Who was Bert Convy? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Bernard Whalen Convy

Died At Age: 57

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Catherine Hills, Anne Anderson (m. 1959–1990)

father: Bert Fleming Convy

mother: Monica Whalen

children: Jennifer Convy, Jonah Convy, Joshua Convy

Actors Singers

Died on: July 15, 1991

place of death: Los Angeles, California, United States

Notable Alumni: UCLA School Of Theater, Film And Television

Cause of Death: Glioblastoma

U.S. State: Missouri

City: St. Louis, Missouri

More Facts

education: UCLA School Of Theater, Film And Television

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Broadway Career

While Bert Convy is most popular among the television audience for his game shows, he was an established Broadway actor before he entered the television industry. Convy started acting in the mid-1950s and he appeared in the musical ‘The Billy Barnes Revue’ in Los Angeles and later appeared in the Broadway production of ‘Nowhere to Go but Up’. His other memorable works in the Broadway include ‘Cabaret’, ‘The Impossible Years’, and ‘The Front Page’. Convy also appeared in the musicals ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ and ‘Now I Have Everything.’ He replaced actor Raul Julia in the lead role of ‘Guido Contini’ in the Broadway production of ‘Nine’ when Julia was unavailable.

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Film & TV Career

Bert Convy had an illustrious career on television. He appeared in a number of guest roles in television shows like ‘Harrigan and Son’, ‘77 Sunset Strip’, ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’, ‘Hawaii Five-O’, and ‘Perry Mason’ during the early part of his career. He portrayed the role of the defendant ‘Harry Thompson’ in ‘Perry Mason’. Bert Convy appeared as ‘Lt. Steve Ostrowski’ in the American comedy television show, ‘The Snoop Sisters’. The show was aired on NBC; it was a short-lived one and failed to make a mark. He played important guest roles in shows like ‘Bewitched’, ‘The Silent Force’, ‘The New Phil Silvers Show’, ‘Fantasy Island’, ‘The Partridge Family’, ‘Mission: Impossible’, ‘Charlie's Angels’, and ‘Murder, She Wrote’ in the late 1970s and 1980s.

Convy played some significant roles in films too. His most popular performance was of a caricature of Werner Erhard in the film ‘Semi-Tough’. The 1977 comedy film also featured Burt Reynolds, Kris Kristofferson, and Jill Clayburgh alongside Convy. His other memorable films include ‘A Bucket of Blood’, ‘Susan Slade’, ‘SST: Death Flight’, ‘Jennifer’, ‘Hanging by a Thread’, ‘The Man in the Santa Claus Suit’, ‘Hero at Large’, and ‘The Cannonball Run’.

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Game Shows

Bert Convy was best known for hosting the game show ‘Tattletales’. He was initially part of the show between 1974 and 1978, after which the show was put on hold. He returned to the show in 1982 and was part of it till 1984. Convy won the Daytime Emmy Award for Best Game Show Host in 1977 for his work in the show. He previously appeared in other game shows like ‘What's My Line?’, ‘To Tell the Truth’, and ‘Password.’

Bert Convy and Burt Reynolds, who had worked together previously on a number of occasions, decided to form their own production house which they named ‘Burt and Bert Productions’. The first production of the company was a game show called ‘Win, Lose or Draw’ which was first telecast on NBC in 1987. Convy hosted the show for the first two years, after which he left to take control of another game show of their production house, ‘3rd Degree’.

Family & Personal Life

Bert Convy was born as Bernard Whalen Convy in St. Louis, Missouri, on July 23, 1933, to Bernard Fleming and Monica Convy. When Convy was seven, his family moved to Los Angeles and he attended North Hollywood High School. Convy represented the ‘Philadelphia Phillies’ in minor league baseball for two years after the club offered him a contract. Convy later went to The UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television.

In 1959, Convy married Anne Anderson, with who he regularly appeared in his famous game show ‘Tattletales’. The couple had three children together, Jennifer Convy (born in 1960), Joshua Convy (born in 1965), and Jonah Convy (born in 1968). The couple divorced after 32 years of marriage in 1991. The same year, Convy married Catherine Hall. At that time, Convy was battling a malignant brain tumor. He died on July 15, 1991, at his home, just eight days prior to his 58th birthday.

Bert Convy Biography