| Jack Clark | |
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| Born | November 25, 1925 Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Died | July 21, 1988 (aged 62) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Game show host Announcer |
| Years active | 1951–1988 |
| Spouse(s) | Barbara (?-1988); 4 children |
Jack Clark (November 25, 1925 – July 21, 1988) was an American game show emcee and announcer. He is most noted for his hosting duties on The Cross-Wits,[1] which ran from December 15, 1975 to September 12, 1980.[2] In addition, he served as offstage announcer on Wheel of Fortune from 1980 until his death in July 1988.[3]
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He started his career in television working as an announcer on such shows as Password[4] (for which he also occasionally substituted[5] for Allen Ludden). He also hosted 100 Grand, an attempt at reviving the primetime, big-money quiz show to TV, on ABC in 1963.
He took over hosting duties for Dealer's Choice from 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. Jack's rapport with the celebrities and contestants helped make the show a hit. Concurrently, Clark acted as announcer for Split Second, Tattletales, Three for the Money and some Hollywood-originated episodes of The $10,000 Pyramid.
Clark also hosted a number of pilot episodes that never made it to air. Among these were Second Guessers, The $10,000 Sweep, and a 1985 proposed revival of Now You See It. He was also announcer on another pilot, Monday Night Quarterback. Jack did many of these pilots "on spec" as favors to their producers.
During his tenure with The Cross-Wits, Clark also hosted Say Powwww in 1979. This was 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 regularly announcing for Wheel of Fortune, replacing Charlie O'Donnell, who wanted to pursue a career in television news and began anchoring the afternoon news on KCOP in Los Angeles. Charlie also ended up announcing for Barry and Enright Productions shortly after leaving Wheel, working with them until 1986 on various shows. Clark followed the show through its hosting and hostess changes, then into syndication beginning in 1983, where the show became a national sensation. Clark also announced for other television programs in the 1980s, including The $25,000 Pyramid on CBS (1982–1985), as well as being the TV spokesman for National Geographic magazine, appearing on-camera in their commercials.
In 1988, Clark was diagnosed with bone cancer. He continued announcing Wheel of Fortune as long as he was physically able to, through the end of the 1987-1988 season. That summer, Clark could be heard for a few weeks reading updated fee plugs on summer reruns of the show in a very weak voice, before that job was taken over by Pat Sajak and Vanna White when Clark became too ill to do so. During that time, Charlie O'Donnell and Johnny Gilbert began filling in for Clark.
Clark died on July 21, 1988, just as production on the 1988-1989 season of Wheel was to begin. He requested that Charlie O'Donnell return to Wheel of Fortune upon his death, but at the time O'Donnell was not available due to his commitments to various Chuck Barris productions. M.G. Kelly took over as announcer on an interim basis until O'Donnell was able to return in early 1989. O'Donnell has been Wheel of Fortune's announcer ever since.
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