Merv Griffin Biography (1925-)

Full name, Mervyn Edward Griffin, Jr.; born July 6, 1925 in San Mateo, CA; son of Mervyn Edward (a stockbroker; some sources cite professional tennis player) and Rita (maiden name, Robinson) Griffin; married Julann Elizabeth Wright(a secretary and comedian), May 18, 1958 (divorced, 1976); children: AnthonyPatrick. Addresses: Office: Griffin Group, 9876 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90210.; Publicist: Warren Cowan and Associates Public Relations,8899 Beverly Blvd., Suite 919, Los Angeles, CA 90048.

Nationality: American
Gender: Male
Occupation: Producer, actor, singer, bandleader
Birth Details: July 6, 1925; San Mateo, California, United States

Famous Works

CREDITS
Television Appearances
Series
The Arthur Murray Show, 1950
Featured vocalist, The Freddy Martin Show (also known as The Hazel Bishop Show), NBC, 1951
Regular, Summer Holiday (also known as Song Snapshots on a Summer Holiday), CBS, 1954
Host, Look up and Live, CBS, 1955
Vocalist, The Morning Show, CBS, 1956
Vocalist, The Robert Q. Lewis Show, CBS, 1955-1956
Host, Going Places, CBS, 1957
Substitute host, To Tell the Truth, 1958-1959
Substitute host, The Price Is Right, 1959
Keep Talking, CBS, 1958-1959, then ABC, 1959-1960
Host, Play Your Hunch, NBC, c. 1958-1962
Substitute host, The Tonight Show, NBC, 1962
Host, Talent Scouts, CBS, 1963
Host, Word for Word, NBC, 1963
Host, Hippodrome, CBS, 1966
Host, The Merv Griffin Show, CBS, 1969-1972, syndicated, 1972-1986
Voice of Griffin host, Hercules (animated; also known as Disney's Hercules), ABC and syndicated; also affiliated with Dance Feverand Saturday Prom.
Specials
Ringmaster, The 9th Annual Circus of the Stars (also known as Circus of the Stars), 1984
An All-Star Party for "Dutch" Reagan, 1985
Ringmaster, The 10th Annual Circus of the Stars (also known as Circus of the Stars), 1985
Rickles on the Loose, Showtime, 1986
An All-Star Party for Clint Eastwood, CBS, 1986
Ringmaster, The 11th Annual Circus of the Stars (also known as Circus of the Stars), CBS, 1986
Ringmaster, The 12th Annual Circus of the Stars (also known as Circus of the Stars), CBS, 1987
Host, Secrets Women Never Share, NBC, 1987
Host, Secrets Men Never Share, NBC, 1988
The 75th Anniversary of Beverly Hills (also known as Beverly Hills 75th Diamond Jubilee), ABC, 1989
Judge, The 1989 Miss America Pageant, NBC, 1989
Sinatra 75: The Best Is Yet to Come (also known as Frank Sinatra: 75th Birthday Celebration), CBS, 1990
Dinah Comes Home Again, TNN, 1990
Host, Echoes of the Big Bands with Merv Griffin, PBS, 1990
Host, Merv Griffin's New Year's Eve Special, syndicated, 1991
Host, Merv Griffin's Fourth Annual New Year's Eve Live TV Special,syndicated, 1995
Demi-Centennial (also known as Rosemary Clooney's Demi-Centennial), 1995
Host, Merv Griffin's New Year's Eve Special, syndicated, 1997
Episodic
Himself, "Earthquake II," Sanford and Son, 1975
Himself, "Hi, Society," Newhart, 1989
Himself, "Questions and Answers," The Golden Girls, 1992
Himself, Hope and Gloria, NBC, 1995
Himself, A Conversation with Dinah, The Nashville Network, 1989
Guest panelist, The Celebrity Game; also appeared as a detective,Scene of the Crime.
Awards Presentations
The 61st Annual Academy Awards Presentation, ABC, 1989

