Larry Blyden
Actor

Larry Blyden Net Worth

Larry Blyden was born in Houston, Texas in 1925 and developed an early interest in acting. After serving in the Marine Corps, he attended the University of Houston and trained at the Royal Academy of Arts in London before moving to New York. He found success on Broadway, appearing in various plays and musicals, and was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance in Flower Drum Song. He also had a few film roles and was a frequent panelist on game shows. He married Bob Fosse dancer Carol Haney in 1955, but they divorced in 1962. He died in a car accident in Morocco in 1975 at the age of 49. Larry Blyden was a recognizable name and a durable talent, and was one of Broadway's brighter lights for over two decades.
Larry Blyden is a member of Actor

Age, Biography and Wiki

Who is it? Actor, Soundtrack
Birth Day June 23, 1925
Birth Place  Houston, Texas, United States
Age 95 YEARS OLD
Died On June 6, 1975(1975-06-06) (aged 49)\nAgadir, Morocco
Birth Sign Cancer
Cause of death Car accident
Resting place Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery
Education Wharton Elementary School Sidney Lanier Junior High School Lamar High School
Alma mater Southwestern Louisiana Institute University of Houston Stella Adler Studio of Acting
Occupation Actor, stage producer and director, game show host
Years active 1948–1975
Spouse(s) Carol Haney (m. 1955; div. 1962)
Children 2

💰 Net worth: $100K - $1M

Biography/Timeline

1948

Blyden was born to Adolph and Marian (née Davidson) Blieden in Houston, Texas, and raised in the Jewish faith. As a child, he attended Wharton Elementary School and Sidney Lanier Junior High School. Blyden became interested in acting at a young age and made his stage debut in a production headed by Margo Jones when he was 14 years old. After graduating from Lamar High School, Blyden attended Southwestern Louisiana Institute for a year before enlisting in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. After the war, he enrolled at the University of Houston. While in college, Blyden worked as an announcer for KPRC radio and performed at the Alley Theatre and Houston Little Theater. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1948, Blyden moved to New York City to pursue an acting career.

1951

While in New York, Blyden again worked in radio and studied acting at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting for eighteen months. While starring in a showcase of The Importance of Being Earnest, he was spotted by Director Joshua Logan who cast him in a small role in the Broadway production of Mister Roberts. He was then cast in the larger role of "Ensign Pulver", and remained with the production until 1951. His second Broadway role was that of "Schmutz" in the original production of Wish You Wish Here. In 1958, Blyden replaced Larry Storch as "Sammy Fong" in the out-of-town tryouts for the musical Flower Drum Song. He remained in the role during the show's original Broadway run for which he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical. The show was choreographed by his then-wife, Carol Haney. That same year, he appeared in You Can't Take It with You, at Expo 58 (also known as Brussels World's Fair).

1955

Blyden married Actress and Dancer Carol Haney on April 17, 1955 in Las Vegas. The couple had two children: Joshua and Ellen Rachel. Blyden and Haney were divorced in 1962.

1957

Over the course of his career, Blyden appeared in three feature films. He made his film debut in a supporting role in the 1957 drama The Bachelor Party, starring Don Murray. He also had supporting roles in Kiss Them for Me (1957) and On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (1970).

1959

After the cancellation of Joe and Mabel, Blyden returned to stage work (replacing Ray Walston in the Philadelphia and Broadway runs of Who Was That Lady I Saw You With? and Flower Drum Song). He returned to television in 1959 as "Sammy Glick" in the television adaptation of Budd Schulberg's 1941 novel What Makes Sammy Run?. The two-part special aired on the NBC Sunday Showcase on September 27 and October 4, 1959, and also starred John Forsythe, Dina Merrill and Barbara Rush.

1960

In the late 1960s, Blyden began working as a game show host and master of ceremonies starting with Personality in June 1967. In 1969, he hosted You're Putting Me On and The Movie Game. In 1972, Blyden took over hosting duties for the syndicated revival of the game show What's My Line?. Blyden remained the show's host until it was canceled in 1975.

1964

During their marriage, Blyden and Haney purchased the historic Achenbach House in Saddle River, New Jersey, which they believed to be haunted by the spirit of its builder. After Haney's death in 1964, Blyden inherited the home and became convinced that her spirit was haunting the house. Blyden later told a friend that in the months after Haney's death, the house was filled with the smell of brownies baking which had been Haney's favorite. Blyden told his friend that after he yelled at Haney to leave him alone, the smell instantly vanished. The house was later sold to tour operator Mario Perillo and was destroyed by fire in 2004.

1969

In November 1962, Blyden tried his hand at stage directing in the Broadway production of Harold, starring Anthony Perkins and Don Adams. The production closed after twenty performances. In February 1967, Blyden replaced Martin Balsam in the Broadway production of You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running. Blyden's second stage directing effort was the play The Mother Lover, in which he also starred. The production also featured Eileen Heckart and Valerie French and premiered at the Booth Theatre on February 1, 1969. In March 1972, he portrayed the role of "Hysterirum" in the revival of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, starring Phil Silvers, which Blyden also produced. He won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his work in the play.

1974

In 1974, Blyden appeared as "Dionysos" with the Yale Repertory Theatre in the musical comedy The Frogs, in New Haven, Connecticut. The play was written by Burt Shevelove, and based on a play written by Aristophanes in 405 B.C. The play's music and lyrics were composed by Stephen Sondheim. Blyden's final stage role was that of "Sidney" in Alan Ayckbourn's comedy Absurd Person Singular, for which he was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play and a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play. He remained with the production for 250 performances.

1975

On May 6, 1975, Blyden left the production of Absurd Person Singular after he was hired to host a new game show entitled Showoffs. He videotaped the pilot episode on May 24. Before production was set to begin, Blyden was granted a two-week vacation and decided to fly to Marrakesh, Morocco. While driving near Agadir on May 31, Blyden's rental car reportedly went off the road and overturned. According to Blyden's manager, Blyden suffered injuries to the chest, head and abdomen. He underwent surgery but died of his injuries on June 6. Blyden's body was flown back to the United States on June 13. A memorial was held on June 20 after which he was buried at Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery in Houston. His death came 17 days before his 50th birthday.

2013

Mark Goodson, the Producer of Showoffs, later told Variety that he felt the circumstances leading to Blyden's death were unclear. Goodson said that his production company, Goodson–Todman Productions, was initially informed that Blyden had been involved in a car accident while driving to Marrakesh and was hospitalized with serious injuries. A second report from the American consulate claimed that Blyden's injuries were not serious and only required minor surgery. A few days later, it was announced that Blyden was dead. On the audio commentary for the 2009 DVD of What Makes Sammy Run?, Blyden's co-star Barbara Rush claimed that Blyden had been carjacked by bandits and killed.

Some Larry Blyden images

About the author

Lisa Scholfield

As a Senior Writer at Famous Net Worth, I spearhead an exceptional team dedicated to uncovering and sharing the stories of pioneering individuals. My passion for unearthing untold narratives drives me to delve deep into the essence of each subject, bringing forth a unique blend of factual accuracy and narrative allure. In orchestrating the editorial workflow, I am deeply involved in every step—from initial research to the final touches of publishing, ensuring each biography not only informs but also engages and inspires our readership.