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Theatre, Film, and Television Biographies
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Willie Aames to Steven Anderson
Stephen Allen Biography (1921-2000)
Full name, Stephen Valentine Patrick William Allen; born December 26, 1921, in New York, NY; son of Carroll (a vaudeville performer, under stage name Billy Allen) and Isabelle (a vaudeville comedienne, under stage name Belle Montrose; maiden name, Donohue) Allen; married Dorothy Goodman (an actress), August23, 1943 (divorced, 1952); married Jayne Meadows (an actress and comedienne), July 31, 1954; children: (first marriage) Steve, Jr., Brian, David; (secondmarriage) William Christopher. Career: Comedian, actor, producer, composer, and writer. KOY-Radio, Phoenix, AZ, announcer, pianist, producer, andwriter, 1942-43; KFAC-Radio, Los Angeles, CA, announcer, c. 1944; KNX-Radio,Los Angeles, talk show host, 1947-50; Columbia Broadcasting System, New YorkCity, appeared on early evening talk shows, 1950-53; KMTR-Radio, Los Angeles,announcer. Appeared as a musician at The Blue Note and Michael's Pub, both New York City; performed with symphonies and pop orchestras around the UnitedStates. Meadowlane Enterprises, Inc., producer. Radford University, guest lecturer in history and philosophy, 1986; chair, Council for Media Integrity (awatchdog group), 1994-?. Military service: U.S. Army, 1942 (some sources say 1943). Awards, Honors: Award for best television documentary onorganized crime, New York City Board of Trade, 1953, for The Commandment; Sylvania Award, words and music, 1954, for The Bachelor; Emmy Award nominations, best continuing performance by a male personality, best series performance by a person who essentially plays himself, both 1956, and bestactor in a musical or variety series, all for The Steve Allen Show; SANE Education Fund/Consider the Alternatives Peace Award, Consider the Alternatives Productions, 1962; Grammy Award, best jazz composition, and Grammy Award nomination, best instrumental theme, 1963, for "Gravy Waltz"; George FosterPeabody Broadcasting Award, television, Henry W. Grady School of Journalismand Mass Communication, University of Georgia, Television Critics Circle Award, Encyclopaedia Britannica Award, and Film Advisory Board Award, all1977-78, Emmy Award nomination, program achievement, special class, 1979, andEmmy Award nomination, best writing for a drama series, all for A Meetingof the Minds; Best Play Award nomination, 1978, for The Wake; Grammy Award nomination, best spoken word or non-musical recording, 1983, for Everything You Wanted to Know about Home Computers; Emmy Award nomination, best host of a talk or service show, 1984, for Stooge Snapshots: 50 Years with the Funniest Guys in the World; included in Guinness Book of World Records as the most prolific composer of modern times, 1984; Emmy Award, inducted into Television Hall of Fame, 1986; Emmy Award nomination, bestguest performer in a drama series, 1986, for St. Elsewhere; AmericanComedy Award, lifetime achievement, George Schlatter Productions, 1987; American Book Award, educational materials, Before Columbus Foundation, 1988, forShakin' Loose with Mother Goose; Emmy Award nomination, individual achievement in religious programming, for Wait Till We're 65.
Addresses: Contact: 15201 Burbank Blvd., Suite B, Van Nuys, CA 91411.
