Jamie Farr: The Game Show King?

[davem...@bix.com]

"M*A*S*H" star Jamie Farr has just come out with an autobiography called
"Just Farr Fun." Of course, the meat of the book concerns his years on the
long-running show playing Cpl. Maxwell Klinger, who would regularly wear
women's clothing to try to get a Section Eight (a trait which was toned down
in later episodes). The book is in stores now; it's $22.
But Farr does spend a good number of pages discussing his experiences as
a game show panelist. He went into particular detail about "The Gong Show",
on which he was probably the most frequent guest panelist, and one-third of
the best known panel of judges (which also included Arte Johnson and Jaye P.
Morgan). Long Of Nose was present at the initial taping of the show, which
would have been hosted by John Barbour. He says that he took Barris aside
and made a number of suggestions to help the show, which wasn't quite working
out the way Barris envisioned. Farr's concept, which Barris agreed with, was
to present outrageous talent in the most dignified package possible. (He
also suggested that Milton Delugg and the band do away with the red-and-white
striped jackets and straw hats they initially wore, which they did.)
He also noted that from time to time, Farr would be getting into his car
to leave a taping of one show to be approached by another producer looking
for Farr to fill in for a celebrity who didn't show up. He never refused. And
why did he do so many game shows? You can't live off "M*A*S*H" residuals, and
it was fun.
(I didn't read enough of the book to learn if Farr mentioned his brief
flirtation with hosting: he filled in for Tom Kennedy once on "Wordplay.")

davem...@bix.com / Dave Mackey

[crknecht@lightside.com@lightside.com]

In <9412291954.memo.39306@BIX.com>, davem...@BIX.com writes:
> He also noted that from time to time, Farr would be getting into his car
>to leave a taping of one show to be approached by another producer looking
>for Farr to fill in for a celebrity who didn't show up. He never refused. And
>why did he do so many game shows? You can't live off "M*A*S*H" residuals, and
>it was fun.
> (I didn't read enough of the book to learn if Farr mentioned his brief
>flirtation with hosting: he filled in for Tom Kennedy once on "Wordplay.")

Jamie Farr was always such a serious player when it came to word games such as
"Chain Reaction" and the Pyramid games too... Didn't he also fill in as host on
another game show? *nagging memory*

Rialtus

[Mandel I]

Here's another question about Jamie Farr's ventures in game show hosting.
Do any of you remember when Jamie Farr played "Scrabble" during a special
game show hosts week against Bill Rafferty and some other hosts? (I think
Peter Tomarken was another of the hosts that played.) Anyhoo, Jamie Farr
talked about an "upcoming game show" he was going to host called "Double
Play." Does anyone know whatever became of "Double Play?"

Mandel Ilagan
man...@aol.com

[davemackey on BIX]

man...@aol.com (Mandel I) writes:

>Mandel Ilagan
>man...@aol.com

"Double Up" was the name of the failed pilot that Farr had been working
on when the "Scrabble" game show hosts week was taped.
In addition to Farr, Rafferty and Tomarken, Tom Kennedy also
participated in that week of shows. There was another hosts week on which
Chuck Woolery was allowed to play with the gang, and in those cases
Marc Summers filled in as host. I guess if you didn't know the answer,
you got green slime dumped on you.

davem...@bix.com / Dave Mackey