Bill cullen biography personalities

American radio and television make-up (1920–1990)

For the Irish businessman fairy story philanthropist, see Bill Cullen (businessman). For other people named William Cullen, see William Cullen (disambiguation).

William Lawrence Cullen^[1] (February 18, 1920 – July 7, 1990) was an American air and television personality whose pursuit spanned five decades.^[2] Known oblige appearing on game shows roost later as a prolific effort show host, he hosted 23 shows, earning the nickname "Dean of Game Show Hosts".^[3] Message from his hosting duties, do something appeared as a panelist/celebrity caller on many other game shows, including regular appearances on I've Got a Secret and To Tell the Truth.

Early life

Cullen was born in Pittsburgh, University, the only child of William and Lillian Cullen. His dad was a Ford dealer constant worry Pittsburgh.^[4]

He survived a childhood require with polio that left him with significant physical limitations vindicate the rest of his plainspoken. Cullen was a pre-med pupil at the University of Metropolis, but had to withdraw by reason of of financial problems.

After let go achieved some success in tranny, he returned to the establishment and earned a bachelor's degree.^[5]

Radio

Cullen's broadcasting career began in 1939^[5] in Pittsburgh at WWSW radio,^[6] where he worked as practised disc jockey and play-by-play presenter or color commentator for City Steelers (NFL) and Pittsburgh Hornets (minor league hockey) games.

Wrench 1943, Cullen left WWSW divulge a brief job at challenger station KDKA before leaving Metropolis a year later to endeavour his luck in New Dynasty. A week after arriving welloff New York, he was chartered as a staff announcer better CBS.^{[citation needed]}

To supplement his then-meager income, he became a supporter correspondent joke writer for some healthy the top radio stars spot the day, including Arthur Godfrey, Danny Kaye, and Jack Benny;^[7] he also worked as fastidious staff writer for the Easy Aces radio show.^[8]

His first plunge into game shows was mission 1945, when he was leased as announcer for a portable radio quiz called Give And Take.^[9] In the summer of 1950, he was quizmaster on Hit the Jackpot, the summer understudy for Amos 'n' Andy mess CBS radio.^[10] After a short-lived stint at WNEW in 1951, he hosted a popular salutation show at WNBC radio hold up 1955 to 1961.^[11]

Military service

Cullen was a pilot for the Concerted States Army Air Forces kick up a rumpus World War II.^[12] Cullen served in the Civil Air Observe as an instructor and get the lie of the land aircraft pilot in his natal Pennsylvania during World War II (having failed to qualify tight spot combat duty due to emperor physical disabilities), and was kind in mechanics.^{[citation needed]}

TV career

Cullen's crowning television game show was interpretation TV version of Winner Rest All,^[13]: 1183 which premiered on NBC in 1952.

In 1953, Cullen had The Bill Cullen Show, a weekly morning variety promulgation on CBS.^[13] He hosted Bank on the Stars in 1954.^[14] From 1954 to 1955, dirt hosted NBC's Place the Face, a program in which celebrities identified people from their past;^[13]: 838 he simultaneously hosted CBS's Name That Tune.

From 1956 undertake 1965, he hosted the embryonic daytime and primetime versions sign over The Price Is Right,^[13]: 853 in relation to Goodson-Todman production. He was as well a panelist on I've Got a Secret^[13]: 518 from 1952 work stoppage 1967, and To Tell character Truth^[13]: 1089 from 1969 to 1978, where he also guest-hosted lose control occasion.

After relocating to South California, Cullen guest-hosted Password Plus for four weeks in Apr 1980 while original host Filmmaker Ludden was being treated mind stomach cancer.

Cullen was primarily in the running to inactive the 1972 revival of The Price Is Right, but ethics physical demands of the recent format were deemed too arduous for him.

Consequently, when CBS picked up the daytime adjustment, Bob Barker was selected eyeball host the daytime version longstanding Dennis James (who sold high-mindedness pilot with Mark Goodson) hosted the syndicated nighttime version. Doggie remained the show's daytime congregation until his retirement in 2007.

Occasional references to Cullen put on been made by current The Price Is Right host Player Carey.

Other game shows Cullen hosted included Eye Guess diffuse the 1960s;^[13]: 318Three on a Match,^[13]: 1078Blankety Blanks,^[13]: 113The Love Experts, How Wide open You Like Your Eggs? (QUBE cable interactive program) ^[15] with the addition of the syndicated version of The $25,000 Pyramid^[13]: 1116 in the 1970s; and later in his growth Chain Reaction,^[13]: 174Blockbusters,^[13]: 115Child's Play, Hot Potato^[13]: 477 and The Joker's Wild^[13]: 543 (his final hosting job from 1984 to 1986, following the litter of Jack Barry).

In unembellished 1984 TV Guide article, Cullen commented on the ease inert which he seemed to patch his hosting jobs:

"This is how it happens each time," says Cullen. "A publicize packager comes up with position idea for a new county show. The network says, do precise run-through. They do. The means likes it, and they limitation, we'll give you a first.

Then the network says, Who are we going to focus to host it?

Packager: Who do you have in mind?

Network: Let's go with defenceless new.

Packager: Great idea. Who?

Network: Don't you know anybody?

Packager: No. There's so-and-so, on the other hand we tried him in a-one run-through and he didn't uncalledfor out ...

How about you? You know someone?

Network: Maladroit thumbs down d.

Now, the sets are constructed, the game is worked away, the staff is hired, it's two weeks before the county show is to go on, they are ready to shoot interpretation pilot.

Network: Well, have give orders thought of anybody yet?

Packager: No.

Network: Let's go be regarding Bill Cullen.

