Jack Narz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jack Narz
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Narz in 1960
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| Born |
John Lawrence Narz Jr.
November 13, 1922 |
| Died | October 15, 2008 (aged 85) |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1949–1987 |
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Notable credit(s)
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Now You See It Concentration Beat the Clock Dotto Seven Keys Video Village |
| Spouse(s) |
Mary Lou Roemheld
(m. 1947; div. 1961)Barbara Bricker
(m. 1964; div. 1966)Dolores Vaichsner
(m. 1969) |
| Children | John, Michael, Karen, David |
| Relatives | Tom Kennedy (brother) |
John Lawrence Narz Jr. (born November 13, 1922 – died October 15, 2008) was a well-known American TV host, radio personality, and singer. He was famous for hosting many popular game shows.
Contents
Early Life and Military Service
Jack Narz was born in Louisville, Kentucky. His parents were John and Ado Narz. He had a sister named Mary and a younger brother, James Edward. James later became a famous TV host too, known as Tom Kennedy.
During World War II, Jack Narz served as a brave military fighter pilot. He flew many missions in the China-Burma area. For his courage, he received a special award called the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Jack Narz's Career in Entertainment
After his time in the military, Jack Narz studied broadcasting. He earned his diploma in 1947 from the Don Martin School of Radio Arts in Hollywood.
Starting in Radio
Jack Narz began his career working at several radio stations in California. He was an announcer, which means he introduced shows and read commercials. Some of the stations he worked at included KXO-AM and KLAC-AM.
Moving to Television
Jack Narz soon moved from radio to television. He started by doing voice-overs and commercials.
Voice-over Work
One of his first TV jobs was doing commercials for a men's clothing store. He also did voice-over work for the TV show Adventures of Superman. A voice-over is when someone speaks off-screen, like a narrator.
He also worked as an announcer for Space Patrol. This was a science-fiction show for children in the 1950s.
In 1952, Jack Narz became the on-camera announcer for Life with Elizabeth. This popular comedy show starred Betty White. He even returned for a special show in 1998 to celebrate the TV station's anniversary.
In 1955, he was the announcer and sidekick for bandleader Bob Crosby on The Bob Crosby Show. He also announced for the game show Place the Face.
Hosting Game Shows
Jack Narz became very famous for hosting game shows. In 1958, he started hosting his own show called Dotto. It quickly became very popular.
Dotto was later part of some problems with game shows in the 1950s. The show was stopped quickly because of these issues. However, Jack Narz was found to be completely innocent and not involved in any wrongdoing.
After Dotto, Jack Narz hosted Top Dollar. He also filled in as a guest host for a month on The Price Is Right in 1960. Later that year, he hosted Video Village.
He then moved back to Los Angeles. There, he hosted Seven Keys from 1961 to 1964. He also hosted I'll Bet.
In 1969, Jack Narz began working with a company called Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions. He hosted the revived version of Beat the Clock until 1972.
From 1973 to 1978, he hosted Concentration. This was his longest time as a game show host. He also hosted Now You See It from 1974 to 1975.
In 1979, Jack Narz was an announcer and producer for a new version of Beat the Clock. His last game show was You've Got to Be Kidding in 1987.
Working with His Brother
Jack Narz and his brother Tom Kennedy were both successful TV hosts. They sometimes appeared on shows together.
Tom Kennedy was a guest on Jack's Beat the Clock. Jack Narz also appeared on Tom's shows like You Don't Say! and It's Your Bet. They even appeared as celebrity guests on To Tell the Truth.
Singing Career
Besides hosting, Jack Narz also sang sometimes on The Bob Crosby Show. He even recorded his own music album in 1959. It was called Sing the Folk Hits With Jack Narz.
Jack Narz's Family Life
Jack Narz was married three times. His first wife was Mary Lou Roemheld. They had three sons named John, Michael, and David, and a daughter named Karen. They divorced in 1961.
In 1964, he married Barbara Bricker, but they divorced in 1966.
In 1969, he married Dolores "Doe" Vaichsner. They were married for 39 years until his death.
Later Years and Passing
Jack Narz passed away on October 15, 2008, at the age of 85. He died in Beverly Hills, California, after having some health problems.
See also
- List of people from the Louisville metropolitan area
