Henry Morgan
RETURN TO INDEX
Born Name:
Henry Lerner von Ost Jr.
Born Date: March 31, 1915
Born Place: New York City
Died Date: May 19, 1994
Died Place: Manhattan, New York City
Occupations: Humorist, comedian, game show panelist
Brief Biography: Henry Morgan is remembered best on television, where he was a regular and cantankerous panelist for the game show I’ve Got a Secret.
Career Overview:
He became a prominent figure in 20th-century media:
Radio Era: He gained fame in the 1930s and 1940s as a sharp, self-deprecating satirist.
Television Era: He was a longtime, cantankerous panelist on the popular game show I've Got a Secret.
Morgan was also a popular actor in summer stock, in such plays as The Man Who Came to Dinner and The Teahouse of the August Moon. In 1948 he starred in his first movie, So This Is New York.
Confusion: Because they shared similar names and were born just 10 days apart, he was frequently confused with actor Harry Morgan (Colonel Potter on MASH*), who initially worked under the name "Henry Morgan" before switching to "Harry" to avoid overlap.
He was the first cousin of famed Broadway lyricist Alan Jay Lerner.
The Moniker: Radio executives forced him to change his name to "Henry Morgan" because they believed "von Ost" was too exotic and difficult for audiences to pronounce. For his last two years of high school, his mother sent him to Harrisburg Academy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Upon his graduation in 1931, he went to work as a page at radio station WMCA in New York. After two years, he was given an announcing job, but shortly thereafter he was fired for insubordination, a theme that would recur in his career.
Born Date: March 31, 1915
Born Place: New York City
Died Date: May 19, 1994
Died Place: Manhattan, New York City
Occupations: Humorist, comedian, game show panelist
Brief Biography: Henry Morgan is remembered best on television, where he was a regular and cantankerous panelist for the game show I’ve Got a Secret.
Career Overview:
He became a prominent figure in 20th-century media:
Radio Era: He gained fame in the 1930s and 1940s as a sharp, self-deprecating satirist.
Television Era: He was a longtime, cantankerous panelist on the popular game show I've Got a Secret.
Morgan was also a popular actor in summer stock, in such plays as The Man Who Came to Dinner and The Teahouse of the August Moon. In 1948 he starred in his first movie, So This Is New York.
Confusion: Because they shared similar names and were born just 10 days apart, he was frequently confused with actor Harry Morgan (Colonel Potter on MASH*), who initially worked under the name "Henry Morgan" before switching to "Harry" to avoid overlap.
He was the first cousin of famed Broadway lyricist Alan Jay Lerner.
The Moniker: Radio executives forced him to change his name to "Henry Morgan" because they believed "von Ost" was too exotic and difficult for audiences to pronounce. For his last two years of high school, his mother sent him to Harrisburg Academy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Upon his graduation in 1931, he went to work as a page at radio station WMCA in New York. After two years, he was given an announcing job, but shortly thereafter he was fired for insubordination, a theme that would recur in his career.