Editing Hal March

{{short description|American actor, comedian and game show host (1920-1970)}}
{{More citations needed|date=June 2017}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Hal March
| image              = HalmarchBW.jpg
| caption            = 
| birth_name         = Harold Mendelson
| birth_date         = {{birth date|1920|4|22|mf=y}}
| birth_place        = 
| death_date         = {{death date and age|1970|1|19|1920|4|22}}
| death_place        = [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], U.S.
| occupation         = {{flatlist|
* Actor
* comedian
* television host}}
| yearsactive        = 1944–1969
| spouse             = {{marriage|[[Candy Toxton]]|1956}}
| children           = 3
| relatives          = [[Hunter March]] 
(grandson)
}}

'''Hal March''' (born '''Harold Mendelson''';<ref>{{cite book| first=David| last=Baber| title=Television Game Show Hosts: Biographies of 32 Stars| date=June 14, 2015| publisher=[[McFarland & Company|McFarland]]| isbn=978-1-4766-0480-0| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VbrwCQAAQBAJ&q=Harold+Mendelson+hal+march&pg=PA159| access-date=June 24, 2017}}</ref> April 22, 1920 – January 19, 1970) was an American comedian, actor, and television quiz show [[Master of ceremonies|emcee]].

==Early career==
March entered show business as a straight man in the vaudeville act the Hollywood Rioteers, before serving in the U.S. Army beginning in 1941.<ref name=NYT /> He began his career in broadcasting as an announcer at Station KYA in San Francisco.<ref name=Broadcasting>{{cite news| last=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->| first =<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->| date =January 26, 1970| title =Deaths| newspaper=Broadcasting| page=94| url=<!--None.-->| access-date=<!--None.-->}}</ref> From 1944 through 1948 he teamed with comedy partner [[Bob Sweeney (actor and director)|Bob Sweeney]] in ''The Bob Sweeney-Hal March Show'' on [[CBS Radio]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Anderson |first1=Nancy |title=Funnyman Sweeney now producer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/49316209/bob-sweeney/ |accessdate=April 22, 2020 |newspaper=[[The Cincinnati Enquirer]] |agency=Copley News Service |date=August 28, 1977 |page=11 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> He also appeared in ''[[The Adventures of Sam Spade]]'', which ran on CBS 1946–1949.<ref name=Broadcasting/>

March co-starred as Harry Morton on ''[[The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show]]'' on the [[NBC]] and [[CBS]] radio networks from the mid-1940s until 1950. When the show switched to television that year, he continued in the role until the middle of the season, in 1951. During the next few seasons, he appeared occasionally in various guest roles on the show.

March and [[Mary Jane Croft]] co-starred in ''Too Many Cooks'', a summer replacement program on CBS radio in 1950. The comedy centered on Douglas and Carrie Cook and their 10 children.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Crosby |first1=John |title=Radio in Review |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2060440/mj_croft_too_many_cooks/ |newspaper=The Evening Review |location=East Liverpool, Ohio |date=August 14, 1950 |page=10 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=March 24, 2015}}</ref>

He went on to appear on such shows as ''[[Imogene Coca|The Imogene Coca Show]]'', ''[[I Love Lucy]]'', and ''[[Willy (TV series)|Willy]]''. In the summer of 1955, March joined [[John Dehner]] and Tom D'Andrea in the 11-episode NBC summer series, ''[[The Soldiers (American TV series)|The Soldiers]]'', a military comedy produced and directed by [[Bud Yorkin]].{{Citation needed |date=October 2020}} D'Andrea temporarily left the [[William Bendix]] sitcom ''[[The Life of Riley]]'' for this chance at his own series.{{Citation needed |date=October 2020}}

He was the Mystery Guest on the October 9, 1955 episode of ''[[What's My Line?]]'' He was guessed by [[Bennett Cerf]].<ref>{{cite web |title=What's My Line (Oct 9, 1955) |website=[[YouTube]] |year=1955 |access-date=2019-07-22 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MyGrtnFHK4 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/5MyGrtnFHK4 |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

==''The $64,000 Question''==
March was arguably best known as the host of ''[[The $64,000 Question]],'' which he helmed from 1955 to 1958. In addition to his hosting duties, March also sang a version of the show's theme music in 1956, titled "Love Is the Sixty-Four Thousand Dollar Question."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://everything2.com/title/Sixty-four%2520dollar%2520question |title=Sixty-four dollar question |website=Everything2.com |date=2004-05-10 |access-date=2017-06-23}}</ref>

As a result of the [[quiz show scandals]], the show was canceled, and with the exception of a few film roles such as ''[[Hear Me Good]]'' and ''[[Send Me No Flowers]],'' March was largely out of work for nearly a decade.

