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COVER STORY ARCHIVES Analysis: Drew Carey as host of The Price Is Right Bob Barker on his career 2007 Jeopardy! college champ Cliff Galiher Tribute to Tom Poston More Tributes to Tom Poston Part 1 with Art James GSN executive Kevin Belinkoff on Lingo Kitty Angel of GSN's Cat-Minster $250,000 WWTBAM winner Jeff Jones 2007 Jeopardy! teen champ David Walter Country singer Julie Roberts, Wheel of Fortune Michael Davies, executive producer, WWTBAM Leigh Hampton, executive producer, WWTBAM $100,000 WWTBAM winner Molly Ball Barry Lander of 1 vs. 100 Michele Falco, Player of the Year Scott St. John, Executive of the Year Richard Hayes of All About Faces Ira Skutch, producer of Match Game Natalie Hlavenka of Wheel of Fortune Show Me the Money executive producer Mike Nichols Miguel Ferrer of Celebrity Jeopardy! Tribute to Bud Collyer Geoff Edwards of Treasure Hunt and Jackpot Bob Harris, author of "Prisoner of Trebekistan" Johnny Gilbert, Jeopardy! announcer Bob Goen of That's the Question Ken Jennings, author of "Brainiac" Howie Mandel of Deal or No Deal Pilar Laster of Deal or No Deal Claudia Jordan of Deal or No Deal $1.86 million WWTBAM winner Ed Toutant Network TV's top winner Dr. Kevin Olmstead Kathy Garver of Family Affair Tribute to Mike Douglas Burton Richardson of Family Feud Dylan Lane of Chain Reaction Pat Kiernan of World Series of Pop Culture Author Wesley Hyatt on Emmy-winning game shows Laird MacIntosh of Treasure Hunters Teresa Strasser of How to Get the Guy Ricki Lake of Game Show Marathon Michael Falk, Jeopardy! 2006 Tournament of Champions Winner Is Survivor Slipping? Vanna White of Wheel of Fortune Bob Juch of Millionaire Sheetal Shetty of Deal or No Deal Wink Martindale Did Richard Karn Get the Shaft on Family Feud? Bob Boden, Laura Chambers on Peter Tomarken Bil Dwyer of I've Got a Secret Don Knotts: a TV Legend Leaves Us Robert Purdum: $132,000 Wheel Winner Adam Wade of Musical Chairs Michael Davies: His New Sony Deal Nipsey & Adam: They Were the Pioneers Peter Marshall: 40th anniverary of Hollywood Squares 2005 Player of the Year: Brad Rutter Lin Bolen Betty White Jeopardy! college champion Nico Martinez Deal or No Deal's Scott St. John Harry Friedman, Wheel and Jeopardy! executive producer |
 A GREAT, GREAT LIFE" Stewart, whose creation of The Price Is Right in 1956 launched a career spanning five decades, told the audience at the Beverly Garland Holiday Inn in North Hollywood, "It's been a great, great life." He recalled the ambivalence Cullen, who became his closest friend, had during the development stage of Price---originally titled The Auctioneer. "Bill really wasn't sure it was going to work," said Stewart. "I finally convinced him, 'Look, let's give it a shot. If nothing else, we'll get 13 weeks out of it. If it doesn't work, we can go on and do something else." Cullen agreed. Nine years later, both had become rich and Stewart left the bubble of Goodson-Todman Productions to start his own company. Stewart went on to create To Tell the Truth and Password under the Goodson-Todman banner. He related a rarely-told story about the selection process for the host of Password. "It was down to Henry Morgan, Gene Rayburn and Allen Ludden," said Stewart. "Gene Rayburn was a good host and eventually found the show that was right for him but he had a tendency to put all of the attention of the show on himself. That wasn't right for Password." When it came to Morgan, who was a nine-year veteran of the I've Got a Secret panel at the time, Stewart was plain-spoken: "I would have paid any amount of money not to work with Henry Morgan." Sharing in the amusement of that statement at a front row table: Morgan's old panelmate on Secret, Betsy Palmer, who had her share of difficulties with the former radio satirist. "Allen Ludden was the perfect host for Password," said Stewart. "Ours was the first show where celebrities had to play as a team with regular contestants. I wouldn't say Allen was in awe of the celebrities but he understood the new kind of pressure they were under and he truly rooted for them to do well on the show. He was a first-class man as well as a host." Stewart recounted the history of The $10,000 Pyramid, as it began on CBS in 1973 and eventually inflated to $100,000 for its jackpot in syndication. However, he focused on the man who was his host until the show left the network in 1988, Dick Clark. "You all know of the tragic medical crisis (a stroke three years ago) which beset Dick," said Stewart. "He has demonstrated to me a kind of courage through it all that I didn't know he was capable of." Clark, who was at the first GSC Legends Luncheon in 2004, did not attend this year because of the difficulties he faces in crowds. Stewart saved his most emotional remarks for his closing: a tribute to Schmitt---who produced Pyramid and many of his other shows. "When I decided to start my own company, Anne Marie came with me. We had a small office. She was with me when we had our greatest successes. She was there for comfort and determination when we experienced failures. We worked together. We shared together. We loved together." Offering testimonials for Stewart: eight-time Emmy-winner and game show legend Betty White, Stewart's producer son Sande and Cullen's wife Ann.  