It was during this period that he conceived the idea for what was to become one of the most successful game shows in television history, Jeopardy! Why not do a switch, and give the answers to the contestant and let them come up with the question. On her YouTube channel in 2012, Phil's wife confessed how no one dreamt of being a stepmother. "We had a woman whose baby was taken back by the adoption agency. "I'm not sure I could put Henry Kissinger on my show," Donahue says. In 2022, Marlo Thomas turned 85, and the other milestone she reached was celebrating 42 years of marriage after her husband, Phil Donahue changed her mind about marriage. The Wheel marathon included two episodes with cameo appearances by Griffin: Sajak's departure from the daytime version in 1989 and a 199293 episode that ended with Griffin, his band "The MervTones," and White singing at a dinner club in Orlando, Florida. Dont let your closet compromise you to the point where you are actively harming your own people, even though you have the power to do so much good.. "There's nothing too controversial for television," Donahue says. [32][34] After Trump paid $101 million for Resorts International Inc. in 1987, Griffin bought it back from him for $365 million and assumed the hotel-casino's debt of $925 million on November 15, 1988. GSN honored Griffin by airing ten-episode marathons of Wheel and Jeopardy! Griffin, in 1964, also introduced a game show Jeopardy which was a big success. He married Julann Griffin, whom he divorced after some time. The Merv Griffin Show (TV Series 1962-1986) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. That fall he became a radio reporter in Adrian, Mich. But answering questions in person, he chooses words carefully, as though any slip will damage his good-guy reputation. He married his college sweetheart in 1958, right after graduation. [20] When they had their first child, Cynthia Leigh Buzzell, on September 11, 1955, Griffin was named her godfather. Mervyn Edward Griffin Jr. (July 6, 1925 - August 12, 2007) was an American television show host and media mogul. He next appeared in the movie So This is Love in a main role. We'd lose the audience." We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. "Just your picture. As his family was Roman Catholic, he started signing in the church from an early age. The former home of Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas in Westport, Conn., is going on the market for $28 million. Mansfield had remembered Griffin from his singing in the Grace Moore picture So This Is Love, and for his hit song "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts." [45] The article was later altered due to protests from his friends and business associates. They divorced in 1976 after 17 years of marriage. He eventually started his own show The Merv Griffin Show in 1962 which proved to be a huge success. Griffin also appeared in The Boy from Oklahoma and Phantom of the Rue Morgue (both 1954), but became disillusioned with movie-making. (See review in today's Book World section.). In 2007, Griffin's production company, Merv Griffin Entertainment, began production on a new syndicated game show, Merv Griffin's Crosswords (originally titled Let's Play Crosswords and Let's Do Crosswords). If you get anything else you think we can use, call me personally. In 1977, Thomas was a guest on the daytime TV television show called Donahue. Merv was looking at notes for a new game show, and Julann asked if it was one of the knowledge-based games she liked. A relationship that should be renewed and examined can't grow as long as we're not telling our women how we feel. And sometimes he's slapped down. Family. Two revivals of Jeopardy! He could duck it for a while, but it would always find him. [6] He was a member of the international fraternity Tau Kappa Epsilon. Rumors about Griffin being gay aren't new, and they weren't helped by two lawsuits (a palimony claim, and a sexual harassment charge) by two dudes in the 90s. Merv Griffin. Finally, Griffins closet had him firing gay men whod actually made it up through the ranks of his own company, simply because they were openly gay. Though dismissed, the lawsuits put Griffin on the spot, and while he never denied being gay, he didnt own it either. Donahue asked her on the air. American Talk Show Host Merv Griffin was born Mervyn . ", Donahue can conceive of absolutely no topic that could hurt his career. General Info. "We read a lot of magazines. By 1976 he'd been canceled three times in New York, the nation's top market, and sadly decided he'd "become a candidate for a trivia contest two decades hence.". The show was a huge success and earned immense popularity. In 1969, CBS hired Griffin to directly compete with Carson in the 11:30 PM to 1:00 AM time slot that had proven a grave yard for other personalities. The result is staccato silence between phrases -- quite unlike his fast-moving, loquacious television image. Open homosexuality is a threat to the closeted, and powerful people in the closet like Merv Griffin will often do whatever it takes to squash those who are open and