"Beat the Clock" (1950) TV series 1950-1961

Directors:

Paul Alter
Lloyd Gross

Seasons:

unknown

Release Date:

23 March 1950 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Game-Show

Plot:

Classic game show where couples (and sometimes families) competed to win prizes by completing stunts within a time limit.

Plot Keywords:

Stunt | Non Fiction

Cast

Bess Myerson	...	Herself (1 episode, 1952)
Dolores Rosedale	...	Roxanne (1 episode, 1952)

Runtime:

30 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:TV-G

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

American Broadcasting Company (ABC)

Trivia:

"Sylvania" was the sponsor from the show's beginning on March 1950 until mid May 1956. "Fresh" (air scent and body cologne) was the sponsor from mid May 1956 until early September 1956. "Hazel Bishop" (women's make-up and cosmetics) was the sponsor starting in early September 1956.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The 50 Greatest Game Shows of All Time" (2006)

Good show. Great host.

I remember this show years ago. This along with To Tell the Truth, What's My Line, I've Got a Secret and the Old Price is Right were staples in my home. I agree with the person who said that shows like the Fear Factor should take a look at this show. It was very simplistic. A couple would attempt these seemingly impossible stunts. If they completed the first stunt they got a prize worth 100.00 , the second 200 and a bonus round in which the female has to figure out a famous quote from jumbled words. If they win that they usually will get nice TV and in later seasons a TV and a stereo. If they just won the 200.00 round they might get a washing machine or a fridge and 100.00 a radio. The stunts were not dangerous but just as suspenseful as they are in shows like Fear Factor. If the stunt involved something like whipped cream or water one of the models would come out and take a picture. What is amazing is a lot of the women are wearing high heel shoes and a dress while doing these stunts. I would say most of the time people are able to complete the bonus. But some of the shows the stunts seem very hard. Later they added these super bonus stunts, worth 1000's and the amount went up s long as no one got them. These tasks were next to impossible. If I described them one would think they weren't until they actually saw the stunt. One involved wearing a hat and getting the balls hanging from the rim to balance on the rim. One involved a toupee. I am now looking at the GSN and the stunt is up to 26,000!

What I think sets the shows of the 60's apart from the game shows of today was the hosts. Bud Collyer, Bill Cullen, Daly , and Garry Moore, were all class acts. And the lack of vulgarity. Beat the Clock showed that stunts can be exciting without being vulgar and exploitive. Bud Collyer was almost as involved in the stunts as the contestants. He treated everyone very nice and if the contestants showed up with their children he would take time to talk to them and give the girls a Roxanne doll(the hostess)and the boy a board game. Even if the kids weren't there he would send them something. I really miss hosts like him. Who seem to be having just as good a time as the contestants. They all seem so cynical now.