was merv griffin married to marlo thomas was merv griffin married to marlo thomas

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 his book Merv, written with David Bender in 2003, he stated that it would be "Stay Tuned".). Griffin, as a radio announcer, played an unacknowledged part in the 1953 science/horror short story classic The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms. [17] They had much in common and became instant friends, and Buzzell introduced Griffin to all of New York City's popular musicians and music executives. From 1965 to 1986 Griffin hosted his own talk show, The Merv Griffin Show. In 1991, he was sued by TV host Deney Terrio alleging sexual harassment. Also, he was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame after his death in 2008. The "That Girl" star and her husband raised five children after the actress refused to be an evil fairy-tale-like stepmother. In Donahue's world the biggest sin is to be boring. ", So, talking about marriage with Phil on his show wasn't easy for her. He eventually started his own show The Merv Griffin Show in 1962 which proved to be a huge success. The guests on the Westinghouse show were an eclectic mix of entertainers, authors, politicians, and "personality" performers like Zsa Zsa Gabor. (1980) Francie Shaffer. He also hosted a primetime ABC game show, Keep Talking. ", "Controversy is not a dirty word," he says. This show was aired on for almost 21 years and achieved 11 Emmy awards all through its course. [5] The family was Irish American. If youre Griffin, why would you think a judgmental culture would be any more tolerant as you grew into middle and old age? 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. In the 1980s, Griffin purchased the Paradise Island Resort and Casino in the Bahamas for $400million from Trump, but later sold it for just $125million. However, in 1997 she thought she still had a chance, but she and Phil never had any of their own. Griffin ventured into real estate, purchasing the Beverly Hilton Hotel in 1987. Griffin and Grove were brought together by Byron Paul, producer of U.S.A. Canteen, and Irving Mansfield, Summer Holiday's creator. He kept his wealth an open secret, amassing media outlets, hotels and casinos with a net worth estimated at more than $1 billion. When he was fired a few months later, his new show began the following Monday, and ran until the mid-1980s. I will do anything with anybody for a quarter. That was Fibber and Mollie McGee's address. Text. Another was '79 Wistful Vista.' On the other hand, Phil had been married before and welcomed five children, making his new wife a stepmother. The song reached the #1 spot on the Hit Parade and sold three million copies.[13]. His father was a stockbroker while his mother was a homemaker. I had more than a passing acquaintance with him, having worked on The Merv Griffin Show as a talent coordinator/segment producer in 1985-86 as the show was winding down. "When half of America is saying, 'That guest got him,' believe me when I tell you it's fine with me." So it doesnt matter if he calls James Dean a glorified prostitute, or Griffin a pimp. Marlo was 40 when she married the talk show host, and it was her first marriage. He certainly didnt owe us an explanation, but maybe he owed it to himself to remove the suffocating veil hed been forced to hide behind throughout his adult life. The theme returned to the show in 2021 at the start of season 39. "It's no mystery to me why they are so conservative," Donahue says. "We don't like to discuss sex at that hour of the morning," NBC explained. Self 5 episodes, 1969-1973 Lenny Schultz . "I'm not sure I could put Henry Kissinger on my show," Donahue says. The new show featured live music with two singers while simulating a trip to various places in the world. 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. The audience is small and compact, practically sitting in the guest's lap. I began to realize that not much in the way we were raised encouraged that.". 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. The star spent the day enjoying it with her long-term husband, Phil Donahue, with whom she celebrated decades of marriage. To a tearful father whose teenaged daughter died he says, "You must know that she wants you to be happy. It won several awards and nominations and has been adapted into numerous international versions. AT SIMON & SCHUSTER, they were excited. His first work on the big screen was an unaccredited role in the 1953 horror sci-fi movie The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms. She returned to her native New Mexico, remarried and disappeared from public view -- until now, with publication of a "family" picture in Donahue's book. He became a substitute host for Jack Paar on The Tonight Show Starring Jack Paar (1957) and scored some of the highest ratings in the show's history. 