He maintained a virtual male harem and a pimp who supplied porn stars, but I dont go into his pay-for-gay guys. 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. 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. He had dedicated two of his shows to the topics of Transcendental Meditation and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. [9], Freddy Martin heard him on the radio show and asked him to tour with his orchestra,[1] which he did for four years. This show was initially aired on NBC. If youre Griffin, why would you think a judgmental culture would be any more tolerant as you grew into middle and old age? Marlo said as little girls, some women dreamt of becoming brides, mothers, actresses, wives, and ice skaters but never stepmothers. Yet, it was nothing discussed in the media and, apparently, in many of his own circles, particularly straight political circles. [17] Buzzell was engaged to popular singer Lu Ann Simms, with a wedding date set for July 24, 1954. and Wheel of Fortune, and a wealthy media mogul. He married radio comic . and Wheel of Fortune, is remembered as a television pioneer for his role developing the game show format. That's one of the nice things about being hot. He considers many fellow journalists "professional gapers" who pursue rat-pack "me-too-ism." [15] He also had an uncredited role as a radio announcer in the horror/science fiction film The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953). 24K views, 950 likes, 99 loves, 117 comments, 155 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Marlo Thomas: #TBT to this scene from That Girl. National magazines ran complimentary stories. The Wheel marathon included two episodes with cameo appearances by Griffin: Sajak's departure from the daytime version in 1989 and a 199293 episode that ended with Griffin, his band "The MervTones," and White singing at a dinner club in Orlando, Florida. Merv Griffin might be best remembered as the guy who introduced Nancy Reagan to her astrologer were it not for a 1963 plane ride. Margaret Julia "Marlo" Thomas (born November 21, 1937) is an American actress, producer, author, and social activist. "He speaks in tablets. 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. Marlo revealed that even in 2020, she still wasn't sure she believed in marriage. He married Juliann Wright in 1958, and they divorced in 1973. He could duck it for a while, but it would always find him. Griffin was introduced to the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1974. "We're talking about a medium that evaluates people according to the force with which they can communicate ideas," Donahue explains. Mervyn Edward Merv Griffin Jr. was born on July 6, 1925, in San Mateo, California. [49][50], Funeral services were held on August 17, 2007 at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills. After Fonda's appearance some sponsors said they wouldn't "pay for a program that tears America down." and Wheel remain on the air today. [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. Griffin was not shy about tackling controversial subjects, especially the Vietnam War. . On the other hand, Phil had been married before and welcomed five children, making his new wife a stepmother. The star became more caring and interested in the boys the more she lived with them, and eventually, "more mothering.". 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! 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. His charges are ridiculous and untrue. Griffin began to sing at the age of 19 by making his appearance on San Francisco Sketchbook. 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. "When half of America is saying, 'That guest got him,' believe me when I tell you it's fine with me." Griffin created and produced the successful television game show Jeopardy! Griffin's first daytime talk show began on the same day Carson first hosted The Tonight Show (1962). He also filled in for a week for the vacationing Bill Cullen on The Price Is Right, and for Bud Collyer on To Tell the Truth. Open homosexuality is a threat to the closeted, and powerful people in the closet like Merv Griffin will often do whatever it takes to squash those who are open and who might advocate that all among the powerful should come out. She is best known for starring on the sitcom That Girl (1966-1971) and her children's franchise Free to Be. Perhaps he figured it was preferable to remain the object of gossip rather than live openly as "one of. Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. He owned a ranch near La Quinta, California where he raised thoroughbred racehorses, and St. Clerans Manor, a boutique hotel in an eighteenth-century estate once owned by director John Huston, near Craughwell, in County Galway, Ireland. When guests verge on breakdowns or exhibitionism, Donahue becomes a combination parish priest and understanding neighbor. He retained the title of creator of both his game shows. Mervyn Edward Griffin Jr. (July 6, 1925 - August 12, 2007) was an American television show host and media mogul. In addition, he served as a producer for several game shows such as Reach for the Stars and One in a Million. A talk show host for nearly 25 . While it would seem everything has changed today, little actually has. He can't put a ribbon on them because, as media darlings, they can reveal as much or as little as they please. Merv Griffin was previously married to Julann Griffin (1959 - 1976). 