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1-18 of 18
- Producer
- Writer
- Music Department
Merv Griffin was a singer and band leader, movie actor, television personality and media mogul who in his time hosting The Merv Griffin Show (1962) was second in fame and influence as a talk show host only to Johnny Carson. Griffin was best known for creating the two most popular game shows in television syndication history, Wheel of Fortune (1983) and Jeopardy! (1984), which are watched by hundreds of millions of people all over the world. 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. 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. 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. As a regular performer on The Arthur Murray Party (1950), The Tonight Show Starring Jack Paar (1957) and others, he was offered the opportunity to host his own television series, Play Your Hunch (1958). 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! (1964). But it was in 1962 that his career took its most dramatic turn. He became a substitute host for Jack Paar on The Tonight Show Starring Jack Paar (1957) and scored some of the highest ratings in the show's history. 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. Griffin's first daytime talk show began on the same day Carson first hosted The Tonight Show (1962). While Carson's style was indebted to his long apprenticeship in Los Angeles in the 1950s, Griffin was based in New York, where he socialized with New York's theater and café crowds. Griffin's approach to television talk was influenced by two New York shows, David Susskind's The David Susskind Show (1958) and Mike Wallace's Probe and Night Beat (1956), and like Susskind and Wallace, he openly embraced controversial subjects. 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. 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. 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. "The irony of the situation wasn't wasted on me", Griffin recalls in his autobiography. "In 1965, I'm called a traitor by the press for presenting Bertrand Russell, and, four years later, we are hard-pressed to find anybody to speak in favor of the Vietnam War".
In March 1970, CBS censors pixilated antiwar activist Abbie Hoffman because he was wearing a shirt that resembled an American flag. The resulting blurred image meant that Hoffman's voice emanated from a "jumble of lines". CBS also pressured Griffin into sacking his long-term sidekick Arthur Treacher, who had been his television mentor, because he was too old. The censorship did not boost the ratings for Griffin, who was facing stiff competition from the genial Carson, who himself was criticized during the era for shying away from controversial subjects.
In 1972, a fed-up Griffin negotiated a syndication deal with Metromedia to move his talk show back to the daytime, and in the event he was terminated by CBS. The deal was signed in secret as a penalty clause in his CBS contract gave him $1 million in the event of his being fired. Later that year, CBS terminated Griffin's late-night talk show and Griffin immediately made the transition to Metromedia's syndicated network.
While Griffin may have been a washout in late night television (and he had LOTS of company - EVERYONE who went up against Carson lost the ratings race, and Johnny always came out the victor), Griffin's impact on daytime was immense, specifically through his production of game shows. An avid fan of puzzles since childhood, Griffin first produced a successful game show in 1964, Jeopardy! (1964) for NBC. After 13 seasons as a daytime talk show host, Griffin retired from his talk show in 1986 to devote himself to producing his highly profitable game shows.
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. Other Griffin successes in the game show field included "One in a Million" and Joe Garagiola's Memory Game (1971), both airing on ABC, Let's Play Post Office on NBC, and Reach for the Stars (1967).
In 1986, Griffin sold his production company, Merv Griffin Enterprises, to Coca-Cola's Columbia Pictures Television unit for $250 million as well as a continuing share of the profits of the shows. At that time, the transaction represented the largest acquisition of an entertainment company owned by a single individual. Subsequently, Sony Pictures Entertainment purchased Columbia and he retains the title of executive producer of both "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy!" (for which he still creates puzzles and questions.) He served as Executive Producer of "Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus" (2000).
After his retirement from daytime chat, Merv became a real estate baron, acquiring the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, which is now the venue of choice for virtually all of the Tinseltown's most high profile events such as The Golden Globe Awards, The Soap Opera Digest Awards, and The American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Awards. 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. 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. Winner of 15 Emmy Awards, Griffin was presented an Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show Emmy for 1993-1994 as executive producer of Jeopardy! (1984) He had also been the recipient of the coveted Scopus Award from the American Friends of Hebrew University, "The Duke Award" presented by the John Wayne Cancer Institute, and he had been honored by the American Ireland Fund and the SHARE organization. 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. Among his private passions are his family, son Tony Griffin, daughter-in-law Tricia, and grandchildren Farah and Donovan Mervyn, his long-haired sharpei dog Charlie Chan, his La Quinta ranch near Carmel, where he raises thoroughbred racing horses, and his 135 foot, four-story high ocean going yacht, Griff. Merv Griffin died at age 82 of prostate cancer in Los Angeles, California on August 12, 2007.- Casting Director
- Casting Department
Carrie Hilton was born on 28 October 1969 in Sunderland, England, UK. She was a casting director, known for 300 (2006), Constantine (2005) and Bend It Like Beckham (2002). She died on 12 August 2007 in London, England, UK.- Additional Crew
- Location Management
- Actor
Sam Bernstein was born on 9 September 1926 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. He was an actor, known for No Way Out (1987), The Warriors (1979) and Street Fighter (1994). He died on 12 August 2007 in North Hollywood, California, USA.- Paula Marie Moody was born on 13 December 1951 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She was an actress, known for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), The Blob (1988) and RoboCop 2 (1990). She died on 12 August 2007 in Lancaster, California, USA.