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. None of this has to be true for him to get a book deal without worrying about getting sued. "You've got to be hungry and ambitious," he says, explaining how he caters to his 85-percent-female audience: "Behavior issues are very big for us. Griffin produced the show's successor, Wheel of Fortune, which premiered January 6, 1975 with host Chuck Woolery and hostess Susan Stafford, and had high ratings throughout its network run. "[42] He was otherwise secretive about his business and personal lives. The actress said, "It was a very big thing for me to see that marriage could be a roomy enough place for my dream and his dream.". Then again, Merv carved his niche in the entertainment world at a time when being gay wasnt OK, when disclosure was unthinkable and the allegation alone could deep-six ones career. And there was a young James Dean selling his sex for cash. She is best known for starring on the sitcom That Girl (1966-1971) and her children's franchise Free to Be. Then another Dayton television station asked him to replace a local talk show host who had gone on to better things in Hollywood (he's now the announcer for Dinah Shore). 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. Mervyn "Merv" Griffin (1925 -2007) was an American television host, musician, actor, and media mogul. Their meeting was later described as love at first sight, and by 1980, the pair were married! 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. He considers many fellow journalists "professional gapers" who pursue rat-pack "me-too-ism." During a May 2020 "Sunday Morning" interview, Marlo explained that the interview she had with Phil all those years back wasn't really one. I had interviewed many gay men whod known Griffin as gay, as well as men who told stories about how his closet had him doing horrendous things and how he was threatened by openly gay people. [8] He wrote years later in his autobiography that there was a deliberate effort to keep the public from finding out how he looked. Merv Griffin was in relationships with Eva Gabor (1985 - 1995), Natalie Trundy (1959) and May Wynn (1953). 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. On November 21, 2022, Marlo Thomas celebrated her birthday by turning 85! When political activist Abbie Hoffman was his guest in April 1970, CBS blurred the video of Hoffman so viewers at home would not see his trademark American flag pattern shirt, even though other guests had worn the same shirt in the past, uncensored. "I like having a man in my life. 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]. She fired a couple of answers to me: '5,280' and the question of course was how many feet in a mile. There are his experiences at Liberaces all-male orgies. Ironically, weeks after being on Phil's show, Marlo was a regular guest at his Winnetka, Illinois home, where he raised four sons. Griffin, who died of prostate cancer Sunday at 82, stayed in the closet throughout his life. He was best known for hosting the Goodson/Todman classic, Play Your Hunch, and for creating the two long-running hit series, Jeopardy! Though dismissed, the lawsuits put Griffin on the spot, and while he never denied being gay, he didnt own it either. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); You have entered an incorrect email address! 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. NBC finally cancelled it in 1989, when CBS picked it up for a year (only to return to NBC, when the daytime version was finally cancelled permanently in 1991). And if that wasnt scandalous enough: I write that friends who went to school with him in San Mateo say, when he was a young homosexual growing up, he was sexually molested by a priest. 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. Plus Judy Garlands Meet Me in St. Louis boy next door, Tom Drake, who, by the way, ended up a used car salesman. Why not do a switch, and give the answers to the contestant and let them come up with the question. (1964) for NBC. As of March 2023, Griffin has an estimated net worth of $1 billion. [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. [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". The star complained at the time that no one asked men if they wanted to be fathers of doctors, and she felt women's choices shouldn't be that linear either because she wanted it all. It ran for one summer. 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. He also produced Let's Play Post Office for NBC in 1965, Reach for the Stars for NBC in 1967, and One in a Million for ABC in 1967. Dayton provided another important impetus to success. Griffin characterized both lawsuits as extortion. Later that year, CBS terminated Griffin's late-night talk show and Griffin immediately made the transition to Metromedia's syndicated network.While Griffin may have been a washout in late night television (and he had LOTS of company - EVERYONE who went up against Carson lost the ratings race, and Johnny always came out the victor), Griffin's impact on daytime was immense, specifically through his production of game shows. National magazines ran complimentary stories. 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. 