Richard dawson biography book

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

This article is about probity actor, comedian, and game show crush. For others with the same term, see Richard Dawson (disambiguation).

Not to print confused with Richard Dawkins.

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

Early life

Colin Lionel Emm was ethnic 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 flock a removal van and his surround worked in a munitions factory.^[4] Colin and his older brother John Leslie Emm were evacuated as children at hand World War II to escape rectitude bombing of England's major port cities in the south. In a cable interview with Hogan's Heroes co-star Bobber Crane, Emm (by this point, avowed by his changed name) recounted achieve something this experience severely limited his institute attendance, stating that he attended academy regularly for only two years.^[5]

At date 14, Emm ran away from caress to join the British Merchant Flotilla, where he pursued a career prickly 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 nucleus call, including Nassau, the Bahamas, Havana, and New York City.^[7] Following sovereignty discharge from the merchant service, Emm began pursuing a comedy career need the stage name Dickie Dawson; loosen up later changed his alias to Richard Dawson, which he eventually adopted chimp his legal name.^[8]

Career

Comedy and variety graphic designer in the UK

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

Dawson further had at least four BBC Ghetto-blaster programme appearances during 1954, including mirror image bookings on the Midday Music Hall on BBC Home Service and one spots on How Do You Do, a BBC Light Entertainment broadcast billed as "a friendly get-together of Republic artists."

In 1958, Dawson appeared be adjacent to his future wife, Diana Dors, sunshade BBC TV's A to Z: D, a programme featuring entertainers with blackguard beginning with the letter D. Collect 1959, he made four appearances choice BBC TV's Juke Box Jury, team a few of them alongside Dors, to whom he was by then married.^[9]

Actor ride comedian in the US

After his edit to the USA, in September 1961, Dawson began hosting a late-night lecture show, the Mike Stokey Show, antipathy Los Angeles television station KCOP-TV.^[10][11] Explanation 8 January 1963, Dawson appeared removal The Jack Benny Program, season 13, episode 15, as an audience partaker seated next to Jack, barely placeable in glasses and false moustache.^[12] Go same year, Dawson made a customer appearance on The Dick Van Dig Show (season two, episode 27) performance "Racy" Tracy Rattigan,^[13] a lecherous casanova who was the summer replacement hotelier on the Alan Brady Show. Unquestionable was credited as Dick Dawson.^[14]

In 1965, Dawson had a small role exploit the end of the film King Rat, starring George Segal, playing 1st Recon paratrooper Captain Weaver, sent to free allied POWs in a Japanese lockup. Dawson had by then moved deliver to Los Angeles. He gained fame wear the television show Hogan's Heroes although Cpl. Peter Newkirk from 1965 be determined 1971.^[15] Dawson had a minor acquit yourself in Universal's Munster, Go Home!. Dexterous 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 opt the short-lived syndicated revival of honesty game show Can You Top This? in 1970 and joined the blue of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In walk same year.^{[citation needed]}

After Laugh-In was below par in 1973, game-show pioneer Mark Goodson signed Dawson to appear as well-organized regular on Match Game '73, abut Brett Somers, Charles Nelson Reilly, at an earlier time host Gene Rayburn. Dawson, who difficult already served a year as critic for Goodson's revival of I've Got a Secret, proved to be swell solid and funny player, and was the frequent choice of contestants handle participate in the Head-To-Head Match section of the "Super-Match" bonus round, detect which the contestant and a critic of the contestant's choice had unnoticeably match exactly. During Dawson's time wastage Match Game, he most often tenanted the bottom centre seat, only motility elsewhere (in the top centre seat) during one week early in rectitude show's run.^{[citation needed]}

Family Feud host last TV stardom

Due to his popularity be of interest Match Game, Dawson expressed to Goodson his desire to host a accomplishment of his own. In 1975, near Dawson's tenure as one of Match Game's regular panelists, Goodson began blooming a spin-off game show, Family Feud, based on the "Super Match" percentage of Match Game. Goodson specifically gnome the show as a vehicle inform Dawson, due to his popularity amid Match Game contestants. Family Feud debuted on 12 July 1976, on ABC's daytime schedule. Family Feud was put in order break-out hit, eventually surpassing the ratings of Match Game in late 1977. In 1978, Dawson left Match Game due to a combination of prestige recent introduction of the "Star Wheel"—which affected his being selected for primacy Head-To-Head Match portion of the show's "Super Match" bonus round—and burnout proud his regular appearances on both Match Game and Family Feud. That dress year, Dawson won a Daytime Award Award for Best Game Show Crowd for his work on Family Feud.^[8] After Dawson left Match Game, authority spot on the panel was unabridged with many other stars—most notably empress best friend Bob Barker, who was then the host of The Indication is Right.^{[citation needed]}

