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Art James (born Arthur Simeonovich Efimchick; October 15, 1929 – March 28, 2004) was an American game-show host, best known for shows such as The Who, What, or Where Game, It's Academic. and Pay Cards! He was also the announcer and substitute host on the game show Concentration.
Jan 1, 2014 · Art James hosts "Say When", which aired between 1/2/61 and 3/26/65 on NBC. Part 1 of 2. This is a Friday episode; in part 2 Art will get tripped up telling everyone to come back tomorrow and...
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Art James, who was an announcer or host for a dozen TV game shows over three decades, including “Concentration” and “Family Feud Challenge,” has died. He was 74.
- Overview
- Life/Career
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- References
Artur Simeonvich Elimchik (b. October 15, 1929 – d. March 28, 2004), better known as Art James, was an American television host and announcer, , best known for shows such as The Who, What, or Where Game, It's Academic. and Pay Cards! He was also the announcer and substitute host on the game show
Born and raised in Dearborn, Michigan. After his retirement from television, James developed game show formats for corporate meetings.
He attended Wayne State University in nearby Detroit, where he studied engineering. He worked as an announcer for the Armed Forces Network while stationed in Germany after World War II.
An old Army friend, who was an executive with NBC, asked James to audition for a new game show, Concentration, hosted by Hugh Downs, which needed an announcer. Concentration ran from 1958 to 1973 and was NBC's longest-running game show. He went on to either announce or host over a dozen game shows, including Say When!!; Fractured Phrases; It's Academic; The Who, What, or Where Game; Pay Cards!; Temptation; The Joker's Wild; Blank Check; The Magnificent Marble Machine; Classic Concentration; Family Feud; Catch Phrase; and Tic-Tac-Dough. He also appeared in the 1995 Kevin Smith movie Mallrats, playing Bob Summers, the host of the public-access Dating Game knockoff Truth or Date. He started Art James Productions in the 1990s with his business partner and producer, Dan Cross. Their joint company staged game shows that were specially created to communicate marketing and corporate strategies to key stakeholders of Fortune 500 companies. One episode of Say When! included a classic blooper by James which has made the rounds on blooper specials. While James was doing an in-show plug for Peter Pan peanut butter, the bottom of the jar fell off after he put a knife in it. James continued with the plug, although he was struggling to keep from laughing. As the show was recorded live; there was no room for retakes. The gaffe has since been shown on many blooper specials.
Art was a frequent contributor to TV Guide, writing about the world of game shows.
He was residing in Chaska, Minnesota at the end of his life, and died of unspecified natural causes during a visit to his brother in Palm Springs, California.
He was married to Sandra Peitron, who was born in Arvilla, North Dakota. They divorced on December 9, 2003, three months before his death. Then, on March 28, 2004, James died of unspecified natural causes. He is survived by two daughters, Jennifer James and Joy DeStefano; a son, Jeff James; and 3 grandchildren.
•Concentration (substitute)
•Say When!! (1961-1965; also hosted the 1960 test episode)
•Tricky Triangle Bowling (1961 unsold pilot)
•It's Academic (NY) (1963-uncertain)
•Fractured Phrases (1965)
•Matches 'N Mates (1967-1968)
•Concentration (also substitute host)
•Family Feud (substitute announcer)
1."Peter Pan Peanut Butter Commercial Blooper" (shown on YouTube. Retrieved on May 7, 2021.
Mar 31, 2004 · Art James, a host and announcer for television game shows, died on Sunday in Palm Springs, Calif., where he was visiting. He was 74 and lived in Chaska, Minn.
What happens when you take "Scene It" and add "Plinko"? You get Pot O' Gold starring Art James!
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- Wink Martindale
Jan 6, 2023 · Watch an episode of the Art James-hosted "Super Pay Cards," in which contestants competed in a game of poker and memory!
