Did Anyone Guess Her Secret?
April 28, 2015 8:14 AM Subscribe
Actress and game show panelist Jayne Meadows has passed away at the age of 95. Meadows, whose career spanned over six decades, came from a showbiz family - her husband, Steve Allen, was an early television star and the first host of The Tonight Show, while her sister, Audrey, earned stardom for her role as Alice Kramden on The Honeymooners.
Jayne Meadows started out in Hollywood before becoming a fixture on television in the early 1950's. She was best known as a panelist on the game show I've Got a Secret. Here's an episode from towards the end of Meadows' time on the panel.
Born in China, Meadows occasionally performed while speaking Chinese.
In later years, Meadows and Allen often teamed up for some, er, more unusual ventures, such as this computer instructional video from 1984.
Finally, here's Meadows and Allen being interviewed together on the Wil Shriner show in 1987.
Jayne Meadows started out in Hollywood before becoming a fixture on television in the early 1950's. She was best known as a panelist on the game show I've Got a Secret. Here's an episode from towards the end of Meadows' time on the panel.
Born in China, Meadows occasionally performed while speaking Chinese.
In later years, Meadows and Allen often teamed up for some, er, more unusual ventures, such as this computer instructional video from 1984.
Finally, here's Meadows and Allen being interviewed together on the Wil Shriner show in 1987.
The Eternal Tonight Show has one more guest on the panel.
posted by Freedomboy at 9:15 AM on April 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Freedomboy at 9:15 AM on April 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
OMG that computer video. Microsoft Multiplan on a Kaypro, and then VisiGraph on an Apple ][. Then a completely faked travel cost optimization spreadsheet.
posted by charlie don't surf at 9:19 AM on April 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by charlie don't surf at 9:19 AM on April 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
.
posted by fairmettle at 9:38 AM on April 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by fairmettle at 9:38 AM on April 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
A friend of mine worked for Jayne Meadows as an assistant back in the 1980s. I gather Steve Allen wasn't a terribly nice man, but she was nice.
posted by briank at 10:25 AM on April 28, 2015
posted by briank at 10:25 AM on April 28, 2015
.
Also, omg "Meeting of Minds"! I loved that show and had completely forgotten about it!
Here's a relevant clip.
posted by blurker at 10:30 AM on April 28, 2015
Also, omg "Meeting of Minds"! I loved that show and had completely forgotten about it!
Here's a relevant clip.
posted by blurker at 10:30 AM on April 28, 2015
I met and spoke with her backstage briefly at one of Steve Allen's last performances in Nyack, NY in 2000. She was as sweet as can be. Steve had a cold that night, and she was attending to him like a loving wife might do. A wonderful performer and a nice person.. RIP.
posted by Seekerofsplendor at 10:40 AM on April 28, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by Seekerofsplendor at 10:40 AM on April 28, 2015 [3 favorites]
I was going to mention Meeting of Minds, too.
Ms. Meadows played nearly every female 'guest' that appeared on the panel, including Cleopatra, Marie Antoinette, Emily Dickinson, Florence Nightingale, Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Margaret Sanger, Catherine the Great, and "The Dark Lady of the Sonnets".
I didn't watch I've got a Secret, but I did watch Meeting of Minds. For what it's worth, along with the stupefyin' Anyone for Tennyson?, the program epitomized what PBS was like in the 1970s.
posted by Herodios at 12:29 PM on April 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
« Older Caution: This is ARt | Gamergate gets the profile it deserves Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by Smart Dalek at 8:50 AM on April 28, 2015