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. Danny said the female audience was lucky to spend an hour with "two of the world's most attractive men." Even though they divorced, they continued being good friends. Ten months later he moved to a CBS radio-television affiliate in Dayton, Ohio. NBC-owned and -operated stations in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco and Dallas carried it, with many stations airing two episodes per day. (1984), which are watched by hundreds of millions of people all over the world. (VH1, 1998) for pop-music trivia fans; Click!, a teen-oriented game that introduced Ryan Seacrest as its host; and, in association with Wink Martindale, Headline Chasers (1985). Griffin also hosted a game show Play Your Hunch in 1958 whose producers were Bill Todman and Mark Goodson. Perhaps he figured it was preferable to remain the object of gossip rather than live openly as one of them.. He went to San Mateo High School and graduated in 1942. After talking without interruption for over two hours, he doesn't loosen his tie or roll up his sleeves. Griffin was not shy about tackling controversial subjects, especially the Vietnam War. Merv Griffin was previously married to Julann Griffin (1959 - 1976). National audiences eventually got a look at it via reruns that aired on GSN. General Info. Marlo was 40 when she married the talk show host, and it was her first marriage. Donahue inherited not only the show, but a live studio audience whom he decided not to burden with yet another song-and-dance program. (2002) remains the second highest rated game show in television syndication while Wheel of Fortune (1983) continues to be the longest running game show to hold the number one spot in television syndication history. All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. It ran on all three networks, but primarily NBC. But it was in 1962 that his career took its most dramatic turn. Griffin was also an honorary pallbearer at the funeral of President Ronald Reagan in 2004, having been the Reagans' friends for many years. Born in Kansas City, MO, Menorah Hospital to Helen Hollenbeck Ford and Fred C. Ford. "Today's subsequent instructions to Donahue: "No clinical sex.". ", Donahue can conceive of absolutely no topic that could hurt his career. Finally, Griffins closet had him firing gay men whod actually made it up through the ranks of his own company, simply because they were openly gay. after moving it twice on its daytime schedule, despite having an additional year on its network contract. 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. "The irony of the situation wasn't wasted on me", Griffin recalls in his autobiography. Over the years, he also became very popular by performing in nightclubs. Even though they divorced, they continued being good friends. His funeral was held at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills. He also created the still running game shows Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. Griffin was married to Julann Wright, and together they had a son named Anthony. 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. he asks a dying child. This show was initially aired on NBC. After Fonda's appearance some sponsors said they wouldn't "pay for a program that tears America down." Some guests receive a silent, comforting pat on the hand. He can't put a ribbon on them because, as media darlings, they can reveal as much or as little as they please. 24K views, 950 likes, 99 loves, 117 comments, 155 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Marlo Thomas: #TBT to this scene from That Girl. Rumors about Griffin being gay aren't new, and they weren't helped by two lawsuits (a palimony claim, and a sexual harassment charge) by two dudes in the 90s. He started his professional life by joining the radio as well as by singing in collaboration with a big band. The live 55-minute program was not successful, however, and was cancelled in 1963. ACTRESS, Marlo Thomas, has been married to former daytime talk show host, Phil Donahue, for over 40 years. He was commended for booking such guests, but also widely criticized for it. Day arranged for a screen test at the Warner Bros. Studios for a role in By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953). His second show featured single men discussing what they liked in women. On being wealthy, Griffin said, "when you walk down the street and everybody knows you're rich, they don't talk to you." Although Griffin married and reportedly had affairs with several women, including Judy Garland, his His abilities as a pianist played a part in his early entry into show business. It taped in Los Angeles after initial reports that it would be produced at WMAQ-TV in Chicago. 