In Memory of Monty Hall (1921-2017)

Monty Hall died yesterday afternoon from heart failure in his home in Beverly Hills, CA at the age of 96, according to his daughter Joanna Gleason.

There are simply not enough words to describe how incredible Monte Halparin – or Monty Hall, as we all know him by his stage name – was as an emcee. The Canadian-born television personality is best known as the master improviser, persuader, negotiator and slick-talking dealmaker on Let’s Make A Deal. He was as clever and witty as they came and exuded raw talent and the natural ability to host any show anytime he graced the stage.

Throughout his illustrious broadcasting career, Hall has hosted several television and radio programs in Canada and in the U.S., including Who Am I? in Toronto on CFRB during the 1950s, Video Village and Video Village Junior on CBS during the early 1960s, and The All-New Beat The Clock in 1979. He even briefly served as a radio analyst for the New York Rangers of the NHL during the 1959-60 season. A little later in his career, Hall partnered with writer/producer Stefan Hatos in 1963 to developed several game shows for the next few decades, including Chain Letter (1966), Split Second (1972), Three For The Money (1975), It’s Anybody’s Guess (1977), It Pays To Be Ignorant (1973) and Masquerade Party (1952). The 1986 revival of Split Second, hosted by Hall, was the final show produced under the Hatos-Hall company name.

The duo’s most successful creation was inarguably Let’s Make A Deal. LMAD began its initial run in 1963 on NBC until 1977. During that time, the show aired in syndicated and was a part of NBC’s and ABC’s daytime and primetime schedules. LMAD has been revived several times in 1980 in syndication, 1984 in syndication under (The All-New Let’s Make A Deal), 1990 on NBC daytime, 2003 on NBC primetime, and currently on CBS daytime, where he served as a creative consultant. Hall’s most famous and longest-lasting game show has been referenced several times in American society and pop culture from the revival of a baffling probability puzzle renamed “Monty Hall problem”, brilliantly explained by the host himself in a 1991 New York Times interview, to episodes of various television programs including The Odd Couple.

Hall received numerous major accolades tracing back to 1973 when the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce engraved his name in the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He is one of three game show hosts (Alex Trebek, Howie Mandel) to be honored on Hollywood’s and Canada’s Walks of Fame. He was recognized by the Government of Canada in 1988 for his humanitarian work in numerous countries including Canada and was given the Order of Canada. Hall was awarded the 2005 Ralph Edwards Service Award from Game Show Congress for his charity work, inducted into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in Las Vegas in 2007 and honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2013 Daytime Emmy Awards.

Monty Hall was one of the best game show hosts in the industry and he will truly be missed by many family members, close friends, colleagues and home viewers. Take a look at some of game show featuring Hall and some of his most memorable moments in the videos below.