"You Bet Your Life" (1950) TV series 1950-1961

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | unknown

Release Date:

5 October 1950 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family | Game-Show

Plot:

Groucho Marx hosts a quiz show which features a series of competitive questions and a great deal of humourous conversation.

Plot Keywords:

Groucho | Quiz Show | Sarcasm | Based On Radio Series | Wacky Guests

Awards:

Nominated for 6 Primetime Emmys.

Cast

Groucho Marx	...	Himself - Host / ... (84 episodes, 1950-1961)
George Fenneman	...	Announcer / ... (84 episodes, 1950-1961)

Series Directed by
Robert Dwan		(26 episodes, 1950-1959)
Bernie Smith		(26 episodes, 1950-1959)

Series Writing credits
Hy Freedman		(11 episodes, 1951-1956)
Howard Harris		(8 episodes, 1951-1955)
Edward T. Tyler		(4 episodes, 1953-1956)

Series Produced by
John Guedel	....	producer (27 episodes, 1950-1959)

Series Cinematography by
Virgil Miller		(14 episodes, 1951-1956)
James Van Trees		(7 episodes, 1952-1956)

Series Film Editing by
Robert Sparr		(7 episodes, 1954-1955)
Norman Colbert		(3 episodes, 1952)
Robert Ford		(2 episodes, 1956-1959)
Robert Dwan		(unknown episodes)

Series Makeup Department
Paul Stanhope	....	makeup artist (1 episode, 1959)

Series Production Management
I. Lindenbaum	....	production manager (18 episodes, 1951-1956)
Edwin I. Mills	....	production manager / program production manager / ... (16 episodes, 1951-1959)

Series Sound Department
Art Brearley	....	audio engineer / sound (17 episodes, 1952-1956)

Series Editorial Department
Norman Colbert	....	supervising editor / editorial supervisor / ... (20 episodes, 1951-1959)
Paul Schmutz	....	assistant editor / technical assistant editor (7 episodes, 1951-1955)

Series Music Department
Jack Meakin	....	orchestra / musical director (15 episodes, 1951-1959)
Jerry Fielding	....	musical director (4 episodes, 1950-1954)
Buddy Collette	....	orchestra leader (unknown episodes)
Harry Ruby	....	composer: theme song "Hooray for Captain Spalding" (unknown episodes)

Series Other crew
Ferenz H. Fodor	....	technical supervisor / technical director (21 episodes, 1951-1956)
Hy Freedman	....	program staff / production staff (11 episodes, 1952-1959)
Edward T. Tyler	....	program staff / production staff (7 episodes, 1952-1954)
Willis Oborn	....	production assistant (4 episodes, 1951-1959)
Ed Mills	....	production staff / program staff (4 episodes, 1952-1953)
Howard Harris	....	program staff (4 episodes, 1954-1959)
Paul Schmutz	....	technical assistant (3 episodes, 1954-1956)
Bernie Smith	....	production staff (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• FilmCraft Productions

Distributors

• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1950-1961) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Concord Video (1987) (USA) (VHS) (selected episodes)
• Marathon Music & Video (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• Tapeworm Video Distributors (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Navarre Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2004) (worldwide) (VHS)
• Sony Music (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Shout! Factory (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Moviecraft (2005) (USA) (VHS)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• Critics' Choice Video (????) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Plymouth Motors  sponsoring

Also Known As:

"The Groucho Show" - USA (last season title)

Runtime:

30 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:G

Filming Locations:

NBC Studio D, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

FilmCraft Productions

Trivia:

Phyllis Diller received her first national exposure as a contestant on the show.

Quotes:

Groucho:If we got together as an act, what would it be called?
Contestant:It would be Gonzales-Gonzales and Marx.
Groucho:[to audience] Do you believe that? Two men in the act, and I get third billing!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Godzilla vs. Megalon (#3.12)" (1991)

Soundtrack:

Hooray for Captain Spaulding

An Early TV Game Show Classic

I remember watching You Bet Your Life aka The Best of Groucho in the mid 70s and I thought it was an early TV game show classic. Before it's long TV run, it began in the late 40s on radio. The show was also very funny, thanks to the quips and one-liners from host Groucho Marx. The quiz portion was incidental to the interviews from Groucho. Not only could contestants win money on the quiz they can also win if someone says the secret word, enable a stuffed duck to come down from the ceiling. The duck was used because Groucho didn't want sirens blaring in his ear when someone said the word. The secret word was later used on the hit kids show Pee Wee's Playhouse.

Also sharing in the fun was George Fenneman, announcer, straight man and scorekeeper. In an episode where Groucho, Edgar Bergen, and their daughters Melinda and Candice teamed up to win money for the Girl Scouts, Fenneman became the quiz master for that segment.

The most memorable contestant on the show was Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez, a poor, illiterate Hispanic father who brought the house down since he was very funny. He later when on to roles in several movies. Phyllis Diller made her national TV debut on You Bet Your Life and in a later episode, Groucho's brother Harpo made a cameo appearance.

Fortunately, contestants never left the show broke. If they didn't do well in the quiz, Groucho would ask a question such as "Who's buried in Grant's Tomb?" or one I remember "In what city is the London Times published?"

Despite the several format changes to the quiz segment, You Bet Your life was a very funny show, thanks to the one, the only GROUCHO!