And one thing I enjoyed about that is how clear he was about the rules of each game, and the implications involved in those rules (as on one show that had Shell Game, with a Filipino [I think he was] named Joselito playing it; Tom explained everything involved in that game in a clear, concise, no-bull manner (objective [find the shell that had the ball by marking it with a chip], method of winning chips [correct higher/lower guesses on the prices of small prizes], and determining the result after all chips were placed [Joselito had three shells marked, and won the camper/trailer he was playing for]). Here is that show, and you can watch and listen to how well Tom conducted that session of Shell Game on that show: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-8fG_xbpclR8.html
Watched the interview for the first time today. Sad to see that Tom passed 4 years later. At 60, I remember him as a young guy living in Toronto as the host of so many game shows that came and went. what a legacy he leaves behind and what a fine, intelligent man he was.
Folks, it is with the heaviest of many, many hearts to tell you all that our beloved friend James E. Narz aka Tom Kennedy, the brother of the late Jack Narz, has sadly passed away today. He was 93 years old. Rest in Peace, Mr. Kennedy.
Rest in Peace, Tom Kennedy, who passed away last weekend. He was a phenomenal emcee, a gracious host and his legacy is remembered forever in television.
Being just shy of 67 myself, naturally in the 60s I'd see You Dont Say and later Name That Tune. Such fond memories! In todays passing of Alex Trebek, it took me to watching some of the Tom Kennedy work. Tom always seemed to be having a good time doing the shows. He would slip making an error here or there, but it all flowed into the show. This dedication tape is terrific. OMG Tom was totally spot on into his 90s! God Bless Tom Kennedy from me, a NYC boy who watched TV in what now seems like a beautifully innocent time. Puff, I'm 12 years old yet again watching this! Say, at 36 minutes into this interview, Kennedy said, in referring to his 1st network game show that ran for 13 weeks on Saturday nights on NBC that "I was in heaven." And most certainly...now he really is. Consummate gentleman.
Fascinating interview -- thank you so much for posting this. As someone myself who just ended a 42-year career in radio broadcasting (in Canada), I loved this -- listening to someone with such an amazing career. RIP Tom Kennedy. PS: I had no idea Tom Kennedy and Jack Narz were brothers until today.
What an amazing interview! Tom Kennedy is a very underrated game show host/personality. Not only are he and Jack game show royalty, but his sister was married to Me. Game Show, Bill Cullen!
No, Tom's sister, Mary Lovett ("Lovey" to her friends) was married to Dr. Armand Jules Scully, a very prominent Orthopaedic Surgeon in Las Vegas, Nevada. Both were lovely, gregarious, warm and loving people.
I always knew Tom and his brother were from here in Louisville but I had never heard the whole especially story straight from his mouth. What a wonder man he seems to have lived a great and long life. R.I.P Tom!
Just heard he passed , happy to find this . Remember watching Split Second and Whew! from when I was a kid . I always thought he was a cool guy with his smooth voice and the shaded glasses . Never knew he was Jack Narz’s brother ! RIP Tom.
What a great interview! I enjoyed him recalling his father volunteering the garage to build the transmitter for the television station in Louisville; It really gave a fascinating glimpse into the state of the industry at the time.
At 89, the same smile that brightened every show he hosted. I am so sorry we have lost him, but so happy to have seen that smile so many times as a teenager and young adult.
He also should've hosted the 1989 revival of Now You See It and the 1990 NBC revival of To Tell The Truth. They may have been short lived but Tom would've been better to take the hosting position of Now You See It from his brother Jack Narz and it would've been easier for NBC to have him host To Tell The Truth rather than go through 3 different people (even though the third host Alex Trebek was pretty good).
Tom your memories are amazing and for what you did made Game shows come to life all the fans who watched you on TV for decades and your legacy lives on forever you maybe gone but in all of our hearts you are not forgotten you are a beautiful angel with wings to fly now up in heaven.
Yeah, I can't believe it. At least Tom gets to be reunited with his brother Jack Narz (of Dotto, Beat the Clock, Now You See It and Concentration fame).
