Merv Griffin

Mervyn "Merv" Edward Griffin, Jr. (born on July 6, 1925, in San Mateo, California) is an American talk show host, entertainer, television personality and executive. He began his career as a singer and also appeared in movies and on Broadway; he later became host of his own TV show, The Merv Griffin Show, and an entertainment business magnate.

A start in song

He started as a singer on radio at age 19, appearing on "San Francisco Sketchbook," a nationally syndicated program based at KFRC. He earned enough to form his own record label, Panda Records, and his self-released album Songs by Merv Griffin was the first American album recorded on magnetic tape. Freddy Martin was a fan of the radio show and asked Griffin to tour with his orchestra, which he did for four years. However, Griffin became popular with nightclub audiences as a solo act. He scored a number one hit with I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts, which sold over three million copies. During one of his nightclub performances, he was discovered by Doris Day who arranged for a screen test at Warner Bros. Studios. His open-mouthed kiss with Kathryn Grayson in his debut film, So This Is Love (1953), was the first such shown in theaters.

Meanwhile, he appeared regularly on such television shows as The Arthur Murray Show and The Jack Paar Show. From 1958 to 1962 he hosted a game show produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman called Play Your Hunch. The show appeared on all three networks, but primarily on NBC.

Fateful encounter

Griffin scored a coup when Jack Paar accidentally emerged onto the set of Play Your Hunch during a live broadcast (Paar was superstitiously trying to avoid the elevators at Rockefeller Center), and Griffin got him to stay for a spontaneous interview. Griffin later substituted for Paar on The Tonight Show, leading NBC to offer him his own daytime talk show in 1962. That program failed, but NBC offered him the opportunity to host a new game show, Word for Word, in 1963, which Griffin produced as well. This led to the far more successful Jeopardy! the following year, which Griffin also produced.

Merv Griffin would launch a syndicated 90-minute talk show in 1965, which aired in a variety of time slots throughout North America (many stations would run it in the daytime, some would air it opposite Johnny Carson's The Tonight Show, and it would air for many years in prime time on WNEW in New York). On all of his talk shows he was not shy about tackling controversial subjects, especially the Vietnam War.

Late night also-ran

Griffin moved to CBS starting August 18, 1969 in a show that aired directly opposite Carson at 11:30 p.m. He would stay there for three years; meanwhile, his role on the syndicated show would be filled by the British interviewer David Frost, who commuted across the Atlantic as he filled jobs on both sides of the ocean. Griffin's show was produced in New York for the first year and from Los Angeles thereafter. In 1970, producers at NBC's Today show approached Griffin to co-host the show, but he never did. Griffin's late night show consistently finished behind Carson's in the ratings, and occasionally struggled to compete with Dick Cavett on ABC. At one point, CBS pressured Griffin to fire his long-term sidekick Arthur Treacher, who had been his television mentor, but that did not help. In 1972, the show was cancelled and he returned to syndication, displacing Frost. He eventually retired from the show in 1986.

King of the game shows

In 1975, NBC cancelled Jeopardy! after moving it twice on their daytime schedule, despite having an additional year on its network contract left to fulfill. Griffin was allowed to produce the show's successor, Wheel of Fortune. A modest hit on daytime television with Chuck Woolery and Susan Stafford as host and hostess, it became a phenomenon in 1983 in the syndication market with Pat Sajak and Vanna White in the same respective roles. (Jeopardy would also start airing in first-run syndication in 1984.) Although Griffin had produced other game shows as well, these two would make him an extremely wealthy man.

Upon his retirement, he sold his production company, Merv Griffin Enterprises, to Coca-Cola's Columbia Pictures Television unit for $250 million, which was the largest acquisition of an entertainment company owned by a single individual at that time. Following the sale, Forbes named him the richest Hollywood performer in history. He retained the title of executive producer of both shows.

Business magnate

With that kind of money, Griffin could buy just about anything. He ventured into real estate, purchasing the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. He also purchased Resorts Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City from Donald Trump in 1988. Unfortunately, this was not a successful purchase and the hotel was forced to file for bankruptcy protection shortly thereafter. He still owns a ranch near Carmel, California where he raises thoroughbred racehorses, as well as St. Clerans Manor, an 18th century estate once owned by director John Huston, near Galway, Ireland. In the 1980s, Griffin purchased Paradise Island in the Bahamas for $400 million from Donald Trump, but he later sold it for just $125 million.

In March 2001, Merv returned to singing with the release of the album It's Like a Dream.

Griffin has a son, Tony by ex-wife Julann Griffin, and two grandchildren.

Trivia

He was once sued by Deney Terrio, the former host of Dance Fever, for sexual harassment; the $11.3 million case was later dismissed by a judge.^*
Nephew of tennis player, US Open doubles champion Clarence Griffin.
Member of Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity.
Lost his sister Barbara to cancer at the same time that he was battling prostate cancer.
Is an alumnus of San Mateo High School, which dedicated its newly constructed amphitheatre in his name on February 10, 2006.
Made a cameo appearance in The Man with Two Brains, playing himself. Although appearing only briefly, he played a key role in the film's plot.
He played himself in the 1969 movie Hello Down There, that featured Richard Dreyfuss.
Griffin preferred suits by Botany 500, and many game show hosts followed his lead.

Hit Songs

I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts
Wilhelmina
Never Been Kissed

External links

Merv Griffin Entertainment

References