View source for Bill Cullen

{{Short description|American radio and television personality (1920–1990)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{for multi|the Irish businessman and philanthropist|Bill Cullen (businessman)|other people named William Cullen|William Cullen (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox person
| name               = Bill Cullen
| image              = Bill Cullen 1954.JPG
| caption            = Cullen in 1954
| birth_name         = 
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1920|2|18|mf=y}}
| birth_place        = [[Pittsburgh]], Pennsylvania, U.S.
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|1990|7|7|1920|2|18|mf=y}}
| death_place        = [[Bel Air, California]], U.S.
| alma_mater         = [[University of Pittsburgh]]
| occupation         = Television personality<br>Radio announcer<br>Game show host
| years_active       = 1939–1988
| known_for          = Original host of ''[[The Price Is Right (1956 American game show)|The Price Is Right]]''
| spouse             = {{Unbulleted list|{{marriage|Ruth Ellen Harrington|1943|1948|reason=divorced}}|{{marriage|Carol Ames|1948|1955|reason=divorced}}|{{marriage|Ann Roemheld Macomber|1955}}}}
}}

'''William Lawrence Cullen'''<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 8, 1990 |title=BILL CULLEN, VETERAN TV GAME SHOW HOST, DIES |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1990/07/09/bill-cullen-veteran-tv-game-show-host-dies/29972a1a-d668-4e51-a3f5-7ae9d38e608f/ |access-date=2024-04-04 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> (February 18, 1920 – July 7, 1990) was an American radio and television personality whose career spanned five decades.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Coburn |first=Seth |date=February 18, 2022 |title=KDUZ Birthdays – February 18th |url=https://kduz.com/2022/02/18/kduz-birthdays-february-18th/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220222095642/https://kduz.com/2022/02/18/kduz-birthdays-february-18th/ |archive-date=February 22, 2022 |access-date=February 22, 2022 |website=KDUZ.com |language=en-US}}</ref>  Known for appearing on game shows and later as a prolific game show host, he hosted 23 shows, earning the nickname "Dean of Game Show Hosts".<ref>[https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19900708/1081069/bill-cullen-longtime-host-of-tv-game-shows-dies Obituary: "Bill Cullen, Longtime Host Of TV Game Shows, Dies"], ''[[The Seattle Times]]'', July 8, 1990; retrieved August 30, 2014.</ref> Aside from his hosting duties, he appeared as a panelist/celebrity guest on many other game shows, including regular appearances on ''[[I've Got a Secret]]'' and ''[[To Tell the Truth]]''.

==Early life==
Cullen was born in [[Pittsburgh]], Pennsylvania, the only child of William and Lillian Cullen. His father was a Ford dealer in Pittsburgh.<ref name=rs>{{cite book| last=DeLong| first=Thomas A.| year=1996| title=Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iu8aAQAAIAAJ&q=bill+cullen| publisher=McFarland & Company| isbn=978-0-7864-2834-2| page=68}}</ref>

He survived a childhood bout with [[polio]] that left him with significant physical limitations for the rest of his life.  Cullen was a pre-med student at the [[University of Pittsburgh]], but had to withdraw because of financial problems. After he achieved some success in radio, he returned to the university and earned a bachelor's degree.<ref name=rs2/>

==Radio==
Cullen's broadcasting career began in 1939<ref name=rs2/> in Pittsburgh at [[WBGG (AM)|WWSW]] radio,<ref name="sies">Sies, Luther F. (2014). ''Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920-1960, 2nd Edition''. McFarland & Company, Inc. {{ISBN|978-0-7864-5149-4}}. P. 171.</ref> where he worked as a disc jockey and play-by-play announcer or [[color commentator]] for [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] ([[NFL]]) and [[Pittsburgh Hornets]] (minor league hockey) games. In 1943, Cullen left WWSW for a brief job at rival station [[KDKA (AM)|KDKA]] before leaving Pittsburgh a year later to try his luck in New York.  A week after arriving in New York, he was hired as a staff announcer at [[CBS]].{{Citation needed |date=October 2023}} 

