Garry Moore

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For other persons named Garry Moore, see Garry Moore (disambiguation).
Garry Moore
Image:Garrymoore.jpg
Garry Moore hosting To Tell the Truth in an episode from 1974.
Birth name Thomas Garrison Morfit[1]
Born January 31 1915(1915-01-31)
Image:Flag of the United States.svg Baltimore, Maryland
Died November 28 1993 (aged 78)
Hilton Head, South Carolina
Years active 1949-1977

Garry Moore (January 31, 1915 – November 28, 1993) was an American entertainer, game show host and comedian, best known for his work on television. A popular radio personality of the 1940s, he was a television host on several programs during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, particularly game shows and variety shows.[2]

He began his career in the radio industry after dropping out of high school. Moore then moved on to the television industry, in which he is more well known. Moore's career spanned over four decades of television and radio work. Moore's variety show The Garry Moore Show, game show I've Got a Secret, and game show To Tell the Truth were his most notable television shows, all airing for extended periods of time, most notably his variety show. His popularity on I've Got a Secret even led to a movie appearance, where he played himself on the set of the show.

After getting throat cancer in 1976, he quietly retired from the industry. Moore juggled most of his time in his South Carolina home, along with his summer home in Maine, during retirement. He died on November 28 1993.

Contents

[edit] Early life and radio career

Moore was born in Baltimore, Maryland,[3] as Thomas Garrison Morfit[1] and attended the Baltimore City College high school. He would later drop out to enter radio and writing instead.[3][4] Starting in 1937, he worked for Baltimore radio station WBAL as an announcer, writer, and actor/comedian. He used his birth name until 1940, when he held a radio contest to find a more easily pronounceable one.[5] "Garry Moore" became the winning choice, won by a housewife from Pittsburgh, who received a $100 (Sometimes disputed as $50[6]) grand prize and a trip to Chicago.[1][5] In the years that followed, Moore appeared on numerous network radio shows. He first started out as an announcer, then as support for various broadcast personalities. One of these personalities included Jimmy Durante, where on his radio show, Moore worked as a straight man for six years.[3][7] Impressed with his ability to interact with radio audiences, CBS offered him his own show. Starting in 1949, the one-hour daytime variety show The Garry Moore Show became one of radio's most popular programs.[3]

[edit] Television career

During television's earliest years, between 1947 and 1950, Moore began to make tentative steps into the new medium as a panelist and guest host on quiz and musical shows. By June 26, 1950, was rewarded with his own 30-minute CBS early evening talk-variety program The Garry Moore Show, which was basically a shorter version of his radio show transferred to TV.[8] Until September of that year, it was also simulcast on radio.[9] During the summers of 1950 and 1951, he also hosted prime-time variety hour summer replacements for Arthur Godfrey and his Friends.

During his run as variety show host, Moore also enjoyed a 12-year run as the host of CBS' very popular weekly prime-time TV panel show I've Got a Secret, which premiered on June 19, 1952.[3] I've Got a Secret was where Garry began to earn his reputation as a genial game show host, always looking like he was having fun, and always participating in the skits, demonstrations or segments of the show. The show was also where Garry began his friendship and long working relationship with game show host and panelist Bill Cullen.[10] Garry's popularity on I've Got a Secret also led to a movie role. Garry played a minor but significant role in the 1959 film It Happened to Jane. He played himself and host on the set of I've Got a Secret, with regulars Cullen, Jayne Meadows, Henry Morgan and Betsy Palmer in their regular panelist roles. Doris Day played a contestant on the show.[11] Moore's run as host ended in 1964, during his first retirement (see below). Moore was later replaced by comedian Steve Allen, who hosted the show until the end of its run in 1967.[10]

Moore's variety program later moved to daytime television, where it ran until June 27, 1958.[6][9] Within three months of the end of the daytime show, he and his longtime sidekick Durward Kirby moved the revived Garry Moore Show into prime time as a Tuesday night comedy/variety hour which ran from September 30, 1958, to June 14, 1964.[9] The show gave many performers their break in show business, including Alan King, Jonathan Winters, Carol Burnett, and Dorothy Loudon.[1][3][4] The show also gave future famous writers Neil Simon, Buck Henry and Woody Allen their first big breaks.[12]

The Garry Moore Show was considered one of the better variety shows of the 1950s and 1960s. Regular supporting cast members included Durward Kirby,[9] Denise Lor, and Ken Carson. The show featured a mixture of song-and-dance routines and comedy skits. In the last few years, Moore introduced the public to comedian Carol Burnett. After the show ended, Burnett became a star in her own right, hosting The Carol Burnett Show for many years.[9]

By the summer of 1964, after having been on radio and television for 27 uninterrupted years, Moore decided to retire. He passed the hosting duties on I've Got a Secret to Steve Allen and gave up his high-rated variety show.[3] Moore, like other successful stars during the infancy of television, such as Ed Sullivan, Jack Paar, and Arthur Godfrey, was neither a comedian nor a musical performer, but rather a "personality," just being himself in front of the camera.[3] His retirement lasted all of two years, before he decided to give television another go-around.

