{{Short description|American TV producer (1929–2015)}} {{Infobox person | name = Merv Adelson | image = Mervyn Adelson.jpg | alt = | caption = Adelson in 1985 | birth_name = Mervyn Lee Adelson | birth_date = {{Birth date|1929|10|23}} | birth_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|2015|09|08|1929|10|23}} | death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S. | other_names = | occupation = {{hlist|real estate developer|television producer}} | years_active = 1950–2015 | known_for = Co-founder of Lorimar Television | notable_works = | spouse = {{plainlist| * {{marriage|Lori Kaufman|||end=divorced}} * {{marriage|Gail Kenaston|||end=divorced}} * {{marriage|Barbara Walters|1981|1984|reason=divorced}}{{marriage||1986|1992|reason=divorced}} * {{marriage|Thea Nesis|||end=divorced}} }} | children = 5, including Andrew and Gary }}
'''Mervyn Lee Adelson''' (October 23, 1929 – September 8, 2015) was an American real estate developer and television producer who co-founded Lorimar Television.
==Early life== Adelson was born to a Jewish family<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bCJfAIOC2csC&q=merv+adelson&pg=PA179|first=John P.|last=Marschall|title=Jews in Nevada: A History|pages=180|publisher=University of Nevada Press|date=February 1, 2008|isbn=9780874177374}}</ref> in Los Angeles on October 23, 1929, to Nathan and Pearl Adelson (née Swartz). His parents were the children of immigrants from Russia who had settled in Nebraska. When he was a child, he worked in a grocery store run by his family.<ref name=NYTimes>{{cite news|last1=Weber|first1=Bruce|title=Merv Adelson, Daring TV Producer, Dies at 85|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/11/business/media/merv-adelson-daring-tv-producer-dies-at-85.html?_r=0|accessdate=September 11, 2015|work=New York Times|date=September 11, 2015}}</ref>
==Career== In the 1950s Adelson established himself in Las Vegas where he first met Irwin Molasky and Moe Dalitz.<ref name="lasvegassunallard">Ed Koch, [http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/sep/01/desert-inn-stardust-chief-helped-integrate-las-veg/ Desert Inn, Stardust chief helped integrate Las Vegas Strip], ''Las Vegas Sun'', September 1, 2008</ref> The trio were responsible for building the Las Vegas Country Club as well as what became Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center.<ref name="lasvegassunallard"/> Molasky and Adelson later opened Omni La Costa Resort and Spa in 1965. Adelson soon left the real estate industry and co-founded Lorimar Television with Molasky and Lee Rich in 1969.<ref name=Var>{{cite news|title=Lorimar Co-Founder and TV Mogul Merv Adelson Dies at 85|url=https://variety.com/2015/tv/news/merv-adelson-dies-dead-full-house-lorimar-1201589568/|accessdate=September 11, 2015|work=Variety|date=September 9, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/how-lorimar-company-behind-dallas-668926|title=How Lorimar, the Company Behind 'Dallas' and 'Falcon Crest,' Bred Hollywood's Ruling Executive Class|website=hollywoodreporter.com|date=9 January 2014 |accessdate=31 October 2018}}</ref>
==Personal life and death== Adelson was married and subsequently divorced four times. His first wife was Lori Kaufman with whom he had a daughter and two sons:<ref name=Telegraph>{{cite news|title=Merv Adelson, television producer - obituary|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/11861848/Merv-Adelson-television-producer-obituary.html |accessdate=September 1, 2017|work=Daily Telegraph|date=September 13, 2015}}</ref> Ellen Adelson Ross, Andrew Adelson, and Gary Adelson.<ref name=LVSObit>{{cite news|last1=Koch|first1=Ed|url=https://lasvegassun.com/news/2015/sep/09/las-vegas-developer-turned-hollywood-mogul-had-his/|title=Las Vegas developer turned Hollywood mogul had his share of highs, lows|accessdate=September 1, 2017|work=Las Vegas Sun|date=September 11, 2015}}</ref> His second wife was Gail Kenaston,<ref name=Telegraph /> adopted daughter of silent film star Billie Dove.<ref>[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-feb-22-mn-10531-story.html Los Angeles Times: "Gail Adelson; Hostess, Home Designer to the Stars" by Myrna Oliver] February 22, 1999</ref> His third wife was the television journalist Barbara Walters to whom he was married from 1986 to 1992. They met on a blind date in 1984.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gostin |first=Nicki |date=2024-04-15 |title=Barbara Walters's career ambitions kept her from true love |url=https://pagesix.com/2024/04/15/entertainment/barbara-walterss-career-ambitions-kept-her-from-true-love/ |access-date=2024-09-06 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=NYTimes/><ref name=LATimes>{{cite news|last1=Woo|first1=Elaine|title=Merv Adelson dies at 85; TV mogul and philanthropist|url=http://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-merv-adelson-20150911-story.html|accessdate=September 11, 2015|work=Los Angeles Times|date=September 10, 2015}}</ref> His fourth wife was Thea Nesis<ref name=Telegraph /> with whom he had adopted two daughters, Lexi and Ava Nesis.<ref name=LVSObit /> All his marriages ended in divorce.<ref name=Telegraph />
Adelson died in Los Angeles, on September 8, 2015, from cancer, aged 85.<ref name=Var/>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{IMDb name|0011857}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Adelson, Merv}} Category:1929 births Category:2015 deaths Category:Television producers from California Category:American film studio executives Category:American people of Russian-Jewish descent Category:Businesspeople from Los Angeles Category:Deaths from cancer in California Category:American businesspeople in the real estate industry Merv Category:20th-century American businesspeople Category:21st-century American businesspeople Category:20th-century American Jews Category:21st-century American Jews Category:American television producers