What did Merv Griffin do for a living?
Merv Griffin. Mervyn Edward Griffin Jr. (July 6, 1925 – August 12, 2007) was an American television host and media mogul. He began his career as a radio and big band singer who went on to appear in film and on Broadway. From 1965 to 1986, Griffin hosted his own talk show, The Merv Griffin Show.
What happened to Griffin the actor?
Griffin's grave, located at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Westwood, Los Angeles, California 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.
Who are Merv Griffin’s parents?
Former Hollywood Star Merv Griffin was born on July 6, 1925, to parents Mervyn Edward Griffin Sr., a successful stockbroker, and mother, Rita Robinson. Griffin was a piano prodigy.
When did Merv Griffin start his show on NBC?
Griffin began his NBC daytime show, "The Merv Griffin Show," in 1962. Even though he started with excellent ratings, the show was canceled less than a year after.
What happened to Merv Griffin's estate?
Tony Griffin claims in legal documents filed with the L.A. County Superior Court, the people running Merv's companies -- including Merv Griffin Entertainment and The Griffin Group -- have squandered part of Merv's fortune by engaging in "speculative ventures with funds which belong to the Trust."
Did Merv Griffin have a family?
Tony GriffinJulann WrightDonovan MervynRita Elizabeth GriffinFarah GriffinMervyn Edward Griffin, Sr.Merv Griffin/Family
Did Merv Griffin invent Jeopardy?
Mervyn Edward Griffin, Jr. (July 6, 1925—August 12, 2007) is best remembered as the creator of Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, two of the longest-running and best-loved TV game shows of all time. He also hosted his own celebrated TV talk show for more than 20 years.
Where was the Merv Griffin show filmed?
That same year, Griffin relocated his show from New York to Los Angeles, but without sidekick Arthur Treacher, who told him "at my age, I don't want to move, especially to someplace that shakes!".
What is Merv Griffins estate worth?
On being wealthy, Griffin said, "when you walk down the street and everybody knows you're rich, they don't talk to you." He kept his wealth an open secret, amassing media outlets, hotels and casinos with a net worth estimated at more than $1 billion.
Who owns Merv Griffin estate?
filmmaker Jefery LevyIt was owned by Mr. Griffin, the late TV host, in the 1980s and 1990s, according to his son, Tony Griffin. The property has been restored and updated by its current owners: filmmaker Jefery Levy and fashion designer Pamela Skaist-Levy, co-founder of the labels Juicy Couture and Pam & Gela.
How much was Merv Griffin worth at death?
Merv Griffin Net Worth, salary and royalties: Merv Griffin was an American television host, musician, actor, and business tycoon who had a net worth of $1 billion at the time of his death in 2007.
Why is it called Jeopardy?
The original name for Jeopardy!, due to how the format worked, was called "What's the Question?" It was an unexcitable title, and NBC executives confirmed it by saying, "Merv, there are no jeopardies in the game. It needs more jeopardies." Merv didn't completely listen; he kept hearing the word Jeopardy.
Who wrote the jingle for Jeopardy?
Merv Griffin1. The music was composed by Merv Griffin. We sometimes forget that Griffin was an accomplished musician before becoming the media mogul responsible for creating both Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!
What time slot was the Merv Griffin show on?
11:30 PM ETThe series ran from October 1, 1962 to March 29, 1963 on NBC, September 20, 1965 to September 26, 1969 in first-run syndication, from August 18, 1969 to February 11, 1972 at 11:30 PM ET weeknights on CBS and again in first-run syndication from February 11, 1972 to September 5, 1986.
Who played the Sidler on Seinfeld?
Brent Hinkley (born April 12, 1962) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as "Lou" the sidler in the Seinfeld episode The Merv Griffin Show, and Officer Murray in The Silence of the Lambs.
Who was Merv Griffin's sidekick?
Jack SheldonJack Sheldon, an acclaimed jazz musician whose trumpet graced the award-winning song “The Shadow of Your Smile” and who was known to TV viewers as the puckish sidekick to talk show host Merv Griffin, died Dec.
Did Merv Griffin have siblings?
Barbara EyreMerv Griffin / Siblings
What was Merv Griffin's net worth when he died?
Merv Griffin Net Worth, salary and royalties: Merv Griffin was an American television host, musician, actor, and business tycoon who had a net worth of $1 billion at the time of his death in 2007.
Where did Merv Griffin go to school?
College of San MateoSan Mateo High SchoolMerv Griffin/Education
Where did Merv Griffin go to school?
His abilities as a pianist played a part in his early entry into show business. Merv attended St. Matthew's Catholic grade school in San Mateo, California.
Who is Merv Griffin?
Merv Griffin. Mervyn Edward Griffin Jr. (July 6, 1925 – August 12, 2007) was an American television show host and media mogul. He began his career as a radio and big band singer who went on to appear in film and on Broadway. From 1965 to 1986, Griffin hosted his own talk show, The Merv Griffin Show.
What was Merv Griffin's first album?
Griffin had an uncredited role as a radio announcer in the 1953 horror/science fiction classic The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms . 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.
How long was the Merv Griffin Show on?
According to an obituary article on August 24, 2007 in Entertainment Weekly, The Merv Griffin Show was on the air for 21 years and won eleven Emmy Awards during its run.
How much money did Griffin use to finance his resorts?
Griffin had used $325 million in junk bond financing at nearly 14% from Drexel Burnham Lambert 's Michael Milken but suspended interest payments in early 1989. Cash flow was about $70 million short of what was needed to service the Resorts' debt in 1989.
How much did Griffin lose in 1987?
from Trump for $365 million and assumed the hotel-casino 's debt of $925 million on November 15, 1988. After ten months of ownership, Griffin reported a loss of $46.6 million.
Why was Griffin criticized?
When philosopher and anti-war activist Bertrand Russell used Griffin's show to condemn the war in Vietnam, Griffin was criticized for letting Russell have his say.
Overview
Illness and death
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.
Funeral services were held on August 17, 2007 at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills. The well-attended service included Nancy Reagan; Ar…
Early life
Griffin was born July 6, 1925, in San Mateo, California, to Mervyn Edward Griffin Sr., a stockbroker, and Rita Elizabeth Griffin (née Robinson), a homemaker. He had an older sister, Barbara. When he was a child, Griffin used to play Hangman games with his sister during family road trips. It was these games which inspired him to create the game shows Jeopardy! in 1964 and specifically, Wheel of Fortune in 1975. The family was Irish American. Raised as a Catholic, Griffin started sin…
Career
Griffin started as a singer on radio at age 19, appearing on San Francisco Sketchbook, a nationally syndicated program based at KFRC. He was overweight as an adolescent and a young man, which disappointed some radio fans when they saw him in person. He wrote years later in his autobiography that there was a deliberate effort to keep the public from finding out how he looked. He resolv…
Game show creator
Griffin created and produced the successful television game show Jeopardy! in 1964. In an Associated Press profile released before it premiered, he discussed the show's origins:
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. 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. Why not …
Business ventures
Griffin ventured into real estate, purchasing the Beverly Hilton Hotel in 1987.
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. Part of the deal was that Trump would buy Resorts' interest in the yet-to-be-constructed Taj Mahal project for $273 million, …
Personal life
Griffin was married to the former Julann Wright from 1958 to 1976; they remained friends after their divorce. They had one son, Tony Griffin, born in 1959; who had two children of his own. 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. I will do anything with anybody for a quarter." He was otherwise secretive about his business and personal lives.
Selected popular songs
• "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts"
• "Christmas City"
• "Wilhelmina"
• "Never Been Kissed"
• "The Charanga" (#69, Pop Charts, 1961)