Merv Griffin remembered, and the return of a Pfavorite
Hello, everybody. After the losses of talk show host Tom Snyder and longtime Los Angeles newsman Hal Fishman in the last couple of weeks, it was entertainer and entrepreneur Merv Griffin who was the next to go on Sunday at 82 from prostate cancer.
Merv may have been known as a singer as well as a successful talk show host (in which he interviewed everybody from Martin Luther King to Robert Kennedy to rising comedians Jay Leno and Jerry Seinfeld), but it was his two game show creations -- "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy!" -- that made him a household name. His other television work included host of "Play Your Hunch" as well as producer of "Dance Fever" (aka "Dancing With The Amateurs") and "Click", which introduced America to a young Ryan Seacrest.
After Griffin sold the rights to "Wheel" and "Jeopardy" to what is now Sony Pictures Television in the mid-'80s for $250 million, Merv's next step was into real estate, including purchasing the Beverly Hilton Hotel (home of the Golden Globe Awards), the Resorts Hotel and Casino, and St. Clerans Manor in Ireland. His last project, "Merv's Griffin's Crosswords", debuts this fall in syndication.
Tributes from friends and colleagues immediately trickled in upon news of Griffin's death. President Bush remarked that he was "a man of innovation and energy who greeted challenges with laughter and determination", while former first lady Nancy Reagan said, "Merv meant the world to me. I will miss him - and his brilliant smile, his wonderful voice, and the twinkle in his eyes - every day for the rest of my life." "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek commented that "he became a giant in many facets of our industry -- music, television talk shows, game shows, casinos, hotels and most recently, horse racing,", and "Wheel's" Pat Sajak says that he "dealing with deep sadness and the realization that I will never hear that wonderful laugh of his again." And from California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger: "Merv was a highly successful businessman and committed philanthropist, and he dedicated his life to giving back to his community and helping others. He loved to see people become successful, and his ambition, drive and incredible passion for life should serve as an inspiration to people everywhere."
Merv Griffin will be missed by all who've followed him over the decades, and his legacy will continue for generations to come.
Now, onto a lighter note: Griffin hired Vanna White to be "Wheel of Fortune's" new letter-turner in 1982; five years later, her popularity began to peak as America was in a wave of "Vannamania", with personal appearances and even the cover of "Newsweek."
But during that time, there was another kind of mania hitting the big screen; and just like Vanna, it too made the cover of "Newsweek"...and several other magazines including "People's" inaugural "50 Most Beautiful People in the World" issue in 1990, not to mention getting loads of honors left and right along the way: Pfeiffermania! And now, after a four-year hiatus...SHE'S BACK!!!!!!!
That's right! Four years after her last film, Michelle Pfeiffer is indeed back and in full force with three films and last week, immortalization on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. And at the age of 49, she still looks magnificent than she was 10 years ago or even in her peak years almost 20 years ago.
But perhaps the real reason why Michelle returned is because for the last few months, Hollywood was on, shall we say, Red Alert. And why is that? Well, Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, and Lindsay Lohan have been on the trail of terror around Hollywood, with the high points being Britney going bald and ballistic, Hilton jailed for drunk driving, and Lohan busted for DUI and possession of cocaine. After Lindsay's latest film -- which should be renamed "I Know Who Killed My Career" -- tanked big time in the box office to go along with her other flops, we who were so fed up with the constant shenanigans knew we had to call on somebody to help clean up the mess left behind by those three. That someone was Michelle Pfeiffer.
Let's face it: Pfeiffer has attracted a new legion of fans -- some even as young as 14 years old who I think have had enough of anything "High School Musical" -- thanks to "Hairspray" and "Stardust"; the latter was the #4 film over its opening weekend and "I Could Never Be Your Woman" is coming up this fall. And also, they too have been sick and tired of the Lindsay/Britney/Paris trifecta and decided to see real, original talent in Michelle.
Me? I'm not new in all this. Seeing "Batman Returns" at the theater in 1992 while living in South Dakota (I didn't move back to Fairbanks until later in August), I was mesmerized and overtaken by her beauty while playing what I thought was no doubt the sexiest Catwoman in the history of the Batman franchise (sorry, Halle Berry or any from the '60s TV series)...and I was only 13 years old!!! At least the sight of Pfeiffer's body in that skin-tight suit have caused frequent stirrings in my pants at the time.
But yes, she made the annual "50 Most Beautiful People" roster four straight years from 1990-93, and again in 1996 and '99. It's no wonder why when it comes to raw sex appeal, Pfeiffer compared to Lindsay, Paris, and Britney is old school. By the way, I remember one of my friends having an encounter with Michelle while in Los Angeles on vacation in 1993. I dunno what transpired or if she had an entourage with her, but this was before she married big-name television producer David E. Kelley...which I thought devastated many of her male fans.
Perhaps the one thing we want to know about Michelle is: What does she do (or what has she been doing over the last four years) for kicks, other than raising her two kids and helping pay the bills with Kelley? I don't know if she owns an iPod/iPhone or a BlackBerry, but I could imagine Michelle cranking her car volume to "Umbrella", "Beautiful Girls", "Girlfriend", or even "Party Like A Rock Star" while cruising down...I don't know where the hell she lives.
Anyway...it has been quite a while, but Michelle Pfeiffer is back and better than ever; and like it or not, there's nothing you can do about it! So long and stay strong!
