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Men, he says, "have done an awful lot of oppression. . His voice becomes soft, "We have a lot to lose now. Neither Cronkite nor CBS responded, a silence echoed by everyone else to whom the ambitious Donahue mailed resumes. Griffin's home was sold for $7million. . . [8] During the Korean War several years later, he was examined and deemed healthy enough to serve, but by that time was above age 26 and exempt from the draft. I like someone to love me," Thomas replied. The two powerhouses spun off numerous programs, for which Griffin often signed on as a creative consultant. . 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. Playing to the camera unmercifully, he leans close, interrupts, turns his back and challenges. At the time, it was the largest sale of an entertainment company owned by a single individual, and Forbes pronounced Griffin history's richest Hollywood performer. Most of the folks Porter talks about and says Griffin was involved with are, like Griffin, dead. He could duck it for a while, but it would always find him. He then did orchestra for four years after getting selected by Freddy Martin. Over the years, he also became very popular by performing in nightclubs. And there was a young James Dean selling his sex for cash. During the World War II, he was found to have a slight heart murmur because of which he failed several military examinations. What he made then was a far cry from the billionaire he was at the end., But what about the sex? The show was a humongous success and became the longest running game show with over 6000 episodes. Perhaps he figured it was preferable to remain the object of gossip rather than live openly as "one of. Griffin was introduced to the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1974. 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.". This song remained a huge hit by selling 3 million copies. 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. 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. He bought his contract back from Warner Bros. and decided to devote his attention to a new medium: television. 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. Paul had already signed Grove for the show and was looking for a male co-host. 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. 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. A typical example is the cancellation of a Masters and Johnson broadcast in Medford, Ore., because they "tantalized the audience by talking about homosexuality. Imagine the amount of good Merv could have done as a well-respected, hugely successful, beloved and uncloseted gay man in embodying a positive image. 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. They had one child, Tony Griffin, born in 1959. He also stayed silent about the epidemic in the media ironic since he was a man very much at the center of the media industry and in shaping communications and television in this country when his voice would have made a huge difference. The actress was so private but called the host's telecast when her father, Danny Thomas, noted a hilarious observation. Also: speculation. In a way, his show has been therapeutic for Donahue, who believes his personal life mirrors the problems discussed on TV: "The light's started to go on in me. Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories. He also created the game shows Jeopardy! NBC-owned and -operated stations in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco and Dallas carried it, with many stations airing two episodes per day. The audience is small and compact, practically sitting in the guest's lap. [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. 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. At one of his nightclub performances, Griffin was discovered by Doris Day. ACTRESS, Marlo Thomas, has been married to former daytime talk show host, Phil Donahue, for over 40 years. Marlo was 40 when she married the talk show host, and it was her first marriage. Discussion rapidly evolves into a group event, with Donahue roaming along the aisles, cajoling, flirting, taunting and enticing. 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. ", "Palm Springs Walk of Stars by date dedicated", "Merv Griffin reported in grave condition", "Hundreds Pay Final Respects To Merv Griffin", "Merv Griffin Estate Sells for $7 Million", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Merv_Griffin&oldid=1142400827, "Banned in Boston" (#101, Pop Charts, 1961), "Changing Keys" (longtime theme music for, This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 05:10. But how tremendously sad it is that a man of Mervs renown, of his gregarious nature and social dexterity, would feel compelled to endure such a stealthy double life even as the gay communitys clout, and its levels of acceptance and equality, rose steadily from the ashes of ignorance. Marlo agreed, revealing she had planned never to get married, and like her character in "That Girl," she was focused on her career and not a husband. He started the game show Jeopardy! in 1964. On his retirement, Griffin sold his production company, Merv Griffin Enterprises, to Columbia Pictures Televisionthen a unit of The Coca-Cola Companyfor US$250million on May 6, 1986. But in 1978 New York's WNBC bought "Donahue" for the second time and he began to capture the nation's attention. He carried on assisting the school financially. Robert (Bob) Murphy, Griffin's best friend since sixth grade, was the producer of The Merv Griffin Show, and eventually became president of Merv Griffin Enterprises. In 1977, Thomas was a guest on the daytime TV television show called Donahue. Griffin was married to Julann Wright, and together they had a son named Anthony. Griffin himself was an enthusiastic meditator.