Philbin says he started doing a red-carpet segment in the 1970s when he was working at Los Angeles station, KABC-TV.
He remembers it was a simple event with his camera on the carpet and veteran entertainment reporter Army Archerd in the stands calling out the names of the stars.
Philbin says "one by one they came: Richard Burton, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly."
He says "it was the thrill" of his life but he also remembers his red carpet show was panned by the Los Angeles Times.
Philbin says "here it is, 30 years later, the biggest circus in town."
