Movies

Wink Martindale, the king of the television game show, dies at 91

BBG News

As a devoted cinephile, I’m sad to share the news that Wink Martindale, the undisputed ruler of television game shows, who captivated audiences with his charm on “Tic-Tac-Dough,” “Gambit,” “High Rollers,” and countless other programs that turned into cherished living room fixtures in homes across America, passed away on Tuesday in Rancho Mirage. He was 91 years old.

Legendary Los Angeles radio personality Martindale, who achieved an unforeseen success in the music industry with a hit record in the late ’50s, passed away, surrounded by his beloved family and his wife of 49 years, Sandra Martindale, as stated in a press release from his public relations team.

Over the span of a lengthy broadcasting career, Martindale often fielded questions about the origin of his unique given name.

In a conversation, it was revealed that one of his buddies from Jackson, Tennessee had difficulty pronouncing his full name, Winston, and instead called him “Winkie.” This nickname, later shortened to just ‘Wink’ when he entered the radio industry, became his common name. However, there was one instance where this nickname didn’t stick.

Following Martindale’s debut as host of his first national TV game show in 1964, the head of NBC daytime programming deemed the name “Wink” to be too childish. Consequently, for its close-to-one-year broadcast, the show titled “What’s This Song?” was hosted by Win Martindale instead.

Not that he particularly minded having the “k” dropped from Wink.

He stated in a 2017 interview with the Television Academy Foundation that he genuinely appreciated those checks from NBC. He’s open to any nicknames they might come up with: Winkie-dinkie-doo, the Title-Master, the Man-with-the-Wink, you name it.

Television

Wink Martindale gets back in the game with new show

Before becoming a national TV sensation with “What’s This Song?”, the charming and well-groomed television presenter, known for his radiant smile and immaculate hairdo, had previously hosted two local game shows in Los Angeles.

For years, I’ve been a significant figure in the world of game shows. As per my own website, over two decades, I’ve had the privilege of either hosting or producing 21 exciting game shows. Among these are “Words and Music,” “Trivial Pursuit,” “The Last Word,” and “Debt.” It’s been an incredible journey!

In a 1996 interview with the New York Daily News, he admitted, “I have a lot of shows. It could mean that everyone wants me on their program, or it might be that I can’t keep a job for long.

Martindale garnered fame primarily for presenting “Tic-Tac-Dough,” a reboot of a popular series from the late 1950s, which ran on CBS for just under two months in 1978. However, it stayed on air until 1986 through syndication.

Unlike traditional tic-tac-toe, where two players aim to make three consecutive marks (X or O) across a 3×3 grid, “Tic-Tac-Dough” presented a unique twist. Instead of filling boxes with Xs and Os, contestants selected subject categories in each box. The subjects ranged from geography to song titles, and correctly answering a question within the chosen category would place an X or O in that box.

In 1980, the game show “Tic-Tac-Dough” reached its peak ratings during Lt. Thom McKee’s 88-game, 46-show winning streak. This handsome young Navy fighter pilot amassed a total of $312,700 in cash and prizes, earning him a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Martindale stated during his Television Academy Foundation interview that the ratings had never been as high before he joined us, and they had never been as high again since he left.

From his perspective, the straightforward nature of gameshows like “Tic-Tac-Dough” and others is a key reason for their enduring appeal.

Music

1959 saw a radio DJ from Memphis take a new position at a station in Los Angeles, believing he’d committed an unfortunate error.

He mentioned that people tend to prefer familiar games at home. They find comfort in thinking, “I might have been able to make that move; I could play this game.” When someone expresses this sentiment, whether it’s a viewer or an audience member, they are engaged and hooked by the game.

In 1984, a year prior to its broadcast ending, Martindale decided to depart from “Tic-Tac-Dough” and instead began hosting a program he himself developed. Unfortunately, this new show named “Headline Chasers” only managed to run for fewer than twelve months.

As Martindale told The Times in 2010, “There have been a lot of bombs between the hits.”

Winston Conrad Martindale entered the world on December 4, 1933, in Jackson, Tennessee. He was part of a family of five, with his father working as a lumber inspector and his mother tending to their home.

As a child, Martindale developed a fondness for the popular radio shows of the time and nurtured the dream of becoming a radio host. He would often save ads from Life magazine and, in the privacy of his bedroom, he’d practice delivering commercials as if he were broadcasting on the radio.

After consistently pursuing the radio station manager in Jackson for a position, it finally paid off for Martindale when he was given an audition just two months after completing high school in 1951.

When he was 17 years old, the man who used to work as a soda clerk in a drugstore started working at radio station WPLI, earning $25 per week during his 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. shift.

Before achieving my dream role, I honed my skills at two escalating local radio stations. In 1953, I was given the opportunity to host the beloved morning show “Clockwatchers” at WHBQ Radio in Memphis, Tennessee – a position that felt like the pinnacle of my career aspirations.

