Hy Gardner (December 2, 1908 – June 17, 1989) was an American entertainment reporter and syndicated columnist for the '' New York Herald Tribune'', host of ''Hy Gardner Calling'', ''The Hy Gardner Show'', and ''Celebrity Party'', and an original celebrity panelist on the first incarnation of '' To Tell The Truth'', along with

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and host

Bud Collyer Bud Collyer (born Clayton Johnson Heermance Jr., June 18, 1908 – September 8, 1969) was an American radio actor and announcer and game show host who became one of the nation's first major television game show stars. He is best remembered for ...

. In 1957, Gardner also appeared on the show made up as a clown along with guest-challenger (famous clown) Paul Jung. Gardner also played himself in the 1963 movie '' The Girl Hunters'' with writer/friend

Mickey Spillane Frank Morrison Spillane (; March 9, 1918July 17, 2006), better known as Mickey Spillane, was an American crime novelist, whose stories often feature his signature detective character, Mike Hammer. More than 225 million copies of his books have ...

, who included Gardner in several of his Mike Hammer novels.

Career

In the early 1950s, Gardner began interviewing celebrities on the radio on his own show, ''Hy Gardner Calling''. He had wanted to be a columnist for entertainment news as a young boy, and in 1951 he was hired by the '' New York Herald Tribune'' where he continued until 1966 when the paper closed. ''The New York Times'' described his writing style as an "art form". In 1953, Marilyn Boshnick became Hy Gardner's secretary. They married in 1958. At that time, Gardner was the interviewer of the guests on

Spike Jones Lindley Armstrong "Spike" Jones (December 14, 1911 – May 1, 1965) was an American musician and bandleader specializing in spoof arrangements of popular songs and classical music. Ballads receiving the Jones treatment were punctuated with gun ...

's short-lived ''

Club Oasis Club may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Club'' (magazine) * Club, a '' Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character * Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards * Club music * "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea'' Brands and enterprises ...

'' comedy/variety show on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

. In 1967, the couple began a gossip column together. Titled ''Glad You Asked That'' it was soon syndicated. Gardner's television interviews began in 1954 and continued until 1965. Mickey Spillane, who cast him in a mystery film in 1963, said upon Gardner's death: "He was an innovator. He did the split screen before Edward R. Murrow." Gardner also provided rocking chairs to help relax his interview guests. After split-screen interviews were replaced by in-studio interviews, the show was renamed ''The Hy Gardner Show''. ''The Herald Tribune'' folded in 1966, and Hy and Marilyn Gardner moved from New York City to

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...

. ''The Hy Gardner Show'' continued on television, and ''Celebrity Party'' debuted on radio and was syndicated. Interviews continued until the mid-1980s.

Death

Gardner died of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...

on June 17, 1989, at the North Shore Hospital in Miami. He was 80 years old.

References

External links

Hy Gardner Calling with guest Steve Allen (1958)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gardner, Hy 1908 births 1989 deaths Television personalities from New York City American radio personalities Writers from New York City Writers from Miami American male journalists Journalists from New York City 20th-century American non-fiction writers 20th-century American male writers Deaths from pneumonia in Florida