Ernie Kovacs

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Morgan's parents divorced when he and his brother, Roger, were young. He grew up in Washington Heights, Manhattan, attended the High School of Commerce for two years, then went to the Harrisburg Academy in Pennsylvania, where he graduated in 1931. He began his radio career as a page at New York City station WMCA in 1932, after which he held a number of radio jobs, including announcing. He strenuously objected to the professional name Morgan but was told that his birth name of von Ost was exotic and difficult to pronounce despite the fame of successful announcers Harry von Zell and Westbrook Van Voorhis. This began a long history of Morgan's arguments with executives. In 1940, Morgan was offered a daily 15-minute comedy series on Mutual Broadcasting System's flagship station WOR. In his memoir Here's Morgan (1994), Morgan wrote that he devised his introduction "Good evening, anybody; here's Morgan" as a dig at popular singer Kate Smith, who "started her show with a condescending, 'Hello, everybody.' I, on the other hand, was happy if anybody listened in." He mixed in barbed ad-libs, satirizing daily life's foibles, with novelty records, including those of Spike Jones. Morgan stated that Jones sent him his new records in advance of market dates because he played them so often. Morgan appeared in the December 1944 CBS Radio original broadcast of Norman Corwin's play The Plot to Overthrow Christmas, taking several minor roles including those of the narrator, Ivan the Terrible and Simon Legree. He repeated his performance in the December 1944 production of the play. Morgan targeted his sponsors freely. Adler Shoe Stores, one early sponsor, came close to canceling its account after Morgan made references to "Old Man Adler" on the air. The chain changed its mind after business spiked upward, with many new patrons asking to meet Old Man Adler. Morgan had to read an Adler commercial heralding the new fall line of colors. He thought the colors were dreadful and said he wouldn't wear them to a dogfight, but perhaps the listeners would like them. Old Man Adler demanded a retraction on the air and Morgan obliged: "I would wear them to a dogfight." He later recalled "It made him happy." The Henry Morgan Show received a Peabody Award Special Citation of honor for 1946.

Reader's Guide

Morgan's longest-lasting television image began in June 1952 when he was invited to join I've Got a Secret, produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. Morgan's tenure on the show was marked by his periodic sarcastic complaints about the working conditions. Morgan's mordant wit played well against the upbeat personalities of the other panelists, and producer Allan Sherman deliberately staged elaborate "secrets" involving Morgan personally. On various occasions, Morgan was: sent to Africa; dispatched to an undisclosed location in the Caribbean to try Edward O. Thorp's card counting system for blackjack; partially undressed on the air while trying to read a dramatic script (without breaking his composure); given a job by cowboy Roy Rogers on his ranch in California; given janitorial equipment and told to clean up a messy, confetti-strewn theater stage; assigned as a caddie for Arnold Palmer in a charity golf tournament; dressed as Santa Claus by former panelist Faye Emerson, then told to deliver presents that night to children who had written letters to Santa; sold a hot dog by Paul Newman at a World Series game at Ebbets Field. Morgan stayed with the show for its original 14-season run and rejoined it when it was revived twice: in syndication in 1972 and on CBS once more for a brief 1976 summer run. Morgan was briefly blacklisted after his name appeared in the anti-communist pamphlet Red Channels. Morgan's connections with communism were dubious at best. Nachman noted that Morgan's listing sprang from his former wife's leftist affiliations as Morgan confirmed in his memoir. Morgan married Isobel Gibbs on August 17, 1946 in Las Vegas. By 1948, they were separated. During an appearance on Late Night with David Letterman in 1982, Morgan told Letterman that Gibbs still was trying to sue him for more money. Morgan revealed in his memoir that one of his cousins had been a Communist Party member until the Hitler-Stalin Pact caused him to break with the party and that this cousin had told investigators that Morgan had not been a party member. Morgan was cleared, and he resumed his broadcasting career.

Did You Know?

• Morgan devised his introduction 'Good evening, anybody; here's Morgan' as a dig at popular singer Kate Smith, who started her show with 'Hello, everybody.'
• He received a Peabody Award Special Citation of honor for 1946 for The Henry Morgan Show.
• Morgan was briefly blacklisted after his name appeared in the anti-communist pamphlet Red Channels, but was later cleared and resumed his career.
• On I've Got a Secret, producer Allan Sherman once had Morgan partially undressed on the air while trying to read a dramatic script without breaking his composure.
• Morgan married Isobel Gibbs on August 17, 1946 in Las Vegas; by 1948 they were separated, and as late as 1982 she was still trying to sue him for more money.