<Archive Obituary> Bud Collyer (September 8th 1969)
Bill Schenley
Ran 'Beat the Clock,' 'To Tell the Truth,' 'Break the Bank'
Photo:
http://www.smallvillevirtuality.com/superthoughts/budcollter2.bmp
FROM: The New York Times (September 9th 1969) ~
By The United Press International
GREENWICH, Conn., Sept. 8
Bud Collyer, master of ceremonies on television's
"Beat the Clock" and "To Tell the Truth" programs,
died today of a circulatory ailment. He was 61
years old.
The popular television personality entered
Greenwich Hospital three weeks ago.
Genial, Amiable, Perky
One of television's most durable masters of
ceremonies, Mr. Collyer delighted contestants and
audiences alike with his genial manners, jovial
disposition, amiable patience and perky enthusiasm.
He was the host of a succession of game shows,
including "Break the Bank," "Quick as a Flash,"
"Feather Your Nest" and "To Tell the Truth," which
returns tonight on WNEW-TV at 8 P.M. with Garry
Moore as host.
He was also past president of the American
Federation of Television and Radio Artists.
Before entering television, Mr. Collyer was a versatile
radio personality. From 1938 to 1952, he portrayed
Superman over the WOR-Mutual network. At one
time, in addition to his Superman duties, he was
heard as an announcer, quizmaster and M.C. on six
other programs - the Mary Small and Hildegarde
shows the "Schaefer Revue," the "Quiz of Two Cities"
and two soap operas, "Road to Life" and "Young
Dr. Malone."
Recalling his days before the microphone, the lanky,
brown-haired performer said, "Those were great
days, because you weren't seen. You could appear
on as many as 23 to 30 shows a week and grab off
$6,000 to $7,000 a year - big dough at that time.
Naturally, that sort of hedge-hopping is impossible on
TV." Some of his other radio programs included
"Truth or Consequences," "Stage Door Canteen" and
"Billie Burke's Show."
Theatrical Family
A native New Yorker whose real name was Clayton
Johnson Heermance Jr., Mr. Collyer was a member
of a theatrical family. His grandfather, Dan Collyer,
was on stage for 50 years; his mother acted under the
name Carrie Collyer, and his sister, June Collyer, was
a dimpled darling of the silent films and the wife of
Stuart Erwin.
After attending Horace Mann School, Mr. Collyer
entered Williams College, where he led a dance band.
At a school dance at the St. Regis Hotel, a fashion
commentator heard him sing and helped him get a
part-time singing job with the Columbia Broadcasting
System for $85 a week.
He went to Fordham Law School, and after graduation
worked as a law clerk for two years before deciding
on a career in show business. He had bit parts in
several Broadway plays and in 1935 landed an acting
job on radio.
In 1962, Mr. Collyer wrote "Thou Shalt Not Fear," a
book of sermons in verse. He regularly closed his
television program by bidding his audience "Goodbye
and God bless you."
---
Photo:
http://www.findagrave.com/photos250/photos/2006/168/6402194_115065385490.jpg
Superman ("The Artic Giant")
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCAtwhuC6pw
To Tell the Truth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p26yXdr4fLY
Beat the Clock "The Honeymooners" (I)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9d-BXBq94Q&mode=related&search=
Beat the Clock (II)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aft-9pt4_1w
Beat the Clock (III)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DngLVXGQMY
Bob Feigel
<stra...@neo.rr.com> magnanimously proffered:
>
>Beat the Clock "The Honeymooners" (I)
>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9d-BXBq94Q&mode=related&search=
>
>Beat the Clock (II)
>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aft-9pt4_1w
>
>Beat the Clock (III)
>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DngLVXGQMY
The Honeymooners still make me laugh after all these years. Thanks for
those, Bill.
--
"It's not that I'm afraid to die. I just don't want to be there when it happens." - Woody Allen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wax-up and drop-in of Surfing's Golden Years: <http://www.surfwriter.net>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RBraga
"Bill Schenley" <stra...@neo.rr.com> wrote:
> Bud Collyer Dies; Host Of TV Shows
>
> GREENWICH, Conn., Sept. 8
>
> Bud Collyer, master of ceremonies on television's
> "Beat the Clock" and "To Tell the Truth" programs,
> died today of a circulatory ailment. He was 61
> years old.
>
> The popular television personality entered
> Greenwich Hospital three weeks ago.
...fond memories of Bud Collyer from my younger years in Greenwich in
the 1950s.
I had an after-school job at the local ice cream emporium. Bud Collyer
was a regular patron, and we all fell over ourselves to be the one to
wait on him when he came in. He was just as friendly and affable as he
appeared on television, always with a smile and a kind word.
Contrast his reception to the one we gave to his contemporary in the
biz, Bert Parks. The luckless soul who waited on him would be the last
one to see him approaching the door... everybody else had suddenly
become very busy or found something to do in the back room. With him,
it was, "I'm Bert (look-at-me-I'm-a-star-
wait-on-me-first-and-cater-to-my-every-whim-or-else) Parks!" We counted
ourselves lucky if he got served and left without tongue-lashing any of
us. I've always used him as an object lesson of how *not* to treat
people...
mack
"Bill Schenley" <stra...@neo.rr.com> wrote in message
news:46e23e36$0$15366$4c36...@roadrunner.com...
> Bud Collyer Dies; Host Of TV Shows
>
> Ran 'Beat the Clock,' 'To Tell the Truth,' 'Break the Bank'
>
> Photo:
> http://www.smallvillevirtuality.com/superthoughts/budcollter2.bmp
>
> FROM: The New York Times (September 9th 1969) ~
> By The United Press International
>
> GREENWICH, Conn., Sept. 8
>
> Bud Collyer, master of ceremonies on television's
> "Beat the Clock" and "To Tell the Truth" programs,
> died today of a circulatory ailment. He was 61
> years old.
Interesting that his nickname "Bud" was so pervasive that UPI uses it in its
obit almost exclusively. In his earlier radio career at Superman and
announcing, it was always "Clayton Collyer". He was well-liked throughout
his career, and quite friendly and good-natured.