American actor, singer, game show panelist and host (1933?1991)
Bernard Whalen
"
Bert
"
Convy
(July 23, 1933 – July 15, 1991)
[1]
was an American actor, singer, game-show panelist, and host known for
Tattletales
,
Super Password
, and
Win, Lose or Draw
.
Early life
[
edit
]
Convy was born in
St. Louis, Missouri
, the son of Bernard Fleming and Monica (nee Whalen) Convy.
[1]
[2]
Convy's family moved to Los Angeles when he was 7 years old. He later attended
North Hollywood High School
, where he was an all-around athlete.
[3]
The
Philadelphia Phillies
offered him a contract when he was just 17 and he played two years of
Minor League Baseball
in 1951?52.
[4]
He later joined the 1950s vocal band
The Cheers
, who had a top-10 hit in 1955 with "
Black Denim Trousers and Motorcycle Boots
".
Convy attended
UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television
, where he received a bachelor's degree.
[3]
Career
[
edit
]
Early years
[
edit
]
After a two-season stint in the
Philadelphia Phillies
' minor league system with the
Klamath Falls Gems
,
Miami Eagles
, and
Salina Blue Jays
,
[5]
Convy began his career in the entertainment business as a featured performer and singer in the
Billy Barnes Revues
of the 1950s and 1960s. Bert portrayed a CBS usher on
Art Linkletter's House Party
in 1956. He appeared in the 1961
Warner Bros.
drama
Susan Slade
, playing
Troy Donahue
′s rival for the affections of
Connie Stevens
. Convy went on to become a Broadway actor, starring as Perchik in the original cast of
Fiddler on the Roof
(1964), appearing in
The Impossible Years
(1965), and creating the role of Cliff Bradshaw in
Cabaret
(1966). He also appeared in the
Roger Corman
film
A Bucket of Blood
, playing Lou Raby, and in the soap opera
Love of Life
, playing Glenn Hamilton, a rapist. He also appeared on
The Partridge Family
, playing the role of politician Richard Lawrence in the 1972 episode "A Likely Candidate".
Game shows
[
edit
]
In the 1960s and 1970s, Convy was a popular semiregular panelist on several game shows, including
What's My Line?
,
To Tell the Truth
,
Match Game
(he later starred as the host of the pilot for
Match Game '90
in 1989), and
Password
. He soon took the podium himself as host of several game shows, including the fourth edition of
Password
(called
Super Password
) (1984?1989) and
Tattletales
(1974?1978, 1982?1984), for which he won a Daytime Emmy Award for
Outstanding Game Show Host
in 1977.
[6]
In 1979, he appeared on
Password Plus
with fellow celebrity contestants such as
Elizabeth Montgomery
,
Carol Burnett
,
Phyllis Diller
,
Judy Norton Taylor
,
Marcia Wallace
, and
Elaine Joyce
.
Convy and
Burt Reynolds
formed their own production company, Burt and Bert Productions, during the 1980s. Their first production was a game show titled
Win, Lose or Draw
, which made its debut in 1987 as part of the NBC daytime lineup and in nightly syndication. Convy hosted the syndicated edition of
Win, Lose or Draw
for its first two seasons, then left the show to host another of his company's productions, the syndicated
3rd Degree
.
When
3rd Degree
went to pilot,
Peter Marshall
was brought in to be the host. When the series was picked up for syndication, however, Convy decided to leave his position as the host of the syndicated edition of
Win, Lose or Draw
and take Marshall's place on
3rd Degree
. Marshall filed a lawsuit against Convy for the action, but later dropped it after Convy's cancer diagnosis was made public.
[7]
Around the time that
3rd Degree
was cancelled, Convy was called upon by
Mark Goodson Productions
again to host a week's worth of pilot episodes for a revival of
Match Game
that Goodson was attempting to sell to ABC.
