Good old Bill

Now that I've sort of eulogized sour old Henry Morgan, I have to mention the unfailingly sunny side of I've Got a Secret, Bill Cullen.

Of course, Cullen has a few other credits in our little genre, maybe a gazillion or so. His lightning-quick wit and Mr. Congeniality persona kept him in demand among game show producers well into the 1980s. Legend has it that Michael Davies even considered him for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in the late 1990s, until he learned that Bill was unfortunately deceased.

But Secret may have been his most pleasant gig. As a panelist he didn't have to worry about the endless technical details of hosting the show. He could just turn up, toss off a few quips, and brighten the stage a bit. In December, 1956 I've Got a Secret honored him with an inspired segment where Garry Moore and Art Linkletter collected junk from the studio audience for "good old Bill."

The blindfolded panel was clueless about what was happening, until the junk was presented to the bemused Mr. Cullen. The show also invited the home audience to send in junk for Bill. The following week they showed some of the proceeds...among almost 150,000 useless items received.