Jack Clark (television)
Jack Clark (
December 13,
1921 -
July 21,
1988) was an
American game show emcee and
announcer. He is remembered for his hosting duties on
The Cross-Wits which ran from
December 15,
1975 to
September 12,
1980.
He started his career in the industry working as an announcer on such shows as
Password and
Split Second.
He took over hosting
Dealer's Choice from actor Bob Hastings a few weeks into its run in 1974, and continued hosting the show through late 1975. Once that ended, he began emceeing
The Cross-Wits which lasted five years.
Clark was also known for hosting a number of pilot episodes that never made it to air. Among these were
Second Guessers, The $10,000 Sweep, and a revival of
Now You See It.
In 1979, Jack also hosted "Say Powwww", a live interactive game series on Metromedia stations in California directed by
Sidney M. Cohen. It was shortly after
The Cross-Wits ended that he began announcing for
The $25,000 Pyramid (
1982-
1985) and announced
Wheel of Fortune from
1980 until his
1988 death from bone cancer at age 66.
Charlie O'Donnell, whom Clark replaced in 1980 (and occasionally filled in for Clark during his tenure), returned and has been
Wheel's announcer ever since. [
1]