David Susskind American producer and talk show host Date of Birth: 19.12.1920 Country: USA

1. Early Life and Education
2. Military Service and Career Beginnings
3. Talent Associates and Production Career
4. "Hot Line" and "Justice"
5. "Open End" and "The David Susskind Show"
6. Controversial Topics and Truman Interviews
7. Later Years and Death

Early Life and Education

David Susskind was born on December 19, 1920, in Manhattan, New York City, to Jewish parents. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison and graduated with honors from Harvard University in 1942.

Military Service and Career Beginnings

During World War II, Susskind served as a communications officer and participated in the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. After the war, he worked as a press agent for Warner Brothers and a talent agent for Century Artists. He eventually joined the newly formed television department of MCA, where he managed the careers of Dinah Shore and Jerry Lewis, among others.

Talent Associates and Production Career

In New York City, Susskind founded Talent Associates, a company that focused on packaging talent rather than individual performers. He later transitioned to producing films, stage plays, and television programs. He married Phyllis Briskin in 1939 and Joyce Davidson in 1966; both marriages ended in divorce. He had two daughters and a son, as well as two stepdaughters from his marriage to Davidson.

"Hot Line" and "Justice"

Davidson had co-produced the New York talk show "Hot Line" for a year and a half before she and Susskind married. The show was notable for its use of a ten-second delay on the live broadcast. Davidson also introduced the concept of booking prominent public figures as guests on "Hot Line," including Malcolm X, who appeared on the show immediately after speaking at The Town Hall. In 1954, Susskind became the producer of the NBC legal drama "Justice," based on cases from the Legal Aid Society of New York (LASNY).

"Open End" and "The David Susskind Show"

Susskind's talk show, "Open End," debuted on WNTA-TV in 1958. Uniquely, there was no time limit on the show, with the program ending when Susskind and his guests had nothing more to discuss. By 1961, the show was shortened to two hours but continued to air on multiple stations at various times. On October 2, 1966, Susskind's talk show was renamed "The David Susskind Show." The show was the first in the 1960s to feature people openly opposing US involvement in the Vietnam War. In the 1970s, Susskind drew attention for featuring gay rights advocates on his program.

Controversial Topics and Truman Interviews

Throughout his three-decade career as a talk show host, Susskind covered numerous controversial topics, including race relations, transgenderism, and the Vietnam War. In 1961, he conducted a series of interviews with former US President Harry Truman in Truman's hometown of Independence, Missouri. The interviews took place solely in the Truman Presidential Library, and Susskind was intrigued by why he was not invited into the house. According to historian and political commentator Michael Beschloss, Truman told Susskind that the house belonged to First Lady Bess and that she would never have a Jew as a guest.

Later Years and Death

David Susskind died of a heart attack in New York City on February 22, 1987. His talk show continued for approximately six months after his death.