Chuck Barris, who hosted The Gong Show and created The Dating Game and The Newlywed Game, died Tuesday of natural causes in Palisades, N.Y. He was 87.
His autobiography, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, was made into a film directed by George Clooney and starred Sam Rockwell as Barris.
In the book, he claimed to have worked for the CIA as an assassin during the 1960s and 1970s, a claim which the CIA denied. “He also fabricated his life because it might have been the best way of getting at the truth. The truth was that back when he was the Jerry Springer of his day, he couldn’t stomach being attacked for doing something he considered harmless,” wrote Joel Stein in Time magazine.
The game show creator was also a songwriter, writing songs such as “Palisades Park” as well as music for his game shows.
Barris made it in front of the camera when he began hosting “The Gong Show” in 1976. Though it only ran two years on NBC and four years in syndication, the show is remembered for its spoof of the talent show format.
He introduced the amateur contestants dressed in colorful clothing with odd props, with judges Jamie Farr, Jaye P. Morgan and Arte Johnson adding to the goofy atmosphere.
Other offbeat characters on the show included “Gene Gene the Dancing Machine” and Murray Langston, the “Unknown Comic,” who wore a paper bag over his head.
The popular show spawned a film, “The Gong Show Movie,” which was a flop.
Among the other shows he created or produced were a revival of “Your Hit Parade,” “Three’s a Crowd,” which faced criticism as it seemed to promote adultery; “Camouflage,” and “Treasure Hunt.”
In the 1980s after living in France, he formed Barris Industries and revived “The Dating Game” and “The Newlywed Game” before selling his shares in the company to Burt Sugarman.
Barris Industries acquired Guber-Peters Productions, which was then acquired by Sony Corporation.