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Editorial Department
Scott Rathner was born on 1 March 1952. He is known for No Way Out (1987), National Treasure (2004) and Rollerball (2002). He died on 12 August 2007 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Natalya Medvedeva was born on 18 December 1915. She was an actress, known for Chelovek menyaet kozhu (1960), The Sword and the Dragon (1956) and Vasili's Return (1953). She died on 12 August 2007 in Moscow, Russia.
- Veteran radio, television and film actor Henry Leff headed the Broadcasting Department at City College of San Francisco for 35 years. He passed away on August 12, 2007 at the age of 88. From 1949 to 1951, radio listeners knew him as "Lieutenant Mallard," the love interest of private detective "Candy Matson, YUkon 2-9209," on the NBC West Coast To listeners on the other side of the Pacific, he was one of the voices of Radio Free Asia, also broadcasting from the old NBC studios in San Francisco. In the early 1960s, television viewers across the country saw him as both Karl Marx and Josef Stalin in KQED's groundbreaking series on the history of communism, "The Red Myth. He had been a founding officer of KQED. He also appeared in the television programs "Love on A Rooftop," "Lineup," "Follow the Sun," "Criminal Man," and "The Three Musketeers," as well as commercials for Nabisco Chips Ahoy cookies, Busch Bavarian Beer and Kraft Dressing. In 1948, he developed the newly created Broadcasting Department at San Francisco City College, overseeing its expansion from radio to television. He was also a pioneer in the distribution of video lessons directly into the classroom He helped start the careers of hundreds of students, including Bay Area radio legends Carter B. Smith and Stan Burford, former Miss America Leigh Ann Meriwether, and actress Barbara Eden. A native of Brooklyn, Leff attended Brooklyn College and received a Masters Degree in Theater from Cornell University in 1939. He was married to Sylvia in 1942, who acted under the name "Bobbie Lyons."
- Production Manager
- Producer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Aida Young was born on 11 August 1920 in Stepney, London, England, UK. She was a production manager and producer, known for Danger Man (1960), When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth (1970) and Secret Agent (1964). She was married to Gideon Young. She died on 12 August 2007 in Camden, London, England, UK.- Gerry Tobin was born in 1972 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He died on 12 August 2007 in Warwickshire, England, UK.
- Lavern Ritch was born on 26 July 1970 in Cardiff, Wales, UK. He died on 12 August 2007 in Margate, New Jersey, USA.
- Director
- Writer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Takashi Tsuboshima was born on 13 April 1928 in Hiroshima, Japan. He was a director and writer, known for Ai no kizuna (1969), Las Vegas Free-for-All (1967) and Oniwaban (1974). He died on 12 August 2007 in Japan.- Music Department
- Composer
Rostislav Valcík was born on 11 October 1927 in Breclav, Czechoslovakia [now Czech Republic]. Rostislav was a composer, known for Slané pohádky (1983), Nez poznás první usmev (1989) and Území strachu (1986). Rostislav died on 12 August 2007 in Prague, Czech Republic.- Roderich Frantz was born on 25 July 1926. He died on 12 August 2007 in München, Germany.
- Writer
- Art Department
Mike Wieringo was born on 24 June 1963 in Vicenza, Italy. He was a writer, known for Young Justice (2010) and Adventures Into Digital Comics (2006). He died on 12 August 2007 in Durham, North Carolina, USA.- Additional Crew
Luc Perreault was born on 16 May 1942 in Saint-Paul, Québec, Canada. He is known for Gina (1975). He died on 12 August 2007 in Montréal, Québec, Canada.- Elizabeth Murray was born on 6 September 1940 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She was married to Bob Holman. She died on 12 August 2007 in Washington County, New York, USA.
- Actress
Megan Doble was born on 29 December 1991 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. She was an actress, known for A Life (2008). She died on 12 August 2007 in Orillia, Ontario, Canada.- Joan Finnigan was born on 23 November 1925 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Joan was a writer, known for The Best Damn Fiddler from Calabogie to Kaladar (1969). Joan was married to Grant MacKenzie. Joan died on 12 August 2007 in Ottawa Valley, Ontario, Canada.