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. It was good television. Among his private passions are his family, son Tony Griffin, daughter-in-law Tricia, and grandchildren Farah and Donovan Mervyn, his long-haired sharpei dog Charlie Chan, his La Quinta ranch near Carmel, where he raises thoroughbred racing horses, and his 135 foot, four-story high ocean going yacht, Griff. Also: speculation. The kiss was a first in Hollywood film history since the introduction of the Production Code in 1934. [17][20] Griffin needed a place to stay and moved-in with Buzzell as his new roommate. [citation needed], He attended San Mateo High School, graduating in 1942, and continued to aid in financing the school. The show enjoyed tremendous popularity and was adapted into several international versions which aired in 60 countries. That was not only focused on in the Denny Terrio lawsuit against Griffin but also was something that several Hollywood gay men told me about, offering first hand experience, while I was researching Queer in America back in the early 90s and some of this (though, for legal reasons not all) is reported on in the book. [49][50], Funeral services were held on August 17, 2007 at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills. . [6] He was a member of the international fraternity Tau Kappa Epsilon. He has little respect for "people who float a battleship of words around a rowboat of thought." So he returned to his radio roots and focused on marriage, illness, sexuality, death and other problems "ordinary" people could discuss. Discussion rapidly evolves into a group event, with Donahue roaming along the aisles, cajoling, flirting, taunting and enticing. Donahue asked her on the air. Marlo shared how her dreams of becoming a mother were frustrated by her ambitions and society. That should not be forgotten. [15] He also had an uncredited role as a radio announcer in the horror/science fiction film The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953). After Griffin's death, The Hollywood Reporter published a report stating that he had been a closeted gay man. and Wheel of Fortune through his production companies, Merv Griffin Enterprises and Merv Griffin Entertainment. 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. He had short grey hair and brown eyes, his height was 5ft 9ins (1.75m) and he weighed around 175lbs (80kgs). 24K views, 950 likes, 99 loves, 117 comments, 155 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Marlo Thomas: #TBT to this scene from That Girl. 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. He carried on assisting the school financially. [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. Having just hit bookstores, Porter is on a media tour a stop that includesCindy Adams column. Then he continued his higher education at the University of San Francisco. The second show aired as a standalone special in some regions such as Canada. 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. [35] He 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. 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." Donahue denied the rumors by signing a six-year contract to continue independent production. Two revivals of Jeopardy! It stood at the 2nd position on TV Guides list of the 60 greatest game shows ever. We should point to his life for GLBT youth and say, Dont let this happen to you. That's when Griffin's wife pitched the . Overlooking Long Island Sound, the home is on tony . He maintained a virtual male harem and a pimp who supplied porn stars, but I dont go into his pay-for-gay guys. It was these games which inspired him to create the game show Wheel of Fortune in 1975. [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. June 15, 2020 11:21 am ET. Merv Griffin was a popular band singer, the host of his own successful talk show for over 20 years, the creator and producer of such long-running television game shows as Jeopardy! 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. Such candor is not new to Donahue, but it usually comes from his guests and audience. What he made then was a far cry from the billionaire he was at the end., But what about the sex? [37][38] Cashflow was about $70 million short of what was needed to service the Resorts' debt in 1989,[34] and Griffin sought bankruptcy court protection for Resorts on December 23, 1989.[39]. (His book reports that in 1978, 56 percent of his programs featured guests with something to sell.) Marlo Thomas, 2018 | Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas, 2022 | Source: Instagram.com/marlothomas | Getty Images. 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. Marlo Thomas Was Scared of Being Stepmom to Phil Donahue's 5 Kids They Are Proud of Gaggle of Grandkids Now, Why Is Robin Always on Dr. Phil's Show? [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. His 7-year-old grandson Donovan Mervyn was an honorary pallbearer, as was Nancy Reagan. He lost his virginity, to a female, that is, when Judy Garland seduced him. Can I put on Barry Goldwater, who thinks we ought to drop nuclear bombs? Profits from his highly successful game shows made him one of the world's wealthiest entertainers. His first crush was Errol Flynn, whom he saw passed out naked on a couch. The show was a humongous success and became the longest running game show with over 6000 episodes. That fall he became a radio reporter in Adrian, Mich. . He was 82. Both ultimately were dismissed. A post-burial reception was held at the Beverly Hilton, owned by Griffin from 1987 to 2003. (for which he still creates puzzles and questions.) Merv Griffins Dangerous Closet, by The Gist, http://signorile2003.blogspot.com/2007/08/merv-griffins-dangerous-closet.html. He doesn't just talk to the audience. 