Art Linkletter 1912-2010
Art Linkletter, 97, died at his home in Bel-Air, California on May 26, 2010. He was a popular radio and television personality who hosted two long running shows: House Party spanned 25 years, and People Are Funny was broadcast for 19 years.
The talented and good-natured host was most famous for interviewing children. He started that practice on House Party and later on a spin-off show Kids Say the Darndest Things. He chronicled the humorous responses he received from his young guests, and eventually published a series of books by the same title.
Linkletter loved to get the youngsters on his show to reveal secrets from home. He would ask them: “What did your mother tell you not to talk about on the show today?” Their responses were usually hilarious.
He endorsed and became a spokesman for Milton Bradley’s Game of Life in 1963. His picture appears on the front of the game box with the following statement: “I Heartily Endorse This Game”. His likeness also appeared on the face of the $100,000 bills featured in the game.
Art, a close personal friend of the late Walt Disney, was named a Disney legend in 2005.
He is survived by his wife of 74 years, Lois Foerster. They had five children: Jack, Dawn, Robert, Sharon, and Diane. Three of them are deceased, Diane committed suicide in 1969, Robert died in a car crash in 1980, and Jack, a game show host, died of lymphoma at age 70 in 2007.
Linkletter will be buried in Forest Lawn-Hollywood Hills Cemetery.
More photos and an interesting legacy video on the history of Linkletter below:
Photos: Nikki Nelson – WENN