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And not everybody who's a good television persona necessarily knows what they're talking about.". The well-attended service included Nancy Reagan; Arnold Schwarzenegger, who gave the eulogy with Tony Griffin; Maria Shriver; and various actors, television stars, employees, and friends, including Pat Sajak, Vanna White, Alex Trebek, Dick Van Dyke, Jack Klugman, Dick Van Patten, Ellen DeGeneres, Portia de Rossi, Ryan Seacrest, Johnny Mathis, Catherine Oxenberg and Casper Van Dien. Secondly, Griffins closet had him engaging in workplace sexual harassment, something that, as I showed in my 1993 book Queer in America, is common among closeted powerful men, who often are simply seeking outlets for sex. He rarely expects answers to questions: He wants only punchy responses. 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." What a powerful message Griffin might have sent had he squired his male companions around town rather than Eva Gabor, his longtime good friend and platonic public pal. (See review in today's Book World section.). He has parlayed their problems into the top spot in the dog-eat-puppy world of syndicated talk shows. He was stuck in southwestern Ohio, where his Dayton journalistic high points included the moment in 1960 when he asked Pat Nixon if she were proud of her husband and spat in her eye on the "p.". The "Sunday Morning" interviewer wanted to know where Marlo got the idea. I had interviewed many gay men whod known Griffin as gay, as well as men who told stories about how his closet had him doing horrendous things and how he was threatened by openly gay people. I keep it to his A-list dates like Rock Hudson, whom he met through Henry Wilson, Rocks agent, and who advised him to keep his sexuality quiet. He feels akin to a large corporation. He was 82. It gained traction in 1991 when he was targeted in a pair of lawsuits: by Dance Fever host Denny Terrio, alleging sexual harassment; and by assistant Brent Plott seeking $200 million in palimony. ", Donahue loves it. When philosopher and anti-war activist Bertrand Russell used the show to condemn the war in Vietnam, Griffin was criticized for letting Russell have his say. Not one to shy away from controversy, Griffin began to be harassed by CBS censors who objected to the antiwar statements of his guests and ordered him to feature pro-war guests for balance. Mervyn Edward Griffin Jr. (July 6, 1925 - August 12, 2007) was an American television show host and media mogul. She is best known for starring on the sitcom That Girl (1966-1971) and her children's franchise Free to Be. In 1991, Deney Terrio, host of the Griffin-created Dance Fever, sued Griffin, alleging sexual harassment, but the suit was dismissed. He went to San Mateo High School and graduated in 1942. 24K views, 950 likes, 99 loves, 117 comments, 155 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Marlo Thomas: #TBT to this scene from That Girl. ", The book reveals he was a virgin before marriage, a lousy lover afterward, and avoided the draft through fatherhood. Her zodiac sign is Aquarius. Type. Aug. 12, 2007 -- Merv Griffin, who parlayed a talent for talk and entertainment into a one-man business conglomerate, died of cancer early this morning. I like someone to love me," Thomas replied. "We also get an awful lot of phone calls and letters from people asking us to be on. Being born on 6 July 1925, Merv Griffin was 82 years old at the time of his death. He owned a ranch near La Quinta, California where he raised thoroughbred racehorses, and St. Clerans Manor, a boutique hotel in an eighteenth-century estate once owned by director John Huston, near Craughwell, in County Galway, Ireland. "Why rock the boat?" ", 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. Round, which became the iconic melody of the theme for the syndicated version of the show hosted by Alex Trebek in 1984. "The irony of the situation wasn't wasted on me", Griffin recalls in his autobiography. "Suddenly my phone was ringing," Donahue says. Griffin's announcer/sidekick was veteran British character actor Arthur Treacher, who had been his mentor. He was best known for hosting the Goodson/Todman classic, Play Your Hunch, and for creating the two long-running hit series, Jeopardy! "In a network situation," Donahue says, "one guy can end your career while he's shaving." Winner of 15 Emmy Awards, Griffin was presented an Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show Emmy for 1993-1994 as executive producer of Jeopardy! The couple divorced in 1976. However, she explained she thought in hers but didn't have the same feelings toward the institution of marriage because she wasn't sure it was "rigged against the woman. When Treacher left the show in 1970, Griffin did the announcing himself, and walked on stage with the phrase "And now here I come!" The song reached the #1 spot on the Hit Parade and sold three million copies.[13]. Even though Marlo had never intended to marry, she once admitted that it was "awful" being away from her husband. He died on August 12, 2007. In 2005, he told . Less than half an hour after that report would have been aired, WNBC in New York (owned by the network) broadcast an hour-long "Donahue" on the same subject. 