Hollywood stars
fondly remembered Merv Griffin at his funeral Friday,
including Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who credited the
creator of Jeopardy! and Wheel of
Fortune with jump-starting his own acting career.
Among mourners
who filled the Church of the Good Shepherd were former
first lady Nancy Reagan, Pat Sajak, Vanna White, Alex
Trebek, Dick Van Dyke, and Griffin's son, Anthony, and
his family. Schwarzenegger, who attended with wife
Maria Shriver, gave one of the eulogies.
''I can say today
I wouldn't have gone as far in my career if it wouldn't
have been for Merv Griffin,'' Schwarzenegger said, recalling
his appearances on The Merv Griffin Show, which
date back to 1974.
''He had me on
many times, and I was on his show to teach him about
fitness and he would be teaching me about acting. Well,
neither worked,'' the
bodybuilder-turned-actor-turned-governor said to laughter.
Griffin's son followed with a mix of humor and
affection: ''I never knew anyone who loved life as
much as my father,'' he said.
Griffin, 82, died
Sunday of prostate cancer.
He began his
career as a radio vocalist, then began to appear on TV. In
1965, Westinghouse Broadcasting began The Merv Griffin
Show on syndicated television.
Griffin was
already working on developing game shows. Jeopardy!
began in 1964 and went on to become a huge hit,
followed by Wheel of Fortune in 1975. He sold
their rights to the Columbia Pictures Television Unit for
$250 million, retaining a share of the profits, and went
into real estate and other business ventures.
He bought and
refurbished the Beverly Hilton and then acquired hotel and
casino operator Resorts International. Griffin was to be
buried not far away, in Westwood Village Memorial Park
Cemetery, where Marilyn Monroe, Dean Martin, Natalie
Wood, and other Hollywood notables are interred. (AP)