Bud Collyer on Beat The Clock, 1957

Bud Collyer (b. Clayton J. Heermance, Jr. June 18, 1908 – d. September 8, 1969) was an American radio actor/announcer who became one of the nation's first major television game show stars. Image File history File linksMetadata BudCollyer1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata BudCollyer1. ... June 18 is the 169th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (170th in leap years), with 196 days remaining. ... 1908 (MCMVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... September 8 is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years). ... 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ...

Collyer was born in New York City to Clayton Johnson Heermance and Caroline Collyer.[1] He originally sought a career in the law and worked his way through Fordham University by radio acting. Though he became a law clerk after his graduation, making as much in a month of radio as he did in a year of clerking convinced him to make broadcasting his career, changing his surname and becoming a familiar voice on all three major radio networks by 1940. Among others, his radio roles as Terry and the Pirates (Pat Ryan), Renfrew of the Mounted (the title role), and Abie's Irish Rose (the title role, again), not to mention announcing for a number of radio soap operas---including The Goldbergs, which was actually a serial comedy with dramatic overtones. But his best-remembered radio role arrived in early 1940: the title role in The Adventures of Superman on the Mutual Broadcasting System, a role he did in the 1940s radio drama and subsequent Superman cartoons. Nickname: Big Apple, City that never Sleeps, Gotham Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs The Bronx Manhattan Queens Brooklyn Staten Island Settled 1613 Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area    - City 1,214. ... Fordham University is a private, coeducational research university[2] located in and around New York City. ... 1931 book by Gertrude Berg with an introduction by Eddie Cantor The Goldbergs was a situation comedy which ran on American radio from 1929 to 1950 and then on television from 1949 to 1956. ... Announcer Jackson Beck (left) with Bud Collyer and Joan Alexander The Adventures of Superman, adapted from the DC Comics character created in 1938 (see Superman), came to radio as a syndicated show on New York Citys WOR on February 12, 1940. ... The Mutual Broadcasting System (MBS) was an American radio network, in operation from 1934 to 1999. ... This image of Superman appeared at the beginning of each of the cartoons. ...

Collyer got his first helping of game shows when he co-hosted ABC's (the former NBC Blue network) Break the Bank with future Miss America Pageant mainstay Bert Parks; and, when he was picked to host the radio original of the Mark Goodson-Bill Todman team's first game, Winner Take All--the latter also becoming, in due course, the first hosting seat for another game show titan, Bill Cullen. The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) operates television and radio networks in the United States and is also shown on basic cable in Canada. ... Break the Bank is a title that has been used for three entirely separate American game shows throughout television history. ... Miss America contestants visit Andrews Air Force Base in 2003 For the two Golden Age patriotically-themed comic book superheroines, see Miss America (comics). ... Bert Parks (December 30, 1914 - February 2, 1992), an American actor, singer, and radio and television announcer and host, is remembered best as the longtime, iconic host (1955-1980) of the annual Miss America Pageant telecast, live from Convention Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. ... Mark Goodson (January 14, 1915 – December 18, 1992) was an American television producer born in Sacramento, California. ... Bill Todman (July 31, 1916-July 29, 1979) was an American television producer born in New York City. ... The First Past the Post electoral system, is a voting system for single-member districts. ... William Bill Lawrence Frances Cullen (February 18, 1920–July 7, 1990), was an American radio and television personality. ...

Collyer went on to host the television versions of both shows, but in 1950 he got the job which genuinely made his name: Beat the Clock, a stunt game show which pit couples (usually, but not exclusively, married) against the clock in a race to perform silly (sometimes messy) tasks called "problems," the grand prizes for which usually came in terms of cash or home appliances. For eleven years (1950-61), Collyer presided over the slapstick, sometimes getting clobbered himself by as much whipped cream as his contestants. For other uses, see Beat the Clock (disambiguation). ...

Bud questions the son of contestants on Beat The Clock, 1957

One of Collyer's trademarks on the show was securing his long-tubed stage microphone in his armpit (particularly while demonstrating the basics of a stunt for his contestants). He also typically wore bow ties, and liked to point out when contestants wore 'bow tie guys' like himself; though initially, through the mid-50s he wore straight ties most weeks. He enjoyed meeting families of contestants, and was fond of children. He would always ask about contestants' children, and sometimes would compare the number and sexes with that of his own family. When children were brought onstage with their parents, he would take time to talk to each of them and ask them what they wanted to be when they grew up. Image File history File linksMetadata BudCollyer2. ... Image File history File linksMetadata BudCollyer2. ...