- Nationality
- American
- Gender
- Male
- Occupation
- Comedian, Actor, Producer, Composer, Writer
- Birth Details
- December 26, 1921
- New York, New York, United States
- Death Details
- October 30, 2000
- Encino, California
Famous Works
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CREDITS
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Television Appearances
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Series
- Host, The Steve Allen Show, CBS, 1950-52
- Master of ceremonies, Songs for Sale, CBS, 1951-52
- Master of ceremonies, Talent Patrol (also known as Soldier Parade), ABC, 1953
- Panelist, What's My Line?, CBS, 1953-54
- Host, Tonight, syndicated, 1953-54
- Host, The Tonight Show, NBC, 1954-57
- Host, The Steve Allen Show, NBC, 1960-61
- Host, The New Steve Allen Show, ABC, 1961
- Host, The Steve Allen Show, syndicated, 1962
- Moderator, I've Got a Secret, CBS, 1964-67
- Host, The Steve Allen Comedy Hour, CBS, 1967, then 1967-69
- Host, The Steve Allen Show, syndicated, 1968
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Steve Allen, syndicated, 1968-72
- Host, I've Got a Secret, syndicated, 1972-73
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Vaudeville, syndicated, 1975
- Host, Steve Allen's Laugh-Back, syndicated, 1976-77
- Moderator, A Meeting of the Minds, PBS, 1977-81
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Solid Gold, syndicated, 1980
- Host, The Steve Allen Comedy Hour, NBC, 1980-81
- Host, Steve Allen's Music Room, The Disney Channel, 1984
- Host, The Start of Something Big, 1985
- Host, Life's Most Embarrassing Moments, ABC, 1985-86
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The Eyes of War, syndicated, 1989
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Comics Only, syndicated, 1991
- Also appeared as host, Host-to-Host;
That Was the Week That Was.
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Miniseries
- Bayard Nichols, Rich Man, Poor Man--Book I, ABC, 1976
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Movies
- Herschel Lucas, Now You See It, Now You Don't, NBC, 1968
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Joys, 1976
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Stone, ABC, 1979
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The Gossip Columnist, Operation Prime Time, 1980
- Himself, The Ratings Game (also known as The Mogul), The Movie Channel, 1984
- Gentleman in the paper suit, Alice in Wonderland (also known as Alice Through the Looking Glass), CBS, 1985
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Pilots
- Host, The Timex All-Star Jazz Show I, NBC, 1957
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The Apartment House, CBS, 1964
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Solid Gold '79, Operation Prime Time, 1980
- Also appeared as Perry Knowland, Warning Shot, syndicated.
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Specials
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Tonight Preview, NBC, 1954
- Host, Sunday in Town, NBC, 1954
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Fanfare, NBC, 1954
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Good Times, NBC, 1955
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The Bob Hope Show, NBC, 1956
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Texaco Command Performance, NBC, 1957
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The Bob Hope Show, NBC, 1962
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Shoot-In at NBC (also known as A Bob Hope Special), NBC, 1967
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Romp, ABC, 1968
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The Bob Hope Show, NBC, 1969
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Plimpton! Did You Hear the One About...?, ABC, 1971
- Host, The Unofficial Miss Las Vegas Showgirl Beauty Pageant, ABC,1974
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Mitzi and a Hundred Guys, CBS, 1975
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The Mad Mad Mad Mad World of the Super Bowl, NBC, 1977
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The Lucille Ball Special, CBS, 1977
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The Arthur Godfrey Special, syndicated, 1979
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Steve Martin: Comedy Is Not Pretty, NBC, 1980
- Master of ceremonies, The Emmy Awards, NBC, 1980
- Host, I've Had It Up to Here, NBC, 1981
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Texaco Star Theatre: Opening Night, NBC, 1982
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Life's Most Embarrassing Moments II, ABC, 1983
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Life's Most Embarrassing Moments III, ABC, 1984
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Life's Most Embarrassing Moments IV, ABC, 1984
- Narrator, Stooge Snapshots: 50 Years with the Funniest Guys in the World, syndicated, 1984
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Steve Allen's Comedy Room, The Disney Channel, 1984
- Host, The Start of Something Big, syndicated, 1985
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TV's Funniest Game Show Moments, ABC, 1985
