US game show king's funeral held

Griffin began his career as a radio singer in the city of San Francisco

Hollywood stars, friends and family of the late US entertainer Merv Griffin have remembered his life at a funeral service in Beverly Hills.

Among those at the ceremony at the Church of the Good Shepherd were actors Dick Van Dyke and Ellen DeGeneres.

Former actor Arnold Schwarzenegger also attended and gave one of the eulogies.

Griffin, creator of game shows Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, died this week aged 82. He had been diagnosed with prostate cancer earlier this year.

In his address, Mr Schwarzenegger - now governor of California but also previously famous for action film such as Terminator - credited Griffin with helping make him a star.

"I can say today I wouldn't have gone as far in my career if it wouldn't have been for Merv Griffin," said Schwarzenegger, recalling his appearances on The Merv Griffin Show in the 1970s.

Arnold Schwarzenegger credited Griffin with helping his career

"He had me on many times, and I was on his show to teach him about fitness and he would be teaching me about acting. Well, neither worked," said Schwarzenegger, who started out as a bodybuilder.

Griffin's son Tony said: "I never knew anyone who loved life as much as my father."

Others who attended the funeral included former first lady Nancy Reagan. As an actor, Griffin had befriended her late husband, the then future US president Ronald Reagan.

Griffin had also been an honorary pallbearer at Reagan's state funeral in 2004.

Griffin's self-titled TV series ran for more than 5,500 editions in the 23 years to 1986. He also had spells as an actor and singer.

Actress Ellen DeGeneres (right) was one of the many mourners

Jeopardy was first broadcast on US television in 1964, and has since won 27 Daytime Emmy Awards, while Wheel of Fortune made its debut 11 years later.

Devising the shows secured his financial future. He sold the rights to Columbia Pictures and kept a share of the profits.

Griffin later bought a hotel and a company which ran casinos and hotels.

Born on 6 July 1925 in San Francisco, Griffin's first job was as a singer on the radio programme San Francisco Sketchbook.

He became the featured vocalist in Freddy Martin's big band, before having a hit with a version of novelty song I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts.

Doris Day and her producer husband, Marty Melcher, saw Griffin perform in Las Vegas and recommended Griffin to Warner Bros, which offered him a film contract.

He appeared in By the Light of the Silvery Moon with Day and Gordon MacRae, and had a bigger role with Kathryn Grayson in So This is Love.

Besides his son Tony, Griffin is survived by his daughter-in-law, Tricia, and two grandchildren.