An avid fan of puzzles since childhood, Griffin first produced a successful game show in 1964, Jeopardy! 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. Some of his talk show remained a big hit and gained considerable rating all over the world. Their meeting was later described as love at first sight, and by 1980, the pair were married! When guests verge on breakdowns or exhibitionism, Donahue becomes a combination parish priest and understanding neighbor. He did it for Marlon Brandon. he asks a dying child. A typical example is the cancellation of a Masters and Johnson broadcast in Medford, Ore., because they "tantalized the audience by talking about homosexuality. Griffin later claimed in interviews that he was best man at their wedding, but was in fact one of the four ushers. There is no wise-cracking sidekick, band, desk or ashtray. From 1965 to 1986 he hosted his own talk show, The Merv Griffin Show. Merv Griffin is a television host and media tycoon of America. Both lawsuits were eventually dismissed. Adding to it, he also produced The Merv Griffin Show, which was a syndicated talk show in 1965. He retained the title of creator of both his game shows. In 1975 Donahue set up housekeeping in suburban Chicago, and the women's magazines dubbed him "Bachelor-Father." Although a former choirboy, he now finds the Catholic church "racist," "sexist" and "destructive." 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. His charges are ridiculous and untrue. The actress's stance made sense as she was one of the leaders in the women's movement. A staff of 15, mostly women, decides what gets on the show. You and the ayatollah are the only two people that would work for.". Mervyn Edward Griffin Jr. (July 6, 1925 August 12, 2007) was an American television show host and media mogul. (for which he still creates puzzles and questions.) Merv Griffin, the creator of Jeopardy! 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! Most of the folks Porter talks about and says Griffin was involved with are, like Griffin, dead. During a May 2020 "Sunday Morning" interview, Marlo explained that the interview she had with Phil all those years back wasn't really one. (1964). Merv Griffin was previously married to Julann Griffin (1959 - 1976). Involving slapstick stunts and a somewhat truncated version of his old Reach for the Stars, it initially aired locally in New York, with the intent of national syndication early the following year. The star became more caring and interested in the boys the more she lived with them, and eventually, "more mothering.". His program is television's most consistent forum for provocative, controversial subject matter: lesbian couples adopting children; parents of homosexuals; breast-feeding mothers; unwed mothers; elderly people living together out of wedlock; victims of incest. The show enjoyed tremendous popularity and was adapted into several international versions which aired in 60 countries. To a dying 18-year-old he says, "That's a real punch in the nose. 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]. [46] He was a longtime member of the Republican Party.[47]. Also, he achieved the degree Doctor of Laws from the National University of Ireland, Galway, in 2005. I like someone to love me," Thomas replied. She further elaborated, "I had to meet the right kind of man, and the world had to change a lot, and I had to change a lot." 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. The star said she liked her husband's children and it was a "treat" to be around them in 1977, Phil's daughter lived with his ex in Illinois. 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. 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. His funeral was held at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills. Nonetheless, the elephant that was his sexual orientation never really stopped following Griffin from room to room. [17] He landed a job as the host of a new television show, CBS-TV's Summer Holiday, a summer replacement for Jane Froman's U.S.A. Canteen and Jo Stafford's The Jo Stafford Show, which he co-hosted with Betty Ann Grove. "There's nothing too controversial for television," Donahue says. Griffin disliked the censorship imposed by CBS and complained. But Donahue is top dog becuase he has attracted and maintained an extraordinarily large audience. And as any law student knows, you cant libel the dead. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Griffin also appeared in The Boy from Oklahoma and Phantom of the Rue Morgue (both 1954), but became disillusioned with movie-making. Brynn Hartman Struggled with Self-Esteem and Her Husband's Absence Who Was Phil Hartman's Wife? But answering questions in person, he chooses words carefully, as though any slip will damage his good-guy reputation. And sometimes he's slapped down. "In a network situation," Donahue says, "one guy can end your career while he's shaving." [32][34] After Trump paid $101 million for Resorts International Inc. in 1987, Griffin bought it back from him for $365 million and assumed the hotel-casino's debt of $925 million on November 15, 1988. [51] He was buried in Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery, where his epitaph reads "I will not be right back after this message". The show was a huge success and earned immense popularity. It was these games which inspired him to create the game show Wheel of Fortune in 1975. He was also close friends with Actress and former First Lady of the United States, Nancy Reagan, with who he shares the same birthdate, July 6. 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. Mervyn Edward "Merv" Griffin, Jr. August 12, 2007) was an American television host, singer, and media mogul behind Merv Griffin Enterprises. Stations rarely cancel his show and few refuse to air individual programs. 