Dawson Deeds

[The Pyramids]

For those of us that don't know (like me) what was said about Dawson on the set of 'Feud' in the 1984 TV Guide game show cover story?

[davemackey]

[quote name=\'PaulD\' post=\'145807\' date=\'Feb 10 2007, 09:16 AM\']
For those of us that don't know (like me) what was said about Dawson on the set of 'Feud' in the 1984 TV Guide game show cover story?
[/quote]
The traditional hosts had looked upon Dawson as an outsider and an interloper. Additionally, I don't think Monty Hall in particular was a fan of Dawson, saying that, "...he's up there doing his W.C. Fields bit, and the cameras are rolling... that's arrogance." Can't find chapter and verse right now to give you the exact quote, but that was the meat.

[Jimmy Owen]

Yet, Monty chose him to do "Masquerade Party," Bob Barker tapped him as host of his company's KNXT game show "Lucky Pair." Goodson, "Family Feud." They must have recognized some talent there, but success apparently changed him.  In addition to what Monty said, Ira Skutch was quoted as saying "He used to be a nice guy."

There was another quote, attributed to "one executive" that said "He throws tantrums, sometimes over things as ridiculous as a broken microphone or a burned-out light bulb."  Mark Goodson was quoted as saying Dawson gave him "Tsoris," which the article pointed out is Yiddish for heartache.  

My thoughts. In the end, it's what's on screen that counts and I felt Richard did a great job on FF.

[cweaver]

I once heard Dawson was asked to appear on this cover with the other hosts and he refused to do it unless he appeared solo.  Any truth to that?  

Not very nice and a little arrogant (if true), but on the other hand I can see how someone like that can be an easy target for "piling on."

[Jimmy Owen]

[quote name=\'cweaver\' post=\'145812\' date=\'Feb 10 2007, 10:12 AM\']
I once heard Dawson was asked to appear on this cover with the other hosts and he refused to do it unless he appeared solo.  Any truth to that?  

[/quote]


From the Mary Murphy article: "Richard Dawson refused to be interviewed for this article unless he could be guaranteed his picture would appear on the cover.  Not with his colleagues, but alone."

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' post=\'145813\' date=\'Feb 10 2007, 10:22 AM\']
From the Mary Murphy article: "Richard Dawson refused to be interviewed for this article unless he could be guaranteed his picture would appear on the cover.  Not with his colleagues, but alone."
[/quote]
Who was on the cover? Cullen, Barry, Martindale, Barker, and Hall, right? All five of them had at least two decades of hosting experience, and some went back to the radio days. Yeah, I can see how they would have bitter words toward Dawson, who only had ten years of hosting experience (maybe 15 at the most, including "Lucky Pair"), and came from an acting background.

Besides, the hosts on the cover all seemed down-to-earth at that time. Was Barker's ego developing in 1984?

[Adam Nedeff]

[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'145842\' date=\'Feb 10 2007, 06:19 PM\']
Who was on the cover? Cullen, Barry, Martindale, Barker, and Hall, right? All five of them had at least two decades of hosting experience, and some went back to the radio days. Yeah, I can see how they would have bitter words toward Dawson, who only had ten years of hosting experience (maybe 15 at the most, including "Lucky Pair"), and came from an acting background.
[/quote]
I'm not sure that's the problem because you left off one guy who was on that cover: Pat Sajak, a total rookie at that point compared to his cover mates. Of course, he came from radio, too. I really think the entire problem they had here was ego.

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'Adam Nedeff\' post=\'145846\' date=\'Feb 10 2007, 07:12 PM\']
[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'145842\' date=\'Feb 10 2007, 06:19 PM\']
Who was on the cover? Cullen, Barry, Martindale, Barker, and Hall, right? All five of them had at least two decades of hosting experience, and some went back to the radio days. Yeah, I can see how they would have bitter words toward Dawson, who only had ten years of hosting experience (maybe 15 at the most, including "Lucky Pair"), and came from an acting background.
[/quote]
I'm not sure that's the problem because you left off one guy who was on that cover: Pat Sajak, a total rookie at that point compared to his cover mates. Of course, he came from radio, too. I really think the entire problem they had here was ego.
[/quote]
I should clarify since I left out a big point from my post. These guys cut their teeth for years in TV and radio, but Dawson felt that he was honestly better than folks, after Feud took off.