To supplement his then-meager income, he became a freelance joke writer for some of the top radio stars of the day, including [[Arthur Godfrey]], [[Danny Kaye]], and [[Jack Benny]];<ref>{{cite book| title=Quizmaster: The Life And Times And Fun And Games Of Bill Cullen| last=Nedeff| first=Adam| year=2013| publisher=BearManor Media| isbn=978-1-59393-730-0| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4eeEDwAAQBAJ&q=freelance+writer| pages=30–33}}</ref> he also worked as a staff writer for the ''[[Easy Aces]]'' radio show.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6l1QAAAAIBAJ&pg=7419,4598620&dq=goodman+ace&hl=en| title=13 Weekly TV-Radio Shows Keep Bill Cullen Hopping| last=Mercer| first=Charles| date=November 20, 1957| newspaper=[[The Milwaukee Sentinel]]| access-date=October 20, 2010}}{{Dead link|date=October 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

His first venture into game shows was in 1945, when he was hired as announcer for a radio quiz called ''Give And Take''.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Quizmaster: The Life And Times And Fun And Games Of Bill Cullen|last=Nedeff|first=Adam|year=2013|publisher=BearManor Media|isbn=978-1-59393-730-0|pages=35}}</ref>  In the summer of 1950, he was quizmaster on ''[[Hit the Jackpot]]'', the summer replacement for ''[[Amos 'n' Andy]]'' on CBS radio.<ref>{{cite news |title=Fills the Bill |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/77055595/the-boston-globe/ |access-date=May 5, 2021 |work=The Boston Globe |date=May 28, 1950 |page=30-A|via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> After a brief stint at [[WBBR|WNEW]] in 1951, he hosted a popular morning show at [[WNBC (AM)|WNBC]] radio from 1955 to 1961.<ref>{{cite book| title=Quizmaster: The Life And Times And Fun And Games Of Bill Cullen| last=Nedeff| first=Adam| year=2013| publisher=BearManor Media| isbn=978-1-59393-730-0| pages=520–22}}</ref>

==Military service==
Cullen was a pilot for the [[United States Army Air Forces]] in World War II.<ref name=e>{{cite news| last1=Barron| first1=Mark| title=Bill Cullen is One of Busiest Men in Radio, TV| url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5265035/the_express/| work=The Express| agency=Associated Press| location=Pennsylvania, Lock Haven| page=8| via=[[Newspapers.com]] |access-date=May 14, 2016}} {{Open access}}</ref>
Cullen served in the [[Civil Air Patrol]] as an instructor and patrol aircraft pilot in his native Pennsylvania during [[World War II]] (having failed to qualify for combat duty due to his physical disabilities), and was interested in mechanics.{{Citation needed |date=October 2023}}

==TV career==
Cullen's first television game show was the TV version of ''[[Winner_Take_All_(game_show)|Winner Take All]]'',{{r|etvs|page1=1183}} which premiered on NBC in 1952. In 1953, Cullen had ''The Bill Cullen Show'', a weekly morning variety program on CBS.<ref name=etvs>Terrace, Vincent (2011). ''Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010''. McFarland & Company, Inc. {{ISBN|978-0-7864-6477-7}}. P. 106.</ref> He hosted ''[[Bank on the Stars]]'' in 1954.<ref>{{cite journal| date=May 31, 1954| title=In Review| journal=[[Broadcasting & Cable]]| volume=46| issue=22| page=14| issn=1068-6827}}</ref> From 1954 to 1955, he hosted NBC's ''Place the Face'', a program in which celebrities identified people from their past;{{r|etvs|page1=838}} he simultaneously hosted CBS's ''[[Name That Tune]]''. From 1956 to 1965, he hosted the initial daytime and primetime versions of ''[[The Price Is Right (1956 American game show)|The Price Is Right]]'',{{r|etvs|page1=853}} another Goodson-Todman production.  He was also a panelist on ''[[I've Got a Secret]]''{{r|etvs|page1=518}} from 1952 to 1967, and ''[[To Tell the Truth]]''{{r|etvs|page1=1089}} from 1969 to 1978, where he also guest-hosted on occasion.  After relocating to [[Southern California]], Cullen guest-hosted ''[[Password Plus and Super Password|Password Plus]]'' for four weeks in April 1980 while original host [[Allen Ludden]] was being treated for stomach cancer.

Cullen was initially in the running to host the 1972 revival of ''[[The Price Is Right (American game show)|The Price Is Right]]'', but the physical demands of the new format were deemed too strenuous for him. Consequently, when CBS picked up the daytime version, [[Bob Barker]] was selected to host the daytime version while [[Dennis James]] (who sold the pilot with Mark Goodson) hosted the syndicated nighttime version. Barker remained the show's daytime host until his retirement in 2007. Occasional references to Cullen have been made by current ''The Price Is Right'' host [[Drew Carey]].