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. That's when Griffin's wife pitched the . If you get anything else you think we can use, call me personally. No name. Although Griffin married and reportedly had affairs with several women, including Judy Garland, his "Let's put a ribbon on this," he tells the long-winded. Ten months later he moved to a CBS radio-television affiliate in Dayton, Ohio. There, she met the host, Phil Donahue, and became hopelessly in love with him from the start. Griffin was affiliated with the international fraternity Tau Kappa Epsilon. 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. [4] When he was a child, Griffin used to play Hangman games with his sister during family road trips. Over the past 16 years of his life, however, Griffin deflected the sexuality questions with a quip, determining that his private life remained nobodys business. ", So, talking about marriage with Phil on his show wasn't easy for her. He criticizes the fake fame offered television celebrities and yet admits he accepts free pizzas and permits a teen-aged son to accept free car repairs. 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. His height was 1.75 m tall and weighed 70 kg. [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. Perhaps he figured it was preferable to remain the object of gossip rather than live openly as "one of. "I have come to the point where I am at peace with my own imperfection in terms of understanding it, and I am enjoying the business of wondering.". ", Joel Swerdlow; Joel Swerdlow is the coauthor of "Remote Control: Television. Yet, it was nothing discussed in the media and, apparently, in many of his own circles, particularly straight political circles. Those who dont cant really be faulted, as rarely do honesty and full disclosure prove a boon to ones showbiz livelihood. 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. Griffin was not shy about tackling controversial subjects, especially the Vietnam War. He maintained a virtual male harem and a pimp who supplied porn stars, but I dont go into his pay-for-gay guys. Griffin, in 1964, also introduced a game show Jeopardy which was a big success. They likely knew, but it was unspoken, and that allowed all involved to just rationalize things to say to themselves that, well, Merv, is not like those other people, and to always believe that maybe it wasnt true anyway, and that he was truly dating Eva Gabor. . "We had a woman whose baby was taken back by the adoption agency. . Merv Griffin accomplished a lot and is, in his death, being held up as a example of a stellar Hollywood businessman. By 1986, Griffin was ready to retire. Marlo said as little girls, some women dreamt of becoming brides, mothers, actresses, wives, and ice skaters but never stepmothers. He also stayed silent about the epidemic in the media ironic since he was a man very much at the center of the media industry and in shaping communications and television in this country when his voice would have made a huge difference. Merv Griffin began his career as a singer on the radio at the age of 19. So far, in the the rest of the obits on Griffin (Reuters, Associated Press) Ive seen nothing about his homosexuality. With resignation in his voice, Donahue will concede that his show is "a platform for pitchmen," one endless commercial. Merv Griffin was married to Julann Griffin from 1959 to 1976. 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. Every comedian ends up, one day, taking a pie in the face. His abilities as a pianist played a part in his early entry into show business. He lived with Roddy McDowall here at the Dakota, where he introduced Eddie Fisher to Elizabeth Taylor. Aside from his game shows, he also ventured into real estate and purchased the Beverley Hilton Hotel and later the Resorts International. "Donahue" is unlike any other talk show. Aug. 12, 2007 -- Merv Griffin, who parlayed a talent for talk and entertainment into a one-man business conglomerate, died of cancer early this morning. Both ultimately were dismissed. And yet, it is very important for reasons far beyond visibility or mere gossip. That's one of the nice things about being hot. Merv Griffin. Around that time, Griffin composed the show's best-known theme song, "Changing Keys", which was used in several variants of the show until 2000. 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. 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. 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. after moving it twice on its daytime schedule, despite having an additional year on its network contract. Brent Plott, who had been his employee, also accused him of harassment. He married his college sweetheart in 1958, right after graduation. Griffin became the host of The Merv Griffin Show, which was his own talk show. "[42] He was otherwise secretive about his business and personal lives. 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. 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. [12], He became increasingly popular with nightclub audiences, and his fame soared among the general public with his 1950 hit "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts". Well, if youre ready, lets start. Both programs shared Studio 6B at NBC's Rockefeller Center complex at the time, with Play Your Hunch airing live in the morning while Tonight taped later in the day. He was a famous but unsuccesssful single until 1977, when actress Marlo Thomas made her second appearance on his program. Author Darwin Porters niche is posthumously outing celebrities. Griffin characterized both lawsuits as extortion. As his family was Roman Catholic, he started signing in the church from an early age. The "Sunday Morning" thought being independent and single had become the star's brand. Merv Griffin had an encounter with Betty Kelly. Mervyn "Merv" Griffin (1925 -2007) was an American television host, musician, actor, and media mogul. Million Dollar Masters Tournament from 2002. