Art Linkletter dead at 97

[radiofan]

Art Linkletter, popular TV host, dead at 97


LOS ANGELES — Art Linkletter, the genial television host who specialized in getting kids to say "the darndest things," died Wednesday at the age of 97, his assistant said.

Linkletter, a mainstay of American broadcasting in the 1950s and '60s with shows like "People Are Funny" and "Art Linkletter's House Party," died of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles' upscale Bel Air community, assistant Jennifer Kramer told Reuters.

Linkletter's shows sometimes featured conversations with celebrities but emphasized man-in-the-street interviews and comic conversations with children.

At one time in the 1960s, he was host of the Emmy Award-winning daily show "House Party" while also serving as emcee on the weekly shows "People Are Funny" and "Linkletter and the Kids."

One of his shows featured a regular spot called "Kids Say the Darndest Things," in which Linkletter elicited funny comments from children on topics ranging from history to their families.

The segment became wildly popular, thanks to spontaneous responses like the 8-year-old boy who said, "My mom is going to have a baby but my father doesn't know."

"My art," Linkletter once said, "is getting other people to perform ... People are more interesting to me than anything else."

DAUGHTER'S SUICIDE

In 1969, after the suicide of his daughter Diane was linked to LSD use, Linkletter campaigned against drug abuse. He also traveled the world on behalf of World Vision, a Christian charity, and served as a leader of Goodwill Industries, the Arthritis Foundation and the Los Angeles Orphanage.

He was born Arthur Gordon Kelley on July 17, 1912, in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, but was abandoned by his biological family and adopted by the Linkletter family. His new father was an evangelist who moved the family to California.

He attended San Diego State College with the intention of becoming a teacher but drifted into radio. In 1942, Linkletter moved to Hollywood and launched "People Are Funny," a talk show that aired for 15 years on radio before moving to television.

Soon after, Linkletter started another of his most popular programs, "House Party," which aired for more than a dozen years on both radio and television.

He also found wealth as a businessman and investor, becoming involved in oil drilling, copper mining, an Australian sheep ranch and the Hula Hoop toy.

Linkletter wrote several books, and at age 94 published "How to Make the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life," which he said was his most important book because it was about the most powerful people in the world — "old people."

With his wife Lois, whom he married in 1935, Linkletter also had two other daughters and a son, Jack, who produced TV programs, and a son Robert, who died in a 1980 automobile accident.

© Copyright (c) Reuters


Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Linkle ... z0p4l5n1wp

[jon]

For my three years of Junior High School, September 1965 to June 1968, I lived closer to school than any other time in my life. So, I came home every day for lunch. Because our school lunch hour started well after 12 noon and lasted until after 1 p.m., I could, and usually did, listen to Art Linkletter's House Party on KIRO-AM Seattle from 12:30 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Yes, that's right, CBS will still running network radio programs in the late 1960s, despite the common misconception that U.S. Network Radio stopped airing what are now known as OTR (Old Time Radio) programs when TV hit the mainstream at the beginning of the 1950s.

Of course, it was just the soundtrack of the TV show. But, CBS-TV did not air the same episode on the same day as CBS Radio. Admittedly, I only ever checked KVOS-TV-12 as I couldn't get KIRO-TV-7 in Burnaby thanks to CHAN-TV-8. Cable TV was a non-starter in our family at the time.

When I was younger, I had watched the daily afternoon edition of House Party from time to time when I was home during the day. But it was People Are Funny that I never missed on TV when it originally came out.

As I wrote this, I suddenly seem to recall that there was a Prime Time version of House Party that aired weekly (the afternoon edition aired daily). Does anyone remember this? My TV book does not list it. And I don't recall ever seeing it, as I don't think KVOS chose to air it.

It sure would have been cool to discover that Art goes his start at CHAB in Moose Jaw. But, from what I've seen, he moved to California while still a child.

