Richard Dawson (born Colin Lionel Emm; 20 November 1932 – 2 June 2012) was a British-born American actor, comedian, game-show host and

panelist {{Short pages monitor

In September 1961, Dawson began hosting a late-night talk show, the Mike Stokey Show, on Los Angeles television station KCOP-TV. On 8 January 1963, Dawson appeared on ''

The Jack Benny Program ''The Jack Benny Program'', starring Jack Benny, is a radio-TV comedy series that ran for more than three decades and is generally regarded as a high-water mark in 20th century American comedy. He played one role throughout his radio and televis ...

'', season 13, episode 15, as an audience member seated next to Jack, barely recognisable in glasses and false moustache. In the same year Dawson made a guest appearance on ''

The Dick Van Dyke Show ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' is an American television sitcom created by Carl Reiner that initially aired on CBS from October 3, 1961 to June 1, 1966, with a total of 158 half-hour episodes spanning five seasons. It was produced by Calvada Prod ...

'' (season 2, episode 27) playing "Racy" Tracy Rattigan, a lecherous flirt who was the summer replacement host on the Alan Brady Show. He was credited as Dick Dawson. In 1965, Dawson had a small role at the end of the film '' King Rat'', starring

George Segal George Segal Jr. (February 13, 1934 – March 23, 2021) was an American actor. He became popular in the 1960s and 1970s for playing both dramatic and comedic roles. After first rising to prominence with roles in acclaimed films such as ''Ship o ...

, playing 1st Recon

paratrooper A paratrooper is a military parachutist—someone trained to parachute into a military operation, and usually functioning as part of an airborne force. Military parachutists (troops) and parachutes were first used on a large scale during Worl ...

Captain Weaver, sent to liberate allied

POWs A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war ...

in a Japanese prison. Dawson had by then moved to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

. He gained fame in the television show ''Hogan's Heroes'' as Cpl. Peter Newkirk from 1965 to 1971. He had a minor role in

Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a t ...

's ''

Munster, Go Home! ''Munster, Go Home!'' is a 1966 American comedy film based on the 1960s family sitcom ''The Munsters''. It was directed by Earl Bellamy, who also directed a number of episodes in the series. The film was produced immediately after the television ...

''. A year later, Dawson released a psychedelic 45-rpm single including the songs "His Children's Parade" and "Apples & Oranges" on Carnation Records. In 1968, Dawson was in the film '' The Devil's Brigade'' as Private Hugh McDonald. Following the cancellation of ''Hogan's Heroes'', Dawson was a regular joke-telling panellist on the short-lived syndicated revival of the game show '' Can You Top This?'' in 1970 and joined the cast of ''

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'' (often simply referred to as ''Laugh-In'') is an American sketch comedy television program that ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968, to March 12, 1973, on the NBC television network, hosted by comedians Da ...

'' that same year. After ''Laugh-In'' was cancelled in 1973, game-show pioneer

Mark Goodson Mark Leo Goodson (January 14, 1915 – December 18, 1992) was an American television producer who specialized in game shows, most frequently with his business partner Bill Todman, with whom he created Goodson-Todman Productions. Early life and e ...

signed Dawson to appear as a regular on ''

Match Game '73 ''Match Game'' is an American television panel game show that premiered on NBC in 1962 and has been revived several times over the course of the last six decades. The game features contestants trying to match answers given by celebrity panelist ...

'', alongside

Brett Somers Brett Somers (born Audrey Dawn Johnston; July 11, 1924 – September 15, 2007) was a Canadian-American game-show personality, actress, and singer. Brett was best known as a panelist on the 1970s game show ''Match Game'' and for her recurring ro ...

, Charles Nelson Reilly, and host

Gene Rayburn Gene Rayburn (born Eugene Peter Jeljenic; December 22, 1917 – November 29, 1999) was an American radio and television personality. He is best known as the host of various editions of the American television game show '' Match Game'' for over t ...

. Dawson, who had already served a year as panellist for Goodson's revival of ''

I've Got a Secret ''I've Got a Secret'' is an American panel game show produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS television. Created by comedy writers Allan Sherman and Howard Merrill, it was a derivative of Goodson-Todman's own panel show, ''What's My Li ...

'', proved to be a solid and funny player, and was the frequent choice of contestants to participate in the Head-To-Head Match portion of the "Super-Match" bonus round, in which the contestant and a panellist of the contestant's choice had to match exactly. During Dawson's time on ''Match Game'', he most often occupied the bottom centre seat, only sitting elsewhere (in the top centre seat) during one week early in the show's run.

