West Virginia Music Hall of Fame – Class of 2013
The Hollywood Square With West Virginia Roots
Just about a month ago, on August 15, 2024, West Virginia native, and legendary television game show host, Peter Marshall passed away at the age of 98. Peter Marshall was known far and wide as the longtime host of The Hollywood Squares, but that is only some of his story as he was also a consummate all-around entertainer, multi-talented performer and proud West Virginian. A singer, a stage and screen actor, a television personality, comedian, and producer, Peter Marshall was known and admired by people in all facets of the entertainment industry.
Upon his death the tributes and accolades poured in. His New York Times obituary led with:
Peter Marshall, who coaxed cheeky rejoinders from celebrities like Burt Reynolds, Mel Brooks, Joan Rivers, Nipsey Russel, and Paul Lynde as the longtime host of “The Hollywood Squares,” for years one of the most popular game shows on television, died at his home in Encino, Calif.
Mr. Marshall, an actor, singer, and comedian with an authoritative baritone, hosted ‘Hollywood Squares’ from 1966 until 1981, more than 5,000 episodes. The show brought him 19 Emmy nominations, with four wins.
Marshall with his fellow cast mates in “Skyscraper”. His first starring role on Broadway. Photo Source: Washington Post
The Hollywood Reporter rightfully called him “the pride of West Virginia” and described him as “The velvety-voiced host who presiding over NBC’s celebrity-filled game show, who was also an accomplished singer, a leading man on Broadway, and one-half of a popular comedy team before embarking on his game show career.”
In 2013 Marshall was inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame (WVMHOF), thus his inclusion here in our Heritage & Legacy series. He said on a number of occasions that this honor was one of the most meaningful he ever received. He explained by telling several interviewers, “I was a singer who became a game show host. I was raised as a stage and theater kid. I was not a game show host who happened to sing.” The WVMHOF designation recognized him for the music components of his many talents. He always thought of himself first, as a singer.
Marshall was born Ralph Pierre LaCock in Clarksburg, WV on March 30, 1926, to parents Ralph and Jean LaCock. Both of his parents grew up in Huntington, WV. His father was a pharmacist who owned his first pharmacy in Logan, WV, where in 1922, Marshall’s older sister Letitia was born.
In 1930, the family of four moved when Mr. LaCock sold the Logan pharmacy and opened a new operation in Wheeling, WV. The new family home was on Wheeling Island in the middle of the Ohio River. It was in Wheeling where young “Pierre” fell in love with music. He has said it was here he first listened to big band music, as his whole family would often listen together to the radio broadcasts coming out of Pittsburgh and Chicago. His mother loved the popular songs of the day, while his father loved the music of Gilbert and Sullivan.
It was in Wheeling where he and his talented older sister first took singing and dancing lessons. This led to his first ever stage appearance in 1935, at the age of nine, when he performed at Wheeling’s Capitol Music Hall.
In 1936 everything changed with the tragic suicide of Ralph LaCock. Mother, Jean returned to her parent’s home in Huntington with her two children. She eventually decided to go all-in on her dreams of being a New York City, Broadway costume designer. At the time, older sister Letitia was fourteen years old, and had serious designs on an acting and modeling career. According to Marshall in his 2002 memoir Backstage With the Original Hollywood Square:
“By the time my sister was 14 years old, she was drop-dead gorgeous. Mom had saved up enough money to take her to New York to see renown modeling agent, John Robert Powers, and he flipped. ‘He changed her name from Letitia LaCock to Joanne Marshall, which is where I got Marshall for a last name. It was in solidarity with my sister, not a shout out to a school in Huntington.’ (Author emphasis added.)
Peter stayed in Huntington and attended school for two years while his mom saved enough money to bring him to New York City, at age 12, in 1938. His mother was working at Macy’s and his sister, now 16, was getting regular modeling work. Show business beckoned young Pete as well. By age 14 he was working as an usher at the Paramount Theater, and when he turned 15, he got a job as a page at NBC. Again from his memoir: “By then I was 6 feet 3 inches tall so they didn’t have a clue how young I was. They were introducing me as ‘Peter Marshall-The Boy Singer.’” (A title he would reuse in 2000 for an album title.) His ambition was to be a singer, and his sister, who by this time had changed her name to Joanne Dru and become a movie star, was married to Dick Haymes, a famous crooner. Haymes became a role model and Marshall soon landed his first job as a vocalist with Bob Chester at the Adams Theater in Newark, NJ, making $50 a week.
