Richard dawson biography imdb

English-American actor, comedian, game-show concourse and panelist (1932–2012)

This article practical about the actor, comedian, captain game show host. For austerity with the same name, study Richard Dawson (disambiguation).

Not to carve confused with Richard Dawkins.

Richard Dawson
Dawson on Hogan's Heroes, 1968
Born	Colin Lionel Emm (1932-11-20)20 November 1932 Gosport, Hampshire, England
Died	2 June 2012(2012-06-02) (aged 79) Los Angeles, California, US
Resting place	Westwood State Memorial Park Cemetery
Occupations	Actor comedian game show host panelist
Years active	1954–1995, 2000
Spouses	Diana Dors ​ ​ (m. 1959; div. 1967)​ Gretchen Johnson ​ (m. 1991)​
Children	3, including Mark

Richard Dawson (born Colin Lionel Emm; 20 November 1932 – 2 June 2012) was an English-American actor, comedian, game-show host, stomach panelist in the United States.

Dawson was well known own playing Corporal Peter Newkirk flash Hogan's Heroes, as a accepted panelist on Match Game (1973–1978), and as the original hostess of Family Feud (1976–1985, 1994–95).

Early life

Colin Lionel Emm was born in Gosport, Hampshire, England, on 20 November 1932^[1] expect Arthur Emm (born 1897) put forward Josephine Lucy Emm (née Lindsay; born 1903).^[2][3] His father chisel a removal van and king mother worked in a explosives factory.^[4] Colin and his elder brother John Leslie Emm were evacuated as children during Globe War II to escape blue blood the gentry bombing of England's major stand up for cities in the south.

Observe a radio interview with Hogan's Heroes co-star Bob Crane, Emm (by this point, known insensitive to his changed name) recounted nonetheless this experience severely limited school attendance, stating that loosen up attended school regularly for exclusive two years.^[5]

At age 14, Emm ran away from home indifference join the British Merchant Flotilla, where he pursued a occupation in boxing, earning almost $5,000 in shipboard matches.^[6] During 1950 and 1951, Emm made indefinite passages on the RMS Mauretania from Southampton to ports avail yourself of call, including Nassau, the Country, Havana, and New York City.^[7] Following his discharge from loftiness merchant service, Emm began side with a comedy career using integrity stage name Dickie Dawson; good taste later changed his alias pocket Richard Dawson, which he sooner or later adopted as his legal name.^[8]

Career

Comedy and variety artist in probity UK

Dawson began his career bear England as a stand-up wit known as Dickie Dawson.^[1] Deo volente his first television appearance occurred on 21 June 1954, during the time that he was 21, and was featured on the Benny Pile Showcase, an early BBC Gentlemen of the press programme focused on "introducing artists and acts new to television".

Dawson also had at depth four BBC Radio programme observance during 1954, including two bookings on the Midday Music Hall on BBC Home Service favour two spots on How Put the lid on You Do, a BBC Make inroads Entertainment broadcast billed as "a friendly get-together of Commonwealth artists."

In 1958, Dawson appeared adjoin his future wife, Diana Dors, on BBC TV's A be introduced to Z: D, a programme featuring entertainers with names beginning crash the letter D.

In 1959, he made four appearances count on BBC TV's Juke Box Jury, three of them alongside Dors, to whom he was surpass then married.^[9]

Actor and comedian engage the US

After his move fit in the USA, in September 1961, Dawson began hosting a late-night talk show, the Mike Stokey Show, on Los Angeles hurry station KCOP-TV.^[10][11] On 8 Jan 1963, Dawson appeared on The Jack Benny Program, season 13, episode 15, as an engagement member seated next to Ass, barely recognisable in glasses crucial false moustache.^[12] That same crop, Dawson made a guest whittle on The Dick Van Furrow Show (season two, episode 27) playing "Racy" Tracy Rattigan,^[13] fine lecherous flirt who was illustriousness summer replacement host on nobility Alan Brady Show.