''Family Feud'' host and TV stardom

Due to his popularity on ''Match Game'', Dawson expressed to Goodson his desire to host a show of his own. In 1975, during Dawson's tenure as one of ''Match Game'' regular panelists, Goodson began developing a

spin-off Spin-off may refer to: *Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work *Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity * Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gov ...

game show, ''Family Feud''. Dawson's agent practically demanded that Dawson be considered as host, even threatening that he would instruct Dawson not to display his characteristic wit on ''Match Game'' if he were overlooked. Goodson capitulated and, once seeing Dawson's talents as a host, hired Dawson to host ''Feud'', which debuted on 12 July 1976, on ABC's daytime schedule. ''Family Feud'' was a break-out hit, eventually surpassing the ratings of ''Match Game'' in late 1977. In 1978, Dawson left ''Match Game'' due to a combination of the recent introduction of the "Star Wheel"—which affected his being selected for the "Head-To-Head Match" portion of the show's "Super Match" bonus round—and burnout from his regular appearances on both ''Match Game'' and ''Family Feud''. Also in 1978, he won a

Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences ...

for Best Game Show Host for his work on ''Family Feud''. After he left ''Match Game'', his spot on the panel was filled with many other stars—most notably his best friend

Bob Barker Robert William Barker (born December 12, 1923) is an American retired television game show host. He is known for hosting CBS's '' The Price Is Right'' from 1972 to 2007, making it the longest-running daytime game show in North American tele ...

, who was then the host of ''

The Price is Right ''The Price Is Right'' is a television game show franchise created by Bob Stewart, originally produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman; currently it is produced and owned by Fremantle. The franchise centers on television game shows, but also inc ...

''. One of Dawson's trademarks on ''Family Feud'', kissing the female contestants, earned him the nickname "The Kissing Bandit". Television executives repeatedly tried to get him to stop the kissing. After receiving criticism for the practice (which also included a great deal of physical contact such as holding hands and touching), he asked viewers to write in and vote on the matter. The wide majority of the approximately 200,000 responses favoured the kissing. On the 1985 finale, Dawson explained that he kissed contestants for love and luck, something his mother did with Dawson himself as a child. Dawson was a frequent guest host for ''

Tonight Show ''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. The show has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2009 and 2010� ...

'' host

Johnny Carson John William Carson (October 23, 1925 – January 23, 2005) was an American television host, comedian, writer and producer. He is best known as the host of '' The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' (1962–1992). Carson received six P ...

, hosting 14 times during 1979 and 1980. Dawson was a contender for the role of ''Tonight Show'' host in the event that Carson left the show, a move that Carson was seriously considering during 1979–80. (Carson ended up remaining as host until 1992.) Two of the few Carson-era ''Tonight Show'' episodes that did not air on the night they were intended were guest hosted by Dawson. During one, actress

Della Reese Delloreese Patricia Early (July 6, 1931 – November 19, 2017), known professionally as Della Reese, was an American jazz and gospel singer, actress, and ordained minister whose career spanned seven decades. She began her long career as a s ...

suffered a near-fatal

aneurysm An aneurysm is an outward bulging, likened to a bubble or balloon, caused by a localized, abnormal, weak spot on a blood vessel wall. Aneurysms may be a result of a hereditary condition or an acquired disease. Aneurysms can also be a nidus ( ...

mid-interview during taping; the remainder of the episode was cancelled. (Reese later recovered.) The other featured an untimely monologue regarding the danger of flying on airplanes; it was replaced with a rerun because it would have aired the same night as the crash of

American Airlines Flight 191 American Airlines Flight 191 was a regularly scheduled domestic passenger flight in the United States operated by American Airlines from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport. On the afternoon of May 25 ...

in Chicago, which killed all 271 people aboard, as well as two on the ground. The episode was aired several weeks later.

Later years

Dawson parodied his TV persona in 1987's '' The Running Man'' opposite

Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...

, portraying the evil, egotistical game-show host Damon Killian. He received rave reviews for his performance. Film critic

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...

(who gave the film a thumbs down) wrote, "Playing a character who always seems three-quarters drunk, he chain-smokes his way through backstage planning sessions and then pops up in front of the cameras as a cauldron of false jollity. Working the audience, milking the laughs and the tears, he is not really much different rommost genuine game-show hosts—and that's the film's private joke". Dawson hosted an unsold pilot for a revival of the classic game show ''

You Bet Your Life ''You Bet Your Life'' is an American comedy quiz series that has aired on both radio and television. The original and best-known version was hosted by Groucho Marx of the Marx Brothers, with announcer and assistant George Fenneman. The show deb ...

'' that was to air on NBC in 1988, but the network declined to pick up the show. In 1990, he auditioned to host the syndicated game show '' Trump Card''; the role went to

Jimmy Cefalo James Carmen Cefalo (born October 6, 1956) is an American journalist, news broadcaster and sports broadcaster, radio talk show host, Voice of the Miami Dolphins, businessman, wine enthusiast and former professional American football wide receiver ...

