This series of articles is about broadcasters. A broadcaster is a versatile, sharp-minded talent with the gift of gab and the ability to spontaneously deliver entertainment and information. Broadcasters can often be identified by the breadth of their work–Hugh Downs, for example, hosted serious news programs like “Today” and “20/20”; served as Jack Paar’s “Tonight Show” sidekick; and hosted the classic game show “Concentration” for over a decade.
Our spotlight this time shines on Bud Collyer, a gentleman who doesn’t have quite as much variety on his resume but is nevertheless a true broadcaster in the sense we’re talking about here. Wikipedia sez:
Collyer was born in Manhattan to Clayton Johnson Heermance and Caroline Collyer. He originally sought a career in law, attending Williams College, where he was a member of Psi Upsilon fraternity and Fordham University law school. Although he became a law clerk after his graduation, making as much in a month on radio as he did in a year of clerking convinced him to make broadcasting his career. He changed his surname, and by 1940 he had become a familiar voice on all three major radio networks.
This is a 1942 episode of “Abie’s Irish Rose”, a radio series which featured Collyer as Abie. It’s not by any means Collyer’s signature radio role–we’ll get to that momentarily.
Bud Collyer made his greatest impact on TV audiences on two very different game shows produced by the kings of the genre, Mark Goodson and Bill Todman.
“Beat The Clock”, a series challenging contestants to complete crazy physical stunts before time runs out, started in radio. That seems odd, but this is the medium that also gave the listening audience a weekly half-hour comedy with ventriloquist Edgar Bergen. On radio.
“Beat The Clock”, plainly, was destined for television. It became a Saturday night fixture on CBS starting in 1950, and Collyer hosted the show with big energy and the fast patter of an auctioneer. Even the introduction of the host, by announcer Bern Bennett, was amped-up. Collyer rooted hard for the married couples tackling the stunts, and was always willing to yell “STOP THE CLOCK!” to give the contestants a hint or make sure they understood the challenge.
Bud Collyer was a deeply religious man who taught Sunday School classes at his local church for decades. This important aspect of his life comes out on “Beat The Clock” in various ways…he frequently says “God Bless You” to departing contestants; when contestants revealed they were involved in their local church Collyer would always ask them about their congregation. Today’s audience seems trained to find this kind of thing inappropriate…but at the time it was accepted by audiences without reservation. (“Howdy Doody” ended every show with Buffalo Bob and Howdy reminding the peanuts, “Say kids, when you hear the church bells ringing this weekend, that’s to remind you to enjoy America’s great freedom to worship, the way you wish, any time, any place. You tell Mom you’d like to go to Sunday School, or to your place of worship.”)
“Beat The Clock” would survive a network change (from CBS to ABC) and a move to daytime, finally ending in 1961. But by then Collyer had another Goodson-Todman hosting assignment, on the classic panel show “To Tell The Truth”. After hosting “Beat The Clock” with fast-talking intensity, Collyer presided over “TTTT” with sophistication and class. “To Tell The Truth” is unique among the panel shows because instead of panelists being restricted to “yes or no” questions, they could freely interrogate the three contestants (each claiming to be the real Orville Redenbacher or whoever). This meant that a great deal of work went on before the cameras were fired up, briefing the two imposters with enough biographical info to trick the panel.
Incidentally, the Goodson-Todman formats have proven their remarkable durability in spades…”Family Feud” (1976), “The Price Is Right” (original version 1956, Barker version 1972), “Match Game” (original version 1962, 7x version 1973), “Card Sharks” (1978), and “To Tell The Truth” (1958) are still being produced.
The original CBS primetime run of “To Tell The Truth” ended in 1967. A 5-times-a-week daytime edition on CBS, which had started in 1962, ran through 1968.
Of course, there is one more notable element of Bud Collyer’s broadcasting career. He was Superman! On radio:
In theatrical cartoons:
And Saturday morning TV cartoons!
“America’s number-one clock watcher”. Seeker of truth. The Man Of Steel. True broadcasting versatility!
By the late 1960’s Goodson-Todman was an anemic operation. With long-running series like “Password”, “Match Game” and “I’ve Got A Secret” having ended their runs, and just one soon-to-expire series in production, the company decided to produce reboots of their classic panel shows for first-run syndication. “What’s My Line” came first in the Fall of ’68. And with plans to launch an all-new “To Tell The Truth” series in Fall of ’69, Bud Collyer was naturally approached to once again serve as emcee. He declined due to failing health (Garry Moore, longtime moderator of “I’ve Got A Secret” agreed to take the new series on after talking to Collyer).
Bud Collyer died September 8, 1969 of a circulatory ailment. Fortunately the vast majority of his television work still exists, on retro game show network Buzzr and all over YouTube.
Goodson-Todman were smarter than many producers of the era in securing film or videotape prints. Another smart cookie in the “save those kinescopes” department: Jackie Gleason! That’s how we have the opportunity to see Ralph and Alice as contestants on “Beat The Clock” in a sketch from Gleason’s variety show. (It’s $1.99 on Amazon Prime video.)
