Ralph Edwards, the radio and TV pioneer who created such enduring programs as "This Is Your Life" and "Truth or Consequences," died Wednesday of heart failure at his home in West Hollywood. He was 92.
Edwards died shortly after 9 a.m. Wednesday in his sleep, surrounded by family members, according to a statement issued by Ralph Edwards Prods.
Edwards was well known as the host of "This Is Your Life," which debuted on radio in the 1940s and moved to TV in 1952 for a nine-season run on NBC. He later hosted a syndication version from 1971-73. This month, ABC and Fox Television Studios announced plans to revive "Life" as a series of specials next year, this time with Regis Philbin as host.
In later years, Edwards' production company was the home of the syndicated hit that launched the court show genre, "The People's Court," with retired Judge Joseph Wapner presiding from 1981-93.
"I owe everything I have to Ralph Edwards," said Bob Barker, the veteran game show host who was at the helm of "Consequences" for most of its television run. Edwards gave Barker the hosting job on the primetime edition of "Consequences" after hearing Barker on a local Los Angeles radio broadcast.
"Ralph was a multitalented person. He was a writer. He was a producer. He was a performer, and he was a wonderful salesman," Barker said. "He was able to communicate with audiences of all descriptions. And he was always a perfect gentleman."
"Consequences" was Edwards' first big hit, but it was "Life" that made him a household name. The show's premise was to surprise someone (usually a celebrity) on the air and profile his or her life.
"Life" received Emmy Awards in 1954 and 1955 and won a Golden Globe Award in 1957. Edwards was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1995.
In 1940, Edwards created "Consequences" for NBC radio. The show was the top audience-participation show on radio for 14 years, and Edwards achieved national recognition as its emcee when he was still in his late 20s.
His radio popularity propelled him into movies. He appeared in "Seven Days' Leave" (1942). In 1945, Edwards moved "Consequences" to Los Angeles, where he continued to appear in films. He appeared in three RKO films: "Radio Stars on Parade" "The Bamboo Blonde" and "Beat the Band." Edwards' last movie appearance was in MGM's "I'll Cry Tomorrow."
In 1950, "Consequences" migrated to television, airing on CBS. It won an Emmy, a first for an audience-participation show.
Edwards hosted "Consequences" from 1950-54, turning over his duties to Jack Bailey. Two years later, Barker took over as host.
Ralph Livingstone Edwards was born June 13, 1913, near Merino, Colo. He attended the University of California at Berkeley, working for various radio stations in the San Francisco area during his school days. After graduation, he moved to New York in 1936, where he won a job as staff announcer at CBS radio, often handling as many as 45 show assignments a week. With such fevered momentum, he created and produced "Consequences" in 1940.
Edwards earned the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences lifetime achievement award in 2001. He was inducted in the National Association of Broadcasters' hall of fame in 1980 and into the Chicago-based Museum of Broadcast Communications' radio hall of fame in 1995.
Edwards' wife of 53 years, Barbara Jean, died in 1993. He is survived by a son, Gary, and two daughters, Christine and Laurie; six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Dec. 1 at Beverly Hills Presbyterian Church. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the American Parkinson Disease Assn., Juvenile Diabetes International or any breast cancer research organization.
Cynthia Littleton contributed to this report.
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Duane Byrge writes for The Hollywood Reporter.
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