Posted on 07/17/2005 4:41:49 AM PDT by lunarbicep
Art Linkletter was abandoned as an infant, adopted and raised by a preacher. He first showed his entrepreneurial spirit by sorting through discarded lemons at a local fruit-packing plant, picking the least-obviously rotten fruit, and selling it door-to-door. He hosted House Party and People Are Funny both on radio and later on newfangled television, and is best remembered for his interviews with children, Kids Say the Darndest Things.
Linkletter's daughter Diane allegedly committed suicide in 1969, under the influence of LSD, he says. An autopsy revealed no drugs in Diane's system, but that didn't stop the "killed by LSD" story, and Linkletter quickly became one of America's most prominent spokesmen for the War on Drugs. He was appointed to President Nixon's National Advisory Council for Drug Abuse Prevention.
Drugs may be bad, but vulgarity, Linkletter says, is the worst thing in America. He's criticized librarians who hesitate to filter the smutty internet. He also served as U.S. Ambassador to Australia, and pitchman for everything from Royal Crown Cola to Pillsbury to the board game "Life".
He was made for TV and had the ability to play to the camera, without saying a word, when the kids did say the darndest things.
Ninety three, eh? Boy, am I feelin' old.
Happy Birthday, Art!
He is also an outspoken conservative and AARP's worst enemy.
I'm old enough to remember watching the Linkletter stuff on TV, and I think I remember him on the radio, too. I always liked him. I wish we had someone like Mr. Linkletter doing a show on TV these days like he used to do, I'd allow my sons to watch TV again. As it is, we never have the thing on unless it's to play a video.
Who says only the good die young? We have a wonderful treasure in this man. Both he and Wendy's Dave Thomas sure went a long way to show how wonderful and adopted child could be. Bravo, Mr. Linkletter, you have given back to America abundantly!
I was on his show back in 1963. Got to eat at the Brown Derby and eat a hamburger..... the nuns ate steak!
of course I chose the hamburger.... who wants a "steak".... Kids may say the darndest things but they can't pick a great free meal.
What a great, great American. And he achieved so much without once having to dip into the well of vulgarity, obscenity and profanity that is sadly the primary source material for so many of today's so-called "entertainers".
Happy Birthday Art!
God Bless You! :)
Didn't he give "Truth Or Consequences", New Mexico, its name ?
A FR TV celeb. We want pics. What "darn" thing did you say?
Art Linkletter (born Arthur Gordon Kelly on July 17, 1912) was the host of two of the longest running shows in broadcast history: House Party which ran on CBS TV and Radio for 25 years, and People Are Funny which ran on NBC TV and Radio for 19 years. He was abandoned at an early age in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan and adopted by the Linkletter family.,p. Art was famous for interviewing children and has been imitated many times in such shows as Kids Say the Darndest Things.
Art's daughter, Diane Linkletter, committed suicide on October 4, 1969 by jumping out of her sixth floor kitchen window. She was 20 years old. Several contradictory stories were brought forward, and Art concluded that she committed suicide because she was on or having a flashback from an LSD trip. Several reports claimed that there was no involvement from LSD, but Art still continued to speak out against drugs for the rest of his career.
Linkletter recently opened the celebrations of the fiftieth anniversary of Disneyland at the age of 92. Linkletter commentated on the opening day celebrations in 1955, and was a good friend of Walt Disney.
He received a lifetime achievement Daytime Emmy in 2003
"I was on his show back in 1963"
I was on his radio show in 42!
I'm doing the math, ya know!
I'll save you the trouble, i'm 67.
:) That's what I remembered. He usually had 5-year-old kids on his show. Did your folks keep a record of what you said?
Not that I know of and I don't remember either.
Since I had already been in training to be a contractor for a couple of years I do remember that it was CBS thinking back as to which building we went into.
I was kind of an outgoing smartass and it was something off the wall.
I saw him on TV a few months back and he's still as sharp and witty as ever. Happy Birthday to a great American!
Happy Birthday to a great American.
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