His first crush was Errol Flynn, whom he saw passed out naked on a couch. Merv Griffin - Biography - IMDb An avid fan of puzzles since childhood, Griffin first produced a successful game show in 1964, Jeopardy! 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. That was not only focused on in the Denny Terrio lawsuit against Griffin but also was something that several Hollywood gay men told me about, offering first hand experience, while I was researching Queer in America back in the early 90s and some of this (though, for legal reasons not all) is reported on in the book. "We read a lot of magazines. [20] When they had their first child, Cynthia Leigh Buzzell, on September 11, 1955, Griffin was named her godfather. We should point to his life for GLBT youth and say, Dont let this happen to you. 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. Merv Griffin spent decades as a beloved talk-show host but the gay game-show mogul was also a pioneer in Hollywood sexual-harassment cases! So it doesnt matter if he calls James Dean a glorified prostitute, or Griffin a pimp. 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! That's one of the nice things about being hot. Mervyn Edward Griffin Jr. (July 6, 1925 August 12, 2007) was an American television show host and media mogul. He lost his virginity, to a female, that is, when Judy Garland seduced him. That's when Griffin's wife pitched the . The star became more caring and interested in the boys the more she lived with them, and eventually, "more mothering.". And not everybody who's a good television persona necessarily knows what they're talking about.". [8] He wrote years later in his autobiography that there was a deliberate effort to keep the public from finding out how he looked. 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. He then did orchestra for four years after getting selected by Freddy Martin. His mother, Rita Elizabeth Griffin, was a homemaker and father, Mervyn Edward Griffin; Sr. was an insurance broker. 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. The Famous Psychologist's Wife Has Never Missed a Taping, Julia Roberts Is Living Her Dream with Kids & Spouse of 20 Years at Rustic Ranch after Becoming Mom at 39, Dr Phil & His Wife of 46 Years Are Still in Love in $29.5M Home after They Sold Their 'Weird' Mansion, Geena Davis Became Mom of 3 at 48 Her 20-Year Marriage Ended & Much Younger Spouse Asked For Spousal Support, Jenna Bush Hager 'Smooched' Husband on 1st Meeting & Proposed to Him Later They've Made It to 14 Years. And I began to examine why, listen to some of the shrinks and people who do our show. Rumors about Griffin being gay arent new, and they werent helped by two lawsuits (a palimony claim, and a sexual harassment charge) by two dudes in the 90s. Merv Griffin was a popular band singer, the host of his own successful talk show for over 20 years, the creator and producer of such long-running television game shows as Jeopardy! Then he continued his higher education at the University of San Francisco. He had an older sister, Barbara. "It's not important to me when we are on that I win. General Info. One of Merv Griffins most important works was his talk show The Merv Griffin Show. Shortly after the show begins he may be warning that time is almost gone. In Donahue's world the biggest sin is to be boring. 05:12 PM ET 06/12/2014. He had short grey hair and brown eyes, his height was 5ft 9ins (1.75m) and he weighed around 175lbs (80kgs). He bought his contract back from Warner Bros. and decided to devote his attention to a new medium: television. And yet, because he was closeted it is highly unlikely he ever made the connection for the Reagans (between himself and those who were suffering and dying), pointed out the government negligence, or even talked openly as a gay person. Who is Merv Griffin dating? Merv Griffin girlfriend, wife He also created the game shows Jeopardy! The former home of Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas in Westport, Conn., is going on the market for $28 million. 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. In the 1980s, Griffin purchased the Paradise Island Resort and Casino in the Bahamas for $400million from Trump, but later sold it for just $125million. 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. Merv Griffin was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1996 which was treated successfully. He gained massive popularity with Ive Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts, which was a big hit in 1950. He was 82. Finally, Griffins closet had him firing gay men whod actually made it up through the ranks of his own company, simply because they were openly gay. After three years of marriage, they got married on May 21, 1980. Such candor is not new to Donahue, but it usually comes from his guests and audience. He kept his wealth an open secret, amassing media outlets, hotels and casinos with a net worth estimated at more than $1 billion. Brent Plott, who had been his employee, also accused him of harassment. Some of his highly famous songs are Christmas City, Never Been Kissed, The Charanga, Wilhelmina, Happy To Know You, Banned in Boston, etc. He married Julann Griffin, whom he divorced after some time. And television, he says, provides the public with what Lenny Bruce called "plastic puke." Merv Griffin was married to Julann Griffin from 1959 to 1976. 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. The "Sunday Morning" interviewer wanted to know where Marlo got the idea. (1980) Aug 16, 2020 - Phil Donahue & Marlo Thomas on their wedding day . Plus Judy Garlands Meet Me in St. Louis boy next door, Tom Drake, who, by the way, ended up a used car salesman. 