Do you remember Bill Cullen? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

sar · 07-11-2001, 03:07 PM

What did Cullen have that none of the other game show hosts had?

Brett Ferino · 07-11-2001, 03:26 PM

He shure hosted lotsa shows.

dawsongirl · 07-11-2001, 09:01 PM

He hosted more shows than anyone else, which if you think about it, can be good and bad. Good because that meant he was popular and bad because that means he hosted a lot of stinkers.

sar · 07-12-2001, 03:22 PM

Yep, Cullen hosted many shows but that's not it. I'll give you a hint. It involves something personal, not really related to game shows.

JT · 07-12-2001, 04:10 PM

He always wore his glasses in every show he did!

Karen64 · 07-12-2001, 06:38 PM

I remember those thick coke-bottle glasses and I sympathized with him, cause as a child, I had those thick glasses, too! He seemed very nice.

JT · 07-12-2001, 07:57 PM

I loved him on "Hot Potato" and "Blockbusters"(both no longer on GSN)he's very kind to his contestants he doesn't expect them to like kisses he gives everybody!(Richard Dawson)And he doesn't always say whopee(Bob Eubanks)to bad he died.
I sure would want him to host some of the games today!

sar · 07-13-2001, 12:03 AM

Yes, Cullen wore glasses but that's not it. Here's another hint: it's the reason you never saw him do something on his shows.

TV Guy · 07-13-2001, 01:27 AM

I read somewhere they he had trouble walking, because he had polio as a child. I don't think he moved out from behind his podium much.

BTW, Game Show Network has been showing (on weekends) the episodes of "Password Plus" when Bill filled in for Allen Ludden. I'd love to see them show the Cullen-hosted "$25,000 Pyramid" from the 70s.

sar · 07-13-2001, 11:14 AM

That's it. Cullen had polio as a chid and it gave him a pronounced limp the rest of his life. He was always shown already seated at his mike instead of walking out as most other game show hosts did.

TVLanFan · 11-15-2001, 01:09 AM

Wow - I never knew that about Cullen...he may have been the best game show host ever...and, he was also a great panelist on the I've Got a Secret show in the 50s and early 60s. I'm thinking he was also a panelist on "To Tell the Truth" in the mid-late 60s, after which he hosted many, many shows.

When you watch Cullen as a panelist on To Tell the Truth or I've Got a Secret, it's amazing how intelligent he was...and Jayne Meadows, who for years sat alongside Cullen on I.G.a.Secret, was incredibly intelligent too, not to mention gorgeous (in those days).

In fact, I happen to know for a fact that if you added up the IQs of EVERY celebrity EVER to appear on Whoppi's version of the "Hollywood Squares", the total wouldn't even come close to Cullen's OR Meadows'.

Sadly, Cullen passed away (I believe of lung cancer) either in 1999 or 2000. But he was great!

Chelsea · 11-15-2001, 01:19 AM

Bill Cullen (Rest in Peace) died in 1991.

Gene Rayburn (Match Game), died in 1999

11-15-2001, 02:02 PM

I liked Bill Cullen, when he joked around, especially, as a guest panelist on game shows. I remember when he also hosted a game show called "Three On A Match," from 1971-74. It was one of "Let's Make A Deals'" competitors, at 1:30 in the afternoon

Jimbo · 11-16-2001, 06:38 PM

I've always liked Bill Cullen. He came across as a geniuinely nice man, and could be very witty when the opportunity to do so arose. My earliest recollection of him was as the host of the original version of "The Price is Right". (Yes, I know, I'm giving away my age here!). I don't think anyone else has had anything close to the number of appearances Bill Cullen made on Game Shows, as either a host, or a panelist. He did, unfortunately, pass away from Lung Cancer. However, he died around 1990 or 1991, and not more recently as someone above mentioned. (you may be thinking of Gene Rayburn, who passed away in late 1999/early 2000).

11-16-2001, 08:04 PM

Cullen died July 7, 1990

07-11-2001, 03:07 PM	#1
sar Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jul 08, 2001 Location: South Florida Posts: 391	Do you remember Bill Cullen? What did Cullen have that none of the other game show hosts had?

11-15-2001, 02:02 PM	#13
corwayn2 Guest Posts: n/a	I liked Bill Cullen, when he joked around, especially, as a guest panelist on game shows. I remember when he also hosted a game show called "Three On A Match," from 1971-74. It was one of "Let's Make A Deals'" competitors, at 1:30 in the afternoon
corwayn2 Guest Posts: n/a

11-16-2001, 08:04 PM	#15
corwayn2 Guest Posts: n/a	Cullen died July 7, 1990
corwayn2 Guest Posts: n/a

07-11-2001, 03:26 PM	#2
Brett Ferino Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jul 18, 2000 Location: PA Posts: 3,782	He shure hosted lotsa shows.

