Merv Griffin Dies

Bill Whitaker remembers the life of the host of 'Jeopardy' and 'The Merv Griffin Show' who went on to become a powerful media mogu Bill Whitaker remembers the life of the host of 'Jeopardy' and 'The Merv Griffin Show' who went on to become a powerful media mogul. (CBSNews.com)

[@mzrealm]

His singing voice is so unique and impossible to reproduce, "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts" will always go down as one of the greatest songs ever sung by him!

[@nanlisa]

He's been happily reunited with his dahling Eva Gabor in the afterlife. And I'll be there with them when my time comes. They were my favorite 80's and 90's couple.

[@Lisa-di1wi]

EatPlumbs: I don't focus on the negative aspects of Merv's life; especially the rumors that he was gay.

[@Lisa-di1wi]

And if he was gay, he probably took that secret with him to the grave. He never talked about his personal life. He kept his private life private!

[@hoss73ford]

Great assembly of old clips !

[@lasuvidaboy]

I saw his grave the other day at Westwood Memorial. It says: Merv Griffin, 'I will not be back after this commercial message' Very funny:)

[@Pablo-gl7ms]

I will not be back after this commercial break lol

[@momthree789]

Merv said of his guests...He loved the joy of being in their presence....you could se it in his face how he loved people. What a great man he was.

[@Lisa-di1wi]

But he only had eyes for Eva.

[@marcwords2253]

He was a great man. Honest too.

[@marcwords2253]

@@Lisa-di1wi Hello Nan. Fancy seeing you here. :) :) :)

[@Lisa-di1wi]

Thank you Marc! Eva and Merv were my two favorite celebrity lovebirds of the 80's and 90's. I only watched Merv's talk show when Eva was on there; and that's it. She was usually his first guest. They were always joking and laughing and kidding around on there. He even jokingly mocked her Hungarian accent as well.

[@savannahbonenfant9871]

I miss Merv Griffin 😢

[@Fersomling]

Of all the Merv Griffin interviews, the one that comes to mind first is his 70s show with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Just read the Darwin Porter biography on Merv. Fascinating. And we'll be back after these messages...

[@joeydee1999]

I always thought that in addition creating Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, Merv Griffin became the founder of his production company, Merv Griffin Enterprises. Back in 1963, Griffin founded Merv Griffin Enterprises as Milbarn Productions. It was changed in 1964 to Griffin Productions. As I just explained, Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune are my first 2 game shows. Over the years, Merv Griffin Enterprises was different. Here are the companies by years: 1963-1964: Milbarn Productions 1964-1975: Griffin Productions 1975-1984: Merv Griffin Productions 1984-1994: Merv Griffin Enterprises

[@bartonim]

Merv was great. As a Canadian, I feel Americans do the best in variety television, with a legacy after Merv that includes Letterman, O'Brien, and a host of others. We do absurd comedy well, but on the spot and live--best stuff south of the border, and Merv was certainly one of the funniest, warmest individuals in the business!

[@ericdreizen1463]

Merv was also an excellent pianist. He really KNEW music. Like Mickey Rooney. Not many know that he was also an excellent drummer AND vibist! It's in a movie!

[@tangobango9653]

I have always enjoyed Merv Griffin, he had an undeniable love for life & people. He helped allot of young comedians get started on one of his many talk-shows and was a huge success professionally & financially, amassing a personal fortune of nearly a half-Billion (with a B) dollars!

[@marcwords2253]

We were in Rio de Janeiro in January of 86, when Merv told us that when we get back it will be announced that he has sold his company to Coco Cola for 250 million, cash. It was during that trip that Merv told us he was ending the show the following August. And, yes, Merv was generous, more than people know. He once bought a $65,000 camera and told me to take it and make money with it and if he ever needed it, he knew where it was. Honey, that's a guy. BTW... soon after the sale, Merv was pitched a proposal by Trump. Shortly afterwards the deal turned sour. Merv lost 85 million. Trump walked away with a profit. Fuck you, Donald Trump and the horse you rode in on.

[@karenharris722]

I met Merv Griffin at a book signing in Seattle in the early 90's. He was so nice. I'm so glad I got to see him!