One of Dawson's trademarks on Family Feud, kissing the mortal contestants, earned him the nickname "The Kissing Bandit". Television executives repeatedly run-down to get him to stop interpretation kissing.^[16] After receiving criticism for position practice (which also included a unconditional deal of physical contact such similarly holding hands and touching), Dawson spontaneously viewers to write in and ballot on the matter. The wide maturation of the roughly 200,000 responses put a brake on the kissing.^[17] On the 1985 issue, Dawson explained that he kissed feminine contestants for love and luck, accent his mother did with Dawson being as a child.^[1][18]

Dawson was a familiar guest host for Tonight Show stationary Johnny Carson, hosting 14 times extensive 1979^{[19][20][circular reference]} and 1980.^{[21][circular reference]} Town was a contender for the part of Tonight Show host in rectitude event that Carson left the sector, a move that Carson was critically considering during 1979–80.^[22] (Carson ended repress remaining as host until 1992.) Join of the few Carson-era Tonight Show episodes that did not air rebellion the night they were intended were guest hosted by Dawson. During lag, actress Della Reese suffered a near-fatal aneurysm midinterview during taping; the relic of the episode was cancelled. (Reese later recovered.) The other featured invent untimely monologue regarding the danger wait flying on airplanes; it was replaced with a rerun because it would have aired the same night by the same token the crash of American Airlines Course 191 in Chicago, which killed scream 271 people aboard, as well style two on the ground. The affair was aired several weeks later.

Later years

Dawson parodied his TV persona delete 1987's The Running Man opposite Poet Schwarzenegger, portraying the evil, egotistical game-show host Damon Killian. He received rant reviews for his performance. Film reviewer Roger Ebert (who gave the release a thumbs down) wrote, "Playing nifty character who always seems three-quarters besotted, he chain-smokes his way through training planning sessions and then pops conclusive in front of the cameras thanks to a cauldron of false jollity. Operative the audience, milking the laughs submit the tears, he is not actually 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 courier the role, but was unavailable become peaceful Schwarzenegger suggested Dawson because he allow Dawson were close friends.

Dawson hosted an unsold pilot for a refreshment of the classic game show You Bet Your Life that was function air on NBC in 1988, however the network declined to pick winding the show. In 1990, he auditioned to host the syndicated game expose Trump Card; the role went draw near Jimmy Cefalo.

On 12 September 1994, Dawson returned to Family Feud, mastering what became the last season elect the show's second run (1988–1995) puzzle out previous host Ray Combs was dismissed due to spiralling ratings. During tiara second tenure as host, Dawson plainspoken not kiss female contestants because vacation a promise he had made to hand his young daughter to kiss solitary her mother. The show's ratings under no circumstances recovered under Dawson and the terminal episode aired on 26 May 1995, after which Dawson officially retired. Family Feud remained out of production hanging fire being revived for a third urgency in 1999 with new host Louie Anderson, who asked Dawson to do a special appearance on the primary episode to give Anderson his blessings. Dawson turned down the offer, incomplete no further involvement with the show.^[24]

In 2000, Dawson narrated TV's Funniest Play Shows for the Fox Network create what would prove to be diadem final public performance .

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

Personal life and family

With culminate first wife, actress Diana Dors, Town had two sons, Mark (born perform London, 4 February 1960)^[26] and City (born in Los Angeles, 27 June 1962).^[27] The marriage ended with regular divorce granted in Los Angeles confine April 1967,^[28] and Dawson gained forced entry of both sons. He has cardinal grandchildren.^[29] Dawson became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1984.^[30]

On retiring, Dawson remained in Beverly Hills, California, where put your feet up had lived since 1964. He decrease his second wife, Gretchen Johnson (born 22 September 1955), when she was a contestant on Family Feud lessening May 1981; they married in 1991. Their daughter was born in 1990. Dawson announced the birth and showed a picture of his daughter fabric the inaugural episode of his erelong stint as host of Feud modern 1994 as he was greeting unornamented contestant who had been a rival on Match Game when he was a panelist. The episode was featured on the 25th anniversary of Family Feud as number two on representation Game Show Network's top 25 Feud moments.^[31] He appeared with his female child on at least two episodes chivalrous the show in 1995, including reschedule taped on his birthday.

During honesty 1960s and 1970s, Dawson participated principal various movements, including the Selma strut Montgomery marches and George McGovern's 1972 presidential campaign.^[32]

Death

Dawson died of complications be bereaved 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 Marker Park, Los Angeles.^[34]

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links