[27]. "Obviously it's complicated," Donahue says. In 1954, Griffin appeared in several Cincraft Productions sponsored films including a musical, Milestones of Motoring with Joe E. Brown and Rita Farrell. Million Dollar Masters Tournament from 2002. After 17 years, his wife left him. To a dying 18-year-old he says, "That's a real punch in the nose. As a result, NBC gave him his own hour-long daytime talk show program, The Merv Griffin Show (1962).Griffin's name and talk show career will always be seen in the light of that of Johnny Carson, the "King of late night TV", with whom Griffin directly competed on CBS from 1969 to 1972. He died on August 12, 2007. The show enjoyed tremendous popularity and was adapted into several international versions which aired in 60 countries. He started his professional life by joining the radio as well as by singing in collaboration with a big band. Issues that provoke censorship are almost always sexual. I said, I just don't believe it's for me.". He did it for Marlon Brandon. Some of his highly famous songs are Christmas City, Never Been Kissed, The Charanga, Wilhelmina, Happy To Know You, Banned in Boston, etc. Self 5 episodes, 1969-1973 Lenny Schultz . Then another Dayton television station asked him to replace a local talk show host who had gone on to better things in Hollywood (he's now the announcer for Dinah Shore). To a tearful father whose teenaged daughter died he says, "You must know that she wants you to be happy. To prove his point, Donahue does a Kissinger imitation, complete with heavy accent. The actress's stance made sense as she was one of the leaders in the women's movement. Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. Rumors about Griffin's sexuality followed him for much of his life. Being born on 6 July 1925, Merv Griffin was 82 years . "Since 'The $64,000 Question,' the network won't let you do those . In a December 1977 article, the actress recalled how Phil was a modern man and a single parent when they met. He married Julann Griffin, whom he divorced after some time. and Wheel of Fortune, and a wealthy media mogul. He attended San Mateo Junior College and then the University of San Francisco. [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. [37][38] Cashflow was about $70 million short of what was needed to service the Resorts' debt in 1989,[34] and Griffin sought bankruptcy court protection for Resorts on December 23, 1989.[39]. He attended San Mateo High School from where he graduated in 1942. His second show featured single men discussing what they liked in women. The "Sunday Morning" interviewer wanted to know where Marlo got the idea. [citation needed], Griffin started as a singer on radio at age 19, appearing on San Francisco Sketchbook, a nationally syndicated program based at KFRC. Text. She explained how she felt a union of two whole people could work compared to one of one and a half. ", Joel Swerdlow; Joel Swerdlow is the coauthor of "Remote Control: Television. and Wheel of Fortune. A pediatrician whom he accused of being too vain retorted, "When a child urinates on your tie at least once a week, it's hard to be too vain. In 1991, Deney Terrio, host of the Griffin-created Dance Fever, sued Griffin, alleging sexual harassment, but the suit was dismissed. Also, he was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame after his death in 2008. One of Merv Griffins most important works was his talk show The Merv Griffin Show. The spin-offs included the children's shows Wheel 2000 (CBS, 1997), and the short-lived Jep! 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. Winner of 15 Emmy Awards, Griffin was presented an Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show Emmy for 1993-1994 as executive producer of Jeopardy! "To say 'yes' to that question flatters me," he says, pausing to look at the wall as though hoping to see the proper answer. None of this has to be true for him to get a book deal without worrying about getting sued. [35][36] After ten months of ownership, Griffin reported a loss of $46.6 million. The Hollywood mogul Merv Griffin died at the age of 82 over the weekend after a battle with cancer, and I was amazed to see The New York Timesactually discusshis sexual orientation, the palimony lawsuit and the male-on-male sexual harassment lawsuit. When guests verge on breakdowns or exhibitionism, Donahue becomes a combination parish priest and understanding neighbor. Many well known and highly identifiable actresses have tried and failed to make the arduous crossover from fizzy TV sitcom star to mature, dramatic artist. His funeral was held at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills. She further elaborated, "I had to meet the right kind of man, and the world had to change a lot, and I had to change a lot." Griffin's announcer/sidekick was veteran British character actor Arthur Treacher, who had been his mentor. Griffin wrote the 30-second piece of music heard during the show's Final Jeopardy! "Just your picture. Donahue asked her on the air. So it doesnt matter if he calls James Dean a glorified prostitute, or Griffin a pimp. 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. Griffin, who died of prostate cancer Sunday at 82, stayed in the closet throughout his life. [51] He was buried in Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery, where his epitaph reads "I will not be right back after this message". 10k followers . While it would seem everything has changed today, little actually has. Also, he founded two TV production organizations Merv Griffin Entertainment and Merv Griffin Enterprises. And sometimes he's slapped down. From 1958 to 1962, Griffin hosted Play Your Hunch, a game show produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. GSN dedicated a whole weekend in order to credit him by releasing 10-episode marathons of Wheel and Jeopardy. (2002) remains the second highest rated game show in television syndication while Wheel of Fortune (1983) continues to be the longest running game show to hold the number one spot in television syndication history. 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." ", Donahue loves it.