Larry Blyden

Ivan Lawrence Blieden (June 23, 1925 – June 6, 1975), known professionally as Larry Blyden, was an American actor, stage producer, and director, and game show host. He made his Broadway stage debut in 1948 and went on to appear in numerous productions on and off Broadway. In 1972, he won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his performance in the revival of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, which he also produced. That same year, he became the host of the syndicated revival version of What's My Line?.

At the time of his death, Blyden was slated to host a new game show, Showoffs. He died of injuries sustained in a single-car accident while vacationing in Morocco on June 6, 1975.

Early life Blyden was born to Adolph and Marian (née Davidson) Blieden in Houston, Texas, and raised in the Jewish faith. As a child, he attended Wharton Elementary School and Sidney Lanier Junior High School. After graduating from Lamar High School, Blyden attended Southwestern Louisiana Institute for a year before enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II, After leaving the service in 1946, he enrolled at the University of Houston. While in college, Blyden worked as an announcer for KPRC radio and performed at the Alley Theatre and Houston Little Theater. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1948, Blyden moved to New York City to pursue an acting career. While starring in a showcase of The Importance of Being Earnest, he was spotted by director Joshua Logan who cast him in a small role in the Broadway production of Mister Roberts. He was then cast in the larger role of "Ensign Pulver", and remained with the production until 1951. The show was choreographed by his then-wife, Carol Haney. That same year, he appeared in You Can't Take It with You, at Expo 58 (also known as Brussels World's Fair). In February 1967, Blyden replaced Martin Balsam in the Broadway production of You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running. Blyden's second stage directing effort was the play The Mother Lover, in which he also starred. The production also featured Eileen Heckart and Valerie French and premiered at the Booth Theatre on February 1, 1969. In March 1972, he portrayed the role of "Hysterium" in the revival of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, starring Phil Silvers, which Blyden also produced. He won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his work in the play. Blyden's final stage role was that of "Sidney" in Alan Ayckbourn's comedy Absurd Person Singular, for which he was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play and a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play. He remained with the production for 250 performances.

Over the course of his career, Blyden appeared in three feature films. He made his film debut in a supporting role in the 1957 drama The Bachelor Party, starring Don Murray. He also had supporting roles in Kiss Them for Me (1957) and On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (1970)

In the early 1960s, Blyden returned to television with guest starring roles in two episodes of The Twilight Zone: "A Nice Place to Visit" in April 1960 and "Showdown with Rance McGrew" in February 1962 in which he starred as the title character. In 1963, Blyden was cast to star in a second sitcom, NBC's Harry's Girls. Produced by MGM Television, the series was an adaptation of the Robert E. Sherwood play Idiot's Delight, with Blyden starring as Harry, a vaudeville style performer constantly getting into trouble and falling in love. The series received a great deal of publicity before it aired because it was being filmed on location in Europe (interiors were filmed at the Victorine Studios in France while exteriors were shot on location in Rome, Paris and other European locations). Upon its debut, Harry's Girls was also not well received and was canceled after one season. In 1969, he hosted You're Putting Me On and The Movie Game.

In 1972, Blyden took over hosting duties for the syndicated revival of the game show What's My Line?. He remained the show's host until Goodson-Todman discontinued production on December 12, 1974. During the same year, Blyden also appeared as a guest panelist on the Goodson-Todman daytime CBS game show Match Game '74.

In the weeks before his death, Blyden was involved in several major projects. He co-hosted the 29th Tony Awards telecast that aired on ABC on April 20, 1975. On May 2, Blyden reprised his role as Ensign Pulver opposite Henry Fonda at a gala tribute to director Joshua Logan at Broadway's Imperial Theatre (which was recorded and eventually released on a privately distributed LP album). He also narrated a segment of CBS's Bicentennial Minute which aired during primetime the evening of May 30.

On May 6, 1975, Blyden left the production of Absurd Person Singular after he was hired to host a new game show entitled Showoffs, a video version of the parlor-game charades. The project began unhappily, owing to "Larry's phobia about not wasting time and Mark Goodson's total disregard of time when he is in the throes of the creative process." On May 24, 1975, the day the pilot episode was taped, Blyden was furious that studio delays forced him to miss his daughter's graduation play, but he remained professional and hosted the pilot.

Personal life Blyden married actress and dancer Carol Haney on April 17, 1955, in Las Vegas. The couple had two children: Joshua and Ellen Rachel. Blyden and Haney were divorced in 1962. The house was later sold to tour operator Mario Perillo and was destroyed by fire in 2004.

Death Before production was set to begin on Showoffs, Blyden was granted a two-week vacation and decided to fly to Marrakesh, Morocco. Blyden's corpse was flown back to the United States on June 13. A memorial was held on June 20, after which he was buried at Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery in Houston.