who might advocate that all among the powerful should come out. From that moment, "Donahue" became an audience-participation program. [17][20] Griffin needed a place to stay and moved-in with Buzzell as his new roommate. Self 5 episodes, 1969-1974 Melba Moore . He started the game show Jeopardy! in 1964. "The more drawn into the Hollywood trappings he . Even though Marlo had never intended to marry, she once admitted that it was "awful" being away from her husband. Once, Donahue says, Walter Cronkite himself telephoned to say, "Phil, that was a goddamned good interview you sent us yesterday. Rumors about Griffin's sexuality followed him for much of his life. National audiences eventually got a look at it via reruns that aired on GSN. Six years later they had five children, two born in the same year. After 17 years, his wife left him. Phil Donahue is the Cronkite of the morning, an oasis in a wasteland, the trusted host who, according to TV Guide, "hit daytime television like a hormone injection directly into the carotid artery of the American housewife." Griffin, who died of prostate cancer Sunday at 82, stayed in the closet throughout his life. He next hosted the game show Keep Talking and also temporarily The Price is Right and To Tell the Truth. Men, he says, "have done an awful lot of oppression. [15] He also had an uncredited role as a radio announcer in the horror/science fiction film The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953). Even in the capital of entertainment -- in a business where homosexuality isnt exactly a rare phenomenon -- its still spoken of in hushed tones or, more often, not at all. The Merv Griffin Show is an American television talk show starring Merv Griffin.The series ran on NBC from October 1, 1962 to March 29, 1963, in first-run syndication from May 10, 1965 to July 4, 1969, at 11:30 PM ET weeknights on CBS from August 18, 1969 to February 11, 1972, and again in first-run syndication from February 14, 1972 to September 5, 1986. If they're slow, he takes telephone calls. [51] He was buried in Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery, where his epitaph reads "I will not be right back after this message". Ten months later he moved to a CBS radio-television affiliate in Dayton, Ohio. [35][36] After ten months of ownership, Griffin reported a loss of $46.6 million. [35] He had used $325 million in junk bond financing at nearly 14% from Drexel Burnham Lambert's Michael Milken, but suspended interest payments in early 1989. [52], Some of the songs Griffin recorded were:[citation needed]. 2 Phil Donahue is a daytime television icon Credit: Getty Images - Getty Who is Phil Donahue? Involving slapstick stunts and a somewhat truncated version of his old Reach for the Stars, it initially aired locally in New York, with the intent of national syndication early the following year. ", He feels he's let America see it all -- a homosexual in 1968, Jane Fonda in 1969, even a Nazi who said blacks and Jews should be deported. Donahue denies using that word, but says, "It had better be an issue about which people care or we're all going to be parking cars.". In addition, he produced two different shows for NBC, such as Lets Play Post Office in 1965 as well as Reach for the Stars in 1967, plus for ABC; he produced One in a Million in 1967. (His book reports that in 1978, 56 percent of his programs featured guests with something to sell.) "How important is love?" He started his professional life by joining the radio as well as by singing in collaboration with a big band. Top-rate talent rarely visited Dayton, Donahue says, and those who did would ask him, "What am I doing here?" In 2005, he told . The "Sunday Morning" thought being independent and single had become the star's brand. It ran on all three networks, but primarily NBC. To prove his point, Donahue does a Kissinger imitation, complete with heavy accent. However, it returned years later and led to his death on 12th August 2007. This former bodyguard and horse trainer was paid $250 a week, lived in one of two apartments underneath my former house as part of his security function, and left my payroll six or seven years ago. Griffin was affiliated with the international fraternity Tau Kappa Epsilon. [17] They had much in common and became instant friends, and Buzzell introduced Griffin to all of New York City's popular musicians and music executives. Merv understood himself as a celebrity (or, at least, as a hanger-on) and would casually mention that he had played tennis with Errol Flynn, or had sublet. And if that wasnt scandalous enough: I write that friends who went to school with him in San Mateo say, when he was a young homosexual growing up, he was sexually molested by a priest. Movies. Neither Cronkite nor CBS responded, a silence echoed by everyone else to whom the ambitious Donahue mailed resumes. She explained how she felt a union of two whole people could work compared to one of one and a half. Why is it so difficult to write? On the other hand, Phil had been married before and welcomed five children, making his new wife a stepmother. At that time, the