Allen Funt
Allen Funt | |
---|---|
Born | Allen Albert Funt September 16, 1914 New York City, U.S. |
Died | September 5, 1999 Pebble Beach, California, U.S. | (aged 84)
Occupation(s) | Producer, director, writer |
Years active | 1948–1993 |
Spouse(s) | Evelyn Michal (m. 1946–64) Marilyn Laron (m. 1964–78) |
Children | 5, including Peter |
Allen Albert Funt (September 16, 1914 – September 5, 1999) was an American
Early life and education
Funt was born into a Jewish family in New York City, New York. His father Isidore Funt was a diamond wholesaler,[1] and his mother was Paula Saferstein Funt.
Allen graduated from high school at age 15.[1] Too young to attend college on his own,[2] he studied at Pratt Institute (also located in Brooklyn).[3] He later earned a bachelor's degree in fine arts from Cornell University, studied business administration at Columbia University, then returned to Pratt for additional art instruction.[2][3]
Career
Radio and television
Trained in
Drafted into the military during
In 1964, Funt appeared as himself in an episode of the
Films
During the 1970s, Funt made two documentary films based on the hidden camera theme: the X-rated What Do You Say to a Naked Lady? (1970) and Money Talks (1972).[1] In the 1980s, Funt produced a series of adult-oriented videos called Candid Candid Camera.
Other pursuits
Funt donated his recordings and films to his alma mater Cornell University and established a fellowship at Syracuse University for postgraduate studies in radio and television[1] "aimed at providing the broadcast industry with qualified black personnel."[2]
He established a foundation which used
Personal life
In 1946, Funt married Evelyn Michal (1920–2014) with whom he had three children, Peter,[6] Patricia and John. In 1964 the couple was divorced and the same year Funt married Marilyn Laron, from whom he was divorced in 1978. The couple had two children, Juliet and William. Funt had seven grandchildren.
On February 3, 1969, Funt, his wife, and his two youngest children boarded
Funt amassed a collection of works by the Victorian painter Lawrence Alma-Tadema and engineered an exhibition of them at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (bypassing the wishes of then director Thomas Hoving). The collection's value skyrocketed as a result, and Funt sold them at a handsome profit.
Funt resided in
After a stroke in 1993,[6] he became incapacitated and died in 1999 in Pebble Beach, California,[1] 11 days before his 85th birthday. Candid Camera continued with his son, Peter Funt, as host.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Vallance, Tom (September 8, 1999). "Obituary: Allen Funt". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2010-10-05. Retrieved March 17, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e "Allen Funt 1914–1999". candidcamera.com. Archived from the original on July 2, 2007. Retrieved July 11, 2007.
- ^ a b c "Candid Microphone". modestoradiomuseum.org. Archived from the original on February 10, 2017. Retrieved March 17, 2017.
- ^ a b "Smile My Ass". RadioLab.org. WNYC. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
- ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3. Retrieved 2019-11-11.
- ^ a b c d e f McCabe, Michael (March 25, 2001). "Land Trust Saves Big Sur Ranch / Developer pockets $24 million after one-year ownership". SFGate.com. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved March 17, 2017.
- ^ Classic TV Archive The New Phil Silvers Show (1963-64)
- ^ a b "You're NOT on 'Candid Camera': Allen Funt was on hijacked flight, passengers took it for a prank". DangerousMinds.net. October 1, 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-10-01.
Further reading
- Alma-Tadema (Catalogue of the Funt Collection) compiled by Russell Ash, Sotheby's Belgravia, 1973
External links
- Allen Funt at IMDb