Henry Morgan (comedian)

Henry Morgan (born Henry Lerner von Ost Jr.; March 31, 1915 – May 19, 1994) was an American humorist. He first became familiar to radio audiences in the 1930s and 1940s as a barbed but often self-deprecating satirist; in the 1950s and later, he was a regular and cantankerous panelist on the game show ''I've Got a Secret'' as well as other game and talk shows.

Early life and education

Henry Lerner von Ost, Jr. was born in New York City to German-Jewish parents, Henry and Eva (née Lerner) von Ost, who were divorced when he and his brother were young. He grew up in Washington Heights, attended the High School of Commerce for two years, then went to the Harrisburg Academy in Pennsylvania, where he graduated in 1931.

Radio

Morgan began his radio career as a page at New York City station WMCA in 1932, after which he held a number of radio jobs, including announcing. He strenuously objected to the professional name "Morgan" but was told that his birth name of von Ost was exotic and difficult to pronounce, despite the fame of successful announcers Harry von Zell and Westbrook Van Voorhis. This began a long history of Morgan's arguments with executives.Henry Morgan, Henry. ''Here's Morgan! The Original Bad Boy of Broadcasting''. New York: Barricade Books, 1994.

In 1940, Morgan was offered a daily 15-minute comedy series on Mutual Broadcasting System's flagship station WOR.

In his memoir, ''Here's Morgan'' (1994), Morgan wrote that he devised his introduction as a dig at popular singer Kate Smith, who "...started ''her'' show with a condescending, 'Hello, everybody.' I, on the other hand, was happy if ''any''body listened in." He mixed in barbed ad-libs, satirizing daily life's foibles, with novelty records, including those of Spike Jones. Morgan stated that Jones sent him his newest records in advance of market dates because he played them so often.

Morgan appeared in the December 1944 CBS Radio original broadcast of Norman Corwin's play '' The Plot to Overthrow Christmas'', taking several minor roles including that of the narrator, Ivan the Terrible and Simon Legree. He repeated his performance in the December 1944 production of the play."The Plot to Overthrow Christmas: Norman Corwin"
tangentonline.com; accessed August 5, 2017.

Morgan targeted his sponsors freely. One early sponsor, Adler Shoe Stores, came close to canceling its account after Morgan made references to "Old Man Adler" on the air. The chain changed its mind after business spiked upward, with many new patrons asking to meet Old Man Adler. Morgan had to read an Adler commercial heralding the new fall line of colors. He thought the colors were dreadful, and said he wouldn't wear them to a dogfight, but perhaps the listeners would like them. Old Man Adler demanded a retraction on the air and Morgan obliged: "I ''would'' wear them to a dogfight." He later recalled, "It made him happy."

''The Henry Morgan Show'' received a Peabody Award Special Citation of honor for 1946.

Morgan's friend Ed Herlihy, a veteran radio announcer, remembered him to radio historian Gerald Nachman (in ''Raised on Radio''): "He was ahead of his time, but he was also hurt by his own disposition. He was very difficult. He was so brilliant that he'd get exasperated and he'd sulk. He was a great mind who never achieved the success he should have." Nachman wrote of Morgan that he was radio's "first true rebel because–like many comics who go for the jugular, from Lenny Bruce to Roseanne Barr—he didn't know when to quit." Nachman, Gerald. ''Raised on Radio''. New York: Pantheon Books, 1998.

Another supporter was Arnold Stang