HAL MARCH

April 22, 1920

Hal March was born Harold Mendelson in San Francisco, California. In 1944, March first came to note as part of a comedy team with Bob Sweeney. 

The duo had their own radio show in the early 1950s as Sweeney & March.   arch also worked with Lucille Ball as a regular character on her radio show “My Favorite Husband”, playing a bachelor named Cory Cartwright. He was replaced by John Heistand after just a few episodes. 

He made his screen debut in 1949 in an uncredited role as a mobster in Champion, starring Kirk Douglas.  

He made his television debut as Harry Morton on “The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show” in October 1950. He lost the role to Fred Clark, who producers thought was better paired with Bea Benadaret. The role was eventually taken over by Larry Keating, who did the most episodes as Harry. Bea was Lucille Ball’s co-star on radio’s “My Favorite Husband” and taking the role of Blanche precluded her from playing Ethel Mertz on “I Love Lucy.”  

After Keating took over Harry Morton, he stayed with the show in other roles, which allowed him to re-team with Lucille Ball on the “I Love Lucy” in “Lucy Fakes Illness” (ILL S1;E16) using his own name to play an actor posing as the doctor who diagnoses Lucy with ‘golbloots.’ 

His second appearance on the series was as Eddie Grant in “Lucy is Matchmaker” (ILL S2;E27). Grant is an old friend of Fred’s, a bachelor lingerie salesman Lucy feels needs to have a wife – namely her single friend Sylvia Collins. 

In October 1954, he did an episode of Desilu’s series “Willy” starring June Havoc in the title role. 

He is probably best remembered as the host of “The $64,000 Question” from 1955 to 1958.  As a result of the quiz show scandals, the show was canceled, and with the exception of a few film roles, March was largely out of work for nearly a decade.

In September 1962, March was a guest on Desilu’s “Here’s Hollywood” a show where celebrities were interviewed, mainly in their own homes. 

In December 1966 he was seen on “The Lucy Show.”  He played Bob Bailey,  one of Mr. Mooney’s college friends who is scheduled to entertain at the Bank Benefit with his new partner, Max (the Monkey).

In 1967 he was seen with Lucille Ball in the film A Guide for the Married Man. March and Ball were close friends.  This is their final appearance together.

March’s career took a turn for the better in July 1969 when he began hosting the game show “It’s Your Bet.” After completing approximately 13 weeks of taping he complained of exhaustion and tests revealed that he had lung cancer, the result of years of chain smoking. March died in January 1970 in Los Angeles at age 49. 

March was married in 1956 to Candy Toxton. Toxton had two children, Steve March-Tormé and Melissa Tormé, from her previous marriage to Mel Tormé, another actor who appeared with Lucille Ball. Although he did not legally adopt them, March was stepfather to Steve and Melissa, and went on to have three more children with Candy: Peter, Jeffrey, and Victoria.

Lucille Ball and March stayed friends throughout his life. Lucy later employed Steve March in two episodes of “Here’s Lucy” as one of Craig’s friends. He also wrote the song “Country Magic” for Ann-Margret’s appearance on the series.  

Hal March’s grandson Hunter March hosts the Netflix game show “Sugar Rush” and E! TV’s “Nightly Pop”. Like grandfather, like grandson!