This page uses content from the Bert Convy biography page on the English version of Wikipedia and is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. This list of authors can be seen in the page history. Rotten Tomatoes disclaims any and all warranties as to the accuracy or reliability of the content.

Bernard Whalen "Bert" Convy (July 23, 1933 – July 15, 1991) was an American game show host and panelist, actor and singer.

Biography

Early life

Convy was born in St. Louis, Missouri to Monica and Bert Convy. Convy was a member of the 1950s vocal band, The Cheers, who had a Top 10 hit in 1955 with "Black Denim Trousers (and Motorcycle Boots)". He was also a minor league baseball player, within the Philadelphia Phillies organization.

Career

Performer/Singer

Convy started his career in the entertainment business as a featured performer and singer in the Billy Barnes Revues of the 1950s and '60s. Convy went on to became a Broadway actor, starring in Fiddler on the Roof (1964) and Cabaret (1966).

Game Shows

In the 1960s and '70s, Convy was a popular semi-regular panelist on several game shows, including What's My Line?, To Tell the Truth, The Match Game and Password. Convy soon took the podium himself as host of several game shows, including the fourth edition of Password, Super Password (1984–1989), but he remains best known for his first television game show, Tattletales (1974–1978, 1982–1984), for which he was awarded an Emmy in 1977.

He also hosted the syndicated version of Win, Lose or Draw (1987–1990), which he co-produced with Burt Reynolds (under the firm Burt and Bert Productions). His last game show was 3rd Degree, a syndicated program that ran during the 1989–90 TV season. He was also slated to host the 1990 revival of Match Game but was too ill to do so (comedian Ross Shafer took the role instead).

Variety Series

Convy also attempted to parlay his fame in a short-lived variety series, The Late Summer Early Fall Bert Convy Show in 1976. In 1979, he appeared with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders in a movie of the same name.

Film

Convy also starred in several movies, most memorably in the film Semi-Tough (1977) where he played a caricature of Werner Erhard named "Frederick Bismark".

Awards

• Emmy Award, Tattletales, 1977.

Personal life

Convy was surprised when he was called to come on down on The Price Is Right. Bob Barker invited Convy up on stage and had him thank the show for having him as a guest and he returned to his seat before an alternate contestant was called down to Contestant's Row.

Convy claimed to have the ability to predict the sex of unborn children. Once on Super Password, he put his hands on a pregnant contestant's stomach and remarked how he had guessed correctly the sex of 19 babies in a row, including all of the actor John Ritter's children. (Convy and Ritter had appeared together in the 1979 theatrical release, Hero At Large.)

Convy was married twice: to Anne Anderson, with whom he had three children; and to Catherine Hall, with whom he was married until his death. Bert's daughter Jennifer also has been involved in television, moderating shows on Home and Garden Television (HGTV). His son Jonah Convy is also involved in show business.

Convy died from a brain tumor in 1991 in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 57.

See also

• List of notable brain tumor patients
• Werner Erhard

External link

• Find-A-Grave profile for Bert Convy

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