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. Griffin sold his empire to The Coca-Cola Company for $250million in 1986, then went on a buying spree of hotels, so that his wealth in 2003 was said to be around $1.2billion.[40]. "When half of America is saying, 'That guest got him,' believe me when I tell you it's fine with me." Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. He married radio comic . Although Griffin married and reportedly had affairs with several women, including Judy Garland, his Top-rate talent rarely visited Dayton, Donahue says, and those who did would ask him, "What am I doing here?" The Amazing Johnathan left the show after 65 episodes because of a contract dispute, and it was scrapped before it was nationally syndicated. Dayton provided another important impetus to success. What's important is that our conversation is interesting. We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. Phil Donahue was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and it was his childhood goal to be a "good broadcaster." Griffin's first daytime talk show began on the same day Carson first hosted The Tonight Show (1962). 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. 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." 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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. [4] When he was a child, Griffin used to play Hangman games with his sister during family road trips. I like someone to love me," Thomas replied. Around the office, Mervs being gay was understood but rarely discussed (and certainly never with him). Griffin was considered the most successful of the guest hosts,[26] and was rewarded with his own daytime talk show on NBC in 1962. Of Griffin, Porter says, We met in 59 when he sang for my senior prom and the student committee paid him $500. It eventually went on to win eleven Emmy Awards. They divorced in 1976 after 17 years of marriage. Griffin, in 1964, also introduced a game show Jeopardy which was a big success. The Jeopardy! In 1954, Griffin appeared in several Cincraft Productions sponsored films including a musical, Milestones of Motoring with Joe E. Brown and Rita Farrell. . I loved the idea, went straight to NBC with the idea, and they bought it without even looking at a pilot show. Men, he says, "have done an awful lot of oppression. And as any law student knows, you cant libel the dead. Griffin later claimed in interviews that he was best man at their wedding, but was in fact one of the four ushers. While it would seem everything has changed today, little actually has. 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. "That's not going to happen," he explains. But in 1978 New York's WNBC bought "Donahue" for the second time and he began to capture the nation's attention. and Wheel of Fortune through his production companies, Merv Griffin Enterprises and Merv Griffin Entertainment. She noted how no one wanted to be a stepmother cause they were seen as villains in children's stories. He has made this huge amount of wealth through his dedication and contribution to show business to a greater extent. "They see in me a way to produce some income. By 1986, Griffin was ready to retire. A relationship that should be renewed and examined can't grow as long as we're not telling our women how we feel. There is no wise-cracking sidekick, band, desk or ashtray. . His 12-year-old granddaughter Farah gave a reading. The second show aired as a standalone special in some regions such as Canada. To prove his point, Donahue does a Kissinger imitation, complete with heavy accent. and Wheel of Fortune, and a wealthy media mogul. She explained how she felt a union of two whole people could work compared to one of one and a half. CBS gave Griffin a late-night show opposite Carson in 1969. The "That Girl" actress first met Marlo when she was on his talk show as a guest in 1977. He did it for Katharine Hepburn. ", Questions invariably come with the standard Donahue prefixes: "I don't want to be maudlin about this" or "It's hard to make this point without sounding a little patronizing." Mansfield had remembered Griffin from his singing in the Grace Moore picture So This Is Love, and for his hit song "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts." Even though Marlo had never intended to marry, she once admitted that it was "awful" being away from her husband. It taped in Los Angeles after initial reports that it would be produced at WMAQ-TV in Chicago. The show, originally titled What's the Question?, premiered on NBC on March 30, 1964, hosted by Art Fleming, and ran for 11 years. His last game show was a wild show called Ruckus, which emanated from the Resorts International Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, which he owned at the time. Whatever the goal of any particular program, Donahue is an emotional fellow traveler -- involved, sympathetic, respectful. They had one child, Tony Griffin, born in 1959. The pair "hung in there" despite the date setting them back to the starting stages of their relationship. He married his college sweetheart in 1958, right after graduation. I noticed that my children weren't really sharing feelings with me -- and one of the reasons was I don't do a hell of a lot of sharing with them in terms of feelings. 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. As he recalls the past, Donahue stands again and begins to pace. . 