Irv Kupcinet

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Irv Kupcinet

Irv Kupcinet at the 62nd annual Academy Awards ceremony
Born Irving Kupcinet
July 31, 1912(1912-07-31)
North Lawndale, Chicago, Illinois USA
Died November 10, 2003 (aged 91)
Chicago, Illinois
Spouse(s) Esther Kupcinet (née Solomon) (1939-2001)

Irv Kupcinet (July 31, 1912 – November 10, 2003) was an American newspaper columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times and a broadcast personality based in Chicago, Illinois. He was popularly known by the nickname "Kup".

His daily Kup's Column was launched in 1943 and remained a fixture in the Sun-Times for the next six decades.[1]

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life

Kupcinet was born the youngest of four children to Russian immigrants in the North Lawndale section of Chicago. While attending high school, he became editor of the school newspaper and the senior class president. He eventually won a football scholarship to Northwestern University, but a scuffle with another student led to him transferring to the University of North Dakota. Upon graduating college, Kupcinet was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles.[2] His football career was cut short due to a shoulder injury which led him to take a job as a sports writer for the Chicago Daily Times (now known as the Chicago Sun-Times) in 1935.[3]

[edit] Career

While writing his sports column, Kupcinet also wrote a short "People" section which became officially known as Kup's Column in 1948 after The Chicago Sun and the Daily Times merged forming the Chicago Sun-Times.[4] Kup's Column chronicled the nightlife of Chicago along with celebrity and political gossip. The column would eventually be distributed to more than 100 newspapers around the world.[5]

In 1952, Kupcinet became a pioneer in the television talk show genre when he landed his own talk show. In 1957, he replaced Jack Paar on what would eventually become The Tonight Show.[5] Kupcinet's own series ran from 1959 until 1986 and was, at one point, syndicated to over 70 stations throughout the United States.[3] The series garnered 15 Emmy Awards along with a Peabody Award.[2]

In addition to writing his newspaper column and talk show hosting duties, Kupcinet provided commentary for radio broadcasts of Chicago Bears football games with Jack Brickhouse. He made cameo appearances in two movies; 1959's Anatomy of a Murder and the 1962 drama Advise and Consent.[5]

In 1982, Kupcinet was elected to Chicago's Journalism Hall of Fame.[2]

In 1988, Kupcinet published his autobiography, Kup: A Man, an Era, a City.

[edit] Personal life

While at Northwestern, Kupcinet met and married Esther "Essee" Solomon in 1939. The couple would have two children; a daughter, Karyn in 1941, and a son, Jerry in 1944.[4]

The Kupcinets' daughter, Karyn, moved to Hollywood in the early 1960s to pursue an acting career. On November 30, 1963, Karyn's body was found in her West Hollywood apartment. To date, her murder has never been solved.[2]

In 2001, Essee Kupcinet died after 62 years of marriage.[2]

[edit] Death

On November 10, 2003, Irv Kupcinet died from respiratory complications from pneumonia at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. He was 91 years old.[6]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Wilgoren, Jodi. "For Chicago's 'Town Crier,' the Stories Linger", New York Times, 2002-08-14. Retrieved on 2007-11-19. 
  2. ^ a b c d e Sher, Cindy. "Remembering Irv Kupcinet", JUF News, 2006-11-07. Retrieved on 2007-11-19. 
  3. ^ a b Steinberg, Niel. "'Mr. Chicago' is dead at 91 IRV KUPCINET 1912-2003", Chicago Sun Times, 2003-11-11. Retrieved on 2007-11-19. 
  4. ^ a b Felsenthal, Carol. "The Lost World of Kup", Chicago Magazine, 2004-06. Retrieved on 2007-11-19. 
  5. ^ a b c Irv Kupcinet bio
  6. ^ "Legendary Chicago columnist dead at 91", CNN.com, 2003-11-11. Retrieved on 2007-11-19. 

[edit] External links


Persondata
NAME Kupcinet, Irv
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Kupcinet, Irving
SHORT DESCRIPTION Journalist, television personality
DATE OF BIRTH July 31, 1912
PLACE OF BIRTH North Lawndale, Chicago, Illinois USA
DATE OF DEATH November 10, 2003
PLACE OF DEATH Chicago, Illinois
Languages