Walter O'Keefe (August 18, 1900 â€" June 26, 1983) was an American
songwriter, actor, syndicated columnist, Broadway composer, radio
legend, screenwriter, musical arranger and TV host.O'Keefe was born in
Hartford, Connecticut. He attended the College of the Sacred Heart in
Wimbledon, London before entering the University of Notre Dame in
South Bend, Indiana in 1916. At Notre Dame, he was a member of the
Glee Club and a Class Poet. He graduated cum laude in 1921.O'Keefe
began as a vaudeville performer in the midwest for several years. In
1925, he went to New York City and became a Broadway performer. By
1937, he wrote a syndicated humor column and filled-in for such radio
personalities as Walter Winchell, Edgar Bergen, Don McNeill and Garry
Moore. He became the long-time master of ceremonies of the NBC show
Double or Nothing and was a regular on that network's Monitor
series.O'Keefe also worked in television, presiding over talk shows
and quiz shows for the CBS network. Producers Mark Goodson and Bill
Todman hired him for their game show Two for the Money. When the
show's usual host Herb Shriner had other commitments during the summer
of 1954, O'Keefe took over for three months. He was the host for the
first Emmy Awards ceremony, held on January 25, 1949 at the Hollywood
Athletic Club.
songwriter, actor, syndicated columnist, Broadway composer, radio
legend, screenwriter, musical arranger and TV host.O'Keefe was born in
Hartford, Connecticut. He attended the College of the Sacred Heart in
Wimbledon, London before entering the University of Notre Dame in
South Bend, Indiana in 1916. At Notre Dame, he was a member of the
Glee Club and a Class Poet. He graduated cum laude in 1921.O'Keefe
began as a vaudeville performer in the midwest for several years. In
1925, he went to New York City and became a Broadway performer. By
1937, he wrote a syndicated humor column and filled-in for such radio
personalities as Walter Winchell, Edgar Bergen, Don McNeill and Garry
Moore. He became the long-time master of ceremonies of the NBC show
Double or Nothing and was a regular on that network's Monitor
series.O'Keefe also worked in television, presiding over talk shows
and quiz shows for the CBS network. Producers Mark Goodson and Bill
Todman hired him for their game show Two for the Money. When the
show's usual host Herb Shriner had other commitments during the summer
of 1954, O'Keefe took over for three months. He was the host for the
first Emmy Awards ceremony, held on January 25, 1949 at the Hollywood
Athletic Club.
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