[Howaboutthat]

As I wrote this, I suddenly seem to recall that there was a Prime Time version of House Party that aired weekly (the afternoon edition aired daily). Does anyone remember this? My TV book does not list it. And I don't recall ever seeing it, as I don't think KVOS chose to air it.

Let Google be your friend.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Linkle ... ouse_Party

"Art Linkletter's House Party or House Party is an American daytime variety/talk show which aired on CBS Radio from January 15, 1945 to October 13, 1967. It had an equally long run on CBS television from September 1, 1952 to September 5, 1969 (the last season as The Linkletter Show). The last incarnation of the series aired on NBC from December 29, 1969 to September 25, 1970."

[jon]

I'm not sure that the lack of mention in the Wikipedia article can be considered a definitive answer on the evening edition of House Party.

But my TV book then Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People_Are_Funny
confirm that People Are Funny actually pre-dated House Party, first airing as a network radio show in 1942, with Art Linkletter taking over as host on October 1, 1943.

Another famous "Art" is four months older than Linkletter and still very much alive. Art Gilmore did thousands of movie trailers after making a name for himself as the network announcer for OTR favourites like Amos and Andy. He originally started as a staff announcer at KFWB Los Angeles in 1936.

Gilmore also narrated most of the famous Joe McDoakes series of movie shorts in the '40s and '50s. And was often the voice you heard coming out of the radio in movies and even The Waltons TV show. He was the announcer for the Red Skelton TV show and narrated 156 episodes of Highway Patrol. On camera, he was seen in character parts in Dragnet from time to time. I even have a Xerox sales course that he narrated and remember hearing him as the voice outside the Tiki-Tiki Room in Disneyland as recently as 20 years ago.

Given that he is heard about a dozen times a day on Turner Classic Movies based on the large number of classic movie trailers that they run, I am surprised that they haven't done a special on him before his health declines.

Back to the subject at hand: I never could understand how Art Linkletter had the energy to do as many different programs and other activities as he did. Admittedly, he didn't produce a new House Party program every day, as I remember hearing or seeing a lot of re-runs.

[drmusic]

CHAB recalls Art Linkletter's last visit to his hometown, in 2003

http://www.discovermoosejaw.com/index.p ... Itemid=399

[jon]

Worth reprinting in full:

Linkletter Left Us Laughing
Wednesday, 26 May 2010

One of the most famous Moose Javians has passed away at his home in Los Angeles. Art Linkletter, the famous writer and TV host, has died at the age of 97.

Born in Moose Jaw July 17th, 1912, Linkletter was left as an orphan. He was soon adopted and moved with his parents to San Diego. He went on to a successful career hosting television shows like "House Party," "People Are Funny" and "Kids Say the Darndest Things."

While Linkletter didn't live here very long, he returned in 2003 when he was awarded the Moose Jaw Medal of Merit for his outstanding achievements.

"I've always said I'm from here because it gives me a chance to have some fun. I'm from Moose Jaw and they're going to rename the town "Loose Jaw" in my honour."

There's a plaque in honour of Linkletter's achivements in Crescent Park. At this time, there is no statement on the cause of his death.

[jon]

This Radio Business Report article explains where Art got his start (in Radio in San Diego):

Art Linkletter dead at 97

One of the best known hosts from the golden age of television died Wednesday. Art Linkletter was 97. His son-in-law said Linkletter died at his home in Los Angeles.

"Art Linkletter's House Party" was one of the longest running shows in broadcasting. It debuted in 1944 on CBS Radio, moved to CBS Television in 1952 and aired through 1969. “People Are Funny” on NBC Radio and then TV ran nearly as long.

Born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada, Art was an abandoned baby whose adoptive parents, the Linkletters, moved to California when he was about seven.

Linkletter began his long broadcasting career at KGB-AM San Diego while still a student at San Diego State University, from which he graduated in 1934. His wife, Lois, whom he married in 1935, survives.

ref. - http://www.rbr.com/tv-cable/24541.html