For Martindale, working at WHBQ was a matter of being in the right place at the right time.

California

Legendary game show host Chuck Woolery, initially known for hosting ‘Wheel of Fortune’, and subsequently a common figure in conservative media outlets, passed away peacefully at his residence in Texas.

On a summer night in July 1954, as he later reminisced, he was giving a tour of the station when a well-known DJ named Dewey Phillips played a demonstration record of a newly recorded song that had been gifted to him by Sam Phillips (not related), the creator of Sun Records in Memphis.

Back then, the tune that echoed was “That’s All Right,” and the man behind the melody was none other than Elvis Presley, a vibrant young truck driver from Memphis who worked for an electrical company.

In an interview with The Times in 2010, Martindale stated, “Dewey placed it on the record player, and the phone started ringing non-stop. He repeated that track numerous times.

Due to the song’s immense enthusiasm, there was a request made to Elvis Presley’s residence for him to appear on live radio for an interview. Unfortunately, he wasn’t at home at the time. His parents, Gladys and Vernon, promptly took him from a nearby movie theater (where he was watching a western) to the radio station for his debut interview.

Martindale stated, “That marked the start of Presley madness.” He considers it the moment when the trajectory of popular music shifted drastically and irrevocably from that point onward.

Following WHBQ’s debut of a television station in Memphis in 1953, Martindale expanded into television, initially hosting a daily half-hour children’s show titled “Wink Martindale and the Mars Patrol.” During this live program, Martindale, dressed in costume, would interact with around six children within a makeshift spaceship set. The show would then transition to segments of old Flash Gordon movie serials lasting approximately five or six minutes.

Subsequently, inspired by the local success of Dick Clark’s “Bandstand” in Philadelphia, Martindale started co-hosting WHBQ-TV’s dance party show titled “Top 10 Dance Party.”

Following the popularity of Dick Clark’s teenage dance show “Bandstand” in Philadelphia, Martindale joined forces to host WHBQ-TV’s “Top 10 Dance Party.”

Or simply:

Inspired by the success of Dick Clark’s local teenage dance show “Bandstand,” Martindale began co-hosting WHBQ-TV’s “Top 10 Dance Party.

In June 1956, he managed a significant achievement when he successfully booked Elvis, who was already a sensational figure in the entertainment industry, for a performance and interview on his live program – all without charging him.

Colonel Tom Parker, who managed Presley, refused to talk to me afterward since he insisted on being compensated for everything. We didn’t have a budget, and they barely paid me, as you can imagine, Martindale said to The Times in 2010.

Television

The popular TV host Peter Marshall, best known for his long tenure on the game show “Hollywood Squares,” passed away at the age of 98. His conversational manner had been a key aspect of the show.

Due to the strong local appeal of Martindale’s “Top 10 Dance Party,” a small record label based in Memphis, OJ Records, decided to offer him a recording contract.

Playing “Thought It was Moonlove” resulted in him being signed by Dot Records, where he continued to record until the 1960s.

In the 1958 film “Let’s Rock!”, Martindale, who possessed an agreeable yet unremarkable singing talent, took on a dual role as both the host and singer. He performed the somewhat rock-infused tune titled “All Love Broke Loose” in this low-budget production.

During his time in Memphis, working with radio and television, Martindale completed his education at the university that is now known as the University of Memphis, specializing in speech and drama.

In 1959, he moved to L.A. to become the morning DJ on radio station KHJ.

In that very year, he achieved unexpected success in “Deck of Cards,” which peaked at positions 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and 11 on its Hot Country Songs chart. Notably, Martindale, having earned a gold record for the performance, showcased this piece on Ed Sullivan’s widely-acclaimed Sunday night variety program.

During the year 1959, while employed at KHJ Radio, he initiated his hosting duties for “The Wink Martindale Dance Party” on KHJ-TV every Saturday. This highly acclaimed show was transmitted from a studio initially but soon expanded its broadcast to weekdays, with live transmissions happening from Pacific Ocean Park in Santa Monica.

For several years, alongside KHJ, Martindale also worked at various Los Angeles radio stations such as KRLA, KFWB, KMPC, and KGIL.

In the year 2006, he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The following year, he was among the inaugural inductees into the American Television Game Show Hall of Fame, located in Las Vegas.

In his Television Academy Foundation interview, he expressed his longstanding affection for games. As he immersed himself in the gaming world, it felt effortless for him to transition from one game to another. He never dismissed the notion of being labeled a game show host, as most individuals appreciate games.

Martindale leaves behind his spouse Sandra, his sister Geraldine, as well as his daughters Lisa, Lyn, and Laura. Additionally, he has numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren who were also fond of him.

McLellan is a former Times staff writer.

Read More

2025-04-16 02:01

Previous post Benidorm boss confirms ITV comeback talks 7 years after show axe
Next post MAFS Star Unrecognizable in Bodybuilding Throwbacks: Can You Guess Who?