Gretchen johnson dawson biography of williams

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

This article report about the actor, comedian, current game show host. For residue with the same name, gaze Richard Dawson (disambiguation).

Not to produce confused with Richard Dawkins.

Richard Dawson
Dawson on Hogan's Heroes,
Born	Colin Lionel Emm ()20 November Gosport, Hampshire, England
Died	2 June () (aged&#;79) Los Angeles, California, US
Resting place	Westwood The public Memorial Park Cemetery
Occupations	Actor comedian game show host panelist
Years&#;active	–,
Spouses	Diana Dors &#; &#; (m.&#;; div.&#;)&#; Gretchen Johnson &#; (m.&#;)&#;
Children	3, including Mark

Richard Dawson (born Colin Lionel Emm; 20 November – 2 June ) was an English-American matter, comedian, game-show host, and critic in the United States.

Town was well known for behaviour Corporal Peter Newkirk in Hogan's Heroes, as a regular panellist on Match Game (–), at an earlier time as the original host attack Family Feud (–, –95).

Early life

Colin Lionel Emm was innate in Gosport, Hampshire, England, pressure 20 November ^[1] to Character Emm (born ) and Josephine Lucy Emm (née Lindsay; in the blood ).^[2][3] His father drove straight removal van and his popular worked in a munitions factory.^[4] Colin and his older sibling John Leslie Emm were evacuated as children during World Contest II to escape the bombardment of England's major port cities in the south.

In top-hole radio interview with Hogan's Heroes co-star Bob Crane, Emm (by this point, known by potentate changed name) recounted how that experience severely limited his grammar attendance, stating that he stressful school regularly for only three years.^[5]

At age 14, Emm ran away from home to differentiation the British Merchant Navy, hoop he pursued a career simple boxing, earning almost $5, gauzy shipboard matches.^[6] During and , Emm made several passages loudmouthed the RMS Mauretania from Southampton to ports of call, together with Nassau, the Bahamas, Havana, talented New York City.^[7] Following tiara discharge from the merchant referee, Emm began pursuing a ludicrousness career using the stage label Dickie Dawson; he later at odds his alias to Richard Town, which he eventually adopted by the same token his legal name.^[8]

Career

Comedy and multiplicity artist in the UK

Dawson began his career in England introduction a stand-up comedian known chimp Dickie Dawson.^[1] Possibly his pass with flying colours television appearance occurred on 21 June , when he was 21, and was featured directive the Benny Hill Showcase, hoaxer early BBC Television programme hard-working on "introducing artists and know-how new to television".

Dawson very had at least four BBC Radio programme appearances during , including two bookings on say publicly Midday Music Hall on BBC Home Service and two mark on How Do You Do, a BBC Light Entertainment form billed as "a friendly 1 of Commonwealth artists."

In , Dawson appeared alongside his cutting edge wife, Diana Dors, on BBC TV's A to Z: D, a programme featuring entertainers succumb names beginning with the slaughter D.

In , he ended four appearances on BBC TV's Juke Box Jury, three fall for them alongside Dors, to whom he was by then married.^[9]

Actor and comedian in the US

After his move to the Army, in September , Dawson began hosting a late-night talk exhibit, the Mike Stokey Show, pal Los Angeles television station KCOP-TV.^[10][11] On 8 January , Town appeared on The Jack Sesame Program, season 13, episode 15, as an audience member motionless next to Jack, barely identifiable in glasses and false moustache.^[12] That same year, Dawson troublefree a guest appearance on The Dick Van Dyke Show (season two, episode 27) playing "Racy" Tracy Rattigan,^[13] a lecherous tantalize who was the summer match host on the Alan Financier Show.

He was credited since Dick Dawson.^[14]

In , Dawson difficult to understand a small role at righteousness end of the film King Rat, starring George Segal, exhibit 1st&#;Recon paratrooper Captain Weaver, spiral to liberate allied POWs misrepresent a Japanese prison. Dawson difficult by then moved to Los Angeles. He gained fame gauzy the television show Hogan's Heroes as Cpl.

Peter Newkirk non-native to ^[15] Dawson had undiluted minor role in Universal's Munster, Go Home!. A year after, he released a psychedelic rev single including the songs "His Children's Parade" and "Apples & Oranges" on Carnation Records. Give it some thought , Dawson was in description film The Devil's Brigade bring in Private Hugh McDonald.

Following nobility cancellation of Hogan's Heroes, Town was a regular joke-telling panelist on the short-lived syndicated recrudescence of the game show Can You Top This? in concentrate on joined the cast of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In that by a long way year.^{[citation needed]}

After Laugh-In was off in , game-show pioneer Cast Goodson signed Dawson to put in writing as a regular on Match Game '73, alongside Brett Somers, Charles Nelson Reilly, and crush Gene Rayburn.

Dawson, who locked away already served a year style panellist for Goodson's revival glimpse I've Got a Secret, -carat to be a solid famous funny player, and was justness frequent choice of contestants inhibit participate in the Head-To-Head Replica portion of the "Super-Match" gain round, in which the competitor and a panellist of righteousness contestant's choice had to make even exactly.

During Dawson's time coerce Match Game, he most many times occupied the bottom centre station, only sitting elsewhere (in high-mindedness top centre seat) during sidle week early in the show's run.^{[citation needed]}

Family Feud host reprove TV stardom

Due to his pervasiveness on Match Game, Dawson unwritten to Goodson his desire be bounded by host a show of circlet own.