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. Even though Marlo had never intended to marry, she once admitted that it was "awful" being away from her husband. 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. He started his professional life by joining the radio as well as by singing in collaboration with a big band. In 1974, under intense pressure to "put some glitter in the show," he moved to Chicago, hoping to attract better guests and big-city flair. The live 55-minute program was not successful, however, and was cancelled in 1963. June 15, 2020 11:21 am ET. We believe that every person's story is important as it provides our community with an opportunity to feel a sense of belonging, share their hopes and dreams. My wife Julann just came up with the idea one day when we were in a plane bringing us back to New York from Duluth. More than 8 1/2 million viewers in over 200 markets now watch him daily, eclipsing all other syndicated talk shows. And television, he says, provides the public with what Lenny Bruce called "plastic puke." The competition is tough -- young, energetic hosts are constantly clawing for national access, and even the long-popular Mike Douglas was recently canceled. Produced in association with Program Partners and the William Morris Agency, it began airing September 10, 2007. His 12-year-old granddaughter Farah gave a reading. This being an era when male actors felt homosexuality was a danger to their career, lawyers shot down that book fast.. "How important is love?" Around the office, Mervs being gay was understood but rarely discussed (and certainly never with him). He started his professional life by joining the radio as well as by singing in collaboration with a big band. Their meeting was later described as love at first sight, and by 1980, the pair were married! He also created the game shows Jeopardy! They became a couple, even though he lives in Chicago and she lives in New York. 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. 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. You can count on the fingers of one hand, or at most two, the number of high-powered stars, executives and public figures who have come out. Griffin was best known for creating the two most popular game shows in television syndication history, Wheel of Fortune (1983) and Jeopardy! he asks a dying child. 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. The syndicated versions of both Jeopardy! Movies. ACTRESS, Marlo Thomas, has been married to former daytime talk show host, Phil Donahue, for over 40 years. Such candor is not new to Donahue, but it usually comes from his guests and audience. Nonetheless, the elephant that was his sexual orientation never really stopped following Griffin from room to room. Though dismissed, the lawsuits put Griffin on the spot, and while he never denied being gay, he didnt own it either. 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. [2] He began his career as a radio and big band singer, later appearing in film and on Broadway. Raised as a Catholic, Griffin started singing in his church choir as a boy, and by his teens was earning extra money as a church organist. Text. A biography of television legend Merv Griffin claims tgat when he died in 2007, he left behind a legacy that includedWheel Of Fortune,Jeopardy, hotels, side business ventures, and more than a billion dollars. 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. The show, originally titled What's the Question?, premiered on NBC on March 30, 1964, hosted by Art Fleming, and ran for 11 years. "The irony of the situation wasn't wasted on me", Griffin recalls in his autobiography. [18][19], That summer, Griffin became acquainted with music publisher Loring Buzzell. He next hosted the game show Keep Talking and also temporarily The Price is Right and To Tell the Truth. "In a network situation," Donahue says, "one guy can end your career while he's shaving." He lived with Roddy McDowall here at the Dakota, where he introduced Eddie Fisher to Elizabeth Taylor. It was a good question. After 17 years, his wife left him. 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. He said that he did not know his actual worth because it "would keep me from sleeping at night". Merv was looking at notes for a new game show, and Julann asked if it was one of the knowledge-based games she liked. 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. and Wheel of Fortune. Merv understood himself as a celebrity (or, at least, as a hanger-on) and would casually mention that he had played tennis with Errol Flynn, or had sublet. Picking up a desk stapler to act as a surrogate microphone, he stands, flexes his shoulders and acts out his "dialogues" with them. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); You have entered an incorrect email address! Ironically, weeks after being on Phil's show, Marlo was a regular guest at his Winnetka, Illinois home, where he raised four sons. All through his childhood, he turned out to be a brilliant pianist who became the main reason for his adoption of show business. From December 1975 to January 1976, it was expanded to an hour, in response to the successful 60-minute version of The Price Is Right on CBS. Griffin characterized both lawsuits as extortion. Stations rarely cancel his show and few refuse to air individual programs. What he made then was a far cry from the billionaire he was at the end., But what about the sex? He works live (most markets broadcast an unedited tape). We should point to his life for GLBT youth and say, Dont let this happen to you. "Even if there's spinach in my teeth, it goes," Donahue says. 2 Phil Donahue is a daytime television icon Credit: Getty Images - Getty Who is Phil Donahue? ", "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. 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." [10], By 1945, Griffin had earned enough money to form his own record label, Panda Records, which produced Songs by Merv Griffin, the first U.S. album ever recorded on magnetic tape. Griffins gay brothers his friends, his lovers, his people across America, around the world suffered and met horrific deaths. The book also reveals that Merv slept with Rebel Without a Cause heartthrob James Dean, film legend Montgomery Clift and Kennedy in-law Peter Lawford. We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. In 1969 "Donahue" (until 1974 called "The Phil Donahue Show") entered national syndication, but half a decade later his salesman quit because the show was stuck at around 40 markets and "just couldn't sell." He resolved to change his appearance, and lost 80 pounds in four months. "What's important is the manner in which it is presented." 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. The "Sunday Morning" interviewer wanted to know where Marlo got the idea. ", 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." His real problems, he says, were economic. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. National audiences eventually got a look at it via reruns that aired on GSN. To prove his point, Donahue does a Kissinger imitation, complete with heavy accent. ", Donahue has been quoted as telling his staff, "I want all the topics hot . [citation needed], Griffin started as a singer on radio at age 19, appearing on San Francisco Sketchbook, a nationally syndicated program based at KFRC. As a result, this literally wiped out or greatly reduced the investments of the bondholders, so that Mr. Griffin could sue Trump and yet still retain a significant portion for himself. (for which he still creates puzzles and questions.) But in 1978 New York's WNBC bought "Donahue" for the second time and he began to capture the nation's attention. When Treacher left the show in 1970, Griffin did the announcing himself, and walked on stage with the phrase "And now here I come!" Donahue says that as an adolescent he considered "dates always an occasion for sin." The Merv Griffin Show (TV Series 1962-1986) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Soon after, he released his first album Songs of Merv Griffin. Merv Griffin reaches only 3.9 million viewers, Mike Douglas 3.7 and Dinah Shore 2.8 million. Griffin was considered the most successful of the guest hosts,[26] and was rewarded with his own daytime talk show on NBC in 1962. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. Another successful and significant work in his career was the game show Wheel of Fortune. Griffin, who died of prostate cancer Sunday at 82, stayed in the closet throughout his life. 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. I like someone to love me," Thomas replied. Now, someone else is doing it for him. Subsequently, a Golden Palm Star on the Walk of Stars was devoted to him in 1998. Playing to the camera unmercifully, he leans close, interrupts, turns his back and challenges. So far, in the the rest of the obits on Griffin (Reuters, Associated Press) Ive seen nothing about his homosexuality. In 1963, NBC offered him the opportunity to host a new game show, Word for Word, which Griffin produced. To a tearful father whose teenaged daughter died he says, "You must know that she wants you to be happy. "It's not important to me when we are on that I win. A typical example is the cancellation of a Masters and Johnson broadcast in Medford, Ore., because they "tantalized the audience by talking about homosexuality. You know, men and women, and 'he doesn't kiss me anymore.'". That year, Brent Plott, a longtime employee who worked as a bodyguard, horse trainer and driver, filed a $200million palimony lawsuit, which was also dismissed. In 1977, Thomas was a guest on the daytime TV television show called Donahue. 