Garry Moore
Born Thomas Garrison Morfit in 1915, Baltimore native Garry Moore became a star in radio and television. He attended Baltimore City College, but dropped out before graduation to begin working in radio.
He worked for WBAL in Baltimore from 1937-1940 as Thomas Garrison Morfit. But in 1940 he held a radio contest to find a more easily pronounceable name. The winner, a housewife from Pittsburgh, came up with the winning moniker – Garry Moore.
He began working as an announcer and in 1943 he became the host of the variety show Camel Comedy Caravan. Jimmy Durante also appeared and later Moore became co-host with him and the Camel show was billed as The Jimmy Durante Show.
In 1949, CBS gave him his own show called The Garry Moore Show. The show was a successful 60-minute afternoon variety show until 1950 when CBS put him on in the evenings. In his evening show he was famous for question-and-answer sessions with the studio audience that were well received by listeners. In 1951, the question-and-answer show became a television show that aired on daytime TV.
At the same time, Moore was becoming known for his ability to be a solid game show host and was chosen to host the TV show I’ve Got a Secret in 1952. This led to a working relationship with Bill Cullen. He even played himself in the film It Happened to Jane where he hosted I’ve Got a Secret on film.
He hosted the show until 1964 when he retired for the first time. He let go of his own show and gave his hosting job to Steve Allen. But after only two years in retirement, he came back to television. He returned with The Garry Moore Show, but it had poor ratings and was cancelled mid-season.
He then appeared in many guest spots and as a panelist on games shows. Finally, in 1969 he took over the hosting duties for To Tell the Truth, which ran until 1978. However, in 1976 Moore was diagnosed with throat cancer and left the show.
He retired again in 1977 in Hiltonhead, South Carolina. He also spent time sailing at his home in Maine. In 1993, Moore died of emphysema.
Gary Moore was known famously for his personality. He didn’t sing or dance and he wasn’t a comedian. He simply had the gift of being able to talk to people and develop a good rapport with the audience. Time Magazine named Moore one of the 15 Greatest Game Show Hosts in 2007.
The Garry Moore Show was heard on radio until the 21st September 1961. Unfortunately we don't have any of The Garry Moore Show episodes but he can be heard on RUSC on The Jimmy Durante Show and in one episode of the Camel Comedy Caravan. My source tells me that there are in fact six episodes of The Garry Moore show extant so if you are lucky enough to have any in your collection we would love to hear from you!
Happy listening my friends,