==Later career==
To keep busy, March continued to appear in guest-starring roles, even starring in a 1961 unsold television pilot for a comedy titled ''I Married a Dog,'' in which his life was constantly upset by his wife's pooch. He appeared in several sitcoms in 1966 that are still widely rerun today. Among these are a role as the father of Gidget's boyfriend Jeff in the ''[[Gidget (TV series)|Gidget]]'' episode "In and Out with the In-Laws" and the head of corrupt dance studio in ''[[The Monkees (TV series)|The Monkees]]'' episode "Dance Monkee, Dance." He also made appearances in the sitcoms ''[[Hey, Landlord]]'' and ''[[The Lucy Show]]'' as well as in the film ''[[A Guide for the Married Man]].''{{Citation needed |date=October 2020}}

In 1961, he played the lead in [[Neil Simon]]'s first Broadway play ''[[Come Blow Your Horn]]'', which ran for 677 performances.

==Death==
March's career took a turn for the better in July 1969 when he began hosting the game show ''[[It's Your Bet]]''. After completing approximately 13 weeks of taping, however, he complained of exhaustion. Tests revealed that he had [[lung cancer]], the result of years of [[chain smoking]]. He had one lung removed. When he subsequently contracted pneumonia, he was too weak to fight it. March died in January 1970 in Los Angeles at age 49, and is buried in [[Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery]].<ref name=NYT>{{cite news| date=January 19, 1970| title=Hal March, Actor, TV Quizmaster, 49| newspaper=[[The New York Times]]| page=40 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1970/01/20/archives/hal-march-actor-tv-quizmaster-49-star-of-64000-question-and-of.html |access-date=October 29, 2022 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>

==Accolades==
March was awarded two stars on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]], one for his radio work at 1560 Vine Street, and another for his work in television at 6536 Hollywood Boulevard.

== Personal life ==
In 1956, March married [[Candy Toxton]], the former wife of singer [[Mel Tormé]].<ref name=NYT/> March was stepfather to Toxton's two children from her previous marriage, [[Steve March-Tormé]] and Melissa Tormé. He and Toxton had three children together: Peter, Jeffrey, and Victoria.{{Citation needed |date=March 2023}}

His grandson [[Hunter March]] hosted the game show ''[[Emogenius]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/Hunter-March-to-Host-GSNs-New-Emoji-Solving-Game-Show-EMOGENIUS-67-20170504 |title=Hunter March to Host GSN's New Emoji-Solving Game Show EMOGENIUS, 6/7 |website=Broadway World |first=Caryn |last=Robbins |date=May 4, 2017 |access-date=17 June 2017}}</ref> He also hosts the Netflix series ''Sugar Rush'' and E! TV's ''Nightly Pop''.

==Filmography==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
|rowspan=2 | 1949|| ''[[Champion (1949 film)|Champion]]'' || Mobster || Uncredited
|-
| ''[[The Story of Molly X]]'' || Max Hayden || Uncredited
|-
|rowspan=2 | 1950|| ''[[Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town]]'' || Detective Mike Eskow ||
|-
| ''[[Outrage (1950 film)|Outrage]]'' || Detective Sergeant Hendrix ||
|-
|rowspan=2 | 1953|| ''[[Combat Squad]]'' || Henry Gordon ||
|-
| ''[[The Eddie Cantor Story]]'' || Gus Edwards ||
|-
|rowspan=2 | 1954|| ''[[Yankee Pasha (film)|Yankee Pasha]]'' || Hassan Sendar ||
|-
| ''[[The Atomic Kid]]'' || Agent Ray ||
|-
|rowspan=2 | 1955|| ''[[It's Always Fair Weather]]'' || Rocky Heldon || Uncredited
|-
| ''[[My Sister Eileen (1955 film)|My Sister Eileen]]'' || Pete - First Drunk ||
|-
|1957|| ''[[Hear Me Good]]'' || Marty Holland ||
|-
|1964|| ''[[Send Me No Flowers]]'' || Winston Burr ||
|-
|1967|| ''[[A Guide for the Married Man]]'' || Technical Adviser (Man who loses coat) ||
|}

==Television==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
|1950|| ''[[The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show]]'' || Harry Morton || Regular, Episodes 1-7, [[October|Oct]].[[October 12|12]]-[[December|Dec]]. [[December 28|28]], [[1950]].
|-
|1957|| ''[[The Jack Benny Program]]'' || Himself || S8:E3, [[The Jack Benny Program season 8|"Hal March Show]]" [[October 20]], [[1957]].
|-
|1966|| ''[[The Monkees (TV series)|The Monkees]]'' || Renaldo || S1:E14, "Dance, Monkee, Dance"
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|0545301}}
* {{IBDB name}}
* {{Find a Grave|3834}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:March, Hal}}
[[Category:1920 births]]
[[Category:1970 deaths]]
[[Category:American game show hosts]]
[[Category:American male television actors]]
[[Category:American male comedians]]
[[Category:American male radio actors]]
[[Category:Jewish American comedians]]
[[Category:Deaths from lung cancer in California]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:Jewish American male actors]]
[[Category:Burials at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery]]
[[Category:20th-century American comedians]]
[[Category:Jewish male comedians]]
[[Category:20th-century American Jews]]