transaction represented the largest acquisition of an entertainment company owned by a single individual. Self 5 episodes, 1969-1973 Lenny Schultz . He died on August 12, 2007. His best years, he fears, may already be behind him: "The most creative, innovative ideas come from people with the least power and the least to lose." NBC finally cancelled it in 1989, when CBS picked it up for a year (only to return to NBC, when the daytime version was finally cancelled permanently in 1991). His roommate a year and a half was Montgomery Clift. Born in Kansas City, MO, Menorah Hospital to Helen Hollenbeck Ford and Fred C. Ford. Melissa McCarthy Said She 'Hit the Jackpot' with Husband Ben Falcone Who Only Proposed 17 Years after They Met, Nicole Kidman's Phone Tapped & She Was Spied on before Split from Tom Cruise & Losing 2nd Baby, Book Claims, Kelly Clarkson Quit 'The Voice' to Enjoy More Time with Kids Whom She Rarely Shows, Barbra Streisand Amazed Grandkid on 4th Birthday She 'Never' Takes off 'Grandma' Bracelet after Her Birth, Valerie Bertinelli's Last Talk with Dying 'Soulmate' & Their Awaited Kid Helps Her after Cancer Took Him, Kenny Rogers Called Having Twins at 65 with 'Rare' Wife 'Wonderful Experience' One Son Was Praised for New Job, Marie Osmond Is 63 She 'Never Wanted' to Remarry after 2nd Divorce, Yet Later Wed Her First Husband Again. Part of the deal was that Trump would buy Resorts' interest in the yet-to-be-constructed Taj Mahal project for $273million, and that Trump would own Resorts International Air, which included three Sikorsky S-61 helicopters. He married Julann Griffin, whom he divorced after some time. The Jeopardy! A biography of television legend Merv Griffin claims tgat when he died in 2007, he left behind a legacy that includedWheel Of Fortune,Jeopardy, hotels, side business ventures, and more than a billion dollars. No name. His father was a stockbroker while his mother was a homemaker. Griffin also hosted a game show Play Your Hunch in 1958 whose producers were Bill Todman and Mark Goodson. His second show featured single men discussing what they liked in women. One regular attendee, Lillian Miller, became a fixture on the show throughout its run. Griffin was married to the former Julann Wright from 1958 to 1976; they remained friends after their divorce. Merv died aged 82, so would've been 96 today. "They see in me a way to produce some income. after moving it twice on its daytime schedule, despite having an additional year on its network contract. [18][19], That summer, Griffin became acquainted with music publisher Loring Buzzell. 24K views, 950 likes, 99 loves, 117 comments, 155 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Marlo Thomas: #TBT to this scene from That Girl. It's a shame. In the business world, he was identified as the visionary chairman of The Griffin Group.Born in the San Francisco, California suburb of San Mateo, Griffin "came up through the ranks" in the classic sense, entering talent contests, writing songs, singing on local radio station KFRC-San Francisco, and later touring with Freddy Martin Orchestra. Also, he founded two TV production organizations Merv Griffin Entertainment and Merv Griffin Enterprises. In addition, he served as a producer for several game shows such as Reach for the Stars and One in a Million. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/merv-griffin-10911.php, 20th Century Film & Theater Personalities, 21st Century Film & Theater Personalities, 20th Century American Film & Theater Personalities, 21st Century American Film & Theater Personalities. The "Sunday Morning" interviewer wanted to know where Marlo got the idea. 10k followers . A biography of television legend Merv Griffin claims tgat when he died in 2007, he left behind a legacy that included Wheel Of Fortune, Jeopardy, hotels, side business ventures, and more than a billion dollars.Also: speculation. If youre Griffin, why would you think a judgmental culture would be any more tolerant as you grew into middle and old age? From 1958 to 1962, Griffin hosted a game show called Play Your Hunch which was produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. Perhaps he figured it was preferable to remain the object of gossip rather than live openly as one of them.. This song remained a huge hit by selling 3 million copies. Over the past 16 years of his life, however, Griffin deflected the sexuality questions with a quip, determining that his private life remained nobodys business. The resulting blurred image meant that Hoffman's voice emanated from a "jumble of lines". In yet another stunner, the book claims Griffin - who died in 2007 at age 82 - carried on a longtime affair with Hollywood heavyweight Marlon Brando. The actress continued explaining her reasoning: "It seems like it's only a place for one-and-a-half persons, you know, the person that has the dream and the other person who supports the dream." The star said one example was her parents, as the actress's mother gave up her singing career to settle herself to marry the star of the "Danny Thomas Show." The syndicated versions of both Jeopardy! . Griffin