A ubiquitous presence on television for decades as host of hit game show “Let’s Make a Deal”, Monty Hall has passed away at age 96.
Hall’s daughter, actress Joanna Gleason, revealed that the cause of death was heart failure.
A native of Winnipeg, Hall was born Monte Halparin in 1921, starting his career in Winnipeg radio after graduating from the University of Manitoba in 1945. The following year, he moved to Toronto, where he hosted such CBC productions as “Matinee Party” and “The Floor Show”.
It was in Toronto that Hall met actress Marilyn Plottel, whom he married in 1947; the couple had three children and remained married until Marilyn Hall’s death in June 2017.
The couple moved to New York City in 1955, where he worked in both radio and television. During these early days as a broadcaster, Hall hosted an array of programming, ranging from NBC’s radio newsmagazine “Monitor” to TV game shows “Strike It Rich” and “Keep Talking”.
In 1960, he relocated his family to Hollywood when he landed a job hosting another game show, “Video Village”.
In 1963, Hall and producing partner Stefan Hatos pitched NBC the idea for a game show they had conceived in which contestants were forced to choose various items (hidden beneath boxes or behind three doors) that could conceal huge windfalls — such as cars or appliances — or joke prizes such as a live donkey.
Titled “Let’s Make a Deal”, Hall’s game show — on which he served as exec producer, co-creator and host — was an instant hit, and ran from 1963 until 1977, and returned in 1984 until ending its run in 1986. The show was revived in 2009 with Wayne Brady as host, and continues to air as part of the CBS daytime lineup.
“Let’s Make a Deal” also made Hall a household name, and led to a number of guest-starring appearances on such TV series as “That Girl”, “Love, American Style”, “The Love Boat”, “The Nanny” and “That ’70s Show”.
While “Let’s Make a Deal” was Hall’s greatest success, he also hosted the short-lived game shows “Split Second” and “It’s Anybody’s Guess”, and served as executive producer on game shows including “Masquerade Party”, “Chain Letter” and “Talking Pictures”. Hall was also exec producer on sitcom “The McLean Stevenson Show”, which lasted just three episodes.
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Hall is the winner of a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Host, which he won in 1972, in addition to a Lifetime Achievement Daytime Emmy, awarded in 2013.
Hall will also be remembered for his philanthropy, particularly when it came to raising money for children’s charities, and served for many years as host of the annual Variety Club Telethon.
In Hall’s final interview, with the National Enquirer earlier this month — it was revealed that the big-hearted star raised more than $500 million for charity during his lifetime.
“I am thankful for the miracles that have happened to me,” said Hall. “So, I was happy to help sick children and the elderly.”
Hall was awarded three honourary doctorates, was inducted into the Order of Canada and the Order of Manitoba, and has stars on both the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Canada’s Walk of Fame in Toronto. Hall was inducted into American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in 2007, and there is also a street in his hometown of Winnipeg that bears his name, Monty Hall Drive.
In addition, Hall is also the only TV game show host to have a math problem named after him: the “Monty Hall Problem”, which involves determining the probabilities of correctly choosing what’s behind one of three different doors.
Check out the late game show icon in action in this vintage clip of “Let’s Make a Deal”:
Hall also shared the stage with successor Wayne Brady when he returned to “Let’s Make a Deal” in 2010. Watch:
Following news of Hall’s passing, an fans of the game show giant took to social media to share their condolences, including Hall’s fellow Canadian William Shatner and Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman:
