Stephen Valentine Patrick William "Steve" Allen was an American television personality, musician, actor, comedian, and writer. Though he got his start in radio, Allen is best-known for his television career. He first gained national attention as a guest host on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts. He graduated to become the first host of The Tonight Show, where he was instrumental in innovating the concept of the television talk show. Thereafter, he hosted numerous game and variety shows, including The Steve Allen Show, I've Got a Secret, The New Steve Allen Show, and was a regular panel member on CBS' What's My Line?Allen was a "creditable" pianist, and a prolific composer, having penned over 14,000 songs, one of which was recorded by Perry Como and Margaret Whiting, others by Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, Les Brown, and Gloria Lynne. Allen won a Grammy award in 1963 for best jazz composition, with his song The Gravy Waltz. Allen wrote more than 50 books and has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Wrote more than 50 books and 7,400 songs.
Brother-in-law of Audrey Meadows.
At one point in his broadcasting career he was a commentator for professional wrestling. He later admitted that in order to juice up his commentary, he made up the names of wrestling holds. Apparently, nobody ever questioned him about it.
Biography in: "Whos Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith; pg. 12-13. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387.
First coined the question "Is it bigger than a breadbox?" when making an appearance as a panelist on "Whats My Line?" , 18 January 1953.
Prolific composer/lyricist of some 2000+ songs, the best known of which are "This Could Be the Start of Something" (his theme song), "Pretend You Dont See Her" (a top-ten hit for Jerry Vale ), "Impossible", and "Gravy Waltz" (a top-40 instrumental hit for Allen himself in 1962, and a jazz standard today).
During his 1940-1941 school year, he transferred to Phoenix Union High School from Hyde Park in Chicago. In spite of a late start he still received credit in the yearbook for the Annual Staff, Journal Staff, Mor Follies, Entertainment Committee, Scribble and Blot. His trademark glasses are missing from his senior picture. Following high school, he attended Arizona State University Tempe in 1942 when it was the State Teachers College. In a matter of months his parents vaudeville blood got the better of him, and he dropped out to work as a disc jockey at KOY radio in Phoenix.
Attended Drake University, 1941 and Arizona State Teachers College, 1942.
Named to Academy of Television Arts and Sciences [ATAS/NATAS] "Hall of Fame" in 1986.
Claimed that the melody of his biggest hit, "This Could Be the Start of Something Big", came to him in a dream.
Milton Berle always referred to Steves mother, Belle Montrose , as "the funniest woman in vaudeville".
Son of vaudeville stars Carroll Allen and Belle Montrose.
Father of Steve Jr., David, Brian and Billy Allen.
Appears on a 44 USA commemorative postage stamp, issued August 11, 2009, in the Early TV Memories issue honoring "The Tonight Show". Allen hosted the first incarnation of the program, which was called simply "Tonight!" .
Considered by many as the "father of late night television comedy", he was the original host of NBCs "Tonight Show" (1953-1957). During 1he 1963-1964 season, Steve made a return to live late night TV with a syndicated (Ch.11 in NYC) variety show from Los Angeles. He now had access to videotape and multiple camera shots for his many skits on stage, off stage and in the street. According to TV Guide, this show fared well against the current "Tonight Show", hosted by Johnny Carson, especially with "the college age crowd". As the show was only seen in major cities it was not able to compete with the major networks in the long run and was canceled after its first year. Many other successful TV projects for Steve would follow, but this was his last late night endeavor.
On just his second "The Steve Allen Show" program, as host, on July 1, 1956, Elvis Presley and Andy Griffith were on the show, but performed at different times during the program. Elvis sang "Hound Dog" to a Bassett hound wearing a top hat, on this program. The appearance of both entertainers on the same show skyrocketed the shows ratings.
Was longtime friend of Danny Thomas and Julie London.
Presenter on LBC radio in London.
Was the only male presenter on the short lived Viva radio station. Targeted at women
Lives in Stephenville, Texas.
Hosting a talk show is the easiest job anybody ever had.
Beware of assuming that credentials establish intelligence.
Nothing is quite as funny as the unintended humor of reality.
Humor is a social lubricant that helps us get over some of the bad,spots.
Radio is the theater of the mind; television is the theater of the,mindless.
If the Old Testament were a reliable guide in the matter of capital,punishment, half the people in the United States would have to be,killed.
In a rational society we would want our presidents to be teachers. In,our actual society we insist they be cheerleaders.
When my mother passed away several years ago—well, wait a minute. Actually, she didn’t ‘pass away. ’ She died. Something about that verb, ‘to pass away’ always sounds to me as if someone just drifted through the wallpaper. No, my mother did not pass away. She definitely died.
In a rational society we would want our presidents to be teachers. In our actual society we insist they be cheerleaders.
If the Old Testament were a reliable guide in the matter of capital punishment, half the people in the United States would have to be killed tomorrow.
Humor is a social lubricant that helps us get over some of the bad spots.
If you pray for rain long enough, it eventually does fall. If you pray for floodwaters to abate, they eventually do. The same happens in the absence of prayers.
I do not understand those who take little or no interest in the subject of religion. If religion embodies a truth, it is certainly the most important truth of human existence. If it is largely error, then it is one of monumentally tragic proportions—and should be vigorously opposed.
Totalitarianism is patriotism institutionalized.
Ours is a government of checks and balances. The Mafia and crooked businessmen make out checks, and the politicians and other compromised officials improve their bank balances. .
