In Memoriam: Phil Donahue Portrait by Photographer Joe Arce

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CHICAGO – Last week, the world woke to the news that Phil Donahue, talk show pioneer in the 1970s and beyond, had passed away at age 88. Photographer Joe Arce of HollywoodChicago.com took an Exclusive Portrait of the talker in 2010, and the Portrait is republished as a contributions memorial to Phil Donahue.

Midwestern at heart, Donahue was born in Cleveland, and found his way to Notre Dame University, where he graduated in 1957. He began his broadcasting career in Cleveland, but his break came as nationwide notice was focused on his interviews, subsequent work as a news anchor in Dayton, Ohio, and as a stringer for the Walter Cronkite-era CBS Evening News. His Dayton radio show “Conversation Piece” early on scored a triple historical talk coup with then presidential candidate John F. Kennedy, The Tonight Show host Johnny Carson and activist leader Malcolm X.

Phil Donahue in Chicagoland, 2010
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

The talk show known as the “The Phil Donahue Show” began in Dayton in 1967, moved to Chicago in 1974, and ten years later landed in New York City. The show’s final original episode – after nearly 7000 syndicated one hour daily shows – aired in 1996. In that time Donahue established his avuncular style and audience participation format, subsequently modified and used by other hosts like Oprah Winfrey. It wasn’t all serious … Donahue often delved into tabloid subjects (“Satanic Panic!”) … but through it all he established a base of integrity and goodwill.

Interestingly, in a Keith Olbermann podcast this week, the story of Phil Donahue’s brief tenure at news network MSNBC came up. In 2002, the network hired him to provide perspective on the George W. Bush administration, and it was common knowledge that he was fired for being “too liberal” (a point that Donahue himself perpetuated). As related by Olbermann, it was actually old fashioned business economics … Donahue’s show was expensive to produce, and wasn’t drawing ratings. How did Olbermann know this? It was his “Countdown” show that replaced Donahue.

Phil Donahue was also famously married to actor and feminist activist Marlo Thomas. In his later years he co-director an Oscar nominated documentary (“Body of War”) and continued to represent progressive causes until his death in New York City on August 18th, 2024. He is survived by Thomas and four of his five children from his first marriage.

By PATRICK McDONALD Editor and Film Critic/Writer HollywoodChicago.com [email protected]