)(Katie Griffen, Kate Griffin, Kathy Griffin), Griffin, Susan M. 1953- (Susan Mary Griffin), Griffin, Tim (Tim Griffen, Timothy Collins Griffin), Griffith Joyner, Florence Delorez ("Flo Jo"), http://www.msnbc.com/id/20236685/from/ET/print/1/displaymode/1098/, https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/griffin-merv. At the time Martin hired Griffin, the singer was earning more in a day than the bandleader paid in a week, but the opportunity to expand into a national market proved irresistible. Making people happy was something that came naturally to Mervyn Edward Griffin, Jr. He is an exceptional tenor soloist with a phenomenal range. But a few months later I was singing there and I thought, Hey! Signed to a long-term contract with Warner Bros. Film debut, "By the Light of the Silvery Moon", Had principal role opposite Katherine Grayson in "So This Is Love", Regular on TV variety show "Summer Holiday", Debut as TV host, "Look Up and Live" (CBS), Broadway debut in the musical-comedy "Finian's Rainbow", Hosted primetime NBC game show "Play Your Hunch", Served as a guest host of "The Tonight Show" for Jack Paar, Began hosting the hourlong daytime talk show "The Merv Griffin Show" (NBC) which debuted in October 1962 on the same day Carson began hosting "The Tonight Show"; show was canceled in April 1963, Created TV game show "Jeopardy!" Mervyn Edward Griffin Jr. (July 6, 1925 - August 12, 2007) was an American television show host and media mogul. He was 88. (1985), Circus of the Stars Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA). And so there was always the anticipation that something unexpected might occur. In July of 2007, Griffin was admitted to Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles for prostate cancer, which he had been treated for in 1996. By 1970, there were four national talk shows based in New York City: The Tonight Show; The Merv Griffin Show; The Dick Cavett Show (which had replaced the Joey Bishop Show in December 1969); and The David Frost Show (which had replaced Merv on the Westinghouse network). Sheldons voice, however, became a signature part of Saturday morning cartoons for years thanks to two beloved installments of the oft-repeatedSchoolhouse Rock educational series of animated shorts. Get our latest storiesin the feed of your favorite networks. His condition quickly worsened, and Griffin died on Aug. 12, 2007. This mid-1960 release featured some outstanding . As often as possible, in public and in the practice room. In an effort to create a more intimate ambiance, Merv got rid of the desk and simply occupied a chair, as did the guests, at center stage. 28 Apr. Entertainer His death, on Dec. 27, was announced by Cynthia Jimenez, sister of Sheldons longtime manager, Dianne Jimenez. Rebounding quickly, Griffin signed on with Westinghouse, who syndicated his talk show nationwide. Griffin often noted that his favorite song wasThe Shadow of Your Smile and praised Sheldonspoignant horn contribution to the bittersweet song that was written by by Johnny Mandel and Paul Francis Webster and memorably accompaniedElizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in their 1965 drama The Sandpipers. Merv didnt raise eyebrows, he let his provocative guests do it for him. (2007), Inspector Gadget Jim Hall has significant solo time here as well and also on an otherwise maudlin arrangement of "Poor Butterfly." Interestingly, the Griffin and Carson shows were not only seen on the same network, they also taped in the same studio, 6-B. . This is because The Merv Griffin Show managed to mix light entertainment with groundbreaking . Sources David received his Computer Science Degree in 1987, and had a successful 30 year career working in IT. I am watching you listen!. Aug. 13, 2007 12 AM PT. Now operating with one of the largest talent contracts in television history, Merv strove to keep the program fresh by balancing it with the usual eclectic array of guests and subjects. He never made you feel that if you didnt do well you would never be back here again. From 1965 to 1986 he hosted his own talk show, The Merv Griffin Show. Griffin was then tapped by CBS to offer direct competition with Johnny Carson and "The Tonight Show" (NBC, 1962-1999), and in 1969, "The Merv Griffin Show" debuted in the 11:30 p.m. slot opposite Carson. Jack Sheldon was the son of Jen Loven (1909-1989), who taught many of the Hollywood entertainment elite and their children to swim at her famous Jen Loven Swim School in Hollywood. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. In the control room, Merv thanked his staff, crew, and production team, including director Dick Carson. He also credited the influence of the comics he shared the stage with in performances at places such as the Playboy Clubs. and "Never Been Kissed," were other big hits for Griffin and Martin, but after Doris Day saw their nightclub act, his interest turned to acting. He was 88. It would be a 90-minute program jointly produced by Group W Productions and Griffin Productions, with Merv retaining full ownership of the program, something very unusual in the television business at that time. Merv taped in the early afternoon and, after a quick set change, Carson would tape in the early evening. Wed just walk in and say, Can we play?, And play he did. Studying trumpet as a child, he was playing professionally by the time he was in his teens. As a result, in markets where there was no CBS affiliate, the Griffin show could only receive a zero rating. (1999), Elizabeth Taylor: The E! Read Full Biography. He also created the game shows Jeopardy! . Interview with Merv Griffin, CNN.com, http://www.transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0605/11/1kl.01.html, (May 11, 2006). Over the years, comedians have good-naturedly lampooned Merv's on-air . Talk shows have always relied on a safety net of material mapped out in advance by staffers. (1991), Sinatra 75: The Best Is Yet to Come A few months after their encounter, Merv did his first guest-host spot on "The Tonight Show".