07-11-2001, 09:01 PM	#3
dawsongirl Member Forum Icon Join Date: Jan 04, 2001 Posts: 53,140	He hosted more shows than anyone else, which if you think about it, can be good and bad. Good because that meant he was popular and bad because that means he hosted a lot of stinkers.

07-12-2001, 03:22 PM	#4
sar Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jul 08, 2001 Location: South Florida Posts: 391	Yep, Cullen hosted many shows but that's not it. I'll give you a hint. It involves something personal, not really related to game shows.

07-12-2001, 04:10 PM	#5
JT Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Apr 29, 2001 Location: USA Posts: 7,223	He always wore his glasses in every show he did!

07-12-2001, 06:38 PM	#6
Karen64 Comedy Fan Senior Member Join Date: Mar 24, 2001 Location: Kansas Posts: 1,412	I remember those thick coke-bottle glasses and I sympathized with him, cause as a child, I had those thick glasses, too! He seemed very nice.

07-12-2001, 07:57 PM	#7
JT Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Apr 29, 2001 Location: USA Posts: 7,223	I loved him on "Hot Potato" and "Blockbusters"(both no longer on GSN)he's very kind to his contestants he doesn't expect them to like kisses he gives everybody!(Richard Dawson)And he doesn't always say whopee(Bob Eubanks)to bad he died. I sure would want him to host some of the games today!

07-13-2001, 12:03 AM	#8
sar Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jul 08, 2001 Location: South Florida Posts: 391	Yes, Cullen wore glasses but that's not it. Here's another hint: it's the reason you never saw him do something on his shows.

07-13-2001, 01:27 AM	#9
TV Guy Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 25, 2001 Location: Boston, MA, USA Posts: 3,420	I read somewhere they he had trouble walking, because he had polio as a child. I don't think he moved out from behind his podium much. BTW, Game Show Network has been showing (on weekends) the episodes of "Password Plus" when Bill filled in for Allen Ludden. I'd love to see them show the Cullen-hosted "$25,000 Pyramid" from the 70s.

07-13-2001, 11:14 AM	#10
sar Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jul 08, 2001 Location: South Florida Posts: 391	That's it. Cullen had polio as a chid and it gave him a pronounced limp the rest of his life. He was always shown already seated at his mike instead of walking out as most other game show hosts did.

11-15-2001, 01:09 AM	#11
TVLanFan Member Frequent Poster Join Date: May 31, 2001 Location: Florida Posts: 199	Wow - I never knew that about Cullen...he may have been the best game show host ever...and, he was also a great panelist on the I've Got a Secret show in the 50s and early 60s. I'm thinking he was also a panelist on "To Tell the Truth" in the mid-late 60s, after which he hosted many, many shows. When you watch Cullen as a panelist on To Tell the Truth or I've Got a Secret, it's amazing how intelligent he was...and Jayne Meadows, who for years sat alongside Cullen on I.G.a.Secret, was incredibly intelligent too, not to mention gorgeous (in those days). In fact, I happen to know for a fact that if you added up the IQs of EVERY celebrity EVER to appear on Whoppi's version of the "Hollywood Squares", the total wouldn't even come close to Cullen's OR Meadows'. Sadly, Cullen passed away (I believe of lung cancer) either in 1999 or 2000. But he was great!

11-15-2001, 01:19 AM	#12
Chelsea Semi-retired Forum Veteran Join Date: Jan 07, 2001 Location: Washington Posts: 5,727	Bill Cullen (Rest in Peace) died in 1991. Gene Rayburn (Match Game), died in 1999

11-16-2001, 06:38 PM	#14
Jimbo Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jul 29, 2001 Location: United States of America-One Nation UNDER GOD! Posts: 471	I've always liked Bill Cullen. He came across as a geniuinely nice man, and could be very witty when the opportunity to do so arose. My earliest recollection of him was as the host of the original version of "The Price is Right". (Yes, I know, I'm giving away my age here!). I don't think anyone else has had anything close to the number of appearances Bill Cullen made on Game Shows, as either a host, or a panelist. He did, unfortunately, pass away from Lung Cancer. However, he died around 1990 or 1991, and not more recently as someone above mentioned. (you may be thinking of Gene Rayburn, who passed away in late 1999/early 2000).