Stephen Valentine Patrick William Allen was an American television personality, radio personality, musician, composer, actor, comedian, writer, and advocate of scientific skepticism. In 1954, he achieved national fame as the co-creator and first host of The Tonight Show, which was the first late night television talk show. Though he got his start in radio, Allen is best known for his extensive network television career. He gained national attention as a guest host on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts. After he hosted The Tonight Show, he went on to host numerous game and variety shows, including his own The Steve Allen Show, I've Got a Secret, and The New Steve Allen Show. He was a regular panel member on CBS's What's My Line?, and from 1977 until 1981 wrote, produced, and hosted the award-winning public broadcasting show Meeting of Minds, a series of historical dramas presented in a talk format. Allen was a pianist and a prolific composer. By his own estimate, he wrote more than 8,500 songs, some of which were recorded by numerous leading singers. Working as a lyricist, Allen won the 1964 Grammy Award for Best Original Jazz Composition. He also wrote more than 50 books, including novels, children's books, and books of opinions, including his final book, Vulgarians at the Gate: Trash TV and Raunch Radio. In 1996 Allen was presented with the Martin Gardner Lifetime Achievement Award from the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSICOP). He has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a Hollywood theater named in his honor.
71 movies · 52 shows
Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues
2022·6.5
Boulevard! A Hollywood Story
2021·6.2
Eat That Question: Frank Zappa in His Own Words
2016·7.4
Tab Hunter Confidential
2015·7.3
Erroll Garner: No One Can Hear You Read
2013·7.0
2Everything2Terrible2: Tokyo Drift
2010·6.1
Elvis: #1 Hit Performances
2007·5.5
Elvis: The King of Rock 'n' Roll
2007·10.0
Tasmanian Devil: The Fast and Furious Life of Errol Flynn
2007·9.0
The Adventures of Errol Flynn
2005·7.7
Elvis: Rare Moments with the King
2003·6.0
The Definitive Elvis: The Television Years
2002·5.2
Nobody's Perfect: The Making of Some Like It Hot
2001·7.0
50 Years of NBC Late Night
2001·0.0
On and Off the Res' with Charlie Hill
2000·10.0
Let Me In, I Hear Laughter: A Salute to the Friars Club
1999·7.0
Lenny Bruce: Swear to Tell the Truth
1998·7.7
No More to Say & Nothing to Weep For: An Elegy for Allen Ginsberg
1997·1.0
On the Road to Desolation
1997·0.0
Rodney Dangerfield's 75th Birthday Toast
1997·7.0
Nichols and May: Take Two
1996·6.5
Abbott & Costello Meet Biography
1996·0.0
Casino
1995·8.0
James Dean: A Portrait
1995·7.0
James Dean and Me
1995·8.8
The Player
1992·7.2
Laurel and Hardy: A Tribute to the Boys
1992·7.0
Rodney Dangerfield's The Really Big Show
1991·8.8
WWE WrestleMania VI
1990·8.4
Great Balls of Fire!
1989·6.3
Richard Lewis: I'm Exhausted
1988·8.0
Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC
1988·6.0
Amazon Women on the Moon
1987·5.9
TV's Funniest Comedians - 14 Stars Do Classic Routines
1986·0.0
Classic Comedy Teams
1986·7.0
The Ratings Game
1984·5.7
Computability: How to Make the Most of Your Home Computer
1984·0.0
The Making of the Stooges
1984·9.0
Don't Ask Me, Ask God
1984·0.0
Starfest: The Stars Salute Public Television 1983
1983·0.0
The Funny Farm
1983·6.0
Ernie Kovacs: Television's Original Genius
1982·0.0
Night of 100 Stars
1982·5.8
Heart Beat
1980·5.6
The Gossip Columnist
1980·7.3
The Power of the Market
1980·0.0
Stone
1979·9.0
The Muppets Go Hollywood
1979·6.2
The Vent Event
1978·0.0
Have I Got a Christmas for You
1977·0.0
Lucy Calls the President
1977·7.5
Bob Hope's World of Comedy
1976·0.0
On Location: Myron Cohen
1976·0.0
Joys
1976·6.0
The Sunshine Boys
1975·6.9
Mitzi & 100 Guys
1975·2.0
James Dean Remembered
1974·8.0
Lenny Bruce: Without Tears
1972·5.0
The Comic
1969·6.1
Now You See It, Now You Don't
1968·7.0
Where Were You When the Lights Went Out?
1968·5.3
The Movie Orgy
1968·6.7
Warning Shot
1967·6.4
Don't Worry, We'll Think of a Title
1966·5.3
The Universal Mind of Bill Evans
1966·9.0
College Confidential
1960·6.5
The Big Circus
1959·6.6
The Benny Goodman Story
1956·6.4
Allen in Movieland
1955·4.5
I'll Get By
1950·5.9
Down Memory Lane
1949·7.0