Other game shows Cullen hosted included ''[[Eye Guess]]'' in the 1960s;{{r|etvs|page1=318}} ''[[Three on a Match (game show)|Three on a Match]]'',{{r|etvs|page1=1078}} ''[[Blankety Blanks (American game show)|Blankety Blanks]]'',{{r|etvs|page1=113}} ''[[The Love Experts]]'', ''[[QUBE|How Do You Like Your Eggs?]]'' (QUBE cable interactive program) <ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RUomhVabOA How Do You Like Your Eggs @ QUBE], Jon QUBE, YouTube, December 10, 2016</ref> and the syndicated version of ''[[Pyramid (game show)|The $25,000 Pyramid]]''{{r|etvs|page1=1116}} in the 1970s; and later in his career ''[[Chain Reaction (game show)|Chain Reaction]]'',{{r|etvs|page1=174}} ''[[Blockbusters (American game show)|Blockbusters]]'',{{r|etvs|page1=115}} ''[[Child's Play (game show)|Child's Play]]'', ''[[Hot Potato (game show)|Hot Potato]]''{{r|etvs|page1=477}} and ''[[The Joker's Wild]]''{{r|etvs|page1=543}} (his final hosting job from 1984 to 1986, following the death of [[Jack Barry (game show host)|Jack Barry]]).

In a 1984 ''[[TV Guide]]'' article, Cullen commented on the ease with which he seemed to land his hosting jobs:

<blockquote>  "This is how it happens every time," says Cullen.  "A known packager comes up with the idea for a new show.  The network says, do a run-through.  They do.  The network likes it, and they say, we'll give you a pilot.  Then the network says, Who are we going to get to host it?

Packager: Who do you have in mind?

Network: Let's go with someone new.

Packager: Great idea. Who?

Network: Don't you know anybody?

Packager: No. There's so-and-so, but we tried him in a run-through and he didn't work out ... How about you?  You know someone?

Network: No.

Now, the sets are constructed, the game is worked out, the staff is hired, it's two weeks before the show is to go on, they are ready to shoot the pilot.

Network: Well, have you thought of anybody yet?

Packager: No.

Network: Let's go with Bill Cullen.

That's almost exactly how NBC picked the host of ''Hot Potato''."<ref>"TV's Game Show Hosts: The Prizes, The Applause, The Pain." ''TV Guide'', January 21–27, 1984, pp. 35-42.</ref></blockquote>

Cullen appeared as a celebrity guest on many other game shows, including ''[[I've Got a Secret]]'', ''[[What's My Line?]]'', ''[[To Tell the Truth]]'', ''[[Personality (game show)|Personality]]'', ''[[The Cross-Wits]]'', ''[[Password (American game show)|Password]]'', ''[[Password Plus and Super Password|Password Plus]]'',{{r|etvs|page1=816}} ''[[Match Game]]'', ''[[Tattletales]]'' (with his wife Ann), ''[[Break the Bank (1976 game show)|Break the Bank]]'', ''[[Shoot for the Stars]]'', and all of the versions of ''[[Pyramid (game show)|Pyramid]]'' (excluding the $50,000 and $100,000 versions). Cullen hosted a number of pilots for his close friend, quiz producer [[Bob Stewart (television producer)|Bob Stewart]], who created ''The Price Is Right'', ''Truth'', and ''Password'' for Goodson-Todman and ''Pyramid'' for his own company. Cullen thus became the only person to host each of these formats on a full- or part-time basis. He also appeared as a panelist on game shows hosted by his favorite understudy, [[Bob Eubanks]], including ''[[Trivia Trap]]'', ''[[Rhyme and Reason (game show)|Rhyme and Reason]]'', and ''[[All Star Secrets]]'', and he made guest appearances with Eubanks on ''[[Family Feud]]''.

In 1982, Cullen made an appearance on ''The Price Is Right'' to promote his new game show, ''Child's Play''.  It was the only time he ever appeared on the revival of ''The Price Is Right'', but no mention was made of his role as the show's original host.

==Achievements==

Cullen did [[color commentary]] on [[college football]] games early in his career, and also broadcast track and field on NBC. On ''I've Got A Secret,'' producers Mark Goodson and Bill Todman and host [[Garry Moore]] quickly learned to never start the questioning with Cullen if the guest's secret was anything sports-related or mechanical, because chances were good that he would guess it immediately.{{Citation needed |date=October 2023}} 

During his television career, Cullen was nominated three times for Emmy Awards; his only win was a Primetime Emmy for hosting ''Three On A Match'' (1973). He was later nominated for Daytime Emmys for his work on ''Blockbusters'' (1982) and ''Hot Potato'' (1985).