At the age of 17, the seasoned show biz veteran returned to West Virginia as Peter LaCock to finish high school in Huntington. One year later, in 1944 he was drafted into the army and stationed in Italy and was recruited to be a disc jockey at a radio station in Naples. He was discharged in 1946 with the rank of staff sergeant.
Around this time his elder sister, now going by Joanne Dru, was becoming a Hollywood leading lady with major roles in such big budget films as Red River, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, and All the King’s Men.
By 1949 Peter Marshall had joined forces with comic actor Tommy Noonan. The comedy duo performed in major nightclubs and theaters in addition to making an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. As a contract movie player his credits include The Rookie with Julie Newmar; Swingin’ Along with Barbara Eden; and Ensign Pulver with Walter Mathau.
On stage Peter starred opposite Chita Rivera in Bye Bye Birdie in London’s West End in 1961. His first starring role on Broadway was in Skyscraper in 1965 with Julie Harris. His other musical theater credits include, Anything Goes, The Music Man, and 42nd Street. In the 1980’s Marshall performed the lead role of “Georges” in over 800 performances of La Cage Aux Follies on Broadway and on the national tour.
But what about that Hollywood Squares job? In 1966 Marshall made a commercial for Kellogg’s cereals that caught the eye of talent scouts looking for a host of a new game show. He got a call for an audition. He had seen the pilot for this for “Hollywood Squares”, and the Miss America Pageant emcee Bert Parks, had been in the host’s chair.. At the audition he asked, “Why aren’t you using Bert Parks?” They answered, “Bert Parks is already famous. We’re looking for a complete nonentity.”
“Well, look no further,” Marshall replied. Then he went through the audition, and got the job.
Peter’s many television credits include guest appearances on The Love Boat, Lou Grant, WKRP in Cincinnati, and 77 Sunset Strip.
Marshall’s love for music goes back to his days as a 15-year old “Boy Vocalist”, with the Bob Chester Orchestra through his years as a Las Vegas headliner. For over two decades he hosted his own show on the national Music of Your Life radio network and has hosted nostalgic music specials for PBS including The Big Band Years and Starlight Ballroom.
He won 4 Emmys for Outstanding Game Show Host, and in 2007 was one of the first inductees in the TV Game Show Hall of Fame, in Las Vegas.
In 2014, Peter Marshall returned to West Virginia to host four games of “The West Virginia Squares” as part of Charleston’s FestivALL. Famous West Virginia entertainers such as Landau Murphy and Bill Lepp took part in the games.
Peter Marshall had three marriages, four children, and two stepchildren. His son, Pete Lacock, is a former Major League Baseball player. The retired first baseman spent nine years playing for the Chicago Cubs and the Kansas City Royals.
Marshall died of kidney failure at his home in Encino, Los Angeles, California, on August 15, 2024, at the age of 98
Authors Note:
Sources. Backstage With the Original Hollywood Square. Peter Marshall – 2002.
West Virginia Music Hall of Fame
Huntington Quarterly
RECOMMENDED LISTENING – by the author
- Peter Marshall & Tommy Farrell – “The Old Philosopher”. A comic bit done by Marshall and his 1949 sidekick, Tommy Farrell. It’s Marshall’s voice that you hear first in this quirky, funny little routine.
Peter Marshall & Tommy Farrell | THE OLD PHILOSOPHER – YouTube
- Peter Marshall and Doc Severinson. “Stardust”. Marshall always thought of himself as a singer, first. Everything else was second. This is from his syndicated variety show.
Peter Marshall and Doc Severinsen | STARDUST – YouTube
- Peter Marshall. “Night Life”.
Peter Marshall | NIGHT LIFE (youtube.com)
Photo Sources: Washington Post | Huntington Quarterly
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