David Susskind (December 19, 1920, New York City - February 22, 1987, New York City, heart attack) was best known as a pioneer TV talk show host. His program, Open End, began in 1958 on WNTA-TV in New York City, and was appropriately titled: the program continued until Susskind or his guests were too tired to continue. In 1961 Open End was constrained to two hours and went into national syndication. The show was retitled The David Susskind Show in 1967 and continued until 1986.
During his almost 30-year run as a talk show host, Susskind covered many controversial topics of the day, such as race relations and the Vietnam War. Susskind's interview of Soviet Premier Nikita Kruschev, which aired in October 1960, during the height of the cold war, generated national attention.
Susskind was also a noted producer, with scores of movies, plays, and TV programs to his credit. He married (and later divorced) Joyce Davidson, a Canadian-American television personality.
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1975)