Presenter, The 22nd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards, 1995
Other
Conductor, Alice in Wonderland (miniseries; also known as Alicethrough the Looking Glass), CBS, 1985
Murder at the Cannes Film Festival (movie), E! Entertainment Television, 2000
Appeared in Joe Garagiola's Memory Game, ABC; Let's Play Post Office, NBC; One in a Million, ABC; and Reach for the Stars.
Television Work
Series
Creator and executive producer, Jeopardy!, NBC, 1964-1975
Creator and executive producer, Wheel of Fortune (daytime version), NBC, 1975-1989, CBS, 1989-1991, and NBC, 1991
Creator and executive producer, The All New Jeopardy!, NBC, 1978-1979
Producer, Dance Fever, syndicated, 1979-1987
Creator and executive producer, Wheel of Fortune (nighttime version), syndicated, 1983-?
Creator and executive producer, Jeopardy!, syndicated, 1984-?
Creator and executive producer, Monopoly, ABC, 1990
Creator, Super Jeopardy!, ABC, 1990
Creator, Ruckus, 1991, The Game Show Network, 1998
Creator, Click, syndicated, 1997
Creative consultant, Wheel of Fortune 2000 (live-action and animated), CBS, 1997
Executive producer, The Ainsley Harriott Show, syndicated, 2000
Television Executive Producer
Other
Murder at the Cannes Film Festival (movie), E! Entertainment Television, 2000
Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus, 2000
Inside the Osmonds (movie; also known as The Osmonds), ABC,2001
Film Appearances
Joe, Cattle Town, Warner Bros., 1952
Buddy Nash, So This Is Love (also known as The Grace Moore Story), Warner Bros., 1952
(Uncredited) Announcer, By the Light of the Silvery Moon, Warner Bros., 1953
Voice, The Charge at Feather River, 1953
Sailor, Three Sailors and a Girl, 1953
George Brevert, Phantom of the Rue Morgue, Warner Bros., 1954
Steve, The Boy from Oklahoma, Warner Bros., 1955
Himself, Hello Down There (also known as Sub-a-Dub-Dub), Paramount, 1969
Performer of national anthem, Two Minute Warning, Universal, 1976
Himself, The Seduction of Joe Tynan, Universal, 1979
A cappella singer, One-Trick Pony, Warner Bros., 1980
Himself, The Man with Two Brains, Warner Bros., 1983
Voice, The Funny Farm, New World/Mutual, 1983
Anchorman, Slapstick of Another Kind (also known as Slapstick), Entertainment Releasing Corporation/International Film Marketing, 1984
Himself, The Lonely Guy, Universal, 1984
Himself, Off the Menu: The Last Days of Chasen's, Northern Arts Entertainment, 1998
Stage Appearances
(Stage debut) Finian's Rainbow, New York City, 1956
Radio Appearances
Series
The Merv Griffin Show, KFRC (San Francisco, CA), 1945-1948
RECORDINGS
Albums
It's Like a Dream, Gold Label, 2001
Recorded several solo albums, including Merv Griffin's Dance Party, Carlton, and A Tinkling Piano in the Next Apartment, MGM Records; recorded at least six albums with Freddy Martin's band. Singles include "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts," 1950, "Never Been Kissed," and "Wilhelmina."
WRITINGS
Television Composer
Theme Music for Series
"The Jeopardy! Theme," Jeopardy!, NBC, 1964-1975
Wheel of Fortune (daytime version), NBC, 1975-1989, CBS, 1989-1991, and NBC, 1991
The All New Jeopardy!, NBC, 1978-1979
Wheel of Fortune (nighttime version), syndicated, 1983-?
Jeopardy!, syndicated, 1984-?
Super Jeopardy!, ABC, 1990
Wheel of Fortune 2000, CBS, 1997
Movies
Song "A Time for Tony," The Christmas List, The Family Channel, 1997
Composer
Songs Featured in Films
"The Jeopardy! Theme," Career Opportunities, Universal, 1991
"The Jeopardy! Theme," White Men Can't Jump, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1992
"The Jeopardy! Theme," The Beverly Hillbillies, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1993
"The Jeopardy! Theme," The Santa Clause, Buena Vista, 1994
Books
(With Peter Barsocchini) Merv: An Autobiography, Simon & Schuster (New York City), 1980
(With Barsocchini) From Where I Sit: Merv Griffin's Book of People, Arbor House, 1982

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Periodicals

Forbes, August 22, 1988; June 11, 1990; June 19, 1995, p. 45
TV Guide, June 9, 2001, pp. 51-56

Electronic

Griffin Group, http://www.merv.com

User Contributions:

Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic:

forum