At the height of the show's popularity, an installment of The Honeymooners (which surfaced years later, when Jackie Gleason released the so-called "Lost Episodes") featured blustery Ralph Kramden and scatterbrained Ed Norton appearing on and playing Beat the Clock. Unlike the show's familiar parody of The $64,000 Question (The $99,000 Answer), Gleason's Beat the Clock episode used the actual show and set, complete with the familiar large minute clock emblazoned with sponsor Sylvania's logo, and ending with Collyer and his famous sign-off: "Next time may be your time to beat the clock." For the film, see The Honeymooners (2005 film). ... Herbert John Jackie Gleason (b. ... The $64,000 Question was a popular United States television game show. ...

But Collyer in 1956 became equally if not more familiar as the host of a new Goodson-Todman production, To Tell The Truth on CBS. This panel show featured four celebrities peppering questions at three mystery guests claiming to be the same person, in a bid to determine just which of the three was the person in question, until Collyer purred the famous phrase, "Will the real Such-and-So---please...stand up," always with the pauses---and the actual person would do precisely that. The sequence provided an especially riotous moment in 1962, when Collyer purred, with a particularly pronounced twinkle, "Will the real Bob Miller---please...stand up?" Two Bob Millers, both pitchers for the newborn New York Mets, rose. To Tell the Truth is an American television game show that has been seen in various forms on and off since 1956. ... CBS (an abbreviation for Columbia Broadcasting System, its former legal name) is one of the largest television networks, and formerly one of the largest radio networks, in the United States. ... Major league affiliations National League (1962–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 14, 37, 41, 42 Name New York Mets (1962–present) Ballpark Shea Stadium (1964–present) The Polo Grounds (1962–1963) Major league titles World Series titles (2) 1969 â€¢ 1986 NL Pennants (4) 1969 â€¢ 1973 â€¢ 1986...

Among the celebrities who served as To Tell The Truth panelists during the fourteen-year run of the show were Orson Bean, Ralph Bellamy, Polly Bergen, Kitty Carlisle, Peggy Cass, Bert Convy, Hy Gardner, Phyllis Newman, and Tom Poston. Orson Bean, born Dallas Frederick Burroughs (July 22, 1928 in Burlington, Vermont), is an American film and stage actor. ... Ralph Bellamy Ralph Bellamy (June 17, 1904 - November 29, 1991) was an American actor. ... Polly Bergen (born Nellie Paulina Burgin on July 14, 1930, in Knoxville, Tennessee) is an American actress, singer, and entrepreneur. ... Kitty Carlisle in Die Fledermaus, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1933 Kitty Carlisle Hart (b. ... Peggy Cass (left), with James Thurber and Joan Anderson (1960) Mary Margaret (Peggy) Cass (May 21, 1924 in Boston, Massachusetts - March 8, 1999 in New York City) was an actress, comedian, game show panelist, and announcer. ... Bernard Whalen (Bert) Convy (July 23, 1933 – July 15, 1991) was an American game show host, actor and singer. ... Hy Gardner (December 2, 1908 – June 17, 1989) was a columnist for the New York Herald Tribune, host of The Hy Gardner Show, and a regular panelist on the first incarnation of To Tell The Truth. ... Phyllis Newman (born March 19, 1933 in Jersey City, New Jersey) is an actress and singer who was a frequent panelist on game shows such as Whats My Line? and Match Game. ... Tom Poston (born October 17, 1921 in Columbus, Ohio) is an American television and film actor. ...

There was a side of Collyer's career that tied controversy. During his 1950s heyday with Beat the Clock and To Tell the Truth, he was a leader in an overtly anti-Communist faction of the New York chapter of the American Federation of Radio and Television Artists. That faction supported such publications as Red Channels (the famous list of 151 reputed Communists or reputed fellow travelers, as the term was then, in radio and television) and interest groups that shared the authors' politics---groups like Aware, Inc. (co-founded, in fact, by the man who wrote Red Channels's introduction), purporting to screen broadcast performers for actual or alleged Communist ties, pressuring networks and advertisers to shun them under threat of boycott.

