User:Daniel Benfield/Price Is Right Cullen Video Archive

The original version of The Price is Right has been considered by some to be stodgy and bland, but frankly I find it's a lot of fun. :)

LEGAL STUFF SO I DON'T GET SUED: I'm only linking to these videos, none of which were uploaded by me, for the purposes of research and as a public record. Footage ©1956-65 Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions/FremantleMedia and associated entities.

NBC
Originally, the logo was an all-caps "THE PRICE IS RIGHT". Sometime between July 19 and November 25, 1957, it changed to "the PRICE is RIGHT", a style which remained through the end of the NBC runs.


 * 1961 (Message by Bill to dealers and salesmen of Newport Cigarettes, likely after an episode given the player displays visible behind him)

Daytime (1956-63)
November 26, 1956 - September 6, 1963

The original version, which had a disastrous pilot. Series creator Bob Stewart got NBC to (reluctantly) give it 13 weeks on the air...so the network slotted Price against CBS' Arthur Godfrey, then the biggest name on television. Price beat Godfrey senseless by the end of those initial 13 weeks, ensuring a long run.


 * February 21, 1957 (#64: Mary Fetsko {Day 6 - $6,468}/Frank Wright/Mildred Elchin/Lydia Brown, with the "Trailer" Home Viewer Showcase shown plus Bill plugging the Charles Van Doren vs. Vivian Nearing match on Twenty-One; original broadcast, intro missing {alternate copies: #1, original broadcast; #2, taped from GSN})


 * May 31, 1957 (Donna Sanderson {Day 2 - $1,195}/Harold Michael/Beatrice Barnett/Ellen Miller; has commercials {alternate copy})


 * July 5, 1957 (Charles Kraft {Day 4 - $4,221}/Barbara Bivens/Eugenia LaFrantz/Julia Gillion; has commercials {alternate copies: #1; #2, about 30 seconds shorter})
 * [Barry I. Grauman: "28:58- "See the premiere of 'THE BIG MOMENT'- tonight, on NBC.""]


 * July 19, 1957 (Dorothy Jung {Day 2 - $971}/Stella Obidzinski/Leo McTague/Rose Leion, with the winner drawn for the "Calendar" Home Viewer Showcase; has commercials {alternate copy})
 * [Bill notes that Dorothy won yesterday "in a sweep". Bid displays still have space for just four digits and the asterisk; by October 14, they were expanded to allow for five-and-the-asterisk.]


 * 1963? (Weird promo for the show, by this point in color)
 * [Barry I. Grauman: "The "English" announcer is none other than Fred Collins."]

Primetime (1957-63)
September 23, 1957 - September 6, 1963

Pretty much the same as the daytime show, except in color (although nearly all surviving footage is in black-and-white) and with much bigger prizes on offer.

The show ended primarily due to moving its timeslot around so much. Price originally aired at 8:30 PM on Wednesdays, where it did very well, but in 1961 was shifted to Mondays at 8:30; in 1962, the show was moved to 9:30...opposite The Andy Griffith Show, which beat Price senseless. On February 1, 1963, NBC moved the show to Fridays at 9:30.

1959
 * July 29, 1959 (Merv Griffin hosts: Albert Millican {Week 2 - $14,634}/Francine Livingood/Henry Zale/Harriet Marks; taped from GSN

1960
 * January 13, 1960 (Marian Spencer {Week 4 - $46,206!}/Frank Smith/Ida Group/Bud Cree, with a 185-pound slab of beef as an IUFB!; original broadcast {alternate copies: #1; #2, taped from GSN})
 * [Week 2 of the "1960" Home Viewer Showcase.]


 * January 27, 1960 (Joesph Cascio {Week 2 - $7,500}/Margaret Blinn/Thomas O'Connor/Janet Frey, with the winner of the "1960" Home Viewer Showcase drawing and a lot of weird stuff; original broadcast {alternate copy})

1961
 * February 1, 1961 (Arlene Francis hosts: Margie Patrick {Week 3 - $22,054}/David Talman/Ruth Kaplan/Edwin Silliman, with a plug for the Mink Sweepstakes!; taped from GSN {alternate copy})
 * [Arlene's comments suggest this is her second week filling in for Bill. Still has the original theme.]

Second theme debuts (began by 12/25/61)

1962
 * December 17, 1962 (Janet Kipp/?/?/?; original broadcast, clips only...in color!)

1963
 * September 6, 1963 (NBC Finale/Don Pardo's Finale: Charles Reyes {Week 3 - $34,782!}/Arlene Feres/Paul Robinson/Marilyn Peterson, with the winner picked for the Mobile Home Sweepstakes and Don Pardo appearing on-camera!; has commercials)

ABC
The biggest difference was the addition of a celebrity playing for members of the audience. The other big difference was that Price's new network couldn't afford either version to be in color.

Daytime (1963-65)
September 9, 1963 - September 3, 1965

Sometime between September 11, 1964 and March 1965, audience members picked by the celebrity guest began to walk down to a special area of the set.

1964
 * June 19, 1964 (Johnny Gilbert hosts: ?/?/?/Rudy Vallee; original broadcast, partial episode)

1965
 * March 1, 1965 (Jack Clark hosts: Doli Bettece {Day 2 - $1,215}/Quam Taylor/Gertrude Rose/Dorothy Lamour; has commercials)

Primetime (1963-64)
September 18, 1963 - September 11, 1964

Pretty much the same as the daytime show, just with bigger stuff on offer.

1963
 * Late 1963 (Promo with several celebrity guests shown...and a pretty transparent attempt at covering up the sponsors' portion of the bidding area)

1964
 * September 11, 1964 (Finale: Dorothy Batesky {Week 2 - $9,951}/James Murray/Angelo Panetti/Pat Carroll; tonight's winner comes back on Monday because hey, why throw away a champion when only the nighttime show's going off the air? {alternate copy})

Australian Versions (1957-59/1963)
ATN-7: 1957 - 1959

GTV-9: August 10 - November 16, 1958 (16 episodes)

Seven Network: 1963

Surprisingly, Australia was the only country to adapt the Cullen Price. The ATN version was hosted by Bruce Beeby and Keith Walshe, while the GTV series was helmed by Geoff Manion. The national version was hosted by Horrie Dargie.

As far as I know, nothing of any version exists.