Earl Wilson (columnist)
Earl Wilson | |
---|---|
Born | Harvey Earl Wilson May 3, 1907 Rockford, Ohio, U.S. |
Died | January 16, 1987 Yonkers, New York, U.S. | (aged 79)
Occupation(s) | Journalist and author |
Harvey Earl Wilson (May 3, 1907 – January 16, 1987) was an American journalist,
Early life and career
Wilson was born in
In 1935, Wilson began work for
Their only child, Earl Wilson Jr., was born on December 1, 1942. His column, which he took over from a writer who went off to war in 1942, was originally considered "filler". It eventually ran until 1983. As the column grew in popularity and importance, Wilson worked 18-hour days, typically arising in the late morning, telephoning news sources, and taking reports from several assistants. In the evenings he would set out for dinner at
Broadway coverage
By the early 1950s, the Broadway gossip columns had become an important media outlet; columnists exercised a great deal of power in providing publicity for the celebrities of the day. But, whereas gossip columnists as a group were not held in high regard, Wilson had the reputation of being different: he was a trained journalist who double-checked facts, he was much influenced by his Mid-western upbringing and avoided innuendo and sensationalism, and he sought to cover his stories as real news items. With a reputation for being fair and honest, Wilson was trusted so much that celebrities willingly gave him their stories.
His chronicling of the
Wilson is also the author of three books, Show Business Laid Bare,[2] and an unauthorized biography of Frank Sinatra, Sinatra: An Unauthorized Biography.[3] The former book is notable for revealing the extramarital affairs of President John F. Kennedy; Also, "I Am Gazing Into My 8 Ball", a collection of his NY Post columns "It Happened Last Night" which ran for 41 years, from 1942 to 1983. (1948, Pocket Books.)
Appearances on television and in films
In the early 1950s, Wilson was an occasional panelist on the NBC game show Who Said That?
On January 19, 1952, Wilson guest-starred on the CBS live variety show Faye Emerson's Wonderful Town, in which hostess Faye Emerson visited Columbus to accent the kinds of music popular in the Ohio capital city.[4]
Wilson appeared in a few films as himself, notably Copacabana (1947) with Groucho Marx and Carmen Miranda, A Face in the Crowd (1957) with Andy Griffith, College Confidential (1960), Beach Blanket Bingo (1965) with Buster Keaton, Paul Lynde and Don Rickles, and Where Were You When the Lights Went Out? (1968) with Doris Day. Wilson also hosted the DuMont TV show Stage Entrance from May 1951 to March 1952.
Death
Wilson, at age 79, died at St. Joseph's Hospital in Yonkers, New York on January 16, 1987. Having battled Parkinson's disease for several years, he suffered a stroke approximately six days earlier.[5]
He was survived by his only child, Earl Wilson Jr., a songwriter for the musical theatre. Wilson Sr.'s wife, Rosemary, predeceased him February 23, 1986.[6]
Legacy
- Ed Sullivan dedicated Ed Sullivan Showto Johnny Carson, Randy Paar and Earl Wilson.
- Wilson was portrayed by Christian McKay in the 2016 film Florence Foster Jenkins.
References
- Notes
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-02-28.
- ISBN 978-0-399-11276-8.
- ISBN 978-0-451-07487-4.
- ^ Faye Emerson's Wonderful Town. Classic Television Archives. Retrieved February 26, 2012.
- ^ "Earl Wilson Dies; His Column Took N.Y Night Life to Millions". Los Angeles Times. January 17, 1987. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
- ^ "Mrs. Earl Wilson". The New York Times. February 26, 1986. p. B9. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
- Bibliography
- Riley, Sam G. Biographical Dictionary of American Newspaper Columnists. Westport, CT, Greenwood Press, 1995.
- "Jack Kennedy's Other Women." Time, Dec. 29, 1975
External links
- Earl Wilson at IMDb
- Actors Cabaret of Eugene News - about Earl Wilson Jr., with some information on Earl Wilson
- Creative Quotations from Earl Wilson
- Obituary in The New York Times, January 17, 1987.
- Obituary in The New York Times of his wife, Rosemary (published February 26, 1986); the "B.W." (Beautiful Wife) he referred to in his columns