[@marcwords2253]

The absolutely nicest man I ever knew and worked with. Love you Merv. Miss you. We all do. 0:32 from left to right...Technical Director Bob Masters and Show Director Dick Carson.

[@soundslikefrank]

R.I.P., Merv

[@Lisa-di1wi]

Merv was a one-man conglomerate. Band singer. Movie actor. Game show host, creator, and producer. Talk show host. Hotel and casino owner. He did it all. But to me, I will remember him for his relationship with Eva Gabor, and that's it.

[@Lisa-di1wi]

Of all the guests that appeared on Merv Griffin's talk show, he only had eyes for Eva Gabor.

[@stephallan2543]

Nan Fagan Sorry, he was gay. He was a great host and very personable. I use to watch him as a youngster...Great Interviews and Memories.

[@Lisa-di1wi]

Steph Allan: I don't know, nor do I care to know whether or not Merv Griffin was gay; as well as whether or not Eva Gabor was just his so-called "beard." He never talked about his personal life. He kept his private life private. He probably took those gay rumors with him to his grave. The only time that I ever watched his talk show was when his dahlink Eva was on there. They were always joking and laughing and kidding around with each other. He also jokingly mocked Eva Gabor's Hungarian accent as well. She was usually his first guest on there.

[@mharris5047]

@@stephallan2543 Merv "only had eyes" for Eva. The rest of his body was gay, gay, gay. I hope Merv is now in a place where he doesn't have to hide the real Merv.

[@trevorpanno516]

I remember watching Merv Griffin from his TV guest appearance on “The Golden Girls” when he points out to Dorothy that it is his show and he says the correct answer is Cary Grant.

[@Lisa-di1wi]

I also went to visit his grave, along with Eva Gabor's and Eddie Albert"s graves when I was out in Los Angeles in October of 2015. It was the highlight of my visit there. I even went to the weekend Mass at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills; where Eva's and Merv's funerals were held at.

[@Woohoo5241]

It's Sajak and Bob Goen

[@BudzzableRides]

The elevator killer from the man with two brains. Lol 😂. Very funny role.

[@Lisa-di1wi]

Of all the guests that Merv Griffin had on his talk show; he only had eyes for his dahling Eva. I wish that somebody would upload some more clips of his shows with her on there. I already the one on here that she and Eddie Albert were on when they both did Green Acres. But I want to see the ones that she was on back in the 70's and 80's; when they were both joking and laughing and kidding around with each other; and when he jokingly mocked her Hungarian accent as well. I know that there was an A&E video on here about the lives of the Gabors. On there was a clip of Eva as a guest on there. She was talking about the "best birsday" in her entire life. But then Merv corrected her by saying the word " birthday" to her. She responded by saying, "You say it your way and I'll say it my way. Birsday." They should also upload a video of Intimate Portrait that talked about Eva's life. There were a few clips of her on Merv's talk show. As usual, they were still joking and laughing and kidding around, and he jokingly mocked her Hungarian accent as well. I know he didn't mean any harm to her. This is how I'll always remember Merv Griffin: for his relationship with Eva Gabor, and that's it.

[@marcwords2253]

Hello Nan, Quick story. One time we drove out to Palm Springs and did an interview with Zsa Zsa and Eva Mom's house, to the home of Jolie Gabor. Jolie was so sweet. It was Palm Springs and it was a hot day that day. When the interview was over, Merv said to me.... "Come on back with me. I'm in the citation". That was my first time flying with Merv. His first jet too. Sweet ride.

[@Lisa-di1wi]

Marc: Back in 1980, Merv Griffin did a show where he interviewed both Eva and Zsa Zsa in their homes. He interviewed Eva first and then he did Zsa Zsa. I saw the one with Eva in its entirety because she was, and she still is, my idol! But not Zsa Zsa. It would have been great if Eva's husband at the time had been there, but he wasn't. He probably was at work at the time. (He was an aerospace executive.)

