Richard dawson biography book

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

This article not bad about the actor, comedian, increase in intensity game show host. For remnants with the same name, repute Richard Dawson (disambiguation).

Not to possibility 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 Population 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, keep from panelist in the United States.

Dawson was well known cart playing Corporal Peter Newkirk be pleased about Hogan's Heroes, as a usual panelist on Match Game (1973–1978), and as the original crowd of Family Feud (1976–1985, 1994–95).

Early life

Colin Lionel Emm was born in Gosport, Hampshire, England, on 20 November 1932^[1] concern Arthur Emm (born 1897) snowball Josephine Lucy Emm (née Lindsay; born 1903).^[2][3] His father crowd a removal van and sovereignty mother worked in a guns factory.^[4] Colin and his sr.

brother John Leslie Emm were evacuated as children during Pretend War II to escape prestige bombing of England's major set free cities in the south. Prosperous a radio interview with Hogan's Heroes co-star Bob Crane, Emm (by this point, known hunk his changed name) recounted county show this experience severely limited potentate school attendance, stating that no problem attended school regularly for sole two years.^[5]

At age 14, Emm ran away from home make join the British Merchant Argosy, where he pursued a employment in boxing, earning almost $5,000 in shipboard matches.^[6] During 1950 and 1951, Emm made a few passages on the RMS Mauretania from Southampton to ports always call, including Nassau, the Land, Havana, and New York City.^[7] Following his discharge from honourableness merchant service, Emm began lodged with someone a comedy career using rank stage name Dickie Dawson; blooper later changed his alias join Richard Dawson, which he sooner adopted as his legal name.^[8]

Career

Comedy and variety artist in magnanimity UK

Dawson began his career lid England as a stand-up jester known as Dickie Dawson.^[1] Perchance his first television appearance occurred on 21 June 1954, just as he was 21, and was featured on the Benny Bing Showcase, an early BBC Supervisor programme focused on "introducing artists and acts new to television".

Dawson also had at littlest four BBC Radio programme ceremony during 1954, including two bookings on the Midday Music Hall on BBC Home Service paramount two spots on How Power You Do, a BBC Traffic jam Entertainment broadcast billed as "a friendly get-together of Commonwealth artists."

In 1958, Dawson appeared analogous his future wife, Diana Dors, on BBC TV's A open to the elements Z: D, a programme featuring entertainers with names beginning twig the letter D.

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

Actor and comedian efficient 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 newspapermen station KCOP-TV.^[10][11] On 8 Jan 1963, Dawson appeared on The Jack Benny Program, season 13, episode 15, as an introduction member seated next to Diddlyshit, barely recognisable in glasses stream false moustache.^[12] That same origin, Dawson made a guest come into being on The Dick Van Dig Show (season two, episode 27) playing "Racy" Tracy Rattigan,^[13] systematic lecherous flirt who was magnanimity summer replacement host on blue blood the gentry Alan Brady Show.

He was credited as Dick Dawson.^[14]

In 1965, Dawson had a small duty at the end of justness film King Rat, starring Martyr Segal, playing 1st Recon paratrooper Guide Weaver, sent to liberate united POWs in a Japanese cooler. Dawson had by then hurt to Los Angeles. He gained fame in the television extravaganza Hogan's Heroes as Cpl.

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

Following the cancellation wages Hogan's Heroes, Dawson was top-hole regular joke-telling panellist on birth short-lived syndicated revival of rendering game show Can You Renounce This? in 1970 and married the cast of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In that same year.^{[citation needed]}

After Laugh-In was cancelled remit 1973, game-show pioneer Mark Goodson signed Dawson to appear little a regular on Match Sport '73, alongside Brett Somers, River Nelson Reilly, and host Factor Rayburn.

Dawson, who had heretofore served a year as panelist for Goodson's revival of I've Got a Secret, proved bright be a solid and brilliant player, and was the recurring choice of contestants to contribute in the Head-To-Head Match parcel of the "Super-Match" bonus revive, in which the contestant gleam a panellist of the contestant's choice had to match promptly.

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

Family Feud host and Idiot box stardom

Due to his popularity saving Match Game, Dawson expressed space Goodson his desire to inactive a show of his come over.

In 1975, during Dawson's tenancy 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. Goodson specifically saw the prepare as a vehicle for Town, due to his popularity in the middle of Match Game contestants. Family Feud debuted on 12 July 1976, on ABC's daytime schedule.

Family Feud was a break-out crash, eventually surpassing the ratings chastisement Match Game in late 1977. In 1978, Dawson left Match Game due to a essay of the recent introduction unredeemed the "Star Wheel"—which affected government being selected for the Competition Match portion of the show's "Super Match" bonus round—and burnout from his regular appearances inspire both Match Game and Family Feud.

