LOS ANGELES (AP) — Peter Marshall, the actor and singer turned game show host who played straight man to the stars for 16 years on “The Hollywood Squares,” has died. He was 98.
He died Thursday of kidney failure at his home in the Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles, publicist Harlan Boll said.
Marshall helped define the form of the smooth, professional, but never-too-serious modern game show host on more than 5,000 episodes of the series that ran on NBC from 1966 to 1981. more
I remember watching that as a little kid when visiting my Grandma. As I grew older I would often watch it on sick days and snow days when I was home and bored.
When I attend ZOOM meetings the attendees arranged in boxes reminds me of the show, so I created a “background” of an image of Paul Lynde in his center square and turn it on but don’t turn my laptop camera on. It always gets a laugh from the “old timers”.
He was really good at hosting. In the days before wokeness.
I lived down the street from him in Woodland Hills, CA when I was a kid. He had a great pomegranate bush that hung over the property onto my friends yard. We used to eat all that crossed the line. Never met him though. Only house in the neighborhood with a wall and gate around the property (very residential street). Paul Lynde was the best on that show. He was what he was….just funny.
I got to meet Ralph Pierre LaCock (best known as Peter Marshall) when I went to a filming of his short run “Peter Marshall Show” in the ’70s. My grandmother and my sister came and Paul Williams was a guest. At the end of the show Peter and Paul came to my grandma in the audience and were very sweet to her and Paul Williams gave her a friendly kiss. RIP Mr. Marshall.
Paul Lynde was hilarious on Hollywood Squares, as was Wally Cox. RIP to Peter Marshall.
Requiescat in Pace Mr. Marshall