[@mharris5047]

@@Lisa-di1wi That is OK. Zsa Zsa was married to some supposed prince of a country that hasn't existed since the fallout after WWI. I wonder if Prince William and Princess Kate will adopt me so I can be a Prince of England (yes, I know they are both half my age). 😃😃😃😃😃

[@Lisa-di1wi]

Merv Griffin is remembered for a lot of things But I will always remember him for his relationship with Eva Gabor, and that's it

[@markrocovich2234]

Merv also had a single in the early 1960's..Banned in Boston...quite an entertaining tune..plated on the Carlton label..

[@frankd1965]

Merv Griffin was from the Bay Area. Born in San Mateo, California in 1925

[@Holygasoline]

Check out Seinfeld Merv Griffin episode its class ! lol

[@ericdreizen1463]

"I've got a lovalee buncha cocoNUTS..." Heh heh heh, WHAT WAS MERV REALLY SINGING ABOUT? HUH?

[@johnissoevil]

It's Goen.

[@SharonAFox]

Merv Griffin...Heaven's Newest Angel.

[@Lisa-di1wi]

I meant to say that both Eva and Merv dated each other for the rest of the 80's and on into the 90's.

[@Lisa-di1wi]

And Zsa Zsa's funeral was at that same church as well.

[@Lisa-di1wi]

Both Eva and Merv were very close friends long before they started dating. In fact, he was friends with the entire Gabor family. He also had Zsa Zsa on there as well as Eva. I don't know exactly when Eva and Merv first started dating. She was suicidally depressed after her fifth marriage broke up in 1983, and he helped her a lot. There even marriage rumors going around Hollywood at the time. Zsa Zsa even opened up her big mouth to the press and said that they were going to get married. I strongly believe that this was a serious relationship. I even have pictures of them on my cellphone. They were always smiling, holding hands, and he even had his arm around her. They were so happy together. This may sound crazy, but I look at these pictures whenever I listen to the music of my 60's childhood; especially from the tapes of these weekend oldies shows that I taped off of the Philadelphia radio stations during the time that they were dating. It just makes me feel good all over! I wish they had gotten married. Merv would have been an excellent husband to Eva. But unfortunately, they didn't. Eva never got married after her fifth marriage broke up. And for religious reasons, Merv never got married again after his divorce. He got divorced in either 1973 or 1976. This is the longest relationship that Eva ever had with a man that she was never married to.

[@jabjab4434]

Nan Fagan Merv was gay and had a sweet arrangement: )

[@Lisa-di1wi]

I don't know, nor do I care to know, whether or not he was gay. He probably took those rumors that he was gay with him to his grave. He never talked about his personal life. He kept his private life private.

[@Lisa-di1wi]

Eva and Merv started going out together steadily in 1985. They kept on dating through the rest of the 1980's and on into the 90's.

[@johnathancarr551]

RIP Merv Griffin and Alex Trebek

[@Woohoo5241]

The info on this story is wrong; Griffin never hosted Jeopardy, he created it, along with Wheel of Fortune.

[@f0rmaggi0]

His name is not Merv Griffin, his real name is George.

[@marcwords2253]

No, it isn't. Merv was born Mervyn Edward Griffin. His car license tag read "MEG". I knew Merv more than 25 years.

[@tubeeorrnottubee]

With Merv's passing, the Hollywood we, {in our 40s and beyond}, knew is officially gone, too... They will be sadly missed.

[@Lisa-di1wi]

That's true.

[@Lisa-di1wi]

The only time that I watched Merv Griffin's show was when his dahling Eva Gabor was on there. They'd be joking and laughing and kidding around. And he even jokingly mocked her Hungarian accent. Also, back in 1980, he did a show where he interviewed both Eva and Zsa Zsa in their homes. He interviewed Eva first. Then he did Zsa Zsa. I only saw the one with Eva in its entirety. I only took a glimpse of him with Zsa Zsa. It would have great with their husbands at the time there. Eva was married to an aerospace executive and Zsa Zsa was married to a lawyer. When he interviewed Eva, her husband wasn't there. He probably was at work.

