Jan Murray
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Jan Murray (October 4, 1916 - July 2, 2006) was an American stand-up comedian and actor who made his name on the Borscht Belt.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life
Murray was born Murray Janofsky in The Bronx, New York City. His interest in comedy began during his childhood, when he would often act out comedy routines he'd seen at the local theatre for his bedridden mother.
[edit] Career
Murray began performing on the vaudeville stage at the age of 18, then later at the Catskills resorts popular with Jewish vacationers. In the early 50's he became a Las Vegas marquee performer, then later segued into TV, going on to host a number of gameshows such as Dollar a Second (1953-1957), his creation Treasure Hunt (1956-1959), Charge Account (also known as The Jan Murray Show, 1960-1962), and Chain Letter. He was later a frequent panelist on The Hollywood Squares and co-hosted the annual West Coast Chabad Lubavitch telethon for many years.[1]
Murray's film appearances included A Man Called Dagger, Tarzan and the Great River, Which Way to the Front?, and History of the World, Part I. He moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career and was a guest host of The Tonight Show on many occasions.
[edit] Personal life
Murray married Pearl Cohen in 1939, and had a child with her, but later divorced. In October 1949, he married Kathleen (Toni) Mann, had three children with her, and remained married to her until his death. Murray's production company, Jantone, took its name from their first names.
Jan was an ardent golfer and had many fellow comedians partners. Among them was Jack Carter, Jerry Lewis, Joey Bishop and others, from whom he created hilarious routines often related at various golf charity events. He chaired the Comedians' Golf Classic for several years, held both in New York and California.
Murray retired from show business at the age of 83, as he felt his asthma was affecting his timing. He died at the age of 89 in Beverly Hills California on July 2, 2006.
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