Marlo was 40 when she married the talk show host, and it was her first marriage. Griffin ventured into real estate, purchasing the Beverly Hilton Hotel in 1987. The actress was so private but called the host's telecast when her father, Danny Thomas, noted a hilarious observation. 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]. He married his college sweetheart in 1958, right after graduation. He started his professional life by joining the radio as well as by singing in collaboration with a big band. (He revealed the epitaph on The Late Late Show with Tom Snyder. The second show aired as a standalone special in some regions such as Canada. He has parlayed their problems into the top spot in the dog-eat-puppy world of syndicated talk shows. This weekend venue, fashioned after Hollywood's famed Coconut Grove (where Griffin headlined as a boy singer with The Freddy Martin Orchestra) features live Big Bands, Swing Orchestras, and Rock Bands amidst a glamorous nightclub setting.He was honored with the prestigious 1994 Broadcasting and Cable "Hall of Fame" Award, alongside such figures as Diane Sawyer and Dan Rather. That's what I'm paid to do.". He bought his contract back from Warner Bros. and decided to devote his attention to a new medium: television. All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. The couple had one son. Menu. 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. 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. 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. Arnold Schwarzenegger, later 38th governor of California, made his U.S. talk show debut on Griffin's show in 1974 after emigrating from Austria. Entertainer Merv Griffin Dead at 82 - ABC News ", "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. 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. In 1963, NBC offered him the opportunity to host a new game show, Word for Word, which Griffin produced. 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. ", The book reveals he was a virgin before marriage, a lousy lover afterward, and avoided the draft through fatherhood. "Since 'The $64,000 Question,' the network won't let you do those . So far, in the the rest of the obits on Griffin (Reuters, Associated Press) Ive seen nothing about his homosexuality. Merv Griffin was in relationships with Eva Gabor (1985 - 1995), Natalie Trundy (1959) and May Wynn (1953). . Paul had already signed Grove for the show and was looking for a male co-host. 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. Such candor is not new to Donahue, but it usually comes from his guests and audience. At one of his nightclub performances, Griffin was discovered by Doris Day. So he returned to his radio roots and focused on marriage, illness, sexuality, death and other problems "ordinary" people could discuss. Rumors about Griffin's sexuality followed him for much of his life. An avid fan of puzzles since childhood, Griffin first produced a successful game show in 1964, Jeopardy! His funeral was held at the Church of Good Shepherd in Beverley Hills which was attended by several celebrities such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jack Klugman and Catherine Oxenberg. "To say 'yes' to that question flatters me," he says, pausing to look at the wall as though hoping to see the proper answer. Merv Griffin - Wikipedia The second time they went out was fine, and the duo phoned each other two or three times daily and saw each other on weekends because Phil was based in Chicago. In 1991, he was sued by TV host Deney Terrio alleging sexual harassment. In effect, Donahue has 200 bosses and they provide a fascinating study in what the public will tolerate -- even seek -- once outside the networks. He can't put a ribbon on them because, as media darlings, they can reveal as much or as little as they please. If youre Griffin, why would you think a judgmental culture would be any more tolerant as you grew into middle and old age? After talking without interruption for over two hours, he doesn't loosen his tie or roll up his sleeves. Marlo Thomas . ", So, talking about marriage with Phil on his show wasn't easy for her. 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. But in a New York office recently, Donahue looked much more subdued that he does goes on television, his eyes more pale and penetrating. The "That Girl" actress first met Marlo when she was on his talk show as a guest in 1977. 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. And lots about Mervs prolonged sexual tryst with Marlon Brando. "We don't like to discuss sex at that hour of the morning," NBC explained. By 1976 he'd been canceled three times in New York, the nation's top market, and sadly decided he'd "become a candidate for a trivia contest two decades hence.". [8] He wrote years later in his autobiography that there was a deliberate effort to keep the public from finding out how he looked. Mervyn Edward Merv Griffin Jr. was born on July 6, 1925, in San Mateo, California. In 1965, Griffin launched a syndicated talk show for Group W (Westinghouse Broadcasting) titled The Merv Griffin Show. 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! He usually has only one guest and discusses only one topic. During the World War II, he was found to have a slight heart murmur because of which he failed several military examinations. . 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. Brynn Hartman Struggled with Self-Esteem and Her Husband's Absence Who Was Phil Hartman's Wife? . 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. She cried on the air," he says proudly. To Donahue, danger comes not from sponsors or subscribing stations, but from his own instincts for self-preservation. 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. It was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and numerous Emmy Awards, out of which it won eleven. "[43], Griffin was a constant companion of actress Eva Gabor from the mid-1980s until her death in 1995, though she told the press in 1990 that they had never been lovers.[44]. Merv Griffin dead at 82 | Reuters The show enjoyed tremendous popularity and was adapted into several international versions which aired in 60 countries. The Modern Family star was previously married to her high school love Joe Gonzalez . 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. ", Donahue loves it. This continued after her two terms as First Lady. A talk show host for nearly 25 . In 2007, Griffin's production company, Merv Griffin Entertainment, began production on a new syndicated game show, Merv Griffin's Crosswords (originally titled Let's Play Crosswords and Let's Do Crosswords). "Today's subsequent instructions to Donahue: "No clinical sex.". To prove his point, Donahue does a Kissinger imitation, complete with heavy accent. Top-rate talent rarely visited Dayton, Donahue says, and those who did would ask him, "What am I doing here?" [citation needed], He attended San Mateo High School, graduating in 1942, and continued to aid in financing the school. Marlo said as little girls, some women dreamt of becoming brides, mothers, actresses, wives, and ice skaters but never stepmothers. Mervyn Edward Griffin Jr. (July 6, 1925 August 12, 2007) was an American television show host and media mogul. PDF Griffin, Merv (1925-2007) - glbtqarchive.com Griffin later claimed in interviews that he was best man at their wedding, but was in fact one of the four ushers. It was good television. It's a shame. This song remained a huge hit by selling 3 million copies. (His book reports that in 1978, 56 percent of his programs featured guests with something to sell.) Griffin, who died of prostate cancer Sunday at 82, stayed in the closet throughout his life. Aside from his game shows, he also ventured into real estate and purchased the Beverley Hilton Hotel and later the Resorts International. The guests on the Westinghouse show were an eclectic mix of entertainers, authors, politicians, and "personality" performers like Zsa Zsa Gabor. 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. If they're slow, he takes telephone calls. As of March 2023, Griffin has an estimated net worth of $1 billion. 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. [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". He kept his wealth an open secret, amassing media outlets, hotels and casinos with a net worth estimated at more than $1 billion. The divorce settlement gave her custody of the daughter and him the four boys. 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."