Acting
[
edit
]
Convy turned to acting full-time in 1956 and was in the musical
The Billy Barnes Revue
in Los Angeles before moving to New York City. He appeared in 10 Broadway shows, including
Nowhere to Go but Up
,
Cabaret
(in which he originated the role of Cliff, a fictionalized
Christopher Isherwood
), and
The Impossible Years
. He played reporter Hildy Johnson in a 1969 Broadway revival of
The Front Page
, which starred
Robert Ryan
.
[6]
In the original Broadway cast of
Fiddler on the Roof
with
Zero Mostel
, Convy played Perchik the Student and sang "Now I Have Everything".
[8]
He filled in for
Raul Julia
in the lead role of Guido Contini in the Broadway musical
Nine
when Julia went on vacation.
Convy guest-starred in an April 1960 episode of
Perry Mason
titled "The Case of the Nimble Nephew". In the 1960?1961 season, Convy guest-starred on
Pat O'Brien
's short-lived sitcom
Harrigan and Son
and the series
77 Sunset Strip
in the role of David. In 1961, he appeared in the
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
episode "Museum Piece". He portrayed Roxy in the pilot episode of
The New Phil Silvers Show
in 1963, although the role went to
Pat Renella
for the remainder of the series' run. He was also cast on an episode of
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
as Mary's friend Jack Foster, alongside future
Alice
star
Beth Howland
. In 1973, Convy was a guest star in two episodes of
Hawaii Five-O
.
In 1974, Convy portrayed Lieutenant Steve Ostrowski, the police officer nephew of elderly amateur sleuths on the short-lived series
The Snoop Sisters
.
Convy attempted a short-lived variety series called
The Late Summer Early Fall Bert Convy Show
in 1976. In 1979, he appeared with the
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
in their eponymous television movie. Throughout his career, Convy was a frequent guest star on series such as
Bewitched
,
Hawaii Five-O
,
The Partridge Family
,
Mission: Impossible
,
The Silent Force
,
The New Phil Silvers Show
,
Fantasy Island
,
Charlie's Angels
, and
Murder, She Wrote
(including the pilot episode). On
The Love Boat
, Season 2 Episode 11: "Legal Eagles" (1978), he played Danny Holt, a divorced man who falls for his ex-wife's lawyer. In 1983, Convy was cast as Neil Townsend on the sitcom
It's Not Easy
, playing opposite
Ken Howard
. Convy had joined the project when it was recast after its intended premiere in the 1982?83 season was delayed; he earned the role originally given to Larry Breeding, who was killed in a car accident in September 1982 after the first pilot had been shot.
Convy also starred in several movies, perhaps most memorably
Semi-Tough
(1977), in which he played a caricature of
Werner Erhard
named Friedrich Bismark. His other film credits included
A Bucket of Blood
(1959),
Susan Slade
(1961),
Philippe de Broca
's
Les Caprices de Marie
(1970),
SST: Death Flight
(1977), the
horror film
Jennifer
(1978),
Hanging by a Thread
(1979),
Racquet
(1979),
The Man in the Santa Claus Suit
(1979),
Hero at Large
(1980),
The Cannonball Run
(1981), and the television movie
Help Wanted: Male
(1982). Convy tried his hand at directing with the comedy
Weekend Warriors
(1986). In 1980, Convy produced and directed the
Goodspeed Musicals
premiere of
Zapata
, with music and lyrics by
Harry Nilsson
and
Perry Botkin Jr.
and libretto by
Allan Katz
.
Personal life
[
edit
]
Convy was married twice. He married Anne Anderson in 1959; together they had three children: Jennifer, Joshua, and Jonah. Convy and Anderson divorced in 1991. Convy married his second wife, Catherine Hills,
[1]
five months before his death.
[3]
Death
[
edit
]
In April 1990, Convy was admitted to
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
after collapsing while visiting his mother, who had been hospitalized for a stroke. He was diagnosed with a
glioblastoma
, which forced him into retirement.
[6]
On July 15, 1991, Convy died at his home in
Brentwood, Los Angeles
, eight days before his 58th birthday.