Putting Sajak on the cover was understandable since Wheel was really taking off at that point.

[TheLastResort]

Dawson definitely had talent compared to some of his peers from that era, but I could see where he had a bit of an ego.  I remember him hosting the all-star "Heavenly Hosts/Magnificent MCs" week.  He was respectful to the other hosts, but at the same time, he didn't let them forget they were on his show.

Howard Felsher trashed Dawson when he was interviewed by "E!" a few years back.  Of course, Felsher had an ego himself, and seemed to hate everybody.

[The Pyramids]

[quote name=\'TheLastResort\' post=\'145850\' date=\'Feb 10 2007, 09:01 PM\']
 

Howard Felsher trashed Dawson when he was interviewed by "E!" a few years back.  Of course, Felsher had an ego himself, and seemed to hate everybody.
[/quote]

Giving him the benefit of the doubt Felsher may have been the victim of unfortante editing choices. He may have spoken with the E! crew for a few hours but most of what they ended up using could have been when he became opinionated.

Back in the day was he on the sets of 'Password Plus' and 'Feud' every day or did 'Feud' get most of his attention?

[chris319]

When he emceed Family Feud, the buzz around the Goodson-Todman office was that Richard was a jackass. Howard's ego aside, his account of working with Dawson is probably accurate (I haven't seen the E! documentary). Had he been interviewed, I doubt Paul Alter's assessment would have been any kinder.

Howard was on the set of every Password Plus taping and acted as surrogate word authority while he was E.P., except on the rare occasion when there was a Family Feud speical taping on the same Saturday or Sunday as P+. This would take Howard and Gene Wood away from us.

[calliaume]

[quote name=\'chris319\' post=\'145869\' date=\'Feb 11 2007, 01:33 PM\']
When he emceed Family Feud, the buzz around the Goodson-Todman office was that Richard was a jackass. Howard's ego aside, his account of working with Dawson is probably accurate (I haven't seen the E! documentary). Had he been interviewed, I doubt Paul Alter's assessment would have been any kinder.
[/quote]
He wouldn't have been.  Alter had a book prosposal making the rounds a few years back, talking about how horrible both Dawson and Barker were.  (They were on his top five, along with John Daly, Frank Sinatra, and Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme.)

I sort of have the idea Dawson kept to himself until Feud took off, when the egomania blossomed, based on previous quotes.  That aside, unlike Paul Lynde, he always made the contestants the top priority on all the shows he guested on.

[chris319]

Alter had a book prosposal making the rounds a few years back, talking about how horrible both Dawson and Barker were. (They were on his top five, along with John Daly, Frank Sinatra, and Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme.)

There is a TPIR tell-all in the works, but it would have been great hearing about Boss Barker from someone who was there.

I sort of have the idea Dawson kept to himself until Feud took off, when the egomania blossomed, based on previous quotes.

That sounds about right, based on what I've heard. The same is true for Barker who started going out of control around 1980 - 1981 when Frank Wayne missed the Emmy deadline and his wife passed away.

I had never heard any negative scuttlebut about John Daly except for what's in Gil Fates' book, not that the subject came up very much around the office. Keep in mind too that Alter was not WML's regular director.

[PYLW]

Mind if I ask what Fates said about John in his book?

[JasonA1]

Wasn't Alter interviewed for the ETHS? I distinctly remember seeing him do an apocryphal recap of that moment that made clip shows where Dawson jested a contestant who said "underwear" for "name the first thing you take off after you get home from work." Only without the clip, and just Paul, it was made to look like Richard was serious in his reply ("next question is, when do you get off of work?") and just a complete lech.

-Jason