[@pianoman74]

you bet mine too :)

[@willjarmon]

at 230 is that Bob Goen or Chuck Wollery

[@kelvinblack4867]

Will Jarmon Bob Goen

[@Lisa-di1wi]

If Eva had married Merv Griffin, he would have been husband # 6.

[@mharris5047]

That is OK. Her sister had her beat, Zsa Zsa had nine husbands by the time she died.

[@Lisa-di1wi]

You should show some of clips of Eva Gabor on there. After all, Merv only had eyes for her. When she was on there, they were always joking and laughing and kidding around. He even jokingly mocked her Hungarian accent. Let's not forget that Eva was on there a lot. Merv and Eva first started dating when his talk show was still on the air. But I don't if it was when she and her fifth husband broke up in 1983 or just two years later in 1985. I do know that they were steadily dating from 1985 on.

[@mharris5047]

Yup. Merv only had eyes for Eva Gabor. The rest of his body was for Hollywood gay actors. RIP, Merv. Hopefully you can live the rest of eternity as yourself and not have to hide your sexuality from anyone.

[@pianoman74]

1:01: Who is this? Is she a famous actress? (I guess at least)

[@marcwords2253]

That is Janet Leigh. She married Tony Curtis and together they had a daughter, Jamie Lee Curtis.

[@nanlisa]

Now he and his "dahling" Eva Gabor are happlily reunited in the afterlife. They're probably having a ball with the Nixons, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagain, all all their other dearly departed Hollywood friends.

[@retired5249]

If he is hanging around with Nixon it's probably not heaven. He lived a great life and made Billions doing it, I wish everyone could be so lucky.

[@phillies4100_mainsite]

@thermionic1234567 Yeah he is.

[@thermionic1234567]

Merv Griffin is not dead.

[@zachgagnon343]

Jeffrey Morrissey Yes He Is

[@Lisa-di1wi]

Jeffrey Morrissey: Have you been in a cave since August 12, 2007? That was the day that Merv Griffin died. He died of prostate cancer at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was 82 when he died. It was a Sunday, and he died just after 1 o'clock in the morning. His son Tony was at his bedside when he died. His funeral was at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills on Friday, August 17. He's buried in Westwood Memorial Cemetery; also in Los Angeles. He's buried right next to Farrah Fawcett. His dahling, Eva Gabor, is also buried there as well. She too died at that same hospital. She died on the Fourth of July of 1995 of pneumonia at that same hospital. And her funeral was at that same church as well. I even went to visit their graves when I was last out there exactly three years ago this month; October 2015. And I too went that same church for weekend Mass. So yes Jeffrey. Merv Griffin passed away in 2007.

[@gameshowguy2000]

Yes he is...the title wasn't clickbait in the least.

[@assfuckedbyelephant]

............

[@christinelackey2047]

y can't u find his old commercial life is a game play it at Resorts very suspect Hmmmmm

[@Lisa-di1wi]

There is one on here that he did back in 1992, and Eva Gabor was in it. She was also in two of his of his other Resorts commercial in both 1991 and 1993. But the next year (1994), he did one without her in it. But sadly, he sold Resorts in 1996; the year after she had died. He still owned the Beverly Hilton, but he sold it in 2003.

[@Lisa-di1wi]

Oops. I meant to say his two other Resorts commercials in both 1991 and 1993.

[@assfuckedbyelephant]

Oh, I didn't realise he was gay.

[@marcwords2253]

Neither did he, because he wasn't.

[@djs2356]

Merv was gay. Near the end of his life, he was so successful and financially secure. At that time he could have helped a lot of people by admitting he was gay.

[@Lisa-di1wi]

And if Merv Griffin was alive today, he would have been dealing with now-President Donald Trump.

[@mharris5047]

Something makes me believe that Merv would NOT have been a Trumpian and would likely have voted for Biden in 2020 and Hillary Clinton in 2016. Compared to Trump, Merv's Republican friends like Reagan and Nixon were almost harmless.

[@deerheart87]

Abuser

[@plymouths99]

Always a wack job!

[@savannahbonenfant9871]

I miss Merv Griffin 😢

[@alexlautzenheiser5024]

He died from prostate cancer in 2007.