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The Television Academy Hall of Fame, NBC, 1986
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NBC ... Tuned in to America, NBC, 1986
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NBC's 60th Anniversary Celebration, NBC, 1986
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George Burns's 90th Birthday Special (also known as Kraft Salutes the George Burns 90th Birthday Special), CBS, 1986
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Funny, ABC, 1986
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The 38th Annual Emmy Awards, NBC, 1986
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Mancini and Friends, PBS, 1987
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Lifetime Salutes Mom, Lifetime, 1987
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Great Confrontations at the Oxford Union: Resolved That Englishmen AreFunnier Than Americans, PBS, 1987
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The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award Show, CBS, 1987
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Comic Relief II, HBO, 1987
- Grand marshal, The 54th Annual King Orange Jamboree Parade, NBC, 1987
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Happy Birthday, Bob--50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC, NBC,1988
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The 30th Annual Grammy Awards, CBS, 1988
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The 58th Annual Hollywood Christmas Parade, syndicated, 1989
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The 3rd Annual American Comedy Awards, ABC, 1989
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Scott Ross: The Search for Real Heroes, syndicated, 1990
- Judge, The 1990 Miss Universe Pageant, CBS, 1990
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The Very Best of the Ed Sullivan Show--II, CBS, 1991
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Living in America, syndicated, 1991
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George Burns's 95th Birthday Party, CBS, 1991
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Tom Arnold: The Naked Truth 2, HBO, 1992
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Laurel and Hardy: A Tribute to the Boys, The Disney Channel, 1992
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Elvis: The Great Performances, CBS, 1992
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The Creative Spirit, PBS, 1992
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Mo' Funny: Black Comedy in America, HBO, 1993
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Addicted to Fame, 1994
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Hal Roach: Hollywood's King of Laughter, The Disney Channel, 1994
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Great American Music: A Salute to Fast Cars, syndicated, 1994
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Comic Relief VII, 1995
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Abbott and Costello Meet Biography, Arts and Entertainment, 1996
- Himself, James Dean: A Portrait, 1996
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Jack Benny: Now Cut That Out!, Arts and Entertainment, 1996
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Jackie Mason: An Equal Opportunity Offender, Bravo, 1996
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Nichols and May-Take Two, HBO, 1996
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50 Years of Television: A Celebration of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Golden Anniversary, HBO, 1997
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Love, Lust & Marriage: Why We Stray and Why We Stay, ABC, 1997
- Host, The Fifth Annual Trumpet Awards, 1997
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Steve Allen's 75th Birthday Celebration, PBS, 1997
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The 67th Annual Hollywood Christmas Parade, 1998
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Donna Reed: I'll Take the Moon, Arts and Entertainment, 1998
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Jonathon Winters: Without a Net, Arts and Entertainment, 1998
- Himself, "Ernie Kovacs," Biography, Arts and Entertainment, 1999
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Martian Mania: The True Story of "War of the Worlds," Sci-Fi Channel, 1998
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NYTV: By the People Who Made It, PBS, 1998
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Skitch Henderson at 80, PBS, 1998
- Narrator, The Unreal Story of Professional Wrestling, Arts and Entertainment, 1998
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Gypsy Rose Lee: Naked Ambition, Arts and Entertainment, 1999
- Also appeared on American Academy of Humor, NBC.
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Awards Presentations
- Master of ceremonies, The Emmy Awards, NBC, 1980
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The 38th Annual Emmy Awards, NBC, 1986
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The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award Show, CBS, 1987
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The 30th Annual Grammy Awards, CBS, 1988
