David Susskind
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
David Susskind (December 19, 1920–February 22, 1987) was best known as a pioneer TV talk show host. He was born in New York City. His program, Open End, began in 1958 on WNTA-TV in New York City, and was appropriately titled: the program continued until Susskind or his guests were too tired to continue. In 1961, Open End was constrained to two hours and went into national syndication. The show was retitled The David Susskind Show in 1967 and continued until 1986.
During his almost 30-year run as a talk show host, Susskind covered many controversial topics of the day, such as race relations and the Vietnam War. Susskind's interview of Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, which aired in October 1960, during the height of the cold war, generated national attention.
Susskind was also a noted producer, with scores of movies, plays, and TV programs to his credit. He married (and later divorced) Joyce Davidson, a Canadian-American television personality. Subsequent to a heart attack, he died in New York City. He is interred at Westchester Hills Cemetery in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York.
[edit] External links
- Museum of Broadcast Communications entry on David Susskind
- David Susskind at the Internet Movie Database
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Susskind, David |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | TV personality, producer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 19, 1920 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | New York City |
| DATE OF DEATH | February 22, 1987 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | New York City |
