Ed Allen
Born(1926-12-14)December 14, 1926
Chicago, Illinois, United States[1]
DiedDecember 29, 2018(2018-12-29) (aged 92)
Arlington Heights, Illinois[2]
NationalityAmerican
Occupationtelevision fitness host
Known forThe Ed Allen Show

Ed Allen (December 14, 1926 – December 29, 2018) was a television host noted for his syndicated exercise programs.

Allen was an actor and singer in the United States during his early career, becoming a television program host in 1948.[1] His program was broadcast on 43 American television stations, resulting in fan mail of 3,000 letters a week.[3] In 1963, television producer Riff Markowitz brought Allen to Canada, recording 65 half-hour episodes of the exercise show in five days. Shortly after his September 2, 1963 debut on CHCH-TV in Hamilton, Ontario,[3] the station received 1,131 letters in a nine-day span, raising expectations of syndication throughout Canada.[4]

195 episodes of The Ed Allen Show were produced by the Canadian production team of Al Guest and Jean Mathieson.

Ed Allen had a following of millions of viewers and fans, from all over the world. His exercise show was still being distributed in the early 1990s. The format was usually set somewhere on a beach; in the late 1960s, the filming location was in Montego Bay, Jamaica at the Half Moon Hotel, specifically the Kennedy Beach House.[5] Barbie, Ed’s second wife (m. 1974, née Barbara A. Schilling) was a regular providing various routines and in 1979 developed a chain of classes under the Barbie Allen Dancercise brand.[6][7] Vinyl LPs and videos were available. Ed wore a distinctive one-piece polyester jumpsuit while he did his calisthenics. In the late 1960s, he earned an estimated annual income of at least USD$100,000.[2]

Allen hosted Stay Tuned, a 1978–79 weekday talk show on Global Television Network.[8]

Bibliography

  • 1976: The Ed Allen Exercise Book (Coles)[9]

References

  1. 1 2 Kastner, Susan (9 September 1963). "Ladies Prefer Ed For Weight-Paring". Toronto Star. p. 41.
  2. 1 2 Information from Ed Allen's children.
  3. 1 2 Kirby, Blaik (3 September 1963). "He'll Flex Muscles, Do Bends". Toronto Star. p. 18.
  4. ↑ Barker, Gerry (22 October 1963). "In Town & Out". Toronto Star. p. 19.
  5. ↑ "Easy-going Ed Allen has built a remarkable TV career on". Ottawa Citizen. 1 October 1969. Retrieved 25 January 2010. Indicates age 40 at that time.
  6. ↑ Schwartz, Susan (16 October 1982). "Many find fitness is a dance away". The Gazette. Montreal. p. C-2. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  7. ↑ "Ed Allen Weds Local Woman". The Milwaukee Journal. 25 July 1974. p. 7. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  8. ↑ "Television listings". Globe and Mail. 16 September 1978. p. C39.
  9. ↑ Allen, Ed. "The Ed Allen Exercise Book by Allen, Ed – 1976". Biblio.com. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
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