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The 3rd Annual American Comedy Awards, ABC, 1989
- Host, The Fifth Annual Trumpet Awards, 1997
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Episodic
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Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts, CBS, 1948-58
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This Is Show Business, CBS, 1950
- "Five Minutes to Die," Danger, 1953
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Danger, CBS, 1950-55
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What's My Line?, CBS, 1951
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Max Liebman Presents, NBC, 1955
- "The Man on Rollerskates," Kraft Television Theatre, NBC, 1956
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Mike Wallace Interview, ABC, 1957
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The June Allyson Show, CBS, 1959-61
- Allan Stevens, "The Cat's Meow," Batman, 1966
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The Andy Williams Show, 1966
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Showtime, CBS, 1968
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One Man Show, syndicated, 1969
- Guest host, The Golddiggers, syndicated, 1971
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Vaudeville, 1975
- Marvin Kaplan, "Have I Got a Christmas for You," Hallmark Hall of Fame, NBC, 1977
- Guest host, The Big Show, NBC, 1980
- Guest host, An Evening at the Improv, syndicated, 1981
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Darkroom, ABC, 1981
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The Comedy Zone, CBS, 1984
- Lech Osoranski, "Visiting Daze," St. Elsewhere, NBC, 1986
- Lech Osoranski, "Russian Roulette," St. Elsewhere, NBC, 1987
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This Is Your Life, NBC, 1987
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Super Dave, Showtime, 1987
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Way Off Broadway, Lifetime, 1987
- "The Montreal International Comedy Festival," HBO Comedy Hour, HBO, 1988
- "The Abby Singer Show," St. Elsewhere, NBC, 1988
- "Mort Sahl: The Loyal Opposition," American Masters, PBS, 1989
- "Rodney Dangerfield's The Really Big Show," HBO Comedy Hour, HBO,1991
- Bart's electronically altered voice, "Separate Vocations," The Simpsons (animated), Fox, 1992
- Himself, The Bold and the Beautiful, 1993
- "Addicted to Fame," First Person with Maria Shriver, NBC, 1994
- Himself, "Boatshow," Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Cartoon Network,1994
- Voice, "Round Springfield," The Simpsons (animated), Fox, 1994
- Voice of piano man, The Critic (animated), ABC, 1994
- "Mel Torme," Biography, Arts and Entertainment, 1995
- Voice, Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist (animated), Comedy Central, 1995
- Fear, "Fear Strikes Up a Conversation," Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, ABC, 1996
- Mr. Cochran, "Shaggy Dog, City Goat," Homicide: Life on the Street, NBC, 1997
- Also appeared in Nightline, ABC; The Love Boat, ABC.
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Other Television Appearances
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The Commandment, 1953
- Co-host, The Book of Lists, CBS, 1982
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Inside Your Schools, syndicated, 1985
- Also appeared as host, Wait Till We're 65, NBC.
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Television Work
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Series
- Executive producer, Steve Allen's Music Room, The Disney Channel,1984
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Specials
- Producer, The Unofficial Miss Las Vegas Showgirl Beauty Pageant, ABC, 1974
- Executive producer, Steve Allen's 75th Birthday Celebration, PBS,1997
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Film Appearances
- Himself, Down Memory Lane, Eagle-Lion, 1949
- Peter Pepper, I'll Get By, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1950
- Title role, The Benny Goodman Story, Universal, 1956
- Guest star, The Big Circus, Allied Artists, 1959
- Steve Macinter, College Confidential, Universal, 1960
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Don't Worry, We'll Think of a Title, United Artists, 1966
- Himself, The Universal Mind of Bill Evans, 1966
- Perry Knowland, Warning Shot, Paramount, 1967
- Radio announcer, Where Were You When the Lights Went Off?, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1968
- Himself, The Comic, Columbia, 1969
- (Uncredited) The Sunshine Boys, United Artists, 1975
- Himself, Lenny Bruce Without Tears, 1975
- Himself, Heart Beat, Warner Bros., 1979
- Himself, The Funny Farm, 1983
- Himself "Roast Your Loved One," Amazon Women on the Moon (also known as Cheeseburger Film Sandwich), Universal, 1987
- Himself, Great Balls of Fire!, Orion, 1989
- Himself, The Player, Fine Line Features, 1992
- Julia's grandfather, The St. Tammany Miracle, 1994
- Himself, Casino, Universal, 1995
- Himself, Off the Menu: The Last Days of Chasen's, 1996
- Himself, Lenny Bruce: Swear to Tell the Truth, 1998
- Also appeared in the film The Burglar.
