Peter Marshall (entertainer)

Early life

Peter Marshall was born Ralph Pierre LaCock on March 30, 1926, to Ralph and Jean LaCock, a show business family, in Huntington, West Virginia. Following his father's death when Marshall was a teenager, he moved to New York City to be with his mother, a costume designer. After he graduated high school he was drafted into the army in 1944 and stationed in Italy. He was originally in the artillery, but was later recruited to be a disc jockey at a radio station in Naples. He was discharged in 1946 with the rank of Staff sergeant.

His elder sister Joan became a film and television actress known as Joanne Dru. She was best known for her roles in such films as Red River, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, and All the King's Men.

Early career

In the 1950s, Marshall earned his living as part of a comedy act with Tommy Noonan, and they appeared in night clubs, on television variety shows, and in films including Starlift (1951), The Rookie (1959) and Swingin' Along (1962). In 1963, he appeared as Lucy's brother-in-law, Hughie, in The Lucy Show episode "Lucy's Sister Pays A Visit". He appeared in the 1958 episode "The Big Hoax" of the syndicated television series Harbor Command.

The Hollywood Squares

Although Marshall occasionally worked in film and television, he could not find regular work in the industry until his friend Morey Amsterdam recommended him to fill in for Bert Parks (who emceed the pilot) as the host of the game show The Hollywood Squares in 1966.

The show had a long run on daytime network TV and in syndication, making Marshall as familiar to viewers as the celebrities who appeared on the show. The easygoing and unflappable Marshall was a perfect foil for the wicked wit of such panelists as Amsterdam and his Dick Van Dyke Show castmate Rose Marie; Paul Lynde, Jan Murray, and Wally Cox. The Hollywood Squares was canceled by the NBC network in 1980, but production continued in syndication into 1981.

Television

After the completion of the initial run of The Hollywood Squares in 1981, Marshall continued working in game shows and playing character roles. He appeared on the game shows Fantasy (1982) with cohost Leslie Uggams; All-Star Blitz,(1985) Yahtzee (1988), the "East Hollywood Squares" skit on In Living Color (1994), and Reel to Reel (1998). In 1986, he portrayed Bob Kenny, game show host who's been accused of murder of a game show contestant on an episode "To Live and Die on TV" on Sledge Hammer!. In 1989, Marshall hosted the unaired pilot for 3rd Degree!, a Burt & Bert Production in association with Kline & Friends. When the series was picked up for syndication, show producer Bert Convy decided to leave his position as the host of the syndicated edition of Win, Lose or Draw and take Marshall's place on 3rd Degree. Marshall filed a lawsuit against Convy for the action, but later dropped it after Convy's cancer diagnosis was made public. In 2002, he returned to the new version of The Hollywood Squares as a panelist during a Game Show Week hosted by Tom Bergeron. Marshall occupied the prestigious center square. For one day that week, Marshall took his old position at the podium to host while Bergeron was the center square.

Other work

In 1979, he sang Back Home Again in Indiana at the Indianapolis 500. In 2002, he published a book about his show business experience, Backstage With The Original Hollywood Square. Marshall has been a radio personality, hosting a popular mid-day show on the Music of Your Life adult standards national radio network, which is also live-streamed via the internet here. In 2009, Marshall appeared on television promoting compact disc hits from the Big Band era, and also hosted a two-hour PBS special, The Big Band Years. In 2010, Marshall, along with Monty Hall and Wink Martindale, appeared with their wives on a special Game Show Legend version of The Newlywed Game. The special was hosted by Bob Eubanks; the Martindales won the game.

In 2014, Marshall returned to West Virginia to host four games of The West Virginia Squares as part of Charleston's FestivALL. The game, which featured questions about the state's history, included West Virginia notables such as Joyce Dewitt and Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr.

Broadway

Marshall's Broadway credits include Skyscraper, La Cage aux Folles and The Music Man.

West End

In London's 1962 West End production, Marshall appeared in the stage musical Bye Bye Birdie, a satire on American popular culture in the 1950s inspired by singer Elvis Presley receiving a draft notice into the Army. Marshall played the lead character of Albert Peterson, who writes a song for the pop-singing sensation Conrad Birdie (played by Marty Wilde). The production ran for 268 performances.

Personal life

He is married to his third wife, Laurie Stewart, and has four children and two stepchildren from his previous marriages. He has a home in Palm Desert, California.

His son, Pete LaCock, is a former Major League Baseball player. The retired first baseman spent nine years playing for the Chicago Cubs and Kansas City Royals. [1]

Awards

Marshall won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host four times. In 2002 he received the annual Bill Cullen Award for Lifetime Achievement, from the non-profit organization, Game Show Congress. On October 13, 2007, Marshall was one of the first inductees into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in Las Vegas.

In November 2013, Marshall was inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame. He was introduced by his friend, Nick Clooney.

Selected Filmography