MOM'S WORDS IN ACCEPTING RALPH EDWARDS AWARD "She always told me that when people give to you, always give back," said the host of 19 TV game shows to the crowd of 200 in the South Ballroom of the Beverly Garland Holiday Inn. At 73, Martindale is still the picture of health, active professionally and full of energy and personality as the emcee on Orbitz travel commercials. "I am very fortunate," said Martindale, a native of Jackson, Tn. "I always knew what I wanted to do from the time I was about five years old. I wanted to be in radio. I listened to Arthur Godfrey as a child, how he talked to his audience and how he communicated as if only one person was in the room with him. That's what I wanted to do." With a career which began in his hometown, expanded to Memphis in 1952 and moved to Hollywood in radio and with a local dance party television show, Martindale never forgot his hometown. During the height of his success on Tic Tac Dough in the late '70s, he returned annually to host the Wink Martindale Cerebral Palsy Telethon, which raised nearly $1 million for the struggling West Tennessee Cerebral Palsy Center. At GSC 6, a video presentation highlighted the work of the center today. "Wink gave the center a shot in the arm," said pioneer Jackson broadcaster Doris Freeman. "We needed his help and he came for more than 10 years." In 1964, influenced by Allen Ludden and his success with Password, Martindale leapt into the world of game shows with NBC's What's This Song?. "It only lasted a year but it paved the way for me to have a long career in game shows," said Martindale. "When I watch these two new musical game shows (The Singing Bee and Don't Forget the Lyrics), I'm thinking these are both What's This Song? with a few variations and a lot bigger budget." Speaking on behalf of Martindale: last year's GSC Contestant Legend Thom McKee, who went on a 43-game winning streak over 46 days on Tic Tac Dough in 1980; Wheel of Fortune announcer Charlie O'Donnell, who was announcer on several of Martindale's shows; and Bob Noah, a producer of some of Martindale's game shows. "I feel so blessed and so honored to have had the career I have had," said Martindale. "To have perhaps touched people's lives in a small way means more than you know." Added McKee: "Tic Tac Dough and all the other shows Wink has done are great accomplishments but the real accomplishments are what goes on in Jackson at that center and with all the other charities Wink has served over the years."  A NIGHT IN A HOTELLOBBY WITH DON PARDO NORTH HOLLYWOOD----The voice is still unmistakable. The resonance is still rich. The ravages of time have not taken their toll. Saturday night, in an unforgettable spontaneous verbal jam session, Don Pardo---the dean of announcers on network television---held court with Game Show Congress 6 attendees in the lobby of the Beverly Garland Holiday Inn. As the crowd expanded, the energy of the first man ever to say "it can be yours if the price is right" on television expanded. Pardo, 88, told impromptu stories covering his entire 64 years as a network broadcaster, highlighted by long-running stints describing prizes on The Price Is Right with Bill Cullen, introducing contestants and host Art Fleming on Jeopardy! and his 32-year run on NBC's Saturday Night Live. The night to remember for game show enthusiasts is documented and encapsulated in this week's TVgameshows.net Cover Story.  BETTY WHITE STUNNED AT ARLENE FRANCIS AWARD White, who is believed to have played on more than 45 television game shows, was presented the award as a surprise at the GSC Legends Luncheon at the Beverly Garland Holiday Inn. Shortly after offering the first testimonial speech for creator/producer Bob Stewart, White was held at the podium by co-hosts Rich Fields and Steve Beverly. She was asked to "assist" in a presentation honoring Francis, who would have celebrated her 100th birthday this year. Clips of the only Password episode (May 1965) in which White and Francis opposed each other was shown, followed by the What's My Line? in which Francis identified mystery guests White and Allen Ludden shortly after the two were married. Moments later, White was told Francis's son Peter Gabel was "exceptionally pleased" the Emmy-winner was present for the special recognition. Beverly said, "Peter is enthusiastically happy that you are here today because the first Game Show Congress Arlene Francis Panelist Legend Award goes to......Betty White." "Ohhhhhhhh, you got me!," exclaimed a joyously tearful White as the ballroom audience erupted in a sustained standing ovation. "This was supposed to be Bob Stewart's day and I absolutely don't know what to say....other than thank you all.....and thank you, Arlene." Gabel, a college professor and former college president in San Francisco, was consulted about establishing the award and in a written response said: "I wish I could be there personally for this honor for my dear mother but my college is having a foundation meeting on that day." Gabel said his mother would have been "very pleased" with White as the first recipient.   Miss Francis' gowns by Bonwit Teller © Copyright 2007 TVgameshows.net. All Rights Reserved. |
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