Throughout his entire career in radio and television, Cullen hosted more than 25,000 individual episodes of radio and television shows.<ref>Ryan, Steve and Fred Wostbrock. ''The Ultimate TV Game Show Book''. Los Angeles: Volt Press, 2005, page ix.</ref> With over 20 unique game shows to his credit (a milestone matched only by [[Wink Martindale]]), Cullen hosted more unique game show formats than any other host.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Evans |first1=Greg |title=Wink Martindale Dies: Game Show Host Of ‘Tic-Tac-Dough’, ‘Gambit’ And ‘High Rollers’ Was 91 |url=https://deadline.com/2025/04/wink-martindale-dead-1236369288/ |access-date=April 15, 2025 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref>

==Personal life==
===Marriages===
Cullen was married three times and had no children. His first marriage was a brief one while still living in Pittsburgh. His second marriage (1948–1955) was to singer Carol Ames. On December 24, 1955, Cullen married former dancer and model Ann Roemheld Macomber, born Elise Ann Roemheld (whose sister was, at the time, married to game show announcer and future emcee [[Jack Narz]]), the daughter of composer [[Heinz Roemheld]]; this marriage lasted until his death in 1990. She occasionally worked as a model on Bill's ''The Price Is Right'' and made several appearances with him on ''Tattletales''. She died on July 21, 2018, aged 90.<ref name=ann>{{cite news| title=Obituaries: Ann Cullen| url=https://obits.ocregister.com/obituaries/orangecounty/obituary.aspx?n=ann-cullen&pid=189680880| date=July 25, 2018| newspaper=[[Orange County Register]]| access-date=July 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180816014633/https://obits.ocregister.com/obituaries/orangecounty/obituary.aspx?n=ann-cullen&pid=189680880 |url-status=live |archive-date=August 16, 2018 }}</ref>

===Physical disability===
Cullen contracted [[polio]] in August 1921, when he was 18 months old. The long-term effects of that illness, combined with injuries sustained in a serious motor vehicle accident in 1937 requiring a nine-month hospitalization, made it difficult for him to walk or stand for an extended period of time.<ref name=rs2>Cox, Jim (2007). ''Radio Speakers: Narrators, News Junkies, Sports Jockeys, Tattletales, Tipsters, Toastmasters and Coffee Klatch Couples Who Verbalized the Jargon of the Aural Ether from the 1920s to the 1980s--A Biographical Dictionary''. McFarland & Company, Inc. {{ISBN|978-0-7864-6086-1}}. Pp. 71-72.</ref>

Directors on his game shows took great care to limit the extent that Cullen was shown walking on camera.  Each show's set was designed to accommodate Cullen's limited [[range of motion]]; the podiums, game boards, props, and any physical movements by contestants were arranged so that Cullen could, for the most part, remain stationary. Rather than making an elaborate entrance like most game show hosts, Cullen began each show either already seated or hidden on set behind a prop just a few steps from his podium.<ref>Nedeff, A. ''Quizmaster: The Life and Times of Bill Cullen''. Bear Manor Media (2013), pp. 66–69; {{ISBN|159393730X}}.</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIpnUEJNZXw ''Blockbusters'' episode], retrieved July 26, 2015.</ref> Similar accommodations were made when he appeared as a guest on other game shows.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCWjFqTlHL8 ''Tattletales'' episode], retrieved July 26, 2015.</ref>

As a consequence of these arrangements, many of Cullen's peers were likewise unaware of his disability, which occasionally led to awkward situations. In the August 2010 issue of ''[[GQ Magazine|GQ]]'' under the heading "Epic Tales of Embarrassment", [[Mel Brooks]] related the following story to writer Steve Heisler:

<blockquote>The week of October 17–21 in 1966—that would make me about 40—was a special celebrity week on ''Eye Guess''. Bill Cullen was the host. The game was very similar to ''Concentration''. I was teamed up with [[Julia Meade]].  Remember her? Actress, very pretty young lady, blonde... Okay, never mind. I don't think I won, but I did get the take-home game. Anyway, the show is over, and I start walking toward the podium to say good night to Bill, to thank him for having me on. He starts coming toward me cross-stage, and I don't know what he's doing. His feet are flopping. His hands are flying everywhere. He's doing this kind of wacky walk-of-the-unfortunates that [[Jerry Lewis]] used to do. So I figured, what the hell, I'll join him. I start doing, I dunno, this multiple-sclerosis walk, flapping my arms and doing the Milton Berle cross legs—my own Jerry Lewis impression... And Julia is whispering, "No! He's crippled, Mel!" I don't even hear her.  Finally we meet in the middle, we hug, and he says to me, "You know, you're the only comic who's ever had the nerve to make fun of my crippled walk. Everyone's so careful, it makes me feel even worse." And I realize, Oh, my God, ''this guy is really crippled!'' It was my worst moment — and if you weren't me, probably the funniest thing that ever happened.<ref>Epic Tales of Embarrassment. ''[[GQ]]'', August 2010, page 90.</ref></blockquote>