[1]
[3]
He is buried at
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
in the
Hollywood Hills
of Los Angeles.
[1]
Partial filmography
[
edit
]
- Gunman's Walk
(1958) as Paul Chauard
- A Bucket of Blood
(1959) as Lou Raby
- One Step Beyond
(March 15, 1960) (Season 2 Episode 26: "The Explorer") as Professor Andersson
- Perry Mason
(1960) (Season 3 Episode 21: "The Nimble Nephew") as Harry Thompson
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents
(1961) (Season 6 Episode 25: "Museum Piece") as Ben Hollister
- Susan Slade
(1961) as Wells Corbett
- Act One
(1961) as Archie Leach
- 77 Sunset Strip
(April 7, 1961) (Season 3 Episode 30: "Vamp 'til Ready") as Pianist David Todd
- The New Phil Silvers Show
(1963) (Season 1 Episode 5: "Harry Today, Gone Tomorrow") as Roxy
- Give Her the Moon
(1970) as Broderick MacPower
- Death Takes a Holiday
(TV movie, 1971) as John Cummings
- Keep the Faith
(1972) as Rabbi Miller
- Mission: Impossible
(1972) (Season 6 Episode 22: "Trapped") as Doug Stafford
- The Mary Tyler Moore Show
(1972) (Season 3 Episode 10: "Have I Found a Guy for You") as Jack Foster
- Lady Luck
(TV movie, 1973) as Clay
- The Girl on the Late, Late Show
(TV movie, 1974) as F.J. Allen
- Shakespeare Loves Rembrandt
(TV movie, 1974)
- Hawaii Five-O
(1975) (Season 7 Episode 17: "Small Witness, Large Crime") as Hubbard
- The Love Boat II
(TV movie, 1977) as Ralph Manning
- SST: Death Flight
(TV movie, 1977) as Tim Vernon
- Semi-Tough
(1977) as Friedrich Bismark
- Jennifer
(1978) as Jeff Reed
- Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery
(TV movie, 1978) as Bill Dent
- Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
(TV movie, 1979) as Lyman Spencer
- Hanging by a Thread
(TV movie, 1979) as Alan Durant
- Racquet
(1979) as Tommy Everett
- Charlie's Angels
(1979) (Season 4 Episode 1: "Love Boat Angels") as Paul Hollister
- Ebony, Ivory and Jade
(TV movie, 1979) as Mick Jade
- The Man in the Santa Claus Suit
(TV movie, 1979) as Gil Travis
- Hero at Large
(1980) as Walter Reeves
- The Cannonball Run
(1981) as Brad
- Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls
(TV mini-series, 1981) as Tony Polar
- Help Wanted: Male
(TV movie, 1982) as Skip McCullough
- Love Thy Neighbor
(TV movie, 1984) as Mike Wilson
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
State of California death certificate
- ^
Parker, John, ed. (July 1972).
Who's who in the Theatre
. Vol. 1. Pitman Publishing.
ISBN
978-0273315285
. Retrieved
September 13,
2017
– via
Google Books
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
Folkart, Burt A. (July 16, 1991).
"Bert Convy, 57; Actor, TV Game Show Host"
.
Los Angeles Times
.
Associated Press
. Retrieved
September 13,
2017
.
- ^
"Bert Convy Minor League Statistics & History"
.
Baseball-Reference.com
. Retrieved
2012-10-30
.
- ^
"Bert Convy: Actor, Singer, Host, Baseball Man"
.
ESPN
. 2004-03-25
. Retrieved
2023-09-05
.
- ^
a
b
c
"Bert Convy, 57, an Actor and Host of Television Game Shows, Dies"
.
The New York Times
. Associated Press. July 16, 1991
. Retrieved
June 20,
2013
.
- ^
"Marshall, Convy in Angry Dispute"
.
TV Guide
.
37
. August 1989.
- ^
"Fiddler on the Roof"
.
Internet Broadway Database
. Retrieved
September 13,
2017
.
External links
[
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]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Bert Convy
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