1. Ivan Lawrence Blieden, known professionally as Larry Blyden, was an American actor, stage producer and director, and game show host.
23 Facts About Larry Blyden
1. 2.
Larry Blyden made his Broadway stage debut in 1948 and went on to appear in numerous productions on and off Broadway.
3.
At the time of his death, Blyden was slated to host a new game show, Showoffs.
4.
Larry Blyden died of injuries sustained in a single-car accident while vacationing in Morocco on June 6,1975.
5.
Larry Blyden was born to Adolph and Marian Blieden in Houston, Texas, and raised in the Jewish faith.
6.
Larry 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.
7.
Larry Blyden was then cast in the larger role of "Ensign Pulver", and remained with the production until 1951.
8.
Larry Blyden 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.
9.
In November 1962, Larry Blyden tried his hand at stage directing in the Broadway production of Harold, starring Anthony Perkins and Don Adams.
10.
In February 1967, Larry Blyden replaced Martin Balsam in the Broadway production of You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running.
11.
Larry Blyden won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his work in the play.
12.
In 1974, Larry Blyden appeared as "Dionysos" with the Yale Repertory Theatre in the musical comedy The Frogs, in New Haven, Connecticut.
13.
Larry Blyden made his film debut in a supporting role in the 1957 drama The Bachelor Party, starring Don Murray.
14.
Larry Blyden had supporting roles in Kiss Them for Me and On a Clear Day You Can See Forever.
15.
In May 1955, CBS announced that Larry Blyden was set to star opposite Nita Talbot in the sitcom Joe and Mabel.
16.
In 1963, Larry Blyden was cast to star in a second sitcom, NBC's Harry's Girls.
17.
Larry Blyden appeared as a guest panelist on the Goodson-Todman daytime CBS game show Match Game '74.
18.
Larry Blyden co-hosted the 29th Tony Awards telecast that aired on ABC on April 20,1975.
19.
Larry Blyden married actress and dancer Carol Haney on April 17,1955, in Las Vegas.
20.
Larry 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.
21.
Larry Blyden told his friend that after he yelled at Haney to leave him alone, the smell instantly vanished.
22.
On May 6,1975, Larry Blyden left the production of Absurd Person Singular after he was hired to host a new game show entitled Showoffs, a video version of the parlor-game charades.
23.
Larry Blyden underwent surgery, but died of his injuries on June 6,1975 at the age of 49, just 17 days before his 50th birthday.