Biography
David Howard Susskind (December 19, 1920 – February 22, 1987) was an American producer known for his work in television, film, and stage plays, as well as a pioneering TV talk show host. His programs broke new ground by tackling timely and controversial issues often avoided by others at the time.
After World War II, Susskind began his career as a press agent for Warner Brothers, then moved on to work as a talent agent for Century Artists. He eventually joined the Music Corporation of America’s newly formed television programming division, managing talents like Dinah Shore and Jerry Lewis. In New York, he founded Talent Associates, focusing on representing creators of content rather than performers. In 1954, he became a producer for NBC's legal drama Justice, inspired by case files from New York's Legal Aid Society. His show Open End premiered in 1958 on WNTA-TV in New York City and was named for its format, which lasted as long as Susskind and his guests could continue. By 1961, Open End was limited to two hours and went into national syndication. It was renamed The David Susskind Show for its October 2, 1966, Sunday night broadcast. In the 1960s, it was the first nationally aired talk show to feature voices opposing American involvement in the Vietnam War. In the 1970s, it became the first national talk show to spotlight advocates for gay rights. The program ran until its cancellation by its New York station in 1986.
Over nearly thirty years, Susskind addressed many contentious subjects, including race relations, transsexualism, and the Vietnam War. His October 1960 interview with Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, conducted during the Cold War’s peak, attracted widespread attention and remains one of the few preserved talk show broadcasts from that era.
Notably, in a 1968 appearance on the British program The Eamonn Andrews Show, a recently discovered interview revealed Susskind’s harsh criticism of then-25-year-old Muhammad Ali, expressing strong hostility toward the boxer for refusing military conscription during the Vietnam War. Some commentators have interpreted this as a racially charged attack.
Beyond hosting, Susskind was a prolific producer with numerous films, plays, and television projects to his name. His enduring legacy is that of a creator of thoughtful, intelligent content during a period when television was moving away from its golden age and increasingly focused on mass appeal, regardless of quality.
