Moment of Strange

TV Host Art Linkletter Died At Age of  97. Art Linkletter, is a genial TV Host who parlayed his talent for the ad-libbed interview into two of television’s longest-running shows which are the: “People Are Funny” and “House Party,” in the 1950s and 1960s, he was died on Wednesday at his home in the Bel Air section of Los Angeles at age of 97. From his early days as an announcer on local radio and a roving broadcaster at state fairs, Mr. Linkletter showed a talent for ingratiating himself with his subjects and getting them to open up, often with hilarious results.

Television critics and intellectuals found the Linkletter persona bland and his popularity unfathomable. “There is nothing greatly impressive, one way or the other, about his appearance, mannerisms, or his small talk,” one newspaper critic wrote. Another referred to his “imperishable banality.”

Millions of Americans disagreed. They responded to his wholesome, friendly manner and upbeat appeal. Women, who made up three-quarters of the audience for “House Party,” which was broadcast in the afternoon, loved his easy, enthusiastic way with children.