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. We can tell that you loved your daughter." Its disheartening that Merv had to die to shake it for good. She cried on the air," he says proudly. It stood at the 2nd position on TV Guides list of the 60 greatest game shows ever. On the other hand, Phil had been married before and welcomed five children, making his new wife a stepmother. On November 21, 2022, Marlo Thomas celebrated her birthday by turning 85! "Just your picture. In 2022, Marlo Thomas turned 85, and the other milestone she reached was celebrating 42 years of marriage after her husband, Phil Donahue changed her mind about marriage. His first encounter, a boyhood friend he grew up with, later tried writing a book about Merv. 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. The spin-offs included the children's shows Wheel 2000 (CBS, 1997), and the short-lived Jep! In an Associated Press profile released before it premiered, he discussed the show's origins:[1]. Phil Donahue & Marlo Thomas on their wedding day . . . (1980) | Bride 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. 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. [41] In an interview with The New York Times published on May 26, 2005, Griffin recalled a quip he frequently used when asked about his private life: "I tell everybody that I'm a quarter-sexual. [5] The family was Irish American. Adding to it, he also produced The Merv Griffin Show, which was a syndicated talk show in 1965. Day arranged for a screen test at the Warner Bros. Studios for a role in By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953). When he eventually decided to retire, he sold his production company Merv Griffin Enterprises to Columbia Pictures Television, after which he was named by Forbes as one of the richest Hollywood performers in history. 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. Winner of 15 Emmy Awards, Griffin was presented an Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show Emmy for 1993-1994 as executive producer of Jeopardy! ", So, talking about marriage with Phil on his show wasn't easy for her. Phil Donahue & Marlo Thomas on their wedding day . In 1990, Griffin had an ambitious but unsuccessful attempt at adapting the venerable board game Monopoly into a game show of the same name. Merv Griffin was in relationships with Eva Gabor (1985 - 1995), Natalie Trundy (1959) and May Wynn (1953). Griffin, who died of prostate cancer Sunday at 82, stayed in the closet throughout his life. When he was fired a few months later, his new show began the following Monday, and ran until the mid-1980s. Why not do a switch, and give the answers to the contestant and let them come up with the question. Besides Resorts International, the holding company for casinos in Atlantic City and the Bahamas, three company affiliates also filed for Chapter 11 protection: Griffin Resorts Inc., Resorts International Financing Inc. and Griffin Resorts Holding Inc. An active desert resident, Griffin was a supporter of the La Quinta Arts Festival and the owner of the Merv Griffin Givenchy Resort & Spa in Palm Springs, now The Parker. 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 caf crowds. 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. It won several awards and nominations and has been adapted into numerous international versions. The two powerhouses spun off numerous programs, for which Griffin often signed on as a creative consultant. "What's important is the manner in which it is presented." 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. Peter Graves, Marlo Thomas, Barbara Eden, Della Reese, Roger Ray: With Merv Griffin, Barbara Eden, Peter Graves, Mort Lindsey. You and Me.She has received three Primetime Emmy Awards, a Daytime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Peabody Award for her work in television and has been inducted . However, it returned years later and led to his death on 12th August 2007. 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. Playing to the camera unmercifully, he leans close, interrupts, turns his back and challenges. When Treacher left the show in 1970, Griffin did the announcing himself, and walked on stage with the phrase "And now here I come!" He married his college sweetheart in 1958, right after graduation. [2] He began his career as a radio and big band singer, later appearing in film and on Broadway. CBS also pressured Griffin into sacking his long-term sidekick Arthur Treacher, who had been his television mentor, because he was too old. Marlo Thomas - Wikipedia Marlo was 40 when she married the talk show host, and it was her first marriage. marathon consisted of a rerun of the Jeopardy! Merv Griffin and Eva Gabor - Dating, Gossip, News, Photos Meanwhile, his body is working fulltime. "The Merv Griffin Show" Peter Graves, Marlo Thomas, Barbara Eden - IMDb They Were Wrong", "Griffin Wins Resorts in Deal with Trump", "Helicopter Service Shuttles Gamblers to Casinos", "Merv Griffin Becomes New Owner of Resorts International", "Merv Rolls the Dice: Griffin and his debt-ridden Resorts International hotel and casino face tough odds in upcoming meetings with bondholders", "Merv Griffin's Resorts Files for Bankruptcy as Refinancing Fails", "In the Chatting Olympics, Look for Merv Griffin", "Affable TV host built an empire on 2 hit game shows", "All About Eva: Zsa Zsa's Little Sister Says It Hasn't Always Been Easy Being the Other Gabor", "Griffin Never Revealed Man Behind the Curtain", "The 'Jeopardy' Creator: Who Was Merv Griffin? His father was a stockbroker while his mother was a homemaker. 2 Phil Donahue is a daytime television icon Credit: Getty Images - Getty Who is Phil Donahue? Merv Griffin was married to Julann Griffin from 1959 to 1976. he asks a dying child. Arms wave. "We don't like to discuss sex at that hour of the morning," NBC explained. Tell-all Shocker: Merv Griffin Was Gay Sex Fiend! And now hes doing it to Griffin withMerv Griffin: a Life in the Closet. Aren't you?" 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.
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