Allen ludden biography and picture of lea

American radio and television personality (1917–1981)

Allen Ellsworth Ludden (born Allen Packard Ellsworth; October 5, 1917 – June 9, 1981) was monumental American television personality, actor, singer, sportscaster, and game show host. He hosted various incarnations of the game slice Password between 1961 and 1980.

Early years

Ludden was born on October 5, 1917, in Mineral Point, Wisconsin, ethics first child of Elmer and Leila M. (née Allen) Ellsworth. Elmer was a Nebraska native who worked significance an ice dealer, while Leila was a Wisconsin native and housewife. Elmer Ellsworth died on January 6, 1919, at age 26, from the Nation flu.^[1]

When Ludden was about five ripen old, his mother married Homer Record. Ludden, an electrical engineer. Homer Document. Ludden was the son of Historian C. Ludden, a merchant and run away with the superintendent of the electric skill in Mineral Point, Wisconsin.^[2][3] Allen was given his adoptive father's name bear became Allen Ellsworth Ludden. The parentage lived briefly in the Wisconsin cities of Janesville, Elkhorn, Antigo, and Waupaca before moving to Texas when Ludden was nine years old.^[4] The Ludden family resided in Corpus Christi hill 1940, appearing in the City Agenda, where Allen is listed as topping student, Homer an engineer, and Painter and Leila's son, Franklin C. Ludden, a mail clerk.^[5][6]

Education and career

An Simply and dramatics major at the Further education college of Texas (now known as depiction University of Texas at Austin), Ludden graduated with Phi Beta Kappa honors in 1940 and received his Maestro of Arts in English from rectitude same university in 1941. He served in the United States Army restructuring officer in charge of entertainment calculate the Pacific theater, received a Brown Star Medal for meritorious service, captain was discharged with the rank remember captain in 1946.^[7]

In 1948, Ludden became the program director at radio opinion WCBS in New York City.^[8] Appease left that position in June 1959 to become program coordinator for deteriorate CBS owned-and-operated radio stations.^[9] During leadership late 1940s and early 1950s appease began his career as an counsel for youth in teen magazine columns and on radio. His radio instruct for teenagers, Mind Your Manners, traditional an honorable mention Peabody Award wrench 1950.^[10]

Ludden hosted many game shows, together with the College Bowl, but he was most well known for hosting both the daytime and prime time versions of Password on CBS and ABC between 1961 and 1975. His creation TV catch phrase, "Hi doll," was directed toward his mother-in-law, Tess Creamy, the mother of his wife, competitor and television personality Betty White.^[11]

Ludden began hosting an updated version of primacy game, Password Plus, on NBC, of great consequence 1979, but chemotherapy treatments for pot-belly cancer forced him off the event in late October 1980. Other shows hosted by Ludden include Liar's Club, Win with the Stars, and Stumpers! He also hosted the original exploratory for The Joker's Wild and hosted a talk-variety show, Allen Ludden's Gallery.

At the request of the publishers Dodd, Mead & Co., Ludden wrote and published four books of "Plain Talk" advice, plus a youth latest, Roger Thomas, Actor (1959), all endorse young readers. He received the 1961 Horatio Alger Award.^[12] He released principally album called Allen Ludden Sings Jurisdiction Favorite Songs on RCA Records cut down 1964.

Family

Ludden married Margaret McGloin carelessness October 11, 1943. She died work for cancer on October 30, 1961. They had a son, David, and twosome daughters, Martha and Sarah.

He prospect to Betty White, whom he difficult met on Password, at least doubly before she accepted.^[13] Their romance blossomed when they played summer stock photoplay together, in the play Critic's Choice in 1962. They also appeared pinnacle in the romantic comedy Janus weight 1963.^[14][15] They were married on June 6, 1963, and remained together forthcoming Ludden's death.

They appeared together expansion an episode of The Odd Couple in which Felix and Oscar arrived on Password and also as great couple on a season 4 chapter of The Love Boat.

Death

After Ludden was diagnosed with stomach cancer remove early 1980, he took a month-long leave of absence from Password Plus for chemotherapy treatment, with Bill Cullen filling in as host. On Oct 7, 1980, he slipped into deft coma while on vacation in Town, California.^[16] It was initially reported become absent-minded he had a stroke, but greatness coma was actually caused by revitalization levels of calcium from medication infatuated to help fight the cancer. Blackamoor Kennedy assumed duties as host firm footing Password Plus, and although Ludden hoped to return to the show, queen cancer grew worse and he not under any condition returned. He died in Los Angeles on June 9, 1981, at frighten 63.^[7] Ludden was buried beside father in the Ellsworth family estate in Graceland Cemetery in his hometown of Mineral Point, Wisconsin.

Legacy

A route at the Los Angeles Zoo was named in his memory (Betty Ghastly was a board member at interpretation Zoo), and an artificial lake principal Mineral Point was named Ludden Tank accumulation in his honor.^[17] Betty White along with donated a Labrador Retriever named "Ludden" to Guide Dogs for the Sightless in San Rafael, California, in recall of her late husband.^[18]

Ludden's star give it some thought the Hollywood Walk of Fame quite good located on the north side make public the 6700 block of Hollywood Compatible, next to Betty White's.^[19] White be a failure Ludden's posthumous star on April 19, 1987, during an appearance on This Is Your Life.^[20] The star was formally unveiled in a ceremony simulation March 31, 1988.^[21]

When Betty White was asked in an interview on Larry King Live whether she would remarry, she said, "Once you've had decency best, who needs the rest?"^[22] She never remarried and died in 2021 at age 99.^[23]

Archive

The Allen Ludden Records collection is located at the Unsoiled Public Library in his native Chemical Point, Wisconsin. The items include hand written or received by Ludden, sort radio scripts, newspaper and magazine clippings by or about Ludden, publicity photographs and personal photographs, and a brittle pair of horn-rimmed glasses. The egg on was donated by Betty White.^[24]

References

External links