American producer of television programs, movies and stage plays and also a long-running TV talk show host. His interview guests included Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, former President Harry Truman, Muslim minister Malcolm X and boxer Muhammad Ali.
Susskind was raised in a Jewish family. He attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison and then Harvard University, graduating with honors in 1942. He served in the Navy during World War II and, as communications officer on an attack transport, USS Mellette, saw action at Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
His first job after the war was as a press agent for Warner Brothers. Next he was a talent agent for Century Artists, ultimately ending up in the Music Corporation of America’s newly minted television programming department, managing Dinah Shore, Jerry Lewis, and others. In New York, Susskind formed Talent Associates, representing creators of material rather than performers.
He began his TV talk show Open End in New York City in 1958 which went into national syndication in 1961. The show was retitled The David Susskind Show for its telecast on Sunday night, 2 October 1966. In the 1960s it was the first nationally broadcast TV talk show to feature people speaking out against American involvement in the Vietnam War. In the 1970s it was the first such talk show to feature people speaking out for gay rights. The show continued until its New York outlet cancelled it in 1986, approximately six months before Susskind died.
His production company, Talent Associates, produced various screen and stage shows including the enormously popular TV comedy series Get Smart (1965-1970).
Susskind was married and divorced twice. He had three daughters, a son and two step daughters. He died from a heart attack on 22 February 1987 at age 66 in New York City.
Link to Wikipedia biography