"The $64,000 Question" on WTVS...

[Davros2006]

Earlier tonight (Saturday) at 7:00 PM ET, WTVS-56 in Detroit ran an episode of THE $64,000 QUESTION. I only managed to tape half of it. Does anyone have the full episode?

And if you're reading this right now and are in a hurry, the rest of the lineup (besides the above-mentioned show and MASQUERADE PARTY) is I'VE GOT A SECRET at 9, YOU BET YOUR LIFE at 9:30 and 10:30, and WHAT'S MY LINE? at 10.

All are airing just the one time (I think). Next weekend it's the start of the pledge drive that most (if not all) PBS stations do to keep their operations going.

 

[bpatrick]

Boy do I wish UNC-TV would do that some pledge week!
Since I don't live in Detroit and didn't see the episode of
The $64,000 Question you mentioned, I can say that I
do have a complete episode of one where a contestant
correctly identified a number of cattle brands and the ranches
they came from.

But if what WTVS showed was Richard McCutcheon's or
Joyce Brothers' $64,000 victories, I hope you can find it.

BTW, does anyone know if any kinescopes exist of John
Glenn and Eddie Hodges' appearances on George DeWitt's
version of Name That Tune?

 

[Davros2006]

My recording started as Thomas O'Rourke (spelling uncertain) was about to play his game in the subject of "Sherlock Holmes". Also playing: Peter Freuchen.

Also, the 10:30 broadcast of YOU BET YOUR LIFE turned out to be the unedited TV pilot which was made on December 5, 1949.

According to Shokus' description...

On December 5, 1949, a kinescope was made simultaneously while Groucho was recording his radio show. This was for the purpose of transposing the series to television. Well, this is the original, 60-min. UNEDITED version of that pilot, complete with all the mistakes, outtakes, pick-ups and commercials before any cutting and trimming took place. Groucho reads directly from his script throughout most of the show, comm. are read off-camera, and people run in and out of the set DURING the recording. This is a perfect example of what the program was like before it was edited down to 30 minutes. Sponsored by Elgin-American, this is a must for serious Groucho fans!

The microphones seen on the pilot had CBS flags. It was also the last Elgin-American-sponsored show for radio after three years. If you remember seeing it on TV in the '50s, De Soto was the sponsor for most of the decade.

 

[bpatrick]

"You Bet Your Life" was on CBS Radio in the
1949-50 season and might have stayed there
except that sometime in 1950 creator-producer
John Guedel wanted to find out what the show
was worth and so put it up for bids. Bill Paley
himself came out to California to put in a bid
for CBS, while NBC president Joe McConnell
did the same for his network. On the way out,
McConnell's plane was delayed by bad weather,
while Paley was already at Groucho's house.
According to Groucho's account, which Guedel
confirmed, Groucho excused himself to go to the
bathroom; Paley followed him in and closed the
door. "Look, you're a Jew and I'm a Jew. We
should stick together. You can't afford to sign
with NBC," said Paley.

Groucho reminded him that there were a couple
of Jews named Sarnoff at NBC, although they'd
never tried to remind him of that fact. According
to Guedel, Groucho made up his mind right then and
there to move "You Bet Your Life" to NBC (it aired
there from October 1950 to September 1961).

Elgin-American, which had sponsored the show since
its beginnings on radio in 1947, gave up sponsorship
after Christmas 1949; the company couldn't keep up
with the demand for its products. DeSoto took over
sponsorship on January 4, 1950, and remained with
the show until 1958, by which time it was in the process
of shutting down (the '61 DeSoto was the last ever
produced).