Hello, everybody. After the losses of talk show host Tom Snyder and longtime Los Angeles newsman Hal Fishman in the last couple of weeks, it was entertainer and entrepreneur Merv Griffin who was the next to go on Sunday at 82 from prostate cancer.
Merv may have been known as a singer as well as a successful talk show host (in which he interviewed everybody from Martin Luther King to Robert Kennedy to rising comedians Jay Leno and Jerry Seinfeld), but it was his two game show creations -- "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy!" -- that made him a household name. His other television work included host of "Play Your Hunch" as well as producer of "Dance Fever" (aka "Dancing With The Amateurs") and "Click", which introduced America to a young Ryan Seacrest.
After Griffin sold the rights to "Wheel" and "Jeopardy" to what is now Sony Pictures Television in the mid-'80s for $250 million, Merv's next step was into real estate, including purchasing the Beverly Hilton Hotel (home of the Golden Globe Awards), the Resorts Hotel and Casino, and St. Clerans Manor in Ireland. His last project, "Merv's Griffin's Crosswords", debuts this fall in syndication.
Tributes from friends and colleagues immediately trickled in upon news of Griffin's death. President Bush remarked that he was "a man of innovation and energy who greeted challenges with laughter and determination", while former first lady Nancy Reagan said, "Merv meant the world to me. I will miss him - and his brilliant smile, his wonderful voice, and the twinkle in his eyes - every day for the rest of my life." "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek commented that "he became a giant in many facets of our industry -- music, television talk shows, game shows, casinos, hotels and most recently, horse racing,", and "Wheel's" Pat Sajak says that he "dealing with deep sadness and the realization that I will never hear that wonderful laugh of his again." And from California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger: "Merv was a highly successful businessman and committed philanthropist, and he dedicated his life to giving back to his community and helping others. He loved to see people become successful, and his ambition, drive and incredible passion for life should serve as an inspiration to people everywhere."
Merv Griffin will be missed by all who've followed him over the decades, and his legacy will continue for generations to come.
Now, onto a lighter note: Griffin hired Vanna White to be "Wheel of Fortune's" new letter-turner in 1982; five years later, her popularity began to peak as America was in a wave of "Vannamania", with personal appearances and even the cover of "Newsweek."
But during that time, there was another kind of mania hitting the big screen; and just like Vanna, it too made the cover of "Newsweek"...and several other magazines including "People's" inaugural "50 Most Beautiful People in the World" issue in 1990, not to mention getting loads of honors left and right along the way: Pfeiffermania! And now, after a four-year hiatus...SHE'S BACK!!!!!!!That's right! Four years after her last film, Michelle Pfeiffer is indeed back and in full force with three films and last week, immortalization on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. And at the age of 49, she still looks magnificent than she was 10 years ago or even in her peak years almost 20 years ago.
But perhaps the real reason why Michelle returned is because for the last few months, Hollywood was on, shall we say, Red Alert. And why is that? Well, Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, and Lindsay Lohan have been on the trail of terror around Hollywood, with the high points being Britney going bald and ballistic, Hilton jailed for drunk driving, and Lohan busted for DUI and possession of cocaine. After Lindsay's latest film -- which should be renamed "I Know Who Killed My Career" -- tanked big time in the box office to go along with her other flops, we who were so fed up with the constant shenanigans knew we had to call on somebody to help clean up the mess left behind by those three. That someone was Michelle Pfeiffer.
Let's face it: Pfeiffer has attracted a new legion of fans -- some even as young as 14 years old who I think have had enough of anything "High School Musical" -- thanks to "Hairspray" and "Stardust"; the latter was the #4 film over its opening weekend and "I Could Never Be Your Woman" is coming up this fall. And also, they too have been sick and tired of the Lindsay/Britney/Paris trifecta and decided to see real, original talent in Michelle.
Me? I'm not new in all this. Seeing "Batman Returns" at the theater in 1992 while living in South Dakota (I didn't move back to Fairbanks until later in August), I was mesmerized and overtaken by her beauty while playing what I thought was no doubt the sexiest Catwoman in the history of the Batman franchise (sorry, Halle Berry or any from the '60s TV series)...and I was only 13 years old!!! At least the sight of Pfeiffer's body in that skin-tight suit have caused frequent stirrings in my pants at the time.
But yes, she made the annual "50 Most Beautiful People" roster four straight years from 1990-93, and again in 1996 and '99. It's no wonder why when it comes to raw sex appeal, Pfeiffer compared to Lindsay, Paris, and Britney is old school. By the way, I remember one of my friends having an encounter with Michelle while in Los Angeles on vacation in 1993. I dunno what transpired or if she had an entourage with her, but this was before she married big-name television producer David E. Kelley...which I thought devastated many of her male fans.
Perhaps the one thing we want to know about Michelle is: What does she do (or what has she been doing over the last four years) for kicks, other than raising her two kids and helping pay the bills with Kelley? I don't know if she owns an iPod/iPhone or a BlackBerry, but I could imagine Michelle cranking her car volume to "Umbrella", "Beautiful Girls", "Girlfriend", or even "Party Like A Rock Star" while cruising down...I don't know where the hell she lives.
Anyway...it has been quite a while, but Michelle Pfeiffer is back and better than ever; and like it or not, there's nothing you can do about it! So long and stay strong!
No comments:
Post a Comment