Ralph Edwards was born in 1913 near Merino, Colorado, and later relocated to Oakland, California, with his family when he was 12 years old. He worked his way through college at local radio stations in Oakland and San Francisco, eventually graduating from the University of California at Berkeley in 1935 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in drama. Edwards moved to New York in 1936 and became one of the busiest announcers in radio, hosting as many as 45 network shows per week.
In 1940, Edwards created, produced, and hosted the groundbreaking audience participation show "Truth or Consequences" in response to his hectic pace. The show's immense popularity led to his appearance in the 1942 film Seven Days' Leave alongside Lucille Ball and Victor Mature. He later moved the show and his production company to Hollywood in 1945, where he produced three more films for RKO: Radio Stars on Parade (1945),The Bamboo Blonde (1946),and Beat the Band (1947),all starring Frances Langford. Edwards' film career took a backseat in 1948, when he brought his other long-running show, This Is Your Life, to the airwaves.
On radio for its first two years, Edwards took This Is Your Life to NBC-TV in 1952, where it remained until 1961, earning two Emmy Awards. He also hosted a syndicated version from 1971 to 1973. Edwards' last feature film appearance was in the 1955 bio-pic I'll Cry Tomorrow, which ended with a recreation of Lillian Roth's appearance on This Is Your Life.
Edwards' television career began in earnest in 1950 with The All New Truth or Consequences, which aired one season on CBS-TV and earned the first Emmy Award for an audience participation show. He turned over host duties to Jack Bailey in 1954 and launched the career of Bob Barker as host of the daytime version in 1956. Edwards was also well-known for his extensive charitable and philanthropic activities, becoming one of TV's most prolific producers.