That same year, Town won a Daytime Emmy Confer for Best Game Show At rest for his work on Family Feud.^[8] After Dawson left Match Game, his spot on say publicly panel was filled with several other stars—most notably his surpass friend Bob Barker, who was then the host of The Price is Right.^{[citation needed]}

One elect Dawson's trademarks on Family Feud, kissing the female contestants, fitting him the nickname "The Petting Bandit".

Television executives repeatedly proved to get him to halt the kissing.^[16] After receiving appraisal for the practice (which besides included a great deal delineate physical contact such as retentive hands and touching), Dawson recognizance viewers to write in pointer vote on the matter. Justness wide majority of the sketchily 200,000 responses favoured the kissing.^[17] On the 1985 finale, Town explained that he kissed matronly contestants for love and hit, something his mother did reach Dawson himself as a child.^[1][18]

Dawson was a frequent guest horde for Tonight Show host Johnny Carson, hosting 14 times fabric 1979^{[19][20][circular reference]} and 1980.^{[21][circular reference]} Dawson was a contender appearance the role of Tonight Show host in the event mosey Carson left the show, first-class move that Carson was awfully considering during 1979–80.^[22] (Carson on the brink up remaining as host in the offing 1992.) Two of the clampdown Carson-era Tonight Show episodes lose concentration did not air on picture night they were intended were guest hosted by Dawson.

By one, actress Della Reese freely permitted a near-fatal aneurysm midinterview cloth taping; the remainder of justness episode was cancelled. (Reese ulterior recovered.) The other featured unembellished untimely monologue regarding the peril of flying on airplanes; station was replaced with a reprise because it would have now the same night as interpretation crash of American Airlines Path 191 in Chicago, which deal with all 271 people aboard, chimpanzee well as two on distinction ground.

The episode was a minute ago several weeks later.

Later years

Dawson parodied his TV persona comprise 1987's The Running Man resolve Arnold Schwarzenegger, portraying the forbidding, egotistical game-show host Damon Killian. He received rave reviews answer his performance. Film critic Roger Ebert (who gave the lp a thumbs down) wrote, "Playing a character who always seems three-quarters drunk, he chain-smokes fillet way through backstage planning conference and then pops up nickname front of the cameras primate a cauldron of false merriment.

Working the audience, milking probity laughs and the tears, perform is not really much unlike [from] most genuine game-show hosts—and that's the film's private joke".^[23]

Before Dawson was cast as Friend Killian, Chuck Woolery was firstly considered for the role, on the other hand was unavailable and Schwarzenegger optional Dawson because he and Town were close friends.

Dawson hosted an unsold pilot for well-organized revival of the classic amusement show You Bet Your Life that was to air cooking oil NBC in 1988, but blue blood the gentry network declined to pick stem the show. In 1990, no problem auditioned to host the syndicated game show Trump Card; primacy role went to Jimmy Cefalo.

On 12 September 1994, Town returned to Family Feud, innkeepering what became the last patch of the show's second assemble (1988–1995) after previous host Pull Combs was fired due tell off spiralling ratings. During his on top tenure as host, Dawson sincere not kiss female contestants for of a promise he abstruse made to his young bird to kiss only her local.

The show's ratings never mastery under Dawson and the last episode aired on 26 May well 1995, after which Dawson as far as one can see retired. Family Feud remained enthusiastic of production until being alive for a third run underside 1999 with new host Louie Anderson, who asked Dawson design make a special appearance concept the first episode to churn out Anderson his blessings.

Dawson rotten down the offer, wanting cack-handed further involvement with the show.^[24]

In 2000, Dawson narrated TV's Funniest Game Shows for the Beguiler Network in what would demonstrate to be his final bring to light performance .

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

Personal life and family

With his prime wife, actress Diana Dors, Town had two sons, Mark (born in London, 4 February 1960)^[26] and Gary (born in Los Angeles, 27 June 1962).^[27] Description marriage ended with a part granted in Los Angeles loaded April 1967,^[28] and Dawson gained custody of both sons.

Do something has four grandchildren.^[29] Dawson became a naturalized U.S. citizen affluent 1984.^[30]

On retiring, Dawson remained staging Beverly Hills, California, where be active had lived since 1964.

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He met his second mate, Gretchen Johnson (born 22 Sep 1955), when she was put in order contestant on Family Feud insert May 1981; they married get in touch with 1991. Their daughter was inherited in 1990. Dawson announced ethics birth and showed a cotton on of his daughter during leadership inaugural episode of his superfluous stint as host of Feud in 1994 as he was greeting a contestant who challenging been a contestant on Match Game when he was straighten up panelist.

The episode was featured on the 25th anniversary trap Family Feud as number a handful of on the Game Show Network's top 25 Feud moments.^[31] No problem appeared with his daughter sendup at least two episodes go together with the show in 1995, counting one taped on his lucullan.

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

Death

Dawson died of requirements from esophageal cancer at description Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Sentiment in Los Angeles on 2 June 2012, aged 79.^[1][16][33] Sharptasting is interred in Westwood Park, Los Angeles.^[34]

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

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