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Radio Appearances
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Series
- (With announcer Wendell Noble) Smile Time, Mutual Broadcasting Co., 1945-47
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Stage Appearances
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The Pink Elephant, Broadway production, 1953
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Gilbert and Sullivan: The Mikado (opera), Symphony Space, New YorkCity, 1995
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Major Tours
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Tonight at 8:30, 1975
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The Wake, eastern U.S. cities, 1978
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RECORDINGS
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Albums
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Steve Allen, Columbia, 1951
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Steve Sings Steve Allen, Coral, 1955
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The James Dean Story, Coral, 1956
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Piano Tonight, Columbia, 1956
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Anthony Plays Allen, Capitol, 1958
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And All That Jazz, Dot, 1959
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Steve Allen Plays, Dot, 1959
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Steve Allen Plays Bossa Nova Jazz, Dot, 1963
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Steve Allen Presents Twelve Golden Hits, Dot, 1963
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Everything You Wanted to Know about Home Computers, Casablanca, 1983
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Steve Allen's Hip Fables, Doctor Jazz, 1983
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Steve's Songs, Dot, 1983
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Paul Smith Plays Steve Allen, Pausa, 1985
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The Best of Jose Jimenez, GNP Crescendo, 1985
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Radio Comedy Classics, 1988
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The Positive Power of Criticism, International Center for CreativeThinking, 1990
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The Jack Kerouac Collection, Rhino, 1990
- Other albums include Venetian Serenade: A Romantic Suite,
The Poetry of Love,
The Jazz Story, and Songs Everybody Knows, all for Coral; Some of My Favorites, Hamilton; Around the World,
Steve Allen Plays the Piano Greats,
Great Ragtime Hits, and I Play for You, all for Dot.
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Videos
- Narrator (with wife, Jayne Meadows), The Perfumed Handkerchief (aChinese opera), Kultur, 1985
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Steve Allen's Golden Age of Comedy, 1988
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WRITINGS
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Poetry
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Windfall, privately printed, 1946
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Wry on the Rocks, Holt, 1956
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A Flash of Swallows, Droke, 1969, 2nd edition, 1972
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Fiction
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Fourteen for Tonight (stories), Holt (New York City), 1955
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Not All of Your Laughter, Not All of Your Tears (novel), Bernard Geis Associates, 1962
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Murder in Manhattan (novel), Kensington Publishing, 1990
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The Murder House (novel), Zebra Books (New York City), 1993
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Autobiography
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Mark It and Strike It, Holt, 1960
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Juvenile
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Princess Snip Snip and the Puppy-Kittens, Platt & Munk (New York City), 1973
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Other Books
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Steve Allen's Bop Fables, Simon & Schuster (New York City), 1955
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The Funny Men, Simon & Schuster, 1956
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The Girls on the Tenth Floor and Other Stories, Holt, 1958
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The Question Man, Bellmeadows Press, 1959
- Contributor, How to Write a Song, by Henry Kane, Avon (New York City), 1962
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Letter to a Conservative, Doubleday (Garden City, NY), 1965
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The Ground Is Our Table, Doubleday, 1966
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Bigger Than a Breadbox, Doubleday, 1967
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Curses; or, How Never to Be Foiled Again, J. P. Tarcher (Los Angeles, CA), 1973
- (With William F. Buckley, Jr., Robert M. Hutchins, L. Brent Bozell, and others) Dialogues in Americanism, Regnery, 1974
- (With Thomas Ellis Katen) Schmock-Schmock!, Doubleday, 1975
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What to Say When It Rains, Price, Stern (Los Angeles), 1975
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Chopped-Up Chinese, Price, Stern, 1978
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Meeting of Minds, Volume 1, Hubris House (Los Angeles), 1978, reprinted as Meeting of Minds: The Complete Scripts, four volumes, Prometheus Books (Buffalo, NY), 1989
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Meeting of Minds, Volume 2, Crown (New York City), 1979
