Larry Blyden

Larry Blyden (June 23, 1925 – June 6, 1975) was an American actor, stage producer and director and game show host. He made his Broadway stage debut in 1948 and went on to appear in numerous productions on and off Broadway. In 1972, he won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his performance in the revival of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum which he also produced. That same year, he became the host of the syndicated revival version of What's My Line?.

At the time of his death, Blyden was slated to host a new game show Showoffs. He died of injuries sustained in a single car accident while vacationing in Morocco in June 1975.

Early life

Blyden was born Ivan Lawrence Blieden 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, Bylden worked as an announcer for KPRC radio and performed at the Alley Theatre and Houston Little Theater. After graduating from U of H with a Bachelor of Arts in 1948, Blyden moved to New York City to pursue an acting career.