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); You have entered an incorrect email address! In 1990, Griffin had an ambitious but unsuccessful attempt at adapting the venerable board game Monopoly into a game show of the same name. [45] The article was later altered due to protests from his friends and business associates. The "Today" show signed him, as rumors spread that he'd soon jump to the networks. Donahue's worst programs are with a Norman Mailer or a Ted Kennedy. Griffin himself was an enthusiastic meditator.[27]. He rose as far as possible in Dayton -- anchoring the television news and hosting a radio call-in show. After talking without interruption for over two hours, he doesn't loosen his tie or roll up his sleeves. 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. All through his childhood, he turned out to be a brilliant pianist who became the main reason for his adoption of show business. Griffin also booked controversial guests like George Carlin, Dick Gregory, Richard Pryor, Norman Mailer and Bertrand Russell. [8] During the Korean War several years later, he was examined and deemed healthy enough to serve, but by that time was above age 26 and exempt from the draft. 10k followers . This show was aired on for almost 21 years and achieved 11 Emmy awards all through its course. GSN dedicated a whole weekend in order to credit him by releasing 10-episode marathons of Wheel and Jeopardy. Griffin was also an honorary pallbearer at the funeral of President Ronald Reagan in 2004, having been the Reagans' friends for many years. Donahue denied the rumors by signing a six-year contract to continue independent production. Wheel barely escaped cancellation in 1980, when NBC replaced three of its other game shows with a daytime talk show starring David Letterman. Once, Donahue says, Walter Cronkite himself telephoned to say, "Phil, that was a goddamned good interview you sent us yesterday. 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. He kept his wealth an open secret, amassing media outlets, hotels and casinos with a net worth estimated at more than $1 billion. Whatever the goal of any particular program, Donahue is an emotional fellow traveler -- involved, sympathetic, respectful. Eva Gabor and Merv Griffin were in a relationship for 10 years before Eva Gabor died aged 76.. About. [30][31][32][33][a] In early 1988, Trump wanted to take Resorts private; but Griffin, through Griffin Gaming & Entertainment, offered the minority shareholders significantly more than Trump in April 1988. The actress continued explaining her reasoning: "It seems like it's only a place for one-and-a-half persons, you know, the person that has the dream and the other person who supports the dream." Griffins gay brothers his friends, his lovers, his people across America, around the world suffered and met horrific deaths. He has parlayed their problems into the top spot in the dog-eat-puppy world of syndicated talk shows. But he should also be held up as man who, like Malcolm Forbes before him, was hugely influential and powerful and yet still allowed the closet and homophobia to manipulate his life, and to cause him to do harm to his own people. ", Donahue can conceive of absolutely no topic that could hurt his career. So he returned to his radio roots and focused on marriage, illness, sexuality, death and other problems "ordinary" people could discuss. 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. First off, Griffins closet kept him shockingly silent while he had access to the president of the United States as his own people were dying. Donahue asked her on the air. [15] He also had an uncredited role as a radio announcer in the horror/science fiction film The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953). [20] When they had their first child, Cynthia Leigh Buzzell, on September 11, 1955, Griffin was named her godfather. The second show aired as a standalone special in some regions such as Canada. It won several awards and nominations and has been adapted into numerous international versions. The well-attended service included Nancy Reagan; Arnold Schwarzenegger, who gave the eulogy with Tony Griffin; Maria Shriver; and various actors, television stars, employees, and friends, including Pat Sajak, Vanna White, Alex Trebek, Dick Van Dyke, Jack Klugman, Dick Van Patten, Ellen DeGeneres, Portia de Rossi, Ryan Seacrest, Johnny Mathis, Catherine Oxenberg and Casper Van Dien. Griffin was introduced to the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1974. "To say 'yes' to that question flatters me," he says, pausing to look at the wall as though hoping to see the proper answer. On Monday, Nov. 6, 1967, his first guest was Madalyn Murray O'Hair, the woman whose lawsuit eliminated prayer from public schools. The star said one example was her parents, as the actress's mother gave up her singing career to settle herself to marry the star of the "Danny Thomas Show." So powerful is his appeal that the "Today" show signed him as a regular contributor last May. Margaret Julia "Marlo" Thomas (born November 21, 1937) is an American actress, producer, author, and social activist. 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. [16] He decided to spend the summer of 1954 in New York City. [18][19], That summer, Griffin became acquainted with music publisher Loring Buzzell. This show was initially aired on NBC. He often received criticism for booking such guests. It eventually went on to win eleven Emmy Awards. 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. Phil Donahue is the Cronkite of the morning, an oasis in a wasteland, the trusted host who, according to TV Guide, "hit daytime television like a hormone injection directly into the carotid artery of the American housewife." The guests on the Westinghouse show were an eclectic mix of entertainers, authors, politicians, and "personality" performers like Zsa Zsa Gabor. . ", "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.