- (With Roslyn Bernstein and Donald H. Dunn) Ripoff: A Look at Corruption in America, Lyle Stuart (Secaucus, NJ), 1979
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Explaining China, Crown, 1980
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The Funny People, Stein & Day (New York City), 1981
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Beloved Son: A Story of the Jesus Cults, Bobbs-Merrill (Indianapolis, IN), 1982
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More Funny People, Stein & Day, 1982
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The Talk Show Murders, Delacorte (New York City), 1982
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How to Make a Speech, McGraw (New York City), 1986
- (With Jane Wollman) How to Be Funny: Discovering the Comic You, McGraw, 1987
- (With Jayne Meadows, David Zaslow, and others) Shakin' Loose with Mother Goose, Kids Matter, 1988
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Dumbth and Eighty-One Ways to Make Americans Smarter, Prometheus Books, 1989
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Murder on the Glitter Box, Kensington Publishing (New York City),1989
- (With Rod L. Evan, Irwin M. Berent, and Isaac Asimov) Fundamentalism:Hazards and Heartbreaks, 1989
- (With Bill Adler) The Passionate Nonsmoker's Bill of Rights: The FirstGuide to Enacting Nonsmoking Legislation, Morrow (New York City), 1989
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Meeting of the Minds, Volume 3, 1989
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Meeting of the Minds, Volume 4, 1989
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The Public Hating: A Collection of Short Stories, Dembner (New York City), 1990
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Steve Allen on the Bible, Religion, and Morality, Prometheus Books, 1990
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Steve Allen's Funny Songs, Meadowlane Music (Van Nuys, CA), 1990
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Murder in Vegas, Kensington Publishing, 1991
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Hi-Ho, Steverino! My Adventures in the Wonderful Wacky World of TV, Thorndike (Thorndike, ME), 1992
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The Hustler's Handbook: How to Play Pool for Fun and Profit, Premier Publishers (Smyrna, GA), 1993
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Make 'em Laugh, Prometheus Books, 1993
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The Murder Game, 1993
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More Steve Allen on the Bible, Religion, and Morality, Book Two, Prometheus Books, 1993
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Reflections, Prometheus Books, 1994
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The Man Who Turned Back the Clock and Other Short Stories, 1995
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Murder on the Atlantic, 1995
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The Bug and the Slug in a Rug, 1995
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But Seriously, 1996
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Wake Up to Murder, 1996
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Die Laughing, 1998
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Television Series
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The Steve Allen Comedy Hour, NBC, 1980-81
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Television Episodes
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A Meeting of the Minds, PBS, 1977-81
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Fantasy Island, ABC, 1983
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Television Specials
- Composer, The Bachelor, NBC, 1954
- Songwriter, "This Could Be the Start of Something Big" (theme song), The Start of Something Big, syndicated, 1985
- Also wrote I Remember Illinois (documentary), NBC.
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Television Movies
- Songwriter (nineteen songs), Alice in Wonderland, CBS, 1985
- Songwriter, Run for the Dream: The Gail Devers Story, Showtime, 1996
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Film Composer
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A Man Called Dagger, 1967
- Contributor of lyrics, Goodfellas, Warner Bros., 1990
- Songwriter, I'll Be Home for Christmas, 1998
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Stage Plays
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The Wake, Masquers Theatre, Hollywood, CA, 1971, published by Doubleday, 1972
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The Al Chemist Show, Los Angeles Actors Theatre, Los Angeles, 1980
- Book, score, and lyrics, Seymour Glick Is Alive But Sick, St. Regis Hotel, New York City, then The Horn, Los Angeles, 1983-84
- Wrote book, score, and lyrics for the plays Sophie, produced on Broadway, and Belle Star.
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Other
- Contributor of articles, poems, and reviews to magazines, including National Geographic Traveler,
America,
Look,
Saturday Review,
Cavalier,
Progressive, and Playboy. Songwriter,composer, and lyricist, including "This Could Be the Start of Something Big,"1956, and (with Ray Brown) "Gravy Waltz," 1963; also "Pretend You Don't SeeHer," "South Rampart Street Parade," "I Love You Today," "Impossible," and "Let's Go to Church Next Sunday Morning;" songs for films include "Picnic," "Houseboat," "On the Beach," "Sleeping Beauty," and "Bell, Book, and Candle." Composer of more than four-thousand songs and instrumental pieces, including the special compositions "The Mort Glosser March," 1985, and "Ten Feet Tall," for the Professional Football Hall of Fame, 1985.
Further Reference
OTHER SOURCES
Periodicals:
-
Discover, February 1997, p. 82.
-
Emmy, /October, 1989, p. 32.*
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