Merv Griffin died at age 82 of prostate cancer in Los Angeles, California on August 12, 2007. On May 14, 2003, Griffin was honored with the Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) President's Award at its annual Film and Television Awards ceremony, for creating some of America's best-known game show melodies.[28]. Griffin later claimed in interviews that he was best man at their wedding, but was in fact one of the four ushers. 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! 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. Griffin's first daytime talk show began on the same day Carson first hosted The Tonight Show (1962). I will do anything with anybody for a quarter. Mervyn Edward Griffin Jr. (July 6, 1925 - August 12, 2007) was an American television show host and media mogul. 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. As his family was Roman Catholic, he started signing in the church from an early age. She is best known for starring on the sitcom That Girl (1966-1971) and her children's franchise Free to Be. His real problems, he says, were economic. 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. His Los Angeles Times obituary repeated a 1991 statement he had made regarding Plott's lawsuit: "This is a shameless attempt to extort money from me. He often received criticism for booking such guests. 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. Then again, Merv carved his niche in the entertainment world at a time when being gay wasnt OK, when disclosure was unthinkable and the allegation alone could deep-six ones career. He's not afraid to sound stupid, either. "The irony of the situation wasn't wasted on me", Griffin recalls in his autobiography. It's a shame. Also, he founded two TV production organizations Merv Griffin Entertainment and Merv Griffin Enterprises. What he made then was a far cry from the billionaire he was at the end., But what about the sex? 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. From 1958 to 1962, Griffin hosted a game show called Play Your Hunch which was produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. He has made this huge amount of wealth through his dedication and contribution to show business to a greater extent. His performance on the radio was heard by American musician Freddy Martin, who asked him to tour with his orchestras, which he did for a few years. 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. 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. "There's nothing too controversial for television," Donahue says. His first crush was Errol Flynn, whom he saw passed out naked on a couch. The show became a phenomenon when, on September 19, 1983, a nighttime version hit the syndication market with Pat Sajak and Vanna White as host and hostess. He died on August 12, 2007. That's when Griffin's wife pitched the . [2] He began his career as a radio and big band singer, later appearing in film and on Broadway. 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. Mervs secret gay life was widely known throughout showbiz culture, if not the wider America. It was these games which inspired him to create the game show Wheel of Fortune in 1975. Round, which became the iconic melody of the theme for the syndicated version of the show hosted by Alex Trebek in 1984. I was mulling over game show ideas, when she noted that there had not been a successful 'question and answer' game on the air since the quiz show scandals. 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. Shortly after the show begins he may be warning that time is almost gone. Soon after, he released his first album Songs of Merv Griffin. The result is staccato silence between phrases -- quite unlike his fast-moving, loquacious television image. The actress's stance made sense as she was one of the leaders in the women's movement. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. [5] The family was Irish American. 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. [6], Griffin and First Lady Nancy Reagan exchanged birthday greetings each July 6 for their shared birthday. AT SIMON & SCHUSTER, they were excited. The background to this was on November 12, when Resorts reached a tentative agreement with certain bondholders, several bondholders petitioned the United States Bankruptcy Court in Camden, New Jersey, to put the company into involuntary bankruptcy to protect legal claims they might have against Trump, the real estate investor Griffin outbid for Resorts the prior year. [49][50], Funeral services were held on August 17, 2007 at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills. 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. Phil Donahue & Marlo Thomas on their wedding day . Merv Griffin was in relationships with Eva Gabor (1985 - 1995), Natalie Trundy (1959) and May Wynn (1953). Griffin was best known for creating the two most popular game shows in television syndication history, Wheel of Fortune (1983) and Jeopardy! Discussion rapidly evolves into a group event, with Donahue roaming along the aisles, cajoling, flirting, taunting and enticing. Eva Gabor and Merv Griffin were in a relationship for 10 years before Eva Gabor died aged 76.. About. Hungarian Actress Eva Gabor was born on 11th February, 1919 in Budapest, Hungary and passed away on 4th Jul 1995 Los Angeles, California, USA aged 76. This being an era when male actors felt homosexuality was a danger to their career, lawyers shot down that book fast.. Ironically, weeks after being on Phil's show, Marlo was a regular guest at his Winnetka, Illinois home, where he raised four sons. [7], During World War II, Griffin was declared 4F after failing several military physical examinations due to a slight heart murmur. "[42] He was otherwise secretive about his business and personal lives. With resignation in his voice, Donahue will concede that his show is "a platform for pitchmen," one endless commercial. "You're on the cover of 'Publisher's Weekly'," editor-in-chief Michael Korda told talk-show king Phil Donahue. Text. ", So, talking about marriage with Phil on his show wasn't easy for her. She explained how she'd tried to portray a first for television - a young girl who wasn't thinking about marriage and instead about who she could be in the world. 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. 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. In 2022, the star and her husband married for 42 years after giving their union a chance, and she nailed stepmotherhood! "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. Griffin's three-year run at CBS was contentious; the network was uncomfortable with the guests he wanted, who often spoke out against the Vietnam War and on other sensitive topics. The guests on the Westinghouse show were an eclectic mix of entertainers, authors, politicians, and "personality" performers like Zsa Zsa Gabor. She noted how no one wanted to be a stepmother cause they were seen as villains in children's stories. When he was fired a few months later, his new show began the following Monday, and ran until the mid-1980s. Griffin, in 1964, also introduced a game show Jeopardy which was a big success. . COPYRIGHT 2020 By TheLifeandTimesofHollywood.com, Stories From The Life and Times of Hollywood. He once said, "If they found Hitler, I'd be the first in line to interview him. The couple had one son. 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. Merv Griffin was an example of how dangerous the closet can be and how the closet and power are a combustible combination that adversely affects so many other lives. "We're talking about a medium that evaluates people according to the force with which they can communicate ideas," Donahue explains. He started his professional life by joining the radio as well as by singing in collaboration with a big band. And for good reason: "In an attempt to be honest you pay a price," he said -- afraid that his popular image may self-destruct in the confessional heat of his first book, "Donahue: My Own Story. Griffin was considered the most successful of the guest hosts,[26] and was rewarded with his own daytime talk show on NBC in 1962. Picking up a desk stapler to act as a surrogate microphone, he stands, flexes his shoulders and acts out his "dialogues" with them. [17][20][21] After the wedding, and about two months after arriving in the city, Griffin moved into a different apartment, but in the same building, and remained lifelong friends with Buzzell and Simms. Aside from his game shows, he also ventured into real estate and purchased the Beverley Hilton Hotel and later the Resorts International. "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. [35][36] After ten months of ownership, Griffin reported a loss of $46.6 million. . The Merv Griffin Show (TV Series 1962-1986) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Merv Griffin was previously married to Julann Griffin (1959 - 1976). Griffin was introduced to the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1974. 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. 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. So, is Phil Donahue Everyman? 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. Donahue feels his success has given other talk shows "more courage" and that the public will soon see fewer entertainers talking about "how long it took to make their last movie." He usually has only one guest and discusses only one topic. And lots about Mervs prolonged sexual tryst with Marlon Brando. Griffin dedicated two shows, in 1975 and 1977, to Transcendental Meditation and its founder Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.