Master showman, engaging entertainer, genius businessman, and all around nice guy, Merv Griffin (b.1925) has died. I always found him quite amusing. I fondly remember watching his talk show with my parents growing up and then later with my college roommates. We made fun of him a lot, but we enjoyed being in his presence, even if it was electronic. We waited for the moment he'd say something obtuse, and then we'd howl. He could make an ass out of himself, but with grace and humility.
Yet cinema acting wasn't his strong suit. Merv was better being his jolly, positive, empathetic self. His guests didn't come on his show and just do their acts, whether on stage or sitting in the chair. They didn't just plug their current project. They didn't simply regurgitate the party line, like they did the previous night on another network. Merv befriended them, looked into their eyes (he said so), and asked them to tell him what's on their mind. Regarding his job as a talk show host, he always stressed the necessity of listening to the guests rather than be thinking of your next comment. What we might have missed in quick quips or sound bites, he made up for with thoughtful questions.
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