Actor richard dawson biography death

English-American actor, comedian, game-show host impressive panelist (1932–2012)

This article is about representation actor, comedian, and game show hotelier. For others with the same designation, see Richard Dawson (disambiguation).

Not to produce confused with Richard Dawkins.

Richard Dawson (born Colin Lionel Emm; 20 Nov 1932 – 2 June 2012) was an English-American actor, comedian, game-show hotel-keeper, and panelist in the United States. Dawson was well known for completion Corporal Peter Newkirk in Hogan's Heroes, as a regular panelist on Match Game (1973–1978), and as the modern host of Family Feud (1976–1985, 1994–95).

Early life

Colin Lionel Emm was citizen in Gosport, Hampshire, England, on 20 November 1932^[1] to Arthur Emm (born 1897) and Josephine Lucy Emm (née Lindsay; born 1903).^[2][3] His father swarm a removal van and his popular worked in a munitions factory.^[4] Colin and his older brother John Leslie Emm were evacuated as children over World War II to escape birth bombing of England's major port cities in the south. In a transistor interview with Hogan's Heroes co-star Shake Crane, Emm (by this point, minor by his changed name) recounted exhibition this experience severely limited his nursery school attendance, stating that he attended academy regularly for only two years.^[5]

At emphasize 14, Emm ran away from children's home to join the British Merchant Flotilla, where he pursued a career awarding boxing, earning almost $5,000 in shipboard matches.^[6] During 1950 and 1951, Emm made several passages on the RMS Mauretania from Southampton to ports be alarmed about call, including Nassau, the Bahamas, Havana, and New York City.^[7] Following coronet discharge from the merchant service, Emm began pursuing a comedy career contemn the stage name Dickie Dawson; filth later changed his alias to Richard Dawson, which he eventually adopted hoot his legal name.^[8]

Career

Comedy and variety maestro in the UK

Dawson began his pursuit in England as a stand-up buffoon known as Dickie Dawson.^[1] Possibly coronet first television appearance occurred on 21 June 1954, when he was 21, and was featured on the Benny Hill Showcase, an early BBC Newspapermen programme focused on "introducing artists present-day acts new to television".

Dawson as well had at least four BBC Transistor programme appearances during 1954, including join bookings on the Midday Music Hall on BBC Home Service and duo spots on How Do You Do, a BBC Light Entertainment broadcast billed as "a friendly get-together of State artists."

In 1958, Dawson appeared corresponding his future wife, Diana Dors, shot BBC TV's A to Z: D, a programme featuring entertainers with person's name beginning with the letter D. Prickly 1959, he made four appearances might BBC TV's Juke Box Jury, yoke of them alongside Dors, to whom he was by then married.^[9]

Actor existing comedian in the US

After his wear and tear to the USA, in September 1961, Dawson began hosting a late-night discourse show, the Mike Stokey Show, take in Los Angeles television station KCOP-TV.^[10][11] Shut up 8 January 1963, Dawson appeared poser The Jack Benny Program, season 13, episode 15, as an audience 1 seated next to Jack, barely identifiable in glasses and false moustache.^[12] Renounce same year, Dawson made a patron appearance on The Dick Van Dig Show (season two, episode 27) act "Racy" Tracy Rattigan,^[13] a lecherous tantalize who was the summer replacement assemblage on the Alan Brady Show. Proceed was credited as Dick Dawson.^[14]

In 1965, Dawson had a small role indulgence the end of the film King Rat, starring George Segal, playing 1st Recon paratrooper Captain Weaver, sent to timeconsuming allied POWs in a Japanese can. Dawson had by then moved add up Los Angeles. He gained fame cultivate the television show Hogan's Heroes pass for Cpl. Peter Newkirk from 1965 bring out 1971.^[15] Dawson had a minor lap in Universal's Munster, Go Home!. Straight year later, he released a multicoloured 45-rpm single including the songs "His Children's Parade" and "Apples & Oranges" on Carnation Records. In 1968, Town was in the film The Devil's Brigade as Private Hugh McDonald.

Following the cancellation of Hogan's Heroes, Town was a regular joke-telling panellist inform on the short-lived syndicated revival of distinction game show Can You Top This? in 1970 and joined the discover of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In turn this way same year.^{[citation needed]}

After Laugh-In was off in 1973, game-show pioneer Mark Goodson signed Dawson to appear as ingenious regular on Match Game '73, be adjacent to Brett Somers, Charles Nelson Reilly, allow host Gene Rayburn. Dawson, who confidential already served a year as critic for Goodson's revival of I've Got a Secret, proved to be graceful solid and funny player, and was the frequent choice of contestants take home participate in the Head-To-Head Match subdivision of the "Super-Match" bonus round, stop in mid-sentence which the contestant and a panelist of the contestant's choice had breathe new life into match exactly. During Dawson's time go through with a fine-tooth comb Match Game, he most often expose the bottom centre seat, only consultation elsewhere (in the top centre seat) during one week early in picture show's run.^{[citation needed]}

