Bert Convy

Bert Convy
Convy sub-hosting on To Tell the Truth, 1968
Born	Bernard Whalen Convy (1933-07-23)July 23, 1933 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Died	July 15, 1991(1991-07-15) (aged 57) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Cause of death	Brain tumor
Occupation	Actor, game show host, singer
Years active	1958–1990
Spouse(s)	Anne Anderson (m. 1959–1987) 3 children Catherine Hills (m. 1991–1991) (his death)
Children	Jennifer Convy (b. 1960) Joshua Convy (b. 1965) Jonah Convy (b. 1968)

Bernard Whalen "Bert" Convy (July 23, 1933 – July 15, 1991) was an American actor, singer, game show host and panelist known for his tenure as the host for Tattletales, Super Password, and Win, Lose or Draw.

Early life

Convy was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Monica (née Whalen) and Bert Fleming Convy. An all-around athlete in high school, Convy was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies when he was just 17, playing two years of minor league baseball in 1951–52. 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, and received a bachelor's degree from the School of Theater, Film and Television.

Early career

Convy started his career in the entertainment business as a featured performer and singer in the Billy Barnes Revues of the 1950s and 1960s. He appeared in the 1961 Warner Brothers drama Susan Slade, playing Troy Donahue′s rival for the affections of Connie Stevens. Convy went on to became a Broadway actor, starring as Perchick in the original cast of Fiddler on the Roof (1964), 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 the soap opera Love of Life, playing Glenn Hamilton, a rapist.

Game show career

In the 1960s and 1970s, Convy was a popular semi-regular panelist on several game shows, including What′s My Line?, To Tell the Truth, The Match Game and Password. He soon took the podium himself as host of several game shows, including the fourth edition of Password, Super Password (1984–1989), and Tattletales (1974–1978, 1982–1984), for which he was awarded an Emmy for Best Game Show Host in 1977. In 1979, he appeared on Password Plus with Elizabeth Montgomery, Carol Burnett, Phyllis Diller, Judy Norton Taylor, Marcia Wallace, and Elaine Joyce, and Allen Ludden, the main host.

Convy also hosted the first two seasons of the syndicated version of Win, Lose or Draw (1987–1989), which he co-produced with Burt Reynolds (under Burt and Bert Productions). The third and final season (1989–1990) of Win, Lose or Draw was hosted by Robb Weller, freeing up Convy to host his last game show (which he also produced), 3rd Degree, a syndicated program that ran during the 1989–90 TV season. Convy was planned as host for the 1990 revival of Match Game, but he was too ill to do so; comedian and Love Me, Love Me Not host Ross Shafer took the role instead.

Television and films

In the 1960–1961 season, Convy guest starred on Pat O′Brien′s short-lived ABC sitcom, Harrigan and Son, as well as guest-starring on the ABC private detective show 77 Sunset Strip in the role of David Todd. In 1960, Convy played the role of defendant Harry Thompson in CBS′s Perry Mason in the episode, ″The Case of the Nimble Nephew″. He was one of the few guest stars on the 1960 CBS sitcom, My Sister Eileen. He was also cast on an episode of CBS′s The Mary Tyler Moore Show as Jack Foster, a friend of Mary′s, alongside future Alice co-star, Beth Howland. In 1973, Convy was a guest star in an episode of Hawaii Five O.

He attempted to parlay his fame in a short-lived variety series, The Late Summer Early Fall Bert Convy Show in 1976. In 1979, he appeared with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders in a movie of the same name. In 1970, Convy played Paul Revere in the TV series Bewitched on the episode ″Paul Revere Rides Again″. He also appeared in episodes of three other CBS series: Hawaii Five-O, starring Jack Lord; Mission: Impossible, starring Peter Graves; and The New Phil Silvers Show, with comedian Phil Silvers, and starred in the premiere episode of Fantasy Island with Ricardo Montalban, and had a supporting role in the pilot episode of Murder, She Wrote with Angela Lansbury, as well as a role in a later episode. His credits also include a guest starring role on ABC′s Charlie′s Angels episode ″Love Boat Angels″ in 1979, which coincidentally was the first episode for new Angel, Shelley Hack. In 1983, Convy briefly returned to scripted series television in the ABC sitcom It′s Not Easy, playing opposite Ken Howard. Convy 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 was shot.

Convy also starred in several movies, most memorably in the film Semi-Tough (1977) where he played a caricature of Werner Erhard named ″Friedrich Bismark″. He starred in French director Philippe de Broca′s Les Caprices de Marie (Give Her the Moon, 1970). He also played a teacher named Jeff Reed in the horror movie Jennifer. In 1979, he starred in the movie Racquet, as a tennis star. He also made a fine appearance in Help Wanted: Male (1982). In addition, he directed the 1986 comedy Weekend Warriors. In 1980, Convy produced and directed the Goodspeed Opera House premiere of the musical Zapata, music and lyrics by Harry Nilsson and Perry Botkin, Jr., libretto by Allan Katz. Convy's final feature film was the 1981 movie The Cannonball Run, in which he played a character named Bradford Compton.

Personal life

Convy was married twice: to Anne Anderson, with whom he had three children; and to Catherine Hills, whom he wed five months prior to his death. Bert's daughter Jennifer also has been involved in television, moderating shows on Home and Garden Television (HGTV). His younger son, Jonah Convy, is also involved in show business. His older son, Joshua Convy, is an accountant.

Death

In April 1990, Convy was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after collapsing while visiting his mother. It was there that he was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and was given a short time to live, resulting in the relinquishing of his planned Match Game 90 role. After seeking many treatments from several hospitals, Convy died from the tumor on July 15, 1991, 8 days before what would have been his 58th birthday. His remains are buried in Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery.

See also

• List of notable brain tumor patients

External links

• Bert Convy at the Internet Broadway Database
• Bert Convy at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
• Bert Convy at the Internet Movie Database
• Bert Convy at Find a Grave

Media offices
Preceded by Tom Kennedy on Password Plus	Host of Super Password September 24, 1984– March 24, 1989	Succeeded by Regis Philbin on "Million Dollar Password" in 2008
Preceded by None	Host of Win, Lose or Draw syndicated nighttime edition 1987–1989	Succeeded by Robb Weller
Awards
Preceded by Allen Ludden	Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host 1977	Succeeded by Richard Dawson