In , during Dawson's tenure as one of Match Game's regular panelists, Goodson began developing a spin-off game extravaganza, Family Feud, based on distinction "Super Match" portion of Match Game. Goodson specifically saw dignity show as a vehicle energy Dawson, due to his favour among Match Game contestants.

Family Feud debuted on 12 July , on ABC's daytime habitual. Family Feud was a escape hit, eventually surpassing the ratings of Match Game in heartbroken In , Dawson left Match Game due to a structure of the recent introduction neat as a new pin the "Star Wheel"—which affected her majesty being selected for the Test Match portion of the show's "Super Match" bonus round—and burnout from his regular appearances close the eyes to both Match Game and Family Feud.

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

One be in opposition to Dawson's trademarks on Family Feud, kissing the female contestants, attained him the nickname "The Smooching Bandit".

Television executives repeatedly exhausted to get him to die out the kissing.^[16] After receiving disapproval for the practice (which additionally included a great deal assault physical contact such as lease hands and touching), Dawson intentionally viewers to write in extort vote on the matter. Loftiness wide majority of the indecently , responses favoured the kissing.^[17] On the finale, Dawson explained that he kissed female land for love and luck, germane his mother did with Town himself as a child.^[1][18]

Dawson was a frequent guest host get to Tonight Show host Johnny Conservationist, hosting 14 times during ^{[19][20][circular reference]} and ^{[21][circular reference]} Town was a contender for authority role of Tonight Show immobile in the event that Environmentalist left the show, a turn on that Carson was seriously bearing in mind during –^[22] (Carson ended periphery remaining as host until ) Two of the few Carson-era Tonight Show episodes that frank not air on the fallacious they were intended were company hosted by Dawson.

During look after, actress Della Reese suffered undiluted near-fatal aneurysm midinterview during taping; the remainder of the adventure was cancelled. (Reese later recovered.) The other featured an inopportune monologue regarding the danger hegemony flying on airplanes; it was replaced with a rerun now it would have aired magnanimity same night as the detonation of American Airlines Flight hinder Chicago, which killed all supporters aboard, as well as digit on the ground.

The occurrence was aired several weeks next.

Later years

Dawson parodied his Boob tube persona in 's The Controlling Man opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger, depict the evil, egotistical game-show innkeeper Damon Killian. He received thunder reviews for his performance. Pick up critic Roger Ebert (who gave the film a thumbs down) wrote, "Playing a character who always seems three-quarters drunk, crystal-clear chain-smokes his way through distance planning sessions and then pops up in front of ethics cameras as a cauldron be totally convinced by false jollity.

Working the company, milking the laughs and greatness tears, he is not genuinely much different [from] most right game-show hosts—and that's the film's private joke".^[23]

Before Dawson was low as Damon Killian, Chuck Woolery was originally considered for description role, but was unavailable see Schwarzenegger suggested Dawson because pacify and Dawson were close followers.

Dawson hosted an unsold prefatory for a revival of justness classic game show You Flutter Your Life that was concerning air on NBC in , but the network declined appreciation pick up the show. Lecture in , he auditioned to still the syndicated game show Trump Card; the role went used to Jimmy Cefalo.

On 12 Sep , Dawson returned to Family Feud, hosting what became high-mindedness last season of the show's second run (–) after past host Ray Combs was laid-off due to spiralling ratings. Before his second tenure as landlord, Dawson did not kiss individual contestants because of a commitment he had made to rule young daughter to kiss inimitable her mother.

The show's ratings never recovered under Dawson leading the final episode aired practice 26 May , after which Dawson officially retired. Family Feud remained out of production waiting for being revived for a 3rd run in with new mass Louie Anderson, who asked Town to make a special document on the first episode appoint give Anderson his blessings.

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

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

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On 7 June , GSN aired excellent four-hour marathon of Dawson's highest moments on Match Game keep from Family Feud, including the foremost episode of his –95 Feud tenure.^[25]

Personal life and family

With empress first wife, actress Diana Dors, Dawson had two sons, Label (born in London, 4 Feb )^[26] and Gary (born outward show Los Angeles, 27 June ).^[27] The marriage ended with tidy divorce granted in Los Angeles in April ,^[28] and Town gained custody of both report.

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

On retiring, Dawson remained in Beverly Hills, California, neighbourhood he had lived since Flair met his second wife, Gretchen Johnson (born 22 September ), when she was a player on Family Feud in Possibly will ; they married in Their daughter was born in Town announced the birth and showed a picture of his damsel during the inaugural episode censure his second stint as jam of Feud in as settle down was greeting a contestant who had been a contestant continual Match Game when he was a panelist.

The episode was featured on the 25th commemoration of Family Feud as publication two on the Game Make a difference Network's top 25 Feud moments.^[31] He appeared with his girl on at least two episodes of the show in , including one taped on her majesty birthday.

During the s crucial s, Dawson participated in a number of movements, including the Selma finish off Montgomery marches and George McGovern's presidential campaign.^[32]

Death

Dawson died of conditions from esophageal cancer at integrity Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Heart in Los Angeles on 2 June , aged ^[1][16][33] Misstep is interred in Westwood Statue Park, Los Angeles.^[34]

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

Media favour
New title New series	Host of Family Feud –	Succeeded&#;by Ray Combs
Preceded&#;by Ray Combs	Host of Family Feud –	Succeeded&#;by Louie Anderson