[Deathwatch] Ralph Edwards, broadcast television pioneer, 92

[Deathwatch Central <cdw@slick.org>]

'This Is Your Life' host dead at 92
Ralph Edwards also produced 'Consequences,' others

Wednesday, November 16, 2005; Posted: 2:58 p.m. EST (19:58 GMT)

http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/11/16/obit.edwards.ap/index.html

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Broadcasting pioneer Ralph Edwards, who
spotlighted stars and ordinary people as host of the popular 1950s show
"This Is Your Life," died Wednesday of heart failure. He was 92.

Publicist Justin Seremet confirmed that Edwards, whose career as
producer and host included "Truth or Consequences" and "People's
Court," had died. Other details were not immediately available.

Edwards first hit it big in radio in 1940 with "Truth or Consequences,"
a novelty show in which contestants who failed to answer trick
questions -- the "truth" -- had to suffer "the consequences" by
performing some elaborate stunt.

Then came television. The Federal Communications Commission approved
commercial broadcasts beginning on July 1, 1941, after a few years of
experimental broadcasts, and NBC's New York station was the first to
make the changeover.

"Amazingly enough, I did 'Truth or Consequences' on television in July
1941. It was the first commercial show for NBC," Edwards recalled.

"A 10-second commercial was $9," he said.

The United States' entry into World War II five months later disrupted
TV's progress. "Truth or Consequences," which prospered on radio in the
interim, returned to television in 1950.

Earlier that same year, the citizens of little Hot Springs, New Mexico,
voted 1,294-295 to change the town's name to Truth or Consequences.
Edwards had promised to broadcast the radio show from the town that
agreed to the change.

"In those days, nothing seemed impossible," he once said.

"This Is Your Life" also was born on radio and then migrated to
television, running on NBC-TV from 1952 to 1961. It featured guests,
many of them celebrities, who were lured in on a ruse, then surprised
by Edwards announcing, "This is your life!" Relatives and old friends
then would be brought on to reminisce about the guest.

Among the people he caught unaware were Marilyn Monroe, Stan Laurel and
Oliver Hardy, Bob Hope, Andy Griffith, Buster Keaton, Barbara Eden,
Bette Davis, Shirley Jones, Jayne Mansfield and Carol Channing.

But not all guests were entertainers. A 1953 episode profiled Hanna
Bloch Kohner, a survivor of the Holocaust.

"At least half of our guests were ordinary people," Edwards said. "In
the beginning we didn't use celebrities at all. But when we did, I
think it humanized the stars and gave them more appeal."

Surprises
Edwards said he and his staff used all kinds of subterfuge to surprise
guests. Some would run away and be pulled back, all in fun, but
broadcaster Lowell Thomas made headlines when he refused to play along
on a 1959 show.

"He saw instantly what was going on, and nobody puts anything over on
Lowell Thomas," Edwards recalled years later. "He tore the show apart.
I said, 'You're going to enjoy this,' and he said, 'I doubt that very
much.' "

"His third-grade teacher said he knew every rock and rill in the
Rockies. And he said, 'Yeah, and I knew every saloon, too,' " Edwards
recalled. "The rating kept going up during the show as people called
their friends to tune in."

According to the reference book "The Complete Directory to Prime Time
Network and Cable TV Shows," one person was off limits for the surprise
treatment: Edwards himself. He told staff members he would fire every
one of them if they put him on.

Both "Truth" and "This Is Your Life" have periodically returned to
television in syndicated form.

Just last week, it was announced that a new version of "This is Your
Life," with Regis Philbin ("Live with Regis and Kelly") as host, is
planned by ABC. Philbin previously was host of "Who Wants to be a
Millionaire" for the network.

Over the years, Edwards kept himself busy as a producer.

Edwards had a hand in other shows, producing or creating "Name That
Tune," "Cross Wits," "Superior Court," "It Could Be You," "Place the
Face," "About Faces," "Funny Boners," "End of the Rainbow," "Who in the
World," "The Woody Woodbury Show" and "Wide Country." In the '80s,
Ralph Edwards Productions' show "The People's Court" made a star of
retired Judge Joseph A. Wapner.

"We've seen many changes and enjoyed them all," Edwards said in a 1999
interview. "I still find 'live' the most exciting, particularly for my
type of shows."

Edwards broke into radio in 1929 in Oakland as a 16-year-old high
school student.

He worked at KROW and KFRC in San Francisco while attending college at
the University of California at Berkeley.

"The changes in both radio and television are mind-boggling," Edwards
said. He recalled that until 1948 his radio version of "Truth or
Consequences" was done twice each Saturday, once for the east coast and
again three hours later for the West Coast.

"We would use the same script, but all new contestants," he said.

Edwards said he went back to Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, dozens
of times over the years.

Besides changing the name, townspeople made Edwards an honorary member
of the Sheriff's Posse. The name continues a half-century later.
Periodic efforts to reverse the change failed.

"I am truly proud of my namesake city and have enjoyed a wonderful
association throughout the years," he said.

He also appeared in several motion pictures: "Seven Days Leave," "Radio
Stars on Parade," "Bamboo Blonde," "Beat the Band," "I'll Cry
Tomorrow," "Manhattan Merry-Go-Round" and "Radio Stars of 1937."

Edwards' wife, Barbara, died in 1993 after 53 years of marriage. Their
children are a son, Gary, who worked with Edwards; and two daughters,
Christine and Laurie.


Many thanks to TheLenGuy for posting this obituary