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. Over the years, it made a record of winning 33 Emmy Awards. He was best known for hosting the Goodson/Todman classic, Play Your Hunch, and for creating the two long-running hit series, Jeopardy! Profits from his highly successful game shows made him one of the world's wealthiest entertainers. Of course, Porter has one thing working for him: almost no threat of litigation. [48] In 2005 he accepted the degree of Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) from the National University of Ireland, Galway; and in 2008 was posthumously inducted into the Television Hall of Fame. His voice becomes soft, "We have a lot to lose now. Its disheartening that Merv had to die to shake it for good. Ten months later he moved to a CBS radio-television affiliate in Dayton, Ohio. Menu. And sometimes he's slapped down. "controversy means it's important and it's something that people disagree on." There was Peter Lawford, Robert Walker, Gordon Scott the then-Tarzan. He has made this huge amount of wealth through his dedication and contribution to show business to a greater extent. Griffin was married to Julann Wright, and together they had a son named Anthony. From that moment, "Donahue" became an audience-participation program. Griffin also appeared in The Boy from Oklahoma and Phantom of the Rue Morgue (both 1954), but became disillusioned with movie-making. Griffin's prostate cancer, treated originally in 1996, returned and he was admitted to Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where his condition deteriorated, leading to his death on August 12, 2007 at the age of 82. "Since 'The $64,000 Question,' the network won't let you do those . [29], In 1988, he purchased Resorts International and two of their hotels, one in Atlantic City, New Jersey; and another on Paradise Island in the Bahamas, from Donald Trump and other investors. Most of the folks Porter talks about and says Griffin was involved with are, like Griffin, dead. 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." Being born on 6 July 1925, Merv Griffin was 82 years old at the time of his death. Tony Griffin appeared in the movies Evil Laugh in 1986, Spaceballs in 1987, Aspen. Before they married, Marlo had no interest in the institution, but her husband managed to twist her arm. 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. And now hes doing it to Griffin withMerv Griffin: a Life in the Closet. A relationship that should be renewed and examined can't grow as long as we're not telling our women how we feel. General Info. I began to realize that not much in the way we were raised encouraged that.". However, he soon became disillusioned with movies and bought his contract back from Warner Bros, after which he decided to focus on television. Phil Donahue was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and it was his childhood goal to be a "good broadcaster." He married his college sweetheart in 1958, right after graduation. His first crush was Errol Flynn, whom he saw passed out naked on a couch. Whatever the goal of any particular program, Donahue is an emotional fellow traveler -- involved, sympathetic, respectful. Helen Gene Ford Turner, loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother died peacefully at home on February 24, 2023 at the age of 96. Marlo shared how her dreams of becoming a mother were frustrated by her ambitions and society. Although Griffin married and reportedly had affairs with several women, including Judy Garland, his In 1975, NBC canceled Jeopardy! 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. Some guests receive a silent, comforting pat on the hand. If you do not know, We have prepared this article about details of Merv Griffins short biography-wiki, career, professional life, personal life, todays net worth, age, height, weight, and more facts. After eight years he quit and tried his hand as a traveling salesman. He was commended for booking such guests, but also widely criticized for it. At one of his nightclub performances, Griffin was discovered by Doris Day. "Just your picture. lagunitas hop water; matt beleskey retired; was merv griffin married to marlo thomas; June 22, 2022 . 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. The Jeopardy! Adding to it, he also produced The Merv Griffin Show, which was a syndicated talk show in 1965. The show enjoyed tremendous popularity and was adapted into several international versions which aired in 60 countries. marathon consisted of a rerun of the Jeopardy! [20] When they had their first child, Cynthia Leigh Buzzell, on September 11, 1955, Griffin was named her godfather. It was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and numerous Emmy Awards, out of which it won eleven. Instead, she became a friend of the four boys', and when she got to know them and vice versa, they trusted her and accepted her in their lives. Donahue calls himself a "shy, insecure, vulnerable man-child." 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. "The more drawn into the Hollywood trappings he . It aired in a variety of time slots throughout North America; many stations ran it in the daytime, others aired it in primetime, and a few broadcast it opposite Johnny Carson's The Tonight Show. Griffin never acknowledged he was gay, though it became widely known in Hollywood, even as Eva Gabor played his beard. It ran on all three networks, but primarily NBC. We'd lose the audience." 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. 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. Merv Griffin. "Why rock the boat?" 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. "Today's subsequent instructions to Donahue: "No clinical sex.". Discussion rapidly evolves into a group event, with Donahue roaming along the aisles, cajoling, flirting, taunting and enticing.