Broadway appearances Date Production Role Notes February 18, 1948 – January 6, 1951 Mister Roberts Shore Patrol OfficerEnsign Pulver Replacement (Ensign) June 25, 1952 – November 28, 1953 Wish You Were Here Itchy Flexner Understudy (Flexner), Replacement (Schmutz) December 17, 1953 – November 13, 1954 Oh, Men! Oh, Women! Grant Cobble March 3 – August 30, 1958 Who Was That Lady I Saw You With? Michael Haney Replacement December 1, 1958 – May 7, 1960 Flower Drum Song Sammy Fong Nominated: Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical November 29 – December 15, 1962 Harold Director February 16 – April 18, 1964 Foxy Doc November 11, 1964 – January 7, 1967 Luv Milt Manville Replacement October 18, 1966 – November 25, 1967 The Apple Tree Snake, Balladeer, Narrator March 13, 1967 – January 4, 1969 You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running Chuck, George, Richard Pawling Replacement February 1, 1969 The Mother Lover Seymour Director March 30 – August 12, 1972 A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Hysterium ProducerTony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical October 8, 1974 – May 6, 1975 Absurd Person Singular Sidney Nominated: Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a PlayTony Award for Best Actor in a Play

Television Year Title Role Notes 1950 The Silver Theatre Episode: "Never Hit a Pigeon" 1950 The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse 2 episodes 1952–1954 Armstrong Circle Theatre 3 episodes 1954 Goodyear Television Playhouse Episode: "Suitable for Framing" 1955 Star Tonight Episode: "Zone of Quiet" 1955 The Elgin Hour Harrison B. Harrison Episode: "The $1,000 Window" 1956 Playwrights '56 Sargeant Barney Bender Episode: "Sometimes You Get Rich" 1956 Joe and Mabel Joe Sparton 13 episodes 1956–1957 Studio One in Hollywood Various 2 episodes 1957 Playhouse 90 Various 2 episodes 1957 The Alcoa Hour Ralph Episode: "He's for Me" 1957 Kraft Television Theatre Episode: "The Old Ticket" 1957 Kiss Them for Me Mississip 1958 DuPont Show of the Month Dr. Sanderson Episode: "Harvey" 1958 Armchair Theatre Krupp Episode: "Time of Your Life" 1958–1962 The United States Steel Hour Various 6 episodes 1959–1960 NBC Sunday Showcase Sammy Glick Episodes: "What Makes Sammy Run? (Part 1 & 2)""One Clear Voice" 1959–1960 The Play of the Week Various 3 episodes 1960 The Chevy Mystery Show Peter Meinecke Episode: "The Machine Calls It Murder" 1960 Moment of Fear Episode: "Conjure Wife" 1960 The Witness Bugsy Siegel Episode: "Bugsy Siegel" 1960 Omnibus Teddy Roosevelt Episode: "He Shall Have Power" 1960–1962 The Twilight Zone Henry Francis Valentine,Rance McGrew Episodes: "A Nice Place to Visit","Showdown with Rance McGrew" 1961 Thriller Ralphie Teal Episode: "Choose a Victim" 1961 The Loretta Young Show Various 2 episodes 1961 Target: The Corruptors! Chuck Baxter Episode: "The Golden Carpet" 1961 General Electric Theater Johnny Henderson Episode: "Call to Danger" 1962 Cain's Hundred Jay Adams Episode: "Blood Money" 1962 Adventures in Paradise Charlie Vale Episode: "The Dream Merchant" 1962 The Dick Powell Show Lou Marks Episode: "Tomorrow, the Man" 1962 Sam Benedict Mort Friedman Episode: "Hear the Mellow Wedding Bells" 1963 The DuPont Show of the Week Corporal William Yarrow Episode: "Two Faces of Treason" 1963–1964 Harry's Girls Harry Burns 15 episodes 1964 Route 66 Cam Wilcox Episode: "Like This It Means Father..." 1964 The Reporter Al Swan Episode: "Murder by Scandal" 1947 Dr. Kildare Eddie Hiller Episode: "Take Care of My Little Girl" 1965 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour Walter Mills/Philip Marshall Episode: "Wally the Beard" 1965 12 O'Clock High Lt. Tony Kemp Episode: "Mutiny at Ten Thousand Feet" 1965 The Defenders Charles Parker Episode: "The Prosecutor" 1965 Kraft Suspense Theatre Lester Pennell Episode: "Twixt the Cup and the Lip" 1965 The Fugitive Sal Mitchell Episode: "Crack in a Crystal Ball" 1965 Slattery's People Martin Keiller Episode: "The Hero" 1966 The Man from U.N.C.L.E. George Dennell Episode: "The Waverly Ring Affair" 1967 ABC Stage 67 Todd Bronson Episode: "Olympus 7-0000" 1967 Ghostbreakers Waldo Kent Television movie 1970 On a Clear Day You Can See Forever Warren Pratt 1970 The F.B.I. Frank Colling Episode: "The Innocents" 1971 The Mod Squad Bob Hardy Episode: "Exit the Closer" 1972 Medical Center Dr. Lieber Episode: "Terror" 1972 Cannon Phil Dobson Episode: "The Torch" 1974 The Wide World of Mystery Daniel Episode: "The Satan Murders"