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. Issues that provoke censorship are almost always sexual. [17] He landed a job as the host of a new television show, CBS-TV's Summer Holiday, a summer replacement for Jane Froman's U.S.A. Canteen and Jo Stafford's The Jo Stafford Show, which he co-hosted with Betty Ann Grove. He became increasingly popular with nightclub audiences and his fame soared among the general public when he struck gold in 1950 with "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts", which reached the number one spot on the Hit Parade and sold three million copies.Continuing to record hits, including "Wilhelmina" and "Never Been Kissed", Griffin made a foray into motion pictures after Doris Day saw his nightclub performance and arranged a screen test for him at Warner Bros. Studios. "He speaks in tablets. He married Julann Griffin, whom he divorced after some time. "Just your picture. In 1965, Griffin launched a syndicated talk show for Group W (Westinghouse Broadcasting) titled The Merv Griffin Show. Griffin was not shy about tackling controversial subjects, especially the Vietnam War. Such candor is not new to Donahue, but it usually comes from his guests and audience. From 1958 to 1962, Griffin hosted a game show called Play Your Hunch which was produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. Marlo Thomas Was Scared of Being Stepmom to Phil Donahue's 5 Kids They Are Proud of Gaggle of Grandkids Now, Why Is Robin Always on Dr. Phil's Show? Griffin produced the show's successor, Wheel of Fortune, which premiered January 6, 1975 with host Chuck Woolery and hostess Susan Stafford, and had high ratings throughout its network run. LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Merv Griffin was gay. The Jeopardy! He also owns the Hilton Scottsdale Resort and Villas in Arizona, and St. Clerans Manor, an 18th century estate once owned by director John Huston which is located near Galway, the premier resort destination in Ireland.In January 1998, Griffin opened The Coconut Club, one of the country's hottest swing/dance clubs, at his Beverly Hilton Hotel. Griffin was also an honorary pallbearer at the funeral of President Ronald Reagan in 2004, having been the Reagans' friends for many years. for ABC), Griffin was one of the many guest hosts who presided over Tonight in the interim. She noted how no one wanted to be a stepmother cause they were seen as villains in children's stories. This continued after her two terms as First Lady. 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). Donahue denied the rumors by signing a six-year contract to continue independent production. The book also reveals that Merv slept with Rebel Without a Cause heartthrob James Dean, film legend Montgomery Clift and Kennedy in-law Peter Lawford. Merv Griffin had an encounter with Betty Kelly. Though dismissed, the lawsuits put Griffin on the spot, and while he never denied being gay, he didnt own it either. He didn't need CBS, NBC or ABC. Wheel barely escaped cancellation in 1980, when NBC replaced three of its other game shows with a daytime talk show starring David Letterman. If the station manager objects to a particular program, Donahue argues, but he will supply a back-up. At 72, onetime crooner Merv Grifn has parlayed the $250 million sale of his game shows Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune in 1986 into a billion-dollar empire that encompasses two production . "You're on the cover of 'Publisher's Weekly'," editor-in-chief Michael Korda told talk-show king Phil Donahue. Another was '79 Wistful Vista.' You know, men and women, and 'he doesn't kiss me anymore.'". "Even if there's spinach in my teeth, it goes," Donahue says. Instead, she became a friend of the four boys', and when she got to know them and vice versa, they trusted her and accepted her in their lives. His first work on the big screen was an unaccredited role in the 1953 horror sci-fi movie The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms. He married radio comic . 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." Griffin created and produced the successful television game show Jeopardy! In a December 1977 article, the actress recalled how Phil was a modern man and a single parent when they met. He gave hog prices on the radio at 5:30 a.m., and his hand appeared twice on film used on the CBS Evening News. Over the years, it made a record of winning 33 Emmy Awards. Rumors about Griffin's sexuality followed him for much of his life. It taped in Los Angeles after initial reports that it would be produced at WMAQ-TV in Chicago. That was Fibber and Mollie McGee's address. . . [4] When he was a child, Griffin used to play Hangman games with his sister during family road trips. "Since 'The $64,000 Question,' the network won't let you do those . "You've got to be hungry and ambitious," he says, explaining how he caters to his 85-percent-female audience: "Behavior issues are very big for us. Brynn Hartman Struggled with Self-Esteem and Her Husband's Absence Who Was Phil Hartman's Wife? COPYRIGHT 2020 By TheLifeandTimesofHollywood.com, Stories From The Life and Times of Hollywood. [20] Buzzell died of a heart attack in 1959, but Griffin stayed close to Simms for the rest of her life and had her as a guest on his talk show many times.