Jack Clark (television)
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Jack Clark (December 13, 1921 - July 21, 1988) was an American game show emcee and announcer. He is most noted for his hosting duties on The Cross-Wits which ran from December 15, 1975 to September 12, 1980.
He started his career in the industry working as an announcer on such shows as Password (for which he also occasionally substituted for host, Allen Ludden), and Split Second. He also emcee'd 100 Grand an unsuccessful attempt at reviving the prime-time, big-money quiz show to TV, on ABC in 1963, and was the original announcer on Tattletales.
He took over hosting Dealer's Choice from actor Bob Hastings a few weeks into its run in 1974, and continued hosting the show through late 1975. Once that ended, he began emceeing The Cross-Wits which lasted five years.
Clark was also known for hosting a number of pilot episodes that never made it to air. Among these were Second Guessers, The $10,000 Sweep, and a revival of Now You See It.
In 1979, Jack also hosted "Say Powwww", a live interactive game series on Metromedia stations in California directed by Sidney M. Cohen. It was shortly after The Cross-Wits ended that he began announcing for The $25,000 Pyramid (1982-1985) and announced Wheel of Fortune from 1980 until his 1988 death from bone cancer at age 66. Prior to his death, Mr. Clark was also the TV spokesman for National Geographic Magazine. One year later, Charlie O'Donnell, whom Clark replaced in 1980 (and occasionally filled in for Clark during his tenure), returned and has been Wheel's announcer ever since. [1]
