Steve Allen: Extemporaneous Entertainment




 Steve Allen is the most influential man you've never heard of. For over 50 years, he's been a mainstay of radio and television, delighting audiences and fuming sponsors and networks with his off-the-cuff, spur of the moment antics and increasingly inventive ideas for new shows an new laughs. He was a quick thinker on his feet, and he was truly a man who walked so many future entertainers could run.

Purportedly, Steve wasn't a big fan of Elvis,
 and believed him to be just a flash in the pan. I don't doubt this,
 Steve wasn't a huge fan of new things.




Stephen Allen was born in 1920, and joined into radio shortly after the second world war. After achieving success there, he moved on to the rising medium of television, where he truly gained fame through his many shows and appearances, most notably his first hosting of the Tonight Show, a new idea meant to be juxtaposed against the already existing Today Show. Though Steve Allen's Tonight Show didn't last as long as his successor, Jack Paar, he was able to show NBC that the idea had promise, and we can thank him for the show still existing today. Steve was given free reign on his Tonight Show, and many staples of the show and many others like it were pioneered by him. From the opening monologue to his interview segments, Steve Allen had a knack for invention, and without him TV would be very, very different.


In the 1960s, he continued making new shows, and took over Gary Moore as host of I've Got a Secret. It was during this time, he began being known for his musical prowess, and his biggest song, "This Could Be the Start of Something Big," became a cult classic as well as his theme song. He was one of the busiest persons during that time, between guest appearances, his frequent one hour specials, and his composing duties, it was a wonder how he still managed to settle down and marry actress Jayne Meadows.

Steve with (L to R):
Bill Cullen, Henry Morgan,
Faye Emerson and Polly Bergen
of IGAS.


Off stage, Steve Allen was a thoughtful man. He was shy and opinionated, and would much rather write about his opinions than have an argument. And write he did, writing over 10 books on subjects from comedy to corruption and capitalism. His interviews are another time we see the "real" Allen. He talks in a much more quiet reserved tone and listens more than he actually speaks. In essence, he was two people: The first half was his wacky, rambunctious, wise-cracking on-stage persona, and his professional self. As his nerves wore off, and he became more used to the world of television, the more quiet side showed his head. In the 80s and 90s he was working on more intellectual endeavors and educational shows. Whether or not this was by choice I can't quite say, but he worked all the way until his death in 2000.


What a loss it was. He was such an entertainment pioneer, it would have been a marvel to see him live to  be 100. However, Steve found himself in a world he didn't quite enjoy. He was old-fashioned, and thought modern entertainment and modern people were beyond contempt, and had a sort of pessimistic attitude about this new world he was growing old in. Still, though it may not have represented his true self, he had a knack for the ad-lib, and that's certainly something to learn from. To be able to take what was just said and turn it into a punchline. This spontaneity made Steve Allen a hit, and it might make you one, too. Thanks, Steve Allen.


I hope to see you Back There

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