- Irv Kupcinet
Infobox actor
bgcolour = silver
name =Irv Kupcinet
imagesize = 200px
caption = Irv Kupcinet at the 62nd annualAcademy Awards ceremony
birthdate = birth date|1912|07|31|mf=y
location =North Lawndale, Chicago ,Illinois USA
deathdate = death date and age|2003|11|10|1912|07|31
deathplace =Chicago ,Illinois
spouse = Esther Kupcinet (née Solomon) (1939–2001)
birthname = Irving KupcinetIrv Kupcinet (
July 31 ,1912 –November 10 ,2003 ) was an American newspaper columnist for the "Chicago Sun-Times " and a broadcast personality based inChicago, Illinois . He was popularly known by the nickname "Kup".His daily "Kup's Column" was launched in 1943 and remained a fixture in the "Sun-Times" for the next six decades. [cite news | last =Wilgoren | first =Jodi | title = For Chicago's 'Town Crier,' the Stories Linger | publisher ="New York Times"| date =2002-08-14 | url =http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C02E1D71E3AF937A2575BC0A9649C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=print | accessdate =2007-11-19]
Biography
Early life
Kupcinet was born the youngest of four children to Russian immigrants in the
North Lawndale section ofChicago . While attending high school, he became editor of the school newspaper and the senior class president. He eventually won a football scholarship toNorthwestern University , but a scuffle with another student led to his transferring to theUniversity of North Dakota . Upon graduating college, Kupcinet was drafted by thePhiladelphia Eagles .cite news | last =Sher | first =Cindy | title = Remembering Irv Kupcinet | publisher =JUF News| date =2006-11-07 | url =http://www.juf.org/news/obit.aspx?id=10712 | accessdate =2007-11-19] His football career was cut short due to a shoulder injury which led him to take a job as a sports writer for the "Chicago Daily Times" (now known as the "Chicago Sun-Times") in 1935.cite news | last =Steinberg | first =Niel | title = 'Mr. Chicago' is dead at 91 IRV KUPCINET 1912-2003 | publisher ="Chicago Sun Times"| date =2003-11-11 | url =http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4155/is_20031111/ai_n12529474/pg_2 | accessdate =2007-11-19]Career
While writing his sports column, Kupcinet also wrote a short "People" section which became officially known as "Kup's Column" in 1948 after "The Chicago Sun" and the "Daily Times" merged forming the "Chicago Sun-Times".cite news |last=Felsenthal| first=Carol| title =The Lost World of Kup | publisher ="
Chicago Magazine " | date =2004-06| url =http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/June-2004/The-Lost-World-of-Kup/index.php?cp=2&si=1#artanc | accessdate =2007-11-19] "Kup's Column" chronicled the nightlife of Chicago along with celebrity and political gossip. The column would eventually be distributed to more than 100 newspapers around the world. [http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/JFKkupcinet.htm Irv Kupcinet bio] ]In 1952, Kupcinet became a pioneer in the
television talk show genre when he landed his own talk show. In 1957, he replacedJack Paar on what would eventually become "The Tonight Show ". Kupcinet's own series ran from 1959 until 1986 and was, at one point, syndicated to over 70 stations throughout theUnited States . The series garnered 15Emmy Award s along with aPeabody Award .In addition to writing his newspaper column and talk show hosting duties, Kupcinet provided commentary for radio broadcasts of
Chicago Bears football games withJack Brickhouse . He made cameo appearances in two movies; 1959's "Anatomy of a Murder " and the 1962 drama "Advise and Consent".In 1982, Kupcinet was elected to Chicago's Journalism Hall of Fame.
In 1988, Kupcinet published his
autobiography , "Kup: A Man, an Era, a City".Personal life
Kupcinet met Esther "Essee" Solomon while she was a Northwestern student, and married her in 1939. The couple would have two children; a daughter, Karyn in 1941, and a son, Jerry in 1944.
The Kupcinets' daughter, Karyn, moved to Hollywood in the early 1960s to pursue an acting career. On
November 30 ,1963 , Karyn's nude body was found in her West Hollywood apartment. To date, her mysterious death, ruled to be a homicide from strangulation, as her hyoid bone had been broken, has never been solved.In 2001, Essee Kupcinet died after 62 years of marriage.
Death
On
November 10 ,2003 , Irv Kupcinet died from respiratory complications frompneumonia atNorthwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. He was 91 years old. [cite news | title = Legendary Chicago columnist dead at 91| publisher =CNN.com| date =2003-11-11 | url =http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/TV/11/11/obit.kupcinet.ap/index.html| accessdate =2007-11-19]References
External links
*imdb name|id=0475429|name=Irv Kupcinet
*imdb title|id=1105563|title=The Irv Kupcinet Show
* [http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/June-2004/The-Lost-World-of-Kup/ "The Lost World of Kup"] "Chicago" magazine article about Irv Kupcinet
*Find A Grave|id=8075703Persondata
NAME= Kupcinet, Irv
ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Kupcinet, Irving
SHORT DESCRIPTION= Journalist, television personality
DATE OF BIRTH=July 31 ,1912
PLACE OF BIRTH=North Lawndale, Chicago ,Illinois USA
DATE OF DEATH=November 10 ,2003
PLACE OF DEATH=Chicago ,Illinois
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