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. They had one child, Tony Griffin, born in 1959. Both lawsuits were eventually dismissed. "Why rock the boat?" When guests verge on breakdowns or exhibitionism, Donahue becomes a combination parish priest and understanding neighbor. Also, he founded two TV production organizations Merv Griffin Entertainment and Merv Griffin Enterprises. Merv was looking at notes for a new game show, and Julann asked if it was one of the knowledge-based games she liked. The result is staccato silence between phrases -- quite unlike his fast-moving, loquacious television image. Rumors about Griffin being gay arent new, and they werent helped by two lawsuits (a palimony claim, and a sexual harassment charge) by two dudes in the 90s. "What's important is the manner in which it is presented." in 1964. After three years of marriage, they got married on May 21, 1980. 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." 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). Griffin's approach to television talk was influenced by two New York shows, David Susskind's The David Susskind Show (1958) and Mike Wallace's Probe and Night Beat (1956), and like Susskind and Wallace, he openly embraced controversial subjects. They Were Wrong", "Griffin Wins Resorts in Deal with Trump", "Helicopter Service Shuttles Gamblers to Casinos", "Merv Griffin Becomes New Owner of Resorts International", "Merv Rolls the Dice: Griffin and his debt-ridden Resorts International hotel and casino face tough odds in upcoming meetings with bondholders", "Merv Griffin's Resorts Files for Bankruptcy as Refinancing Fails", "In the Chatting Olympics, Look for Merv Griffin", "Affable TV host built an empire on 2 hit game shows", "All About Eva: Zsa Zsa's Little Sister Says It Hasn't Always Been Easy Being the Other Gabor", "Griffin Never Revealed Man Behind the Curtain", "The 'Jeopardy' Creator: Who Was Merv Griffin? Whatever the goal of any particular program, Donahue is an emotional fellow traveler -- involved, sympathetic, respectful. 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. Marlo Thomas making her Broadway debut at the Broadhurst Theater in "Thieves" with her father, Danny Thomas, and mother, Rosemary Thomas, at the opening night performance on April 7, 1974 | Source: Getty Images. The former home of Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas in Westport, Conn., is going on the market for $28 million. GSN dedicated a whole weekend in order to credit him by releasing 10-episode marathons of Wheel and Jeopardy. Around the office, Mervs being gay was understood but rarely discussed (and certainly never with him). 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. Men, he says, "have done an awful lot of oppression. You and the ayatollah are the only two people that would work for.". (He revealed the epitaph on The Late Late Show with Tom Snyder. [20] When they had their first child, Cynthia Leigh Buzzell, on September 11, 1955, Griffin was named her godfather. and Wheel of Fortune. "We also get an awful lot of phone calls and letters from people asking us to be on. On Monday, Nov. 6, 1967, his first guest was Madalyn Murray O'Hair, the woman whose lawsuit eliminated prayer from public schools. 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! I said, I just don't believe it's for me.". That's what I'm paid to do.". To a dying 18-year-old he says, "That's a real punch in the nose. Pallbearers included Griffin Group vice-chairman Ron Ward, President Robert Pritchard, and Vice President Michael Eyre, as well as Tony Griffin. In 1975, NBC canceled Jeopardy! Marlo revealed that even in 2020, she still wasn't sure she believed in marriage. 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. 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.". "To say 'yes' to that question flatters me," he says, pausing to look at the wall as though hoping to see the proper answer. The show became a phenomenon when, on September 19, 1983, a nighttime version hit the syndication market with Pat Sajak and Vanna White as host and hostess. 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." When he eventually decided to retire, he sold his production company Merv Griffin Enterprises to Columbia Pictures Television, after which he was named by Forbes as one of the richest Hollywood performers in history. The Famous Psychologist's Wife Has Never Missed a Taping, Julia Roberts Is Living Her Dream with Kids & Spouse of 20 Years at Rustic Ranch after Becoming Mom at 39, Dr Phil & His Wife of 46 Years Are Still in Love in $29.5M Home after They Sold Their 'Weird' Mansion, Geena Davis Became Mom of 3 at 48 Her 20-Year Marriage Ended & Much Younger Spouse Asked For Spousal Support, Jenna Bush Hager 'Smooched' Husband on 1st Meeting & Proposed to Him Later They've Made It to 14 Years. As a regular performer on The Arthur Murray Party (1950), The Tonight Show Starring Jack Paar (1957) and others, he was offered the opportunity to host his own television series, Play Your Hunch (1958).