--From Los Angeles, February 1998. Sheldonperformed the song at Griffinsfuneral in 2007. Music!" Merv Griffin, All Movie Guide, http://www.allmovie.com (October 11, 2007). The considerable spike in ratings generated by Griffin's appearance convinced them to grant him his own daytime talk show. Finally, after Joan Edwards, one of the singing stars from Your Hit Parade, sang on his show, she told the budding star (as Griffin recalled in his autobiography Mervan Autobiography), Merv, honey, you sing great, but the blubber has to go. Griffin dieted strenuously until he was a svelte 160 pounds, but he would struggle with weight fluctuations the rest of his life. At a family gathering, when he was commanded by his father to play the piano, the teenager charmed him with a rendition of Tea for Two, that he was asked to play repeatedly. Ruddman brought along guests like Devo, A Flock of Seagulls, and the Fixx, artists that were too "edgy" at the time for most television shows. Menu. Music might not be the first thing you think of when someone mentions talk show host and entrepreneurial powerhouse Merv Griffin, but he earns more in royalties from his television themes than most musicians CBS had fewer stations in its lineup than NBC. in 1964, and the Griffin-penned "thinking music" became one of the most recognized and most lucrative songs ever (all 14 seconds of it). Knopper, Steve, editor, MusicHound LoungeThe Essential Album Guide to Martini Music and Easy Listening Visible Ink, 1998. Griffin's ease at conducting a celebrity chat was not lost on the network, which gave him a guest shot at substitute host on Paar's "Tonight Show.". "Griffin, Merv Sardis held a special interest for the producer and talent coordinators. MICHAEL SHEALY (Drums) Michael has played with many accomplished musicians including Anthony Truglio of Liege Lord and Gregg Fitz of P-Funk. He studied classical music and vocals with the best teachers including Christine Ims, of the New York Metropolitan Opera. Watching Merv today, its often hard to comprehend that the man steering this marathon of chitchat would one day become a powerful mogul capable of buying and selling the very talent he was showcasing. June 22, 1971 First Harry Chapin Band rehearsal with Big John Wallace. Not everything during this period was golden for Griffin; a pair of palimony suits in 1991 from a horse trainer and the former host of Griffin's syndicated disco competition series "Dance Fever" (1979-1987) brought to light the long-standing (and unsubstantiated rumor) that Griffith was gay. Johnny Carson While Sheldons career spanned music, television and film, he was the first to credit his jazz trumpet playing as fuel for his far-reaching successes in the entertainment world. Here are some ways. Although Griffin never liked the number, it made him a star, leading to well-attended bookings for Martin at the Cocoanut Grove in Los Angeles. Although Griffin had his own low-key style, he often followed Paar's lead by scooping up some of his retired mentor's favorite guests, such as Dody Goodman, Jack Douglas and Reiko, Genevieve, and sprinkling famous authors and newsmakers throughout programs laden with movie stars and comedians. In a 1968 Look article, he described himself as a good listener, a good reactor. Lucille Ball concurred: Sometimes Im not paying attention to what the other person is saying, she told Merv on the air. Its very uncomfortable to watch but I want to share this to show how huge this man was in the day. "; Griffin also composed the show's iconic theme song, "Think," which was originally a lullaby for his son Tony (born from Griffin's marriage to Julann Wright in 1958; the couple divorced in 1976). The Griffin archive is not only a repository of great entertainment, its also a captivating time capsule of Americas cultural and social history from the 1960s to the 1980s. From the beginning, his guest lists were comprised of many prominent names in politics, literature, and science as well as entertainment. Milton Berle was the first superstar of the television age. Merv Griffin, the former big-band singer who leveraged his career as a popular TV talk-show host into a business empire whose foundations included the . Unlike today's late night talk shows that are filled with shtick and gimmicks, the Merv Griffin Show truly highlights its guests and has terrific conversations with them. Born Mervyn Edward Griffin, Jr., in San Mateo, CA, on July 6, 1925, Griffin's father was a stockbroker, imparting the value of earning a dollar on his son. His empire includes radio stations, real estate, race horses and his own private wine label, among other commodities. Met when she was working as secretary to Robert Q Lewis; married on May 18, 1958; filed for divorce in 1973; divorced in June 1976. Griffin, Merv with Barsocchini, Merv Griffin's Book of People, Arbor House, 1982. Once called by CNN's Larry King a Merv of all trades, former big band singer Merv Griffin (1925-2007) achieved his greatest fame hosting his selftitled talk show from 1962 to 1986. In 1968, when it became known that Mervs Westinghouse contract was up for renewal, the network expressed serious interest in him. ." In 1947, he relocated to Los Angeles. The Schoolhouse Rock work would put Sheldon in the ear of several generations of TV-watching youngsters and opened up an unexpected legacy. Indeed, Griffin made television history hosting the likes of Dr. Martin Luther King, Henry Kissinger, Robert Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Spiro Agnew, etc. Mrs. Miller), an elderly woman who frequently appeared in talk show audiences and conversed with the hosts. Tennis pro. Few entertainers reach their goals in life, but even fewer make it to the big, Berle, Milton He gave Jack Warner $5000 to terminate his contract with Warner Bros. One of the most successful men in 20th century entertainment, Merv Griffin parlayed a moderately popular career as a big band singer and game show frontman into a long-running stint as the host of his own talk show, and later, as the creator of some of American television's best loved game shows, including "Wheel of Fortune" (syndicated, 1972- ) and "Jeopardy!" Consequently the show was canceled on April 1, 1963. The program also underwent changes in format. 2023
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