Biography for
Steve Allen (I) More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

26 December 1921, New York City, New York, USA

Date of Death

30 October 2000, Encino, California, USA (heart attack)

Birth Name

Stephen Valentine Patrick William Allen

Height

6' 3" (1.91 m)

Spouse

Jayne Meadows	(31 July 1954 - 30 October 2000) (his death) 1 child
Dorothy Goodman	(23 August 1943 - 1952) (divorced) 3 children

Trivia

Wrote more than 50 books and 7,400 songs.

Brother-in-law of the late actress Audrey Meadows.

At one point in his broadcasting career he was a commentator for professional wrestling. He later admitted that in order to juice up his commentary, he made up the names of wrestling holds. Apparently, nobody ever questioned him about it.

Biography in: "Who's Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith; pg. 12-13. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387.

First coined the question "Is it bigger than a breadbox?" when making an appearance as a panelist on "What's My Line?" (1950), 18 January 1953.

Prolific composer/lyricist of some 2000+ songs, the best known of which are "This Could Be the Start of Something" (his theme song), "Pretend You Don't See Her" (a top-ten hit for Jerry Vale), "Impossible", and "Gravy Waltz" (a top-40 instrumental hit for Allen himself in 1962, and a jazz standard today).

During his 1940-1941 school year, he transferred to Phoenix Union High School from Hyde Park in Chicago. In spite of a late start he still received credit in the yearbook for the Annual Staff, Journal Staff, Mor Follies, Entertainment Committee, Scribble and Blot. His trademark glasses are missing from his senior picture. Following high school, he attended Arizona State University Tempe in 1942 when it was the State Teacher's College. In a matter of months his parent's vaudeville blood got the better of him, and he dropped out to work as a disc jockey at KOY radio in Phoenix.

Attended Drake University, 1941 and Arizona State Teacher's College, 1942.

Named to Academy of Television Arts and Sciences [ATAS/NATAS] "Hall of Fame" in 1986.

Claimed that the melody of his biggest hit, "This Could Be the Start of Something Big", came to him in a dream.

Milton Berle always referred to Steve's mother, Belle Montrose, as "the funniest woman in vaudeville".

Son of vaudeville stars Carroll Allen and Belle Montrose.

Father of Steve Jr., David, Brian and Billy Allen.

Appears on a 44¢ USA commemorative postage stamp, issued August 11, 2009, in the Early TV Memories issue honoring "The Tonight Show". Allen hosted the first incarnation of the program, which was called simply "Tonight!" (1953).

Considered by many as the "father of late night television comedy", he was the original host of NBC's "Tonight Show" (1953-1957). During 1he 1963-64 season, Steve made a return to live late night TV with a syndicated (Ch.11 in NYC) variety show from Los Angeles. He now had access to videotape and multiple camera shots for his many skits on stage, off stage and in the street. According to TV Guide, this show fared well against the current "Tonight Show", hosted by Johnny Carson, especially with "the college age crowd". As the show was only seen in major cities it was not able to compete with the major networks in the long run and was canceled after its first year. Many other successful TV projects for Steve would follow, but this was his last late night endeavor.

On just his second "Steve Allen Plymouth" program; Sunday, July 1, 1956, Elvis Presley and Andy Griffith were on the show, but performed at different times during the program.

Personal Quotes

Hosting a talk show is the easiest job anybody ever had.

Beware of assuming that credentials establish intelligence.

We pride ourselves on the high moral standards of our programmes and I mean that sincerely. We don't resort to sex or crime or violence or drinking...on the programmes.

If my mind ever listened to what my mouth said, I'd have a lot of accounting to do.

Nothing is quite as funny as the unintended humor of reality.

[on Milton Berle] He's been on TV for years and I finally figured out the reason for his success. He never improved.