los angeles | Jan Murray, one of the fabled generation of Jewish comics who rose from the Catskills to prime time TV, tickling fans of the 1950s game show “Treasure Hunt,” has died. He was 89.
Murray, who appeared in dozens of movies and TV shows, died Sunday, July 9 at his home in Beverly Hills, son Howard Murray said.
“Treasure Hunt” ran from 1956 to 1959 in both daytime and prime time versions, first on ABC and later on NBC. The contestant who won a quiz got to pick among treasure chests, which contained anything “from a head of cabbage to a check for a large sum of money,” according to the book “The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows.”
Born Murray Janofsky on Oct. 4, 1916 in New York, Murray honed his craft by watching vaudeville shows and performing at Catskills resorts that catered to crowds of Jewish vacationers.
Murray is survived by his wife, Toni; sons Howard and Warren; daughters Diane and Celia; eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.