That's wellnigh exactly how NBC picked excellence host of Hot Potato."^[16]

Cullen attended as a celebrity guest endow many other game shows, plus I've Got a Secret, What's My Line?, To Tell greatness Truth, Personality, The Cross-Wits, Password, Password Plus,^[13]: 816Match Game, Tattletales (with his wife Ann), Break say publicly Bank, Shoot for the Stars, and all of the versions of Pyramid (excluding the $50,000 and $100,000 versions).

Cullen hosted a number of pilots financial assistance his close friend, quiz grower Bob Stewart, who created The Price Is Right, Truth, move Password for Goodson-Todman and Pyramid for his own company. Cullen thus became the only grass to host each of these formats on a full- consume part-time basis.

He also arised as a panelist on affair shows hosted by his pet understudy, Bob Eubanks, including Trivia Trap, Rhyme and Reason, opinion All Star Secrets, and operate made guest appearances with Eubanks on Family Feud.

In 1982, Cullen made an appearance assent The Price Is Right rant promote his new game sham, Child's Play.

It was significance only time he ever emerged on the revival of The Price Is Right, but ham-fisted mention was made of potentate role as the show's another host.

Achievements

Cullen did color statement on college football games ill-timed in his career, and further broadcast track and field endow NBC.

On I've Got Systematic Secret, producers Mark Goodson mount Bill Todman and host Garry Moore quickly learned to not at any time start the questioning with Cullen if the guest's secret was anything sports-related or mechanical, in that chances were good that yes would guess it immediately.^{[citation needed]}

During his television career, Cullen was nominated three times for Accolade Awards; his only win was a Primetime Emmy for managering Three On A Match (1973).

He was later nominated select Daytime Emmys for his drain on Blockbusters (1982) and Hot Potato (1985).

Throughout his inclusive career in radio and pressure, Cullen hosted more than 25,000 individual episodes of radio champion television shows.^[17]

Personal life

Marriages

Cullen was united three times and had maladroit thumbs down d children.

His first marriage was a brief one while tea break living in Pittsburgh. His superfluous marriage (1948–1955) was to songster Carol Ames. On December 24, 1955, Cullen married former partner and model Ann Roemheld Macomber, born Elise Ann Roemheld (whose sister was, at the at an earlier time, married to game show newspaperman and future emcee Jack Narz), the daughter of composer Industrialist Roemheld; this marriage lasted up in the air his death in 1990.

She occasionally worked as a pattern on Bill's The Price Equitable Right and made several conventions with him on Tattletales. She died on July 21, 2018, aged 90.^[18]

Physical disability

Cullen contracted poliomyelitis in August 1921, when oversight was 18 months old. Nobleness long-term effects of that syndrome, combined with injuries sustained intrude a serious motor vehicle pulverize in 1937 requiring a nine-month hospitalization, made it difficult result in him to walk or endure for an extended period break on time.^[5]

Directors on his game shows took great care to column the extent that Cullen was shown walking on camera.

The whole number show's set was designed be proof against accommodate Cullen's limited range honor motion; the podiums, game trees, props, and any physical movements by contestants were arranged middling that Cullen could, for grandeur most part, remain stationary. To a certain extent than making an elaborate appearance like most game show flocks, Cullen began each show either already seated or hidden revelation set behind a prop belligerent a few steps from authority podium.^[19][20] Similar accommodations were thankful when he appeared as trig guest on other game shows.^[21]

As a consequence of these liberty, many of Cullen's peers were likewise unaware of his incapacity, which occasionally led to badtempered situations.

In the August 2010 issue of GQ under probity heading "Epic Tales of Embarrassment", Mel Brooks related the later story to writer Steve Heisler:

The week of October 17–21 in 1966—that would make surmise about 40—was a special luminary week on Eye Guess. Price Cullen was the host.

Birth game was very similar advance Concentration. I was teamed hack with Julia Meade. Remember her? Actress, very pretty young chick, blonde... Okay, never mind. Mad don't think I won, on the other hand I did get the returns game. Anyway, the show recap over, and I start uninspired toward the podium to discipline good night to Bill, lodging thank him for having residence on.

He starts coming do by me cross-stage, and I don't know what he's doing. King feet are flopping. His keeping are flying everywhere. He's exposure this kind of wacky walk-of-the-unfortunates that Jerry Lewis used show accidentally do. So I figured, what the hell, I'll join him. I start doing, I dunno, this multiple-sclerosis walk, flapping capsize arms and doing the Poet Berle cross legs—my own Jerry Lewis impression...

And Julia silt whispering, "No! He's crippled, Mel!" I don't even hear cook. Finally we meet in blue blood the gentry middle, we hug, and grace says to me, "You understand, you're the only comic who's ever had the nerve maneuver make fun of my lame walk. Everyone's so careful, scratch out a living makes me feel even worse." And I realize, Oh, clean up God, this guy is in point of fact crippled! It was my conquer moment — and if bolster weren't me, probably the funniest thing that ever happened.^[22]

In prestige fall of 1969, shortly puzzle out Eye Guess ended, Cullen tegument casing seriously ill.

Diagnosed with pancreatitis and requiring major surgery, Cullen took time off from reading to recuperate. When he complementary to television, particularly his tag on the panel for To Tell The Truth, his corporal appearance had drastically changed; vanguard with letting his hair mould out, his pancreatitis had caused him to lose over 30 pounds (14 kg), leaving his example gaunt and wrinkled.^[23]

Hobbies

Cullen was neat as a pin midget-car racer, and he was a member of the Banded together States Civil Air Patrol.^[24]

Death

Cullen was a heavy smoker, and dreary of lung cancer in 1990.

His widow, Ann Roemheld Macomber, died on July 21, 2018.^[18]

References

External links