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Hal March (born Harold Mendelson;[1] April 22, 1920 – January 19, 1970) was an American comedian, actor, and television quiz show emcee.
Hal March | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Harold Mendelson April 22, 1920 |
| Died | January 19, 1970 (aged 49) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1944–1969 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Hunter March (grandson) |
Early career
editMarch entered show business as a straight man in the vaudeville act the Hollywood Rioteers, before serving in the U.S. Army beginning in 1941.[2] He began his career in broadcasting as an announcer at Station KYA in San Francisco.[3] From 1944 through 1948 he teamed with comedy partner Bob Sweeney in The Bob Sweeney-Hal March Show on CBS Radio.[4] He also appeared in The Adventures of Sam Spade, which ran on CBS 1946–1949.[3]
March co-starred as Harry Morton on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show on the NBC and CBS radio networks from the mid-1940s until 1950. When the show switched to television that year, he continued in the role until the middle of the season, in 1951. During the next few seasons, he appeared occasionally in various guest roles on the show.
March and Mary Jane Croft co-starred in Too Many Cooks, a summer replacement program on CBS radio in 1950. The comedy centered on Douglas and Carrie Cook and their 10 children.[5]
He went on to appear on such shows as The Imogene Coca Show, I Love Lucy, and Willy. In the summer of 1955, March joined John Dehner and Tom D'Andrea in the 11-episode NBC summer series, The Soldiers, a military comedy produced and directed by Bud Yorkin.[citation needed] D'Andrea temporarily left the William Bendix sitcom The Life of Riley for this chance at his own series.[citation needed]
He was the Mystery Guest on the October 9, 1955 episode of What's My Line? He was guessed by Bennett Cerf.[6]
The $64,000 Question
editMarch was arguably best known as the host of The $64,000 Question, which he helmed from 1955 to 1958. In addition to his hosting duties, March also sang a version of the show's theme music in 1956, titled "Love Is the Sixty-Four Thousand Dollar Question."[7]
As a result of the quiz show scandals, the show was canceled, and with the exception of a few film roles such as Hear Me Good and Send Me No Flowers, March was largely out of work for nearly a decade.
Later career
editTo keep busy, March continued to appear in guest-starring roles, even starring in a 1961 unsold television pilot for a comedy titled I Married a Dog, in which his life was constantly upset by his wife's pooch. He appeared in several sitcoms in 1966 that are still widely rerun today. Among these are a role as the father of Gidget's boyfriend Jeff in the Gidget episode "In and Out with the In-Laws" and the head of corrupt dance studio in The Monkees episode "Dance Monkee, Dance." He also made appearances in the sitcoms Hey, Landlord and The Lucy Show as well as in the film A Guide for the Married Man.[citation needed]
In 1961, he played the lead in Neil Simon's first Broadway play Come Blow Your Horn, which ran for 677 performances.
Death
editMarch's career took a turn for the better in July 1969 when he began hosting the game show It's Your Bet. After completing approximately 13 weeks of taping, however, he complained of exhaustion. Tests revealed that he had lung cancer, the result of years of chain smoking. He had one lung removed. When he subsequently contracted pneumonia, he was too weak to fight it. March died in January 1970 in Los Angeles at age 49, and is buried in Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery.[2]
Accolades
editMarch was awarded two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for his radio work at 1560 Vine Street, and another for his work in television at 6536 Hollywood Boulevard.
Personal life
editIn 1956, March married Candy Toxton, the former wife of singer Mel Tormé.[2] March was stepfather to Toxton's two children from her previous marriage, Steve March-Tormé and Melissa Tormé. He and Toxton had three children together: Peter, Jeffrey, and Victoria.[citation needed]
His grandson Hunter March hosted the game show Emogenius.[8] He also hosts the Netflix series Sugar Rush and E! TV's Nightly Pop.
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | Champion | Mobster | Uncredited |
| The Story of Molly X | Max Hayden | Uncredited | |
| 1950 | Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town | Detective Mike Eskow | |
| Outrage | Detective Sergeant Hendrix | ||
| 1953 | Combat Squad | Henry Gordon | |
| The Eddie Cantor Story | Gus Edwards | ||
| 1954 | Yankee Pasha | Hassan Sendar | |
| The Atomic Kid | Agent Ray | ||
| 1955 | It's Always Fair Weather | Rocky Heldon | Uncredited |
| My Sister Eileen | Pete - First Drunk | ||
| 1957 | Hear Me Good | Marty Holland | |
| 1964 | Send Me No Flowers | Winston Burr | |
| 1967 | A Guide for the Married Man | Technical Adviser (Man who loses coat) |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | The Monkees | Renaldo | S1:E14, "Dance, Monkee, Dance" |
References
edit- ^ Baber, David (June 14, 2015). Television Game Show Hosts: Biographies of 32 Stars. McFarland. ISBN 978-1-4766-0480-0. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
- ^ a b c "Hal March, Actor, TV Quizmaster, 49". The New York Times. January 19, 1970. p. 40. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
- ^ a b "Deaths". Broadcasting. January 26, 1970. p. 94.
- ^ Anderson, Nancy (August 28, 1977). "Funnyman Sweeney now producer". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Copley News Service. p. 11. Retrieved April 22, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Crosby, John (August 14, 1950). "Radio in Review". The Evening Review. East Liverpool, Ohio. p. 10. Retrieved March 24, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "What's My Line (Oct 9, 1955)". YouTube. 1955. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
- ^ "Sixty-four dollar question". Everything2.com. May 10, 2004. Retrieved June 23, 2017.
- ^ Robbins, Caryn (May 4, 2017). "Hunter March to Host GSN's New Emoji-Solving Game Show EMOGENIUS, 6/7". Broadway World. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
External links
edit- Hal March at IMDb
- Hal March at the Internet Broadway Database
- Hal March at Find a Grave