[22][23][24]. This. Aren't you?" Why should that be so uncomfortable to read? "Not everybody who writes a book is necessarily a good television persona. The kiss was a first in Hollywood film history since the introduction of the Production Code in 1934. Arms wave. That year, Brent Plott, a longtime employee who worked as a bodyguard, horse trainer and driver, filed a $200million palimony lawsuit, which was also dismissed. Griffin disliked the censorship imposed by CBS and complained. The star had spent decades covering up his sexuality and even married comedienne Julann Wright, who gave him a son. Griffin began to sing at the age of 19 by making his appearance on San Francisco Sketchbook. He was Lifetime Honorary Festival Chairman of La Quinta Arts Festival and recently donated his Wickenburg Inn and Dude Ranch to Childhelp USA.In March 2001, the Gold Label released his new CD, "It's Like a Dream", for which he composed the title song. Wednesday brought an obstetrician, and on Thursday he climbed into a coffin as he interviewed a mortician. 05:12 PM ET 06/12/2014. Public response wasn't always entirely pleasant, but continued commercial success gave Donahue confidence. From 1965 to 1986 he hosted his own talk show, The Merv Griffin Show. 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.. His program is television's most consistent forum for provocative, controversial subject matter: lesbian couples adopting children; parents of homosexuals; breast-feeding mothers; unwed mothers; elderly people living together out of wedlock; victims of incest. Phil's wife said in marriage; you have to know the other person has your back and that her union was the safest place she could be, and the talk show host was her everything and life cushion. 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. (1984), which are watched by hundreds of millions of people all over the world. Peter Graves, Marlo Thomas, Barbara Eden, Della Reese, Roger Ray: With Merv Griffin, Barbara Eden, Peter Graves, Mort Lindsey. That's one of the nice things about being hot. Griffin was married to Julann Wright, and together they had a son named Anthony. Griffin was born July 6, 1925, in San Mateo, California, to Mervyn Edward Griffin Sr., a stockbroker, and Rita Elizabeth Griffin (ne Robinson),[3] a homemaker. And lots about Mervs prolonged sexual tryst with Marlon Brando. He works live (most markets broadcast an unedited tape). Merv Griffin is a television host and media tycoon of America. Nonetheless, the elephant that was his sexual orientation never really stopped following Griffin from room to room. American Talk Show Host Merv Griffin was born Mervyn . Im thinking perhaps the Times editors really took it to heart when many of us criticized them after Susan Sontags death and the obituary cover-up of her sexual orientation and her relationship with Annie Liebovitz. were produced: one on NBC that ran for five months in late 1978/early 1979, with Art Fleming returning as host; and the other airing in first-run syndication beginning September 10, 1984, starring Alex Trebek. He started his professional life by joining the radio as well as by singing in collaboration with a big band. The show enjoyed tremendous popularity and was adapted into several international versions which aired in 60 countries. Mervyn "Merv" Griffin (1925 -2007) was an American television host, musician, actor, and media mogul. The former home of Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas in Westport, Conn., is going on the market for $28 million. It became the first US Album to be recorded on a magnetic tape. Before they married, Marlo had no interest in the institution, but her husband managed to twist her arm. From 1965 to 1986 Griffin hosted his own talk show, The Merv Griffin Show. That should not be forgotten. From that moment, "Donahue" became an audience-participation program. He attended San Mateo Junior College and then the University of San Francisco. Griffin did not get the part, but the screen test led to supporting roles in other musical films such as So This Is Love (also 1953),[14] which caused a minor controversy when Griffin shared an open-mouthed kiss with Kathryn Grayson. This man was intimate with the Reagans (and Nancy Reagan in particular) during the height of the AIDS epidemic in 80s, with few treatments available and fear-mongering having gripped the media. In 1991, he was sued by TV host Deney Terrio alleging sexual harassment. "Yes," finally emerges. The "Today" show signed him, as rumors spread that he'd soon jump to the networks. he asks a dying child. He maintained a virtual male harem and a pimp who supplied porn stars, but I dont go into his pay-for-gay guys. [10], By 1945, Griffin had earned enough money to form his own record label, Panda Records, which produced Songs by Merv Griffin, the first U.S. album ever recorded on magnetic tape. So far, in the the rest of the obits on Griffin (Reuters, Associated Press) Ive seen nothing about his homosexuality. The Amazing Johnathan left the show after 65 episodes because of a contract dispute, and it was scrapped before it was nationally syndicated. "It's no mystery to me why they are so conservative," Donahue says. As rewrds, he dispenses liberal "God bless you's" and "I love you's." We'd lose the audience." If they're slow, he takes telephone calls. She recalled one of the questions he asked her, saying: "And he said to me, 'How come you've never married?' Merv Griffin, talk show host and game show creator, is shown on his talk show 'The Merv Griffin Show' which aired from 1962-1986 in this undated publicity photograph. and Wheel of Fortune. 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. Around the office, Mervs being gay was understood but rarely discussed (and certainly never with him). The star became more caring and interested in the boys the more she lived with them, and eventually, "more mothering.".