man whose passion for music remains evergreen and considers the demands of a life devoted to performance." — Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
"The film is a loving and fun tribute to this great performer, one of the greatest trumpeters to ever pick up the horn, who's dedication to his craft is unmatched and who's stamina is relentlessly impressive." — Milwaukee Magazine
Citation
Main credits
Bright, Kevin (film director)
Consiglio, Jeff (film director)
Consiglio, Jeff (film producer)
Severinsen, Doc (on-screen participant)
Garfinkel, Ariana (film producer)
