Allen Funt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Allen Funt
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Funt in 1972
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Allen Albert Funt
September 16, 1914 New York City, U.S.
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| Died | September 5, 1999 (aged 84) Pebble Beach, California, U.S.
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| Occupation | Producer, director, writer |
| Years active | 1948–1993 |
| Spouse(s) | Evelyn Michal (m. 1946–64) Marilyn Laron (m. 1964–78) |
| Children | 5, including Peter |
Allen Albert Funt (born September 16, 1914 – died September 5, 1999) was an American television producer, director, writer, and television personality. He is best known for creating and hosting Candid Camera. This popular show ran from the 1940s to the 1980s. It appeared as a regular TV show or as special episodes. Its most famous run was from 1960 to 1967 on CBS.
Contents
Early Life and School
Allen Funt was born in New York City, New York. His family was Jewish. His father, Isidore Funt, was a diamond seller. His mother was Paula Saferstein Funt.
Allen finished high school when he was 15 years old. He was too young for college right away. So, he studied at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. Later, he earned a degree in fine arts from Cornell University. He also studied business at Columbia University. Then he went back to Pratt for more art classes.
His Career
Radio and Television Work
Allen Funt first trained in commercial art. He worked in the art department of an advertising agency. But he soon moved to their radio department. For radio, he wrote for a show called Truth or Consequences. He also helped US First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt with her radio talks.
During World War II, Funt joined the military. He was part of the Army Signal Corps in Oklahoma. There, he made radio shows. He started his famous program on ABC Radio. It was called The Candid Microphone. It began on June 28, 1947. The show later came back on CBS in 1950.
Funt then tried making a visual version of his show. He made short films called Candid Microphone. These films led him to television in 1948. The TV show, Candid Camera, was shown on all three major TV networks. It also ran in syndication. Allen Funt hosted it until he became ill in 1993. His son, Peter Funt, later took over as host.
In 1964, Funt appeared as himself on a TV show. It was a comedy called The New Phil Silvers Show.
Film Work
In the 1970s, Funt made a documentary film. It was based on his hidden camera idea. The movie was called Money Talks (1972).
Other Interests
Allen Funt gave his recordings and films to Cornell University. He also started a special program at Syracuse University. This program helped Black students study radio and television. It aimed to bring more diverse people into broadcasting.
He also created a foundation. This group used laughter therapy to help sick patients. They provided videos of Candid Camera episodes. Funt also taught psychology at Monterey Peninsula College.
Personal Life
In 1946, Allen Funt married Evelyn Michal. They had three children: Peter, Patricia, and John. He later married Marilyn Laron. They had two children, Juliet and William. Allen Funt had seven grandchildren.
Funt collected art by a painter named Lawrence Alma-Tadema. He even arranged an exhibition of these paintings. This made the art collection much more valuable. Funt later sold them for a good profit.
Allen Funt lived in Croton-on-Hudson, New York. His home was called White Gates. He sold it to opera singer Jessye Norman in the early 1990s. In the 1970s, Funt bought a large ranch near Carmel. There, he raised Hereford cattle and quarter horses. He later bought another ranch nearby. Both ranches were eventually bought by The Trust for Public Land. This group planned to give the land to the US Forest Service.
Allen Funt became ill in 1993. He passed away in 1999 in Pebble Beach, California. This was 11 days before his 85th birthday. His son, Peter Funt, continued to host Candid Camera.
