Critique of Cullen's "The Price Is Right" from 1956

[pownster]

I  have come across this article (written by an Ellis Walker of "The Daily Review" in Hayward, CA), who expresses his doubts about the longevity of "The Price Is Right" format. The article came out only 3 days after the very first episode aired. How wrong could this guy be with his predictions??!!

Interesting read - gives some insights into the format of the original format of the show, right at the start of its run.

-------------------------

Taken from "The Daily Review" (Hayward, CA), Thursday, 29th November, 1956, p.25

"Video Notes" by Ellis Walker.

Credit for supreme optimism goes to Bill Cullen.

He started out his new TV quiz duties on “The Price Is Right"
this week by announcing that “a skillful contestant might be on
the show for months."

Such a statement is predicated on the assumption that the show
itself will be on for months.

So. I repeat; Cullen should be credited with a lot of optimism.

"The Price Is Right" (KRON, 2:30 p.m. Mon. through Thurs.)
features a panel of four "bargain hunters" who bid for refrigerators,
Fashion ensembles, Carribean cruises, pedigreed collies, sets of
dishes, portable TV sets and assorted items that any quiz show
worth its emcee wouldn't be caught without.

Cullen seems to have concocted a kind of “amateur night at the
merchandise mart" affair.

Using play money, of course, the panelists keep bidding until
they think the actual retail price of the item has been approached.
Winner of each round is the one whose bid comes closest under the
listed price.

The show is merely another elaborate excuse for manufacturers
to obtain free advertising time by donating the items to be given
away. Cullen even had to spiel a big pitch for the outfit making the
tote machines on which the bids are registered. That was in case
any race track operators might he watching.

Only suggestion I can make to Cullen involves his system of
revealing the "secret retail prices" contained in sealed envelopes
delivered by a pretty model, Beverly.

Wouldn't it be more exciting to have a bank vice president and
two armed guards accompany Beverly when she brings in the
envelopes?

*  *  *

[Adam Nedeff]

Why does this critic seem to think that Bill is the producer?

[Tim L]

It's really easy to pick something apart after just a couple of days..Seems to me it would be more fair to wait about a month before one can make a fair assessment..

[Steve Gavazzi]

[quote name=\'Tim L\' post=\'241677\' date=\'May 30 2010, 08:28 AM\']It's really easy to pick something apart after just a couple of days..Seems to me it would be more fair to wait about a month before one can make a fair assessment..[/quote]
Well, he appeared to think it wouldn't last that long. :-)

[WarioBarker]

Credit for supreme optimism goes to Bill Cullen. He started out his new TV quiz duties on “The Price Is Right" this week by announcing that “a skillful contestant might be on the show for months." Such a statement is predicated on the assumption that the show itself will be on for months. So. I repeat; Cullen should be credited with a lot of optimism.

And you...have zero optimism.

The show is merely another elaborate excuse for manufacturers to obtain free advertising time by donating the items to be given away.

It's also fun, enjoyable, and easy to play along with -- everybody identifies with prices.

Cullen even had to spiel a big pitch for the outfit making the tote machines on which the bids are registered. That was in case any race track operators might be watching.

I'm guessing Bill didn't mention race-track operators. And hey, the American Totalizator Company (a subsidiary of Universal Controls, Inc.) supplied four nice bid displays -- and, even though they broke down on occasion, held up well for the rest of the run.

Only suggestion I can make to Cullen involves his system of revealing the "secret retail prices" contained in sealed envelopes delivered by a pretty model, Beverly. Wouldn't it be more exciting to have a bank vice president and two armed guards accompany Beverly when she brings in the envelopes?

This isn't a high-brow quiz show (most of which, minus the full Goodson-Todman stable plus You Bet Your Life, ended up being rigged) -- this is a simple parlor game involving something everybody sees everyday: various assorted items, and the price tags that go along with them.

How wrong could this guy be with his predictions??!!

The man ate a steady diet of crow for the next nine years.

[EDIT 8/7/15: Fixed broken formatting.]

[DoorNumberFour]

[quote name=\'Dan88\' post=\'241685\' date=\'May 30 2010, 01:04 PM\'][quote name=\'Ellis Walker\']Cullen even had to spiel a big pitch for the outfit making the tote machines on which the bids are registered. That was in case any race track operators might be watching.[/quote]
I'm guessing Bill didn't mention race-track operators. And hey, the American Totalizator Company (a subsidiary of Universal Controls, Inc.) supplied four nice bid displays -- and, even though they broke down on occasion, held up well for the rest of the run.

[quote name=\'Ellis Walker\']Only suggestion I can make to Cullen involves his system of revealing the "secret retail prices" contained in sealed envelopes delivered by a pretty model, Beverly. Wouldn't it be more exciting to have a bank vice president and two armed guards accompany Beverly when she brings in the envelopes?[/quote]
This isn't a high-brow quiz show (most of which, minus the full Goodson-Todman stable plus You Bet Your Life, ended up being rigged) -- this is a simple parlor game involving something everybody sees everyday: Various assorted items, and the price tags that go along with them.
[/quote]
Yeah, um, I'm willing to bet the author was being sarcastic.

[Thunder]

[quote name=\'Tim L\' post=\'241677\' date=\'May 30 2010, 08:28 AM\']It's really easy to pick something apart after just a couple of days..Seems to me it would be more fair to wait about a month before one can make a fair assessment..[/quote]

50 years hasn't stopped lots of people on this message board from doing the same thing. Just sayin'.

[TLEberle]

[quote name=\'Thunder\' post=\'241691\' date=\'May 30 2010, 01:07 PM\'][quote name=\'Tim L\' post=\'241677\' date=\'May 30 2010, 08:28 AM\']It's really easy to pick something apart after just a couple of days..Seems to me it would be more fair to wait about a month before one can make a fair assessment..[/quote]

50 years hasn't stopped lots of people on this message board from doing the same thing. Just sayin'.[/quote]That's a really decent point. How often have we seen a sliver of information, only to make all sorts of guesses and what not, only to have much of them be completely wrong?

If the guy is being serious, then he has missed a fundamental property of the game show: it is fun to play along with games that are easy to play along with. And if Ellis is still around, I wonder what he'd think of the rampant product placement on some of the game/competitive reality shows that are out there now.