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Show The pain, the gain, the life of Steve Allen Steve Allen and Jayne Meadows married 30 years in their California home. N 1953. STEVE ALLEN created the Tonight show and forever set the comedic format for television. The show was first aired nationally in 1954, live from New York, and Allen's humor. both cool and zany, gave it a vitality not found in today's taped shows. In a matter of months. Steve Allen was America's favorite night-ow- l funnyman. Two years later. NBC decided to match Allen against Ed Sullivan, the king of Sunday night prime-tim- e ratings. The Steve Allen Show lasted three years against Sullivan. Afterward. NBC went on to earn billions with The Tonight Show, and Allen went on to polish other facets of his protean talents. There is Steve Allen the writer, w ith two anthologies of poems, several novels, two collections of short stories, plays and numerous studies dealing with social problems a total of 26 books published to date and a 27th due in the fall. Steve Allen the composer and lyricist has written 4000 songs, including scores for Broadway and Hollywood musicals. Steve Allen the pianist has play ed along w ith the best jazz musicians in the world. Then there is Steve Allen the host: Steve Allen the stage, movie and TV actor: Steve went off to lecture at the University of Allen the thinker and California. I talked with Jayne. had interviewed Steve, but it was Jayne intellectual, who lectures at universities and wrote the Meeting of Minds who really told me about Steve's early series for PBS teles ision. Steve Allen life, and her candor took me by surprise. the crusader for liberal causes, w ho op"When w as first dating Steve," Jayne said, "he'd walk into a room so nervous, poses capital punishment and supports Cesar Chavez's migrant farm workers. so insecure, that he'd talk to no one but Yet. of all his accomplishments. Jay ne me. On the stage, he's the master, the Meadows. Steve's w ife. thinks his most one in control, with or without written e material. On a extraordinary gift was his ability to surbasis, emovive what she calls "his horrendous tions are involved. And a comedian, in childhood " my opinion, is someone denying emoOn a February day. Steve and Jayne tions. It's. 'Don't get close to me became to Santa Barbara, and while Steve cause might get too vulnerable.' A late-nig- talk-sho- 1 ht 1 1 one-to-on- 1 let sleeping dogs lie.' believe she both loved and hated Steve and in later years became terribly jealous of 1 his success." Isabelle Donohue her stage name was Belle w self-educat- BY of those trembling sighs f of guilt and say. 'Oh. comedian's wit is a shield, a way of covering up emotions of vulnerability. It's hard to get close to a comedian, and Steve particularly so." At 58, Jayne is an attractive woman, with fair skin, red hair and dark slanted eyes a feature that has nothing to do w ith her being born to missionaries in China. Much of Jayne's information about Steve came from his mother. Belle, who had played the vaudeville circuit w ith Steve's father, Carroli "Billy" Allen. "She was an alcoholic." Jayne said, "and after a couple of drinks she would become terribly emotional and give one Montrose came from a family of 13 children that had been abandoned in Chicago when the father relumed to Ireland. "She never saw her father again. Jayne said. "She told me stories about him. and he was sadistic. When he got mad at her. he'd sit heron the boiling-ho- t steam radiator and hold her dow n until her seat and legs were w ickedly burned. She told me one horror story after another. "Belle's mother had no sense of humor one of those Irish saints w ho suffer and raise a whole brood of hellions. I mean real wild Irish hellions. And irresponsible oh my God! But Belle had the most fantastic wit. as did the whole family, every single one of them. All had menial jobs, but what an experience to sit in a room, as I did in Chicago, with Uncle Steve, who was just sobered up to meet me; and the night watchman who was always getting fired from jobs, and the Catholic Church would get him another; and Aunt Rose and Uncle Charlie and Uncle Bill, who ended up in prison on what the family called a 'bum rap'; and all the other uncles and aunts, all hopeless drunks except for Aunt Mag and the square one who married an oilman and escaped to Los Angeles. All with the OVID DEMARIS COVER PHOTOGRAPH BY EDDIE ADAMS PAGE 4 MAY 5, 1985 PARADE MAGAZINE O |
