Author Topic: "Beat The Odds" with Johnny Gilbert (Read 2553 times)

DoorNumberFour · « **on:** December 13, 2007, 03:57:51 PM »

I'm looking at this ticket to the show, and it says the show was a Bing Crosby Production.

Now, assuming this is the same Bing Crosby we all know well for his singing (I've never heard of another one), was he a very prolific television producer?

And how did he acquire the original format from the creator/producer back at KTLA (Bill Derman)?

Jimmy Owen · « **Reply #1 on:** December 13, 2007, 04:06:23 PM »

Yeah, his company produced a very successful Richard Dawson/Larry Hovis series in the '60's called "Hogan's Heroes," also the movie "Willard" with frequent HSq guest Ernest Borgnine and other movies.

I think Bill Derman worked on that show while it was a Bing Crosby Production. Bing probably wasn't involved in the day-to-day workings of the shows.

Bob Zager · « **Reply #2 on:** December 13, 2007, 04:34:35 PM »

BCP also produced one of my favorite medical dramas--Ben Casey.

DjohnsonCB · « **Reply #3 on:** December 13, 2007, 09:16:13 PM »

Bing's company also did "The Queen And I" starring Larry Storch and Billy DeWolfe, in early 1969.

davemackey · « **Reply #4 on:** December 14, 2007, 05:21:06 AM »

[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' post=\'172012\' date=\'Dec 13 2007, 04:06 PM\']
Yeah, his company produced a very successful Richard Dawson/Larry Hovis series in the '60's called "Hogan's Heroes," also the movie "Willard" with frequent HSq guest Ernest Borgnine and other movies.

I think Bill Derman worked on that show while it was a Bing Crosby Production. Bing probably wasn't involved in the day-to-day workings of the shows.
[/quote]
Going to the studio on "Beat The Odds" wasn't as high on Bing's list of priorities as playing 18 holes at Pebble Beach and "interacting" with his kids.

To Bing's credit, it's probably because of his vision that we have magnetic recording technologies today, both audio and video. Bing invested a bunch of money in Ampex, and engineers there developed the first audio tape recorder and video tape recorder as a result, and Bing used the new technologies in the production of his radio and TV shows.

I enjoyed "Beat The Odds", though. Cool game, but I would probably be dumbstruck by its primitiveness if I saw an episode today.

Tim L · « **Reply #5 on:** December 14, 2007, 05:49:31 AM »

[quote name=\'Bob Zager\' post=\'172014\' date=\'Dec 13 2007, 04:34 PM\']
BCP also produced one of my favorite medical dramas--Ben Casey.
[/quote]

Which was forever immortalized by Cleveland Movie Hosts Hoolihan and Big Chuck/Lil John with "Ben Crazy" (Chuck Schodowski) ..The longest running single skit series on their show..Doing new episodes long after most people forgot the series it was based on..

The Ol' Guy · « **Reply #6 on:** December 14, 2007, 11:01:58 AM »

Der Bingle also had stakes in a baseball team, race horses, and put some money into the company that became Minute Maid frozen orange juice. He also had ties with a couple of board games - one on horse racing, and a Parker one titled after his autobiography, Call Me Lucky. The game has a logo stating it is "one of those Bing Things", which seemed to imply he had a bit of his own money in it. Probably not much, but enough. He was never considered a big spender. But I'm with you - glad he gave Beat The Odds a shot. (I wonder if he thought it was a horse racing quiz?)

Mike Tennant · « **Reply #7 on:** December 14, 2007, 12:01:33 PM »

[quote name=\'The Ol' Guy\' post=\'172074\' date=\'Dec 14 2007, 11:01 AM\']Der Bingle also had stakes in a baseball team[/quote]That would be the Pittsburgh Pirates, back in the days when they could actually play. He even mentions it on at least two albums from that period (one with Rosemary Clooney and one with Louis Armstrong).

Tim L · « **Reply #8 on:** December 14, 2007, 03:46:08 PM »

[quote name=\'Mike Tennant\' post=\'172079\' date=\'Dec 14 2007, 12:01 PM\']
[quote name=\'The Ol' Guy\' post=\'172074\' date=\'Dec 14 2007, 11:01 AM\']Der Bingle also had stakes in a baseball team[/quote]That would be the Pittsburgh Pirates, back in the days when they could actually play. He even mentions it on at least two albums from that period (one with Rosemary Clooney and one with Louis Armstrong).
[/quote]

They werent that good at first..some of the Pirate teams up to the Mid-1950's were terrible.

KWJCDon · « **Reply #9 on:** December 14, 2007, 06:02:32 PM »

Quote

They werent that good at first..some of the Pirate teams up to the Mid-1950's were terrible.

They ain't much better now, 15 years and still losing away.

Don

/PNC Park is beautiful. I attended the All Star Game there last year!