Biography

Jan Murray

Jump to

Overview

Born
October 4, 1916 · New York City, New York, USA
Died
July 2, 2006 · Beverly Hills, California, USA (undisclosed)
Birth name
Murray Janofsky
Height
6′ (1.83 m)

Mini bio

First and foremost a stand-up comedian, this top banana of the "Borscht Belt" circuit relied on amiable Jewish ethnic humor for longtime career sustenance. He also relied on his multi-talented gifts as an actor, master of ceremonies, game show host and raconteur.

Gravel-toned Jan Murray was born in 1917 as Murray Janofsky in New York City and got his very first booking in 1933 at the Bronx Opera House. He developed a name for himself in the Catskills while entertaining WWII USO troops. In post-war years it was more vaudeville houses and top niteries until he became a standard Vegas marquee headliner. He broke into TV in the early 1950s via the game show hosting circuit (the first comedian to do so) and became a much-sought-after emcee throughout that decade. Fronting such programs as Sing It Again (1950), Dollar a Second (1953), and especially Treasure Hunt (1956), he paved the way for other comedians in finding alternate and successful avenues to find new audiences. He could also be counted on for his quicksilver storytelling on TV variety and talks shows, and was a guest host on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) and The Mike Douglas Show (1961).

Murray moved to Los Angeles in 1965 to ignite an acting career, finding a number of parts over the years. Besides The Lucy Show (1962) and Car 54, Where Are You? (1961), he provided occasional dramatic appearances as well in Dr. Kildare (1961) and Mannix (1967). Film roles were few and far between, adding to the fun in such slapstick as The Busy Body (1967), backing up friend Sid Caesar, and in Which Way to the Front? (1970) (a Jerry Lewis vehicle). His most offbeat film roles included the grim, obsessed detective who specializes in sex crimes and searches for Juliet Prowse's stalker in the lurid thriller Who Killed Teddy Bear (1965), and playing a grizzled riverboat captain in Tarzan and the Great River (1967).

In later years, he became a mainstay celebrity roaster. Out of the limelight for some time, Murray's health began to rapidly deteriorate in the last several years. He died of complications from pneumonia and emphysema at the age of 89 on July 2, 2006. He was survived by his wife of 57 years, Kathleen "Toni" Mann, and their three children (Warren, Celia, and Howard Murray) as well as a child (Diane Moore) by his first marriage, to Pearl Cohen. He was also survived by eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
- IMDb mini biography by: Gary Brumburgh / gr-home@pacbell.net

Family

Spouses
Children
Relatives

Trivia

Was entertaining with the USO in England in 1944 and planning a visit with his brother who was the co-pilot of a B-17 with the 412th Squadron, 95th Bomb Group. Meantime, his brother, David Janofsky, went on a mission and was shot down and lost in the icy sea off Denmark.
The first established comedian to ever host a TV game show.
Headlined the Flamingo Hotel the first year it opened in Las Vegas.
Wife, Kathleen "Toni" Mann, was a one-time Copacabana girl.
Was inspired to become a performer when he memorized vaudeville comedy acts to perform for his ailing, bedridden mother Celia (she died at age 42). He then honed his performing skills at Catskills resorts that catered to Jewish vacationers.