An opposing faction, led by CBS radio personality John Henry Faulk and (ironically enough) To Tell The Truth panelist Orson Bean, defeated Collyer's faction in an election to run the New York local. (This was the election Faulk claimed provoked Aware to name his slate and pressure him off the air---not because he was himself a Communist but because he had once entertained at gatherings deemed pro-Communist---which in turn provoked his famous libel suit, winning in 1963.) Whatever Collyer thought of Bean's actual or alleged politics, or Bean Collyer's, they were nothing but professional and courteous to each other on air. Such was Collyer's professional way with any colleague or guest, no matter what he or they thought or did off the air. CBS (an abbreviation for Columbia Broadcasting System, its former legal name) is one of the largest television networks, and formerly one of the largest radio networks, in the United States. ... John Henry Faulk (August 21, 1913–April 9, 1990) from Austin, Texas was a storyteller and former radio broadcaster. ... Orson Bean, born Dallas Frederick Burroughs (July 22, 1928 in Burlington, Vermont), is an American film and stage actor. ...

Collyer's other game hosting slots included the short-lived (two years) game, Feather Your Nest, and the ABC game Number Please in 1961 (which replaced Beat the Clock on the Monday after the final ABC episode). The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) operates television and radio networks in the United States and is also shown on basic cable in Canada. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

In 1966, Collyer reprised his role as the voice of Superman in the Filmation animated series The New Adventures of Superman. The first Filmation logo. ... The New Adventures of Superman was an animated series that aired on CBS for four seasons between September 10, 1966 and September 5, 1970, although the Man of Steel shared an hour with Aquaman and Batman during the middle seasons. ...

In 1969, Beat the Clock was brought back for a new syndicated run. The host chosen for the show was Jack Narz. A story goes that Narz was flying to New York to do the first tapings of the show and who should sit next to him on the plane but Bud Collyer. Narz was nervous and didn't know what to expect but was pleased to find Collyer as generous and kind as he appeared on TV. Collyer wished him luck and that his run would be as long as the original, and before the week was done, handwritten notes for every member of the crew who had worked on the original series arrived from Collyer wishing them luck. (In 2001, PAX-TV revived Beat the Clock, signing actor Gary Kroger as host). Jack Narz (born November 13, 1922, in Louisville, Kentucky), the elder brother of game show legend Tom Kennedy (Jim Narz) and the brother-in-law of another game show legend, the late Bill Cullen, is an American television announcer and game show host in his own right, who eluded the...

Religion was very important to Collyer, and he was always particularly pleased to hear contestants say that they considered donating portions of their winnings to the church. He would often include "God bless you" in his parting words to contestants. He was always extra happy to have a contestant that was a minister on the show and would ask about his congregation. He taught a Sunday school class at his Presbyterian church for more than 35 years, and spent some of his off-time as a caretaker at his church. Collyer was known to have contributed to various Christian religious works, including authoring at least one religious book and making a recording of the Today's English Version New Testament. He was also fond of charitable endeavours and was pleased to hear contestants planning to donate to charities. On Beat the Clock, he often delivered public service messages about such charitable causes as the March of Dimes and other drives for research of diseases. Presbyterianism is part of the Reformed churches family of denominations of Christian Protestantism based on the teachings of John Calvin which traces its institutional roots to the Scottish Reformation, especially as led by John Knox. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Christianity. ... The Good News Translation (GNT) as it is known in North America, or the Good News Bible (GNB) as it is known in the rest of the world, is an English language translation of the Bible by the American Bible Society, first published as the New Testament under the name... John 21:1 Jesus Appears to His Disciples--Alessandro Mantovani: the Vatican, Rome. ... March of Dimes official logo March of Dimes is the name of health charities in both the United States and Canada. ...

Collyer died from a circulatory ailment in Greenwich, Connecticut in September 1969 – on the same day To Tell The Truth was revived in syndication, hosted by his old friend Garry Moore, and not long after his run-in with Narz. Garry Moore smoking as he often did while hosting Ive Got A Secret Garry Moore (January 31, 1915 – November 28, 1993) was born in Baltimore, Maryland as Thomas Garrison Morfit. ...

External links

• Bud Collyer at the Internet Movie Database