Wow, such a trooper to do an almost 3-hr. interview straight .. and Tom did a great job .. very clear-minded and energetic @ 89 ... I wish they would do something similar with Pat Sajak after he retires, and/or Alex Trebek before he passes from his cancer .. Funny that Chuck Woolery is also a KY native, so have to wonder how close Tom and him were to each other in the biz and whether Tom might have given him some "assistance" in his career .. As to that very last comment by Tom, I wonder if the game show he is talking about but won't mention is Catch 21 .. That shows stumps the hell out of me b/c a contestant can have all the right answers to the quiz questions out of the group of three but yet still lose out to another one who gives nothing but incorrect responses (or doesn't even respond), merely b/c of the turn of the cards ..
".. As to that very last comment by Tom, I wonder if the game show he is talking about but won't mention is Catch 21 .." From what he said here, I believe he was referring to Card Sharks, insofar as that had a rule (at least the NBC one did until late 1980) that any pair (whether in front or on the Money Cards) was an incorrect answer (which could rear its ugly head in a number of ways, like, for instance, on Sudden Death in the front game, where, say, you were behind 1-nil in the second game of the match, and the cards were passed to you, and your card was a 2; naturally, you'd call that higher, but because of that rule, you could have another 2, and it was hit the road, Jack, through no fault of your own; that's why Tom Kennedy said he didn't want it [basically, he didn't want to have to say goodbye to anyone who lost for that cause, from what I'm hearing]).
In the current intro of Jeopardy ! Alex Trebek is honored by having Johnny Gilbert announces " From the Alex Trebek Sound Stage at Sony Studios, this is Jeopardy ! "
Excellent. Thank you Mr. Narz. Fond memories of " You Don't Say". Some of the bonus questions were tough! I remember, and just saw again on RU-vid, the " Patrick Henry " one. Brilliant !
Wow - -didn't expect to hear Roger Ailes' name on this! 1:07:55 - I wonder if the Cincinnati talk show was Bob Braun - -I watched it in Columbus in the early 80s
My dad was music director on "You Don't Say" and other shows with both Narz brothers. I believe Tom did summer stock in Houghton Lake, Michigan. Possibly even did "The Odd Couple" with his brother? Anyone know about this? (I haven't watched part II of the interview yet.)
Didn't realize that Tom was a big brother and a little brother at the same time, being the middle child (having heard just now that he and Jack had a little sister).
I am saddened by Jim Martz better known as Tom Kennedy.He will be remember as one of the greatest gameshow hosts in history.He will be remember For "You Don't Say,To Say The Least,The Big Game,Doctor IQ,50Grand Slam,Break The Bank,All About Faces,Eavesdroppers, Babble, Password Plus, Match Game, Hollywood Squares, Name That Tune, Body Language, Wordplay,Starplay, Whew! And other shows he did on t.v. And The Nighttime Price is Right.I Wonder why they didn't give him a proper memorial service and funeral service.My prayers go out to his family.RIP Tom Kennedy.
@@rg8152 He couldn't have though could he? He was doing Password Plus at the time already. I contend to this day as has been said elsewhere already here, it's Card Sharks (possibly replacing Bill Rafferty in syndication), with the flaw being that duplicate cards in the main game were an automatic loss of control/loss of game depending on circumstance, despite not being allowed to call them. Never have liked that rule, always felt unfair.
If that's true, I completely agree with him. I would presume he meant the fact that in the main game a person could win or lose based on a duplicated card appearing, despite there being no option to call them as such, only being able to call higher or lower. I've never liked that, and it's something my friend and I have discussed a few times over the years. It is a huge flaw.
@@Mario500NOW How so? You really hold no control over things at that point. The only control you have hypothetically is to be able to freeze and change a card if you got control on the next question if you feel a duplicate is coming, but for one really who really would think to do that to begin with on 2's and Ace's for example, and for two in sudden death that becomes a wash too after the first card in the row.