never acknowledged he was gay, though it became widely known in Hollywood, even as Eva Gabor played his beard. The two powerhouses spun off numerous programs, for which Griffin often signed on as a creative consultant. The actress said, "It was a very big thing for me to see that marriage could be a roomy enough place for my dream and his dream.". In effect, Donahue has 200 bosses and they provide a fascinating study in what the public will tolerate -- even seek -- once outside the networks. And Mervs brush with tabloid scandal no doubt only drove him further into the closet. He died on August 12, 2007. "controversy means it's important and it's something that people disagree on." While under contract at Warner Bros., he appeared in a number of hit movies, including So This Is Love (1953) with Kathryn Grayson and The Boy from Oklahoma (1954) with Will Rogers Jr., and Lon Chaney Jr..Television then discovered him. [4] When he was a child, Griffin used to play Hangman games with his sister during family road trips. Griffin's home was sold for $7million. Around that time, Griffin composed the show's best-known theme song, "Changing Keys", which was used in several variants of the show until 2000. Griffin also booked controversial guests like George Carlin, Dick Gregory, Richard Pryor, Norman Mailer and Bertrand Russell. "Spokeswoman: 'Jeopardy' inventor Merv Griffin dies at 82", "Daily Press: Hampton Roads News, Virginia News & Videos", "Merv Griffin, Television Innovator, Dies at 82", "Frater Merv Griffin Passes into the Chapter Eternal", "Lean Days are Better; Griffin Shed Weight and Song to Be a TV Host", "Entertainment Legend Merv Griffin Dies At 82", "(Advertisment) Thanks: The Merv Griffin Show", "Maharishi Mahesh Yogi; founded Transcendental Meditation movement", "For Merv Griffin, 14 Seconds Can Last a Lifetime", "Griffin buys Resorts; Trump to get Taj Mahal", "Merv Griffin's Outrageous Fortune: When Millionaire Griffin Took on Billionaire Trump, They Said It Was a Mismatch. "What's important is the manner in which it is presented." Mervyn Edward "Merv" Griffin, Jr. August 12, 2007) was an American television host, singer, and media mogul behind Merv Griffin Enterprises. She noted how no one wanted to be a stepmother cause they were seen as villains in children's stories. Griffin's prostate cancer, treated originally in 1996, returned and he was admitted to Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where his condition deteriorated, leading to his death on August 12, 2007 at the age of 82. In 1998, a Golden Palm Star on the Walk of Stars in Palm Springs was dedicated to him. This weekend venue, fashioned after Hollywood's famed Coconut Grove (where Griffin headlined as a boy singer with The Freddy Martin Orchestra) features live Big Bands, Swing Orchestras, and Rock Bands amidst a glamorous nightclub setting.He was honored with the prestigious 1994 Broadcasting and Cable "Hall of Fame" Award, alongside such figures as Diane Sawyer and Dan Rather. He did it for Marlon Brandon. . marathon consisted of a rerun of the Jeopardy! (for which he still creates puzzles and questions.) With resignation in his voice, Donahue will concede that his show is "a platform for pitchmen," one endless commercial. Griffin, as a radio announcer, played an unacknowledged part in the 1953 science/horror short story classic The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms. (VH1, 1998) for pop-music trivia fans; Click!, a teen-oriented game that introduced Ryan Seacrest as its host; and, in association with Wink Martindale, Headline Chasers (1985). The couple had one son. Phil Donahue was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and it was his childhood goal to be a "good broadcaster." In 1965, Griffin was criticized as a "traitor" when he aired a special from London in which Nobel Prize-winning philosopher Bertrand Russell denounced the Vietnam War.Despite his success on daytime television, it was late night that was The Holy Grail for talk show hosts. To Donahue, danger comes not from sponsors or subscribing stations, but from his own instincts for self-preservation. Having just hit bookstores, Porter is on a media tour a stop that includesCindy Adams column. Maybe you know about Merv Griffin very well But do you know how old was he at the time of his death and what is his net worth in 2023? And he seems without shame: "I would be afraid I'm going to die if someone told me I had leukemia. As rewrds, he dispenses liberal "God bless you's" and "I love you's." He married radio comic . Sensing that his time at CBS was ending, and tired of the network's restrictions, Griffin secretly signed a contract with rival company Metromedia that gave him a syndicated daytime talk show deal as soon as CBS canceled their show. "You're on the cover of 'Publisher's Weekly'," editor-in-chief Michael Korda told talk-show king Phil Donahue. The show was a humongous success and became the longest running game show with over 6000 episodes. Griffin and Grove were brought together by Byron Paul, producer of U.S.A. Canteen, and Irving Mansfield, Summer Holiday's creator.