. On 12 September 1994, Dawson returned to ''Family Feud'', hosting what would become the last season of the show's second run (1988–1995) after previous host

Ray Combs Raymond Neil Combs Jr. (April 3, 1956 – June 2, 1996) was an American actor, comedian and game show host. Combs began his professional career in the late 1970s. His popularity on the stand-up circuit led to him being signed as the second host o ...

was fired due to spiralling ratings. During his second tenure as host, Dawson did not kiss female contestants because of a promise he had made to his young daughter to kiss only her mother. The show's ratings never recovered under Dawson and the final episode aired on 26 May 1995, after which Dawson officially retired. ''Family Feud'' remained out of production until being revived for a third run in 1999 with new host

Louie Anderson Louis Perry Anderson (March 24, 1953 – January 21, 2022) was an American stand-up comedian, actor, author and game show host. Anderson created the cartoon series '' Life with Louie'' and the television sitcom '' The Louie Show'', and wrote fou ...

, who asked Dawson to make a special appearance on the first episode to give Anderson his blessings. Dawson turned down the offer, wanting no further involvement with the show. In 2000, Dawson narrated ''TV's Funniest Game Shows'' on the Fox network.

Personal life and family

With his first wife, actress

Diana Dors Diana Dors (born Diana Mary Fluck; 23 October 19314 May 1984) was an English actress and singer. Dors came to public notice as a blonde bombshell, much in the style of Americans Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield and Mamie Van Doren. Dors was p ...

, Dawson had two sons,

Mark Mark may refer to: Currency * Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina * East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic * Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927 * Finn ...

(born in London, 4 February 1960) and Gary (born in Los Angeles, 27 June 1962) The marriage ended with a divorce granted in Los Angeles in April 1967, and Dawson gained custody of both sons. He had four grandchildren. On retiring, Dawson remained in Beverly Hills, California, where he had lived since 1964. He met his second wife, Gretchen Johnson (born 22 September 1955), when she was a contestant on ''Family Feud'' in May 1981; they married in 1991. A daughter, Shannon Nicole Dawson, was born in 1990. Dawson announced the birth and showed a picture of his daughter during the inaugural episode of his second stint as host of ''Feud'' in 1994 as he was greeting a contestant who had been a contestant on ''Match Game'' when he was a panelist. The episode was featured on the 25th anniversary of ''Family Feud'' as number two on the

Game Show Network Game Show Network (GSN) is an American basic cable channel owned by Sony Pictures Television. The channel's programming is primarily dedicated to game shows, including reruns of acquired game shows, along with new, first-run original and revive ...

's top 25 ''Feud'' moments. During the 1960s and 1970s, Dawson participated in various movements, including the

Selma to Montgomery marches The Selma to Montgomery marches were three protest marches, held in 1965, along the 54-mile (87 km) highway from Selma, Alabama, to the state capital of Montgomery. The marches were organized by nonviolent activists to demonstrate the ...

and George McGovern's 1972 presidential campaign.

Death

Dawson died at 79 from complications of

esophageal cancer Esophageal cancer is cancer arising from the esophagus—the food pipe that runs between the throat and the stomach. Symptoms often include difficulty in swallowing and weight loss. Other symptoms may include pain when swallowing, a hoarse voi ...

in Los Angeles on 2 June 2012 at the

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center (also commonly referred to as ''UCLA Medical Center'', "RRMC" or "Ronald Reagan") is a hospital located on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles, in Westwood, Los Angeles, California, Unit ...

. He is interred in Westwood Memorial Park, Los Angeles. His death came 16 years to the day after the 1996 suicide of ''Family Feud'' successor and predecessor, Ray Combs. Dawson used to smoke almost four packs of cigarettes per day, and he was seen smoking on some episodes of ''Match Game'', ''Family Feud'', and ''Hogan's Heroes''. His daughter Shannon convinced him to stop smoking by 1994, when he was 61. On 7 June 2012, GSN aired a four-hour marathon of Dawson's greatest moments on ''Match Game'' and ''Family Feud'', including the first episode of his 1994–95 ''Feud'' tenure.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dawson, Richard 1932 births 2012 deaths 20th-century American male actors 20th-century English male actors People from Gosport American game show hosts American male comedians American male film actors American male television actors American sketch comedians British sketch comedians English male comedians English male film actors English game show hosts English male television actors English emigrants to the United States Deaths from cancer in California Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host winners Deaths from esophageal cancer Family Feud Burials at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery British male comedy actors 20th-century American comedians