ALLEN, STEVE

v.

orig. Stephen Valentine Patrick William Allen

born Dec. 26, 1921, New York, N.Y., U.S.

died Oct. 30, 2000, Los Angeles, Calif.

U.S. entertainer and songwriter.

He appeared as a comedian on radio in the 1940s before moving to late-night television, where he created and hosted The Tonight Show (1953–57) and The Steve Allen Show (1957–60). He hosted several other television shows, including Meeting of Minds (1977–81). He composed over 3,000 songs, including "Picnic" and "Impossible," and appeared in films such as The Benny Goodman Story (1956) and The Sunshine Boys (1975).