The Garry Moore Show returned to the CBS prime time lineup in the fall of 1966.[9] However, it was canceled in midseason due to low ratings and NBC's highly rated western Bonanza which it ran against.[9] The more successful Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour replaced The Garry Moore Show in the CBS time slot.[13] Moore then made sporadic guest television appearances, also appearing as a panelist on various game shows at the time, before Mark Goodson had asked him to host another show.

He took over as host on the syndicated revival of To Tell the Truth (1969–1977).[1] Moore's genial and humorous hosting worked very well with the panel, and its regulars of Peggy Cass, I've Got a Secret mainstay Bill Cullen, and Kitty Carlisle. Like with I've Got a Secret, Moore often took vacations during the show's run. The list of people that sub-hosted for Moore during his vacations included Carlisle, Cullen and Cass.[14] Moore often took part in the silly and goofy stunts, like he once did on I've Got a Secret, doing things like magic tricks and cooking. This led to the show's reputation to being more like the classic I've Got a Secret.[3]

[edit] Retirement and death

Moore became sick in 1976, being diagnosed with throat cancer.[1][3] (Coincidentally, his brother Mason Morfit was a well-respected thoracic cancer surgeon.[15]) He left the show shortly before Christmas 1976 to undergo surgery for it,[1][3] turning the show over to panelist Bill Cullen. Semi-regular panelist Joe Garagiola also was given a few weeks to host, claiming he was "pinch-hitting" for Moore.[2][14]

It was also at this time that Garry announced his retirement from television.[2] As he explained on the final episode of the show that he hosted, he thought that after a while, that his diagnosis of throat cancer was a sign that he was "just being greedy". He also decided that he had long overstayed his welcome as a television and radio entertainer. He decided to take one last visit to the show, to say goodbye and farewell to television viewers.[14]

At the beginning of the 1977–1978 season of To Tell the Truth, Moore appeared for one final time to explain his sudden absence, banter with the panel after the first game and to formally hand the show over permanently to Garagiola.[2] Moore's introduction that day prompted a loud applause and standing ovation. After this episode, Garagiola hosted the program for the remaining season of its run.[2] The show only lasted until 1978. He retired to Hilton Head, South Carolina, where he spent his time sailboating there and at his Summer home in Northeast Harbor, Maine.[3] Moore died of emphysema on November 28, 1993.[3] He is buried at Forest Hill Cemetery in Northeast Harbor, Maine. He was named one of the 15 Greatest Game Show Hosts of All Time by Time Magazine.[16]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Moore, Garry" Retrieved 2 December 2007.
  2. ^ a b c d e Garry Moore (1915 - 1993) - Find A Grave Memorial Retrieved 8 December 2007.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Garry Moore, 78, the Cheery Host Of Long-Running TV Series, Dies. New York Times (1993-11-29). Retrieved on 2007-12-08.
  4. ^ a b Garry Moore. Variety (1993-11-29). Retrieved on 2007-12-08.
  5. ^ a b TV ACRES: Fans & Fanatics - Garry Moore Retrieved 8 December 2007.
  6. ^ a b Moore for Housewives. Time (1953-02-02). Retrieved on 2007-12-08.
  7. ^ Jimmy Durante And Garry Moore Show .. episodic log Retrieved 8 December 2007.
  8. ^ Garry Moore: A Who2 Profile Retrieved 8 December 2007.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g Classic TV & Movie Hits - The Garry Moore Show / The Garry Moore Evening Show Retrieved 10 November 2007.
  10. ^ a b I've Got a Secret online! - IGaSol [About : Show] Retrieved 9 December 2007.
  11. ^ Bill Cullen: Unusual Appearances Retrieved 9 December 2007.
  12. ^ Garry Moore - bobbanner.com Retrieved 8 December 2007.
  13. ^ SMOTHERING CENSORSHIP THANK THE 'SMOTHERS BROTHERS COMEDY HOUR' OF THE '60S FOR TODAY'S BRAVER TV WORLD. New York Daily News (1998-09-29). Retrieved on 2007-12-14.
  14. ^ a b c To Tell The Truth 1977-78 Retrieved 8 December 2007.
  15. ^ A Cancer Clinic for Clinicians Retrieved 21 December 2007.
  16. ^ Garry Moore - 15 Best Game Show Hosts - TIME Retrieved 8 December 2007.

[edit] External links

Preceded by
First Host 		Host of I've Got a Secret
1952–1964 		Succeeded by
Steve Allen
Preceded by
Bud Collyer 		Host of To Tell the Truth
1969–1977 		Succeeded by
Joe Garagiola
Retrieved from "http://india.smashits.com/wikipedia/Garry_Moore"
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