Ed Sullivan, a Broadway journalist and presenter of the long-running television Sunday evening variety program, passed away from c@ncer in the night after entertaining hundreds of millions of Americans over the course of his long career. His age was given as 73.
Since his diagnosis of esophageal c@ncer on September 6, Mr. Sullivan was undergoing treatment at Manhattan’s Lenox Hill Hospital.
His family includes his daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth Precht, of Scarsdale, N.Y., five grandkids, three sisters, Mrs. Piercy Cuyler of Manhattan, Mrs. Hugh Murphy and Mrs. George Hagele, both of Port Chester, N.Y., and a brother, Charles, also of Port Chester.
On March 16, 1973, his wife of 42 years, a former Sylvia Weinstein, passed away.
How Did Ed Sullivan Di*d?
On October 13, 1974, at the age of 73, Sullivan lost his battle with c@ncer, as reported by The New York Times. Sullivan’s show originally aired from the Billy Rose Theater, which CBS renamed the Ed Sullivan Theater in 1967. David Letterman’s late-night talk show was taped at the Ed Sullivan Theater on 53rd Street and Broadway in New York City.
Successful and well-known on the Broadway scene since the 1920s, Ed Sullivan was a rock-faced Irishman with a violent temper, severe shyness, and a scorn for phonies.
He had tried to achieve his ultimate goal of national fame through various means, including penning a gossip column, cruising the periphery of the entertainment industry, and hosting a series of variety shows.
Do you know that Albert Einstein died from a burst artery in his chest? To obtain more specific information, check:
He didn’t do that until he joined the fast-paced world of television in 1948, when his weekly show became a must-see for millions of Americans on Sunday evenings.
It cost $8,000,000 per year to produce the show and Mr. Sullivan made $164,000 per year, and between 45,000,000 and 50,000,000 people watched it each week.
LincolnMercury car dealers, who funded the event, got their money’s worth out of Mr. Sullivan’s many cross-country appearances. Columbia Broadcasting System considered him their most prized asset since he consistently drew larger audiences than their competitors. Old Hollywood posted an official tweet in which Cab Calloway was performing on The Ed Sullivan Show, 1957.
Cab Calloway performing on The Ed Sullivan Show, 1957 pic.twitter.com/GLJxLoxQF0
— Old Hollywood (@TheOldHollywood) June 15, 2023
He appealed to people with something so fleeting that it confounded analysts. He was dull, untalented, and unable to deliberately make others laugh. He was shy, awkward, self-conscious, forgetful, and lacked the ability to speak freely. And he could be heartbreakingly nostalgic at the worst possible moments.
The early years of his broadcasts were met with harsh criticism from television critics for these reasons. Sponsors were hesitant to back him. The network severely restricted his budget, forcing him to put up his own salary in order to secure talent.
But the audience responded well, and that’s all that mattered. Mr. Sullivan remained focused on his role as host, introducing each performer before stepping aside. When it came to evaluating performers, he was spot-on. He genuinely appreciated what they were doing. And since he seemed so earnestly ill at ease, the audience felt genuine compassion for him.