In the fall of 1969, shortly after ''Eye Guess'' ended, Cullen fell seriously ill. Diagnosed with [[pancreatitis]] and requiring major surgery, Cullen took time off from work to recuperate. When he returned to television, particularly his position on the panel for ''To Tell The Truth'', his physical appearance had drastically changed; along with letting his hair grow out, his pancreatitis had caused him to lose over {{Convert|30|lb|kg}}, leaving his face gaunt and wrinkled.<ref>{{cite book| title=Quizmaster: The Life And Times And Fun And Games Of Bill Cullen| last=Nedeff| first=Adam| year=2013| publisher=BearManor Media| isbn=978-1-59393-730-0| pages=308–309}}</ref>

===Hobbies===
Cullen was a [[midget car racing|midget-car racer]], and he was a member of the [[United States Civil Air Patrol]].<ref>{{cite news| title=Bill Cullen: How To Keep Cool In A 'Hot' Business| url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5266458/the_plain_speaker/| work=The Plain Speaker| date=June 10, 1961| location=Pennsylvania, Hazleton| page=16| via=[[Newspapers.com]]| access-date=May 14, 2016}} {{Open access}}</ref>

==Death==
Cullen was a heavy smoker, and died of lung cancer in 1990. His widow, Ann Roemheld Macomber, died on July 21, 2018.<ref name=ann/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Bill Cullen}}
{{Portal|Biography}}
* {{IMDb name|191439|Bill Cullen}}
* [https://www.billcullen.net The Bill Cullen Archive]

{{s-start}}
{{s-media}}
{{succession box|before= [[Allen Ludden]] |title= Sub Host, ''[[Password Plus and Super Password|Password Plus]]'' |years=April 14 – May 9, 1980|after= [[Allen Ludden]]}}
{{succession box|before=Position inaugurated|title=''[[The Price Is Right (1956 U.S. game show)|The Price Is Right]]'' Host |years=November 26, 1956 – September 3, 1965|after=[[Bob Barker]] (daytime) in 1972, [[Dennis James]] (nighttime) in 1972}}
{{succession box|before=Position inaugurated|title=''[[Pyramid (game show)|The $25,000 Pyramid]]'' Host (nighttime)|years=September 9, 1974 – September 9, 1979|after=[[Dick Clark]] on ''The $100,000 Pyramid'' in 1985}}
{{succession box|before=Position inaugurated|title=''[[Chain Reaction (game show)|Chain Reaction]]'' Host|years=January 14, 1980 – June 20, 1980|after=[[Blake Emmons]] in 1986}}
{{succession box|before=Position inaugurated|title=''[[Blockbusters (US game show)|Blockbusters]]'' Host|years=October 27, 1980 – April 23, 1982|after=[[Bill Rafferty]] in 1987}}
{{succession box|before=[[Jack Barry (television personality)|Jack Barry]]|title=''[[The Joker's Wild]]'' Host|years=1984–86|after=[[Pat Finn (game show host)|Pat Finn]] in 1990}}
{{succession box|before= [[Garry Moore]] |title= Sub Host, ''[[To Tell The Truth]]'' |years=1969-1977|after= [[Garry Moore]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{NHL on NBC}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Cullen, Bill}}
[[Category:1920 births]]
[[Category:1990 deaths]]
[[Category:American sports commentators]]
[[Category:American game show hosts]]
[[Category:College football announcers]]
[[Category:Deaths from lung cancer in California]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Pittsburgh]]
[[Category:NFL announcers]]
[[Category:National Hockey League broadcasters]]
[[Category:Television personalities from Pittsburgh]]
[[Category:People of the Civil Air Patrol]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Steelers announcers]]
[[Category:Radio personalities from Pittsburgh]]
[[Category:University of Pittsburgh alumni]]
[[Category:United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II]]
[[Category:Polio survivors]]
[[Category:American people with disabilities]]