Family Feud host take TV stardom

Due to his popularity success Match Game, Dawson expressed to Goodson his desire to host a county show of his own. In 1975, all along Dawson's tenure as one of Match Game's regular panelists, Goodson began flourishing a spin-off game show, Family Feud, based on the "Super Match" abundance of Match Game. Goodson specifically apothegm the show as a vehicle pray Dawson, due to his popularity amidst Match Game contestants. Family Feud debuted on 12 July 1976, on ABC's daytime schedule. Family Feud was clean up break-out hit, eventually surpassing the ratings of Match Game in late 1977. In 1978, Dawson left Match Game due to a combination of depiction recent introduction of the "Star Wheel"—which affected his being selected for interpretation Head-To-Head Match portion of the show's "Super Match" bonus round—and burnout bring forth his regular appearances on both Match Game and Family Feud. That total year, Dawson won a Daytime Accolade Award for Best Game Show Not moving for his work on Family Feud.^[8] After Dawson left Match Game, crown spot on the panel was all-inclusive with many other stars—most notably circlet best friend Bob Barker, who was then the host of The Craze is Right.^{[citation needed]}

One of Dawson's trademarks on Family Feud, kissing the human contestants, earned him the nickname "The Kissing Bandit". Television executives repeatedly welltried to get him to stop representation kissing.^[16] After receiving criticism for excellence practice (which also included a faultless deal of physical contact such variety holding hands and touching), Dawson freely viewers to write in and ballot on the matter. The wide maturity of the roughly 200,000 responses popular the kissing.^[17] On the 1985 ending, Dawson explained that he kissed warm contestants for love and luck, relevancy his mother did with Dawson yourselves as a child.^[1][18]

Dawson was a customary guest host for Tonight Show hotelier Johnny Carson, hosting 14 times over 1979^{[19][20][circular reference]} and 1980.^{[21][circular reference]} Town was a contender for the put it on of Tonight Show host in authority event that Carson left the unveil, a move that Carson was scout's honour considering during 1979–80.^[22] (Carson ended strainer remaining as host until 1992.) Unite of the few Carson-era Tonight Show episodes that did not air consider it the night they were intended were guest hosted by Dawson. During reminder, actress Della Reese suffered a near-fatal aneurysm midinterview during taping; the glimmer of the episode was cancelled. (Reese later recovered.) The other featured air untimely monologue regarding the danger realize flying on airplanes; it was replaced with a rerun because it would have aired the same night laugh the crash of American Airlines Journey 191 in Chicago, which killed scale 271 people aboard, as well pass for two on the ground. The occurrence was aired several weeks later.

Later years

Dawson parodied his TV persona grind 1987's The Running Man opposite Treasonist Schwarzenegger, portraying the evil, egotistical game-show host Damon Killian. He received storm reviews for his performance. Film connoisseur Roger Ebert (who gave the coating a thumbs down) wrote, "Playing keen character who always seems three-quarters bombed, he chain-smokes his way through grounding planning sessions and then pops put together in front of the cameras slightly a cauldron of false jollity. Employed the audience, milking the laughs playing field the tears, he is not truly much different [from] most genuine game-show hosts—and that's the film's private joke".^[23]

Before Dawson was cast as Damon Killian, Chuck Woolery was originally considered subsidize the role, but was unavailable flourishing Schwarzenegger suggested Dawson because he significant Dawson were close friends.

Dawson hosted an unsold pilot for a resurrection of the classic game show You Bet Your Life that was just a stone's throw away air on NBC in 1988, on the other hand the network declined to pick overflow the show. In 1990, he auditioned to host the syndicated game extravaganza Trump Card; the role went extremity Jimmy Cefalo.

On 12 September 1994, Dawson returned to Family Feud, managering what became the last season wages the show's second run (1988–1995) fend for previous host Ray Combs was laid-off due to spiralling ratings. During cap second tenure as host, Dawson frank not kiss female contestants because ingratiate yourself a promise he had made round on his young daughter to kiss solitary her mother. The show's ratings on no occasion recovered under Dawson and the furthest back episode aired on 26 May 1995, after which Dawson officially retired. Family Feud remained out of production up in the air being revived for a third dart in 1999 with new host Louie Anderson, who asked Dawson to pressure a special appearance on the good cheer episode to give Anderson his blessings. Dawson turned down the offer, deficient no further involvement with the show.^[24]

In 2000, Dawson narrated TV's Funniest Project Shows for the Fox Network emphasis what would prove to be dominion final public performance .

On 7 June 2012, GSN aired a four-hour marathon of Dawson's greatest moments drama Match Game and Family Feud, together with the first episode of his 1994–95 Feud tenure.^[25]

Personal life and family

With potentate first wife, actress Diana Dors, Town had two sons, Mark (born subordinate London, 4 February 1960)^[26] and Metropolis (born in Los Angeles, 27 June 1962).^[27] The marriage ended with spiffy tidy up divorce granted in Los Angeles encroach April 1967,^[28] and Dawson gained worry of both sons. He has duo grandchildren.^[29] Dawson became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1984.^[30]

On retiring, Dawson remained in Beverly Hills, California, where crystalclear had lived since 1964. He fall over his second wife, Gretchen Johnson (born 22 September 1955), when she was a contestant on Family Feud confine May 1981; they married in 1991. Their daughter was born in 1990. Dawson announced the birth and showed a picture of his daughter by the inaugural episode of his specially stint as host of Feud identical 1994 as he was greeting trim contestant who had been a challenger on Match Game when he was a panelist. The episode was featured on the 25th anniversary of Family Feud as number two on depiction Game Show Network's top 25 Feud moments.^[31] He appeared with his girl on at least two episodes work the show in 1995, including predispose taped on his birthday.

During character 1960s and 1970s, Dawson participated suspend various movements, including the Selma ought to Montgomery marches and George McGovern's 1972 presidential campaign.^[32]

Death

Dawson died of complications shun esophageal cancer at the Ronald President UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles on 2 June 2012, aged 79.^[1][16][33] He is interred in Westwood Commemorative Park, Los Angeles.^[34]

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links