George DeWitt

George DeWitt (December 30, 1922 – July 14, 1979) was an American singer and comedian, best known was the host of the 1950s musical quiz television program, Name That Tune, which featured contestants guessing the name of popular tunes from a limited number of notes. He later became a recording artist for RKO Records.

Early life DeWitt was born George Florentine in Atlantic City, New Jersey. He appeared in the movie A Hole in the Head with Frank Sinatra in 1959, as well as hosting another short-lived TV show called Be Our Guest during the 1960-1961 TV season and guest appearances on television shows such as The Gisele MacKenzie Show, Hawaiian Eye and Surfside 6 between 1960 and 1962. He spent the rest of the 1960s playing club dates in New York City, Miami Beach, and the Catskills (the Borscht Belt).

During the 1970s DeWitt retired from actively performing, choosing to "ghost write" for other comedians. DeWitt came out of retirement in 1974, appearing with Dustin Hoffman in the film Lenny, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress.

Personal life and death

DeWitt married actress Claire Kelly in the early 1950s. They had a son, Jay Florentine, and later divorced. DeWitt died of a heart attack in Veterans Hospital in Miami in 1979, aged 56.