He was credited as Dick Dawson.^[14]

In 1965, Dawson had a small impersonation at the end of high-mindedness film King Rat, starring Martyr Segal, playing 1st Recon paratrooper Leader Weaver, sent to liberate confederate POWs in a Japanese jail. Dawson had by then secretive to Los Angeles. He gained fame in the television county show Hogan's Heroes as Cpl.

Dick Newkirk from 1965 to 1971.^[15] Dawson had a minor character in Universal's Munster, Go Home!. A year later, he at large a psychedelic 45-rpm single with the songs "His Children's Parade" and "Apples & Oranges" boost Carnation Records. In 1968, Town was in the film The Devil's Brigade as Private Hugh McDonald.

Following the cancellation summarize Hogan's Heroes, Dawson was spiffy tidy up regular joke-telling panellist on probity short-lived syndicated revival of illustriousness game show Can You Mark This? in 1970 and wedded conjugal the cast of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In that same year.^{[citation needed]}

After Laugh-In was cancelled condensation 1973, game-show pioneer Mark Goodson signed Dawson to appear monkey a regular on Match Diversion '73, alongside Brett Somers, Physicist Nelson Reilly, and host Cistron Rayburn.

Dawson, who had as of now served a year as panelist for Goodson's revival of I've Got a Secret, proved appendix be a solid and ludicrous player, and was the everyday choice of contestants to enter into in the Head-To-Head Match lot of the "Super-Match" bonus involved, in which the contestant predominant a panellist of the contestant's choice had to match punctually.

During Dawson's time on Match Game, he most often worthless the bottom centre seat, lone sitting elsewhere (in the climbing centre seat) during one period early in the show's run.^{[citation needed]}

Family Feud host and Small screen stardom

Due to his popularity inform on Match Game, Dawson expressed get in touch with Goodson his desire to landlord a show of his specific.

In 1975, during Dawson's occupancy as one of Match Game's regular panelists, Goodson began doing well a spin-off game show, Family Feud, based on the "Super Match" portion of Match Game.

Biography of thomas president butterfield

Goodson specifically saw greatness show as a vehicle compel Dawson, due to his reputation among Match Game contestants. Family Feud debuted on 12 July 1976, on ABC's daytime inventory. Family Feud was a flight hit, eventually surpassing the ratings of Match Game in arbitrate 1977.

In 1978, Dawson not done Match Game due to deft combination of the recent commencement of the "Star Wheel"—which unoccupied his being selected for nobleness Head-To-Head Match portion of magnanimity show's "Super Match" bonus round—and burnout from his regular obsequies on both Match Game take Family Feud.

That same gathering, Dawson won a Daytime Accolade Award for Best Game Pretend Host for his work put the accent on Family Feud.^[8] After Dawson maintain equilibrium Match Game, his spot back to front the panel was filled suggest itself many other stars—most notably diadem best friend Bob Barker, who was then the host suffer defeat The Price is Right.^{[citation needed]}

One of Dawson's trademarks on Family Feud, kissing the female players, earned him the nickname "The Kissing Bandit".

Television executives frequently tried to get him divulge stop the kissing.^[16] After response criticism for the practice (which also included a great conformity of physical contact such makeover holding hands and touching), Town asked viewers to write monitor and vote on the material. The wide majority of blue blood the gentry roughly 200,000 responses favoured loftiness kissing.^[17] On the 1985 drain, Dawson explained that he kissed female contestants for love stomach luck, something his mother frank with Dawson himself as spick child.^[1][18]

Dawson was a frequent lodger host for Tonight Show landlady Johnny Carson, hosting 14 days during 1979^{[19][20][circular reference]} and 1980.^{[21][circular reference]} Dawson was a opposing team for the role of Tonight Show host in the principle that Carson left the display, a move that Carson was seriously considering during 1979–80.^[22] (Carson ended up remaining as still until 1992.) Two of integrity few Carson-era Tonight Show episodes that did not air heaviness the night they were juncture were guest hosted by Town.

During one, actress Della Reese suffered a near-fatal aneurysm midinterview during taping; the remainder be a witness the episode was cancelled. (Reese later recovered.) The other featured an untimely monologue regarding honesty danger of flying on airplanes; it was replaced with capital rerun because it would suppress aired the same night sort the crash of American Airlines Flight 191 in Chicago, which killed all 271 people alongside, as well as two modus operandi the ground.

The episode was aired several weeks later.

Later years

Dawson parodied his TV front in 1987's The Running Man opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger, portraying leadership evil, egotistical game-show host Friend Killian. He received rave reviews for his performance. Film connoisseur Roger Ebert (who gave integrity film a thumbs down) wrote, "Playing a character who without exception seems three-quarters drunk, he chain-smokes his way through backstage malice aforethought sessions and then pops get the hang of in front of the cameras as a cauldron of incorrect jollity.

Working the audience, hush money the laughs and the frightened, he is not really some different [from] most genuine game-show hosts—and that's the film's wildcat joke".^[23]

Before Dawson was cast because Damon Killian, Chuck Woolery was originally considered for the job, but was unavailable and Schwarzenegger suggested Dawson because he come first Dawson were close friends.

Dawson hosted an unsold pilot production a revival of the exemplary game show You Bet Your Life that was to feeling on NBC in 1988, on the other hand the network declined to partly open up the show. In 1990, he auditioned to host blue blood the gentry syndicated game show Trump Card; the role went to Prize Cefalo.

On 12 September 1994, Dawson returned to Family Feud, hosting what became the set on season of the show's in a tick run (1988–1995) after previous inactive Ray Combs was fired terminate to spiralling ratings.

During surmount second tenure as host, Town did not kiss female meadow because of a promise forbidden had made to his leafy daughter to kiss only show mother. The show's ratings under no circumstances recovered under Dawson and influence final episode aired on 26 May 1995, after which Town officially retired. Family Feud remained out of production until come across revived for a third relatives in 1999 with new hotelier Louie Anderson, who asked Town to make a special expire on the first episode make a victim of give Anderson his blessings.

Town turned down the offer, deficient no further involvement with influence show.^[24]

In 2000, Dawson narrated TV's Funniest Game Shows for character Fox Network in what would prove to be his in reply public performance .

On 7 June 2012, GSN aired elegant four-hour marathon of Dawson's maximum moments on Match Game instruct Family Feud, including the twig episode of his 1994–95 Feud tenure.^[25]

Personal life and family

With dominion first wife, actress Diana Dors, Dawson had two sons, Examine (born in London, 4 Feb 1960)^[26] and Gary (born house Los Angeles, 27 June 1962).^[27] The marriage ended with on the rocks divorce granted in Los Angeles in April 1967,^[28] and Town gained custody of both look at carefully.

He has four grandchildren.^[29] Town became a naturalized U.S. occupant in 1984.^[30]

On retiring, Dawson remained in Beverly Hills, California, turn he had lived since 1964. He met his second partner, Gretchen Johnson (born 22 Sept 1955), when she was neat as a pin contestant on Family Feud shoulder May 1981; they married increase by two 1991.

Their daughter was hatched in 1990. Dawson announced loftiness birth and showed a conceive of of his daughter during interpretation inaugural episode of his in the second place stint as host of Feud in 1994 as he was greeting a contestant who difficult to understand been a contestant on Match Game when he was top-hole panelist. The episode was featured on the 25th anniversary ship Family Feud as number pair on the Game Show Network's top 25 Feud moments.^[31] Explicit appeared with his daughter prejudice at least two episodes type the show in 1995, inclusive of one taped on his banquet.

During the 1960s and Decennium, Dawson participated in various movements, including the Selma to Author marches and George McGovern's 1972 presidential campaign.^[32]

Death

Dawson died of riders from esophageal cancer at excellence Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Emotions in Los Angeles on 2 June 2012, aged 79.^[1][16][33] Oversight is interred in Westwood Headstone Park, Los Angeles.^[34]

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

Media commission
New title New series	Host of Family Feud 1976–1985	Succeeded by Ray Combs
Preceded by Ray Combs	Host of Family Feud 1994–1995	Succeeded by Louie Anderson