Bill Cullen
Encyclopedia
William Lawrence Francis "Bill" Cullen (February 18, 1920 – July 7, 1990) was an American
radio
and television personality whose career spanned five decades. He was best known for television game show
s, having hosted multiple series (including Place the Face
, the original The Price Is Right, the syndicated The $25,000 Pyramid
, and Blockbusters
) and served as a panelist on I've Got a Secret
and To Tell the Truth
.
, Pennsylvania
, the only child of William and Lillian Cullen. He survived a childhood bout with polio that left him with significant physical limitations for the rest of his life (see medical history). He also wore very thick spectacles, which became a trademark.
Cullen's career began in Pittsburgh, where he worked at WWSW radio. He assisted sportscaster Joe Tucker, who called Pittsburgh Steelers
games. He was well-known for his puckish sense of humor and for playing pranks on his fellow announcers while they were on the air. Cullen decided to try his luck in New York and one of his first jobs was writing for the Easy Aces
radio show.
he hosted several radio programs, including game shows, in the late 1940s and 1950s. His first TV game show was Winner Take All, a Mark Goodson
-Bill Todman
production that aired on CBS
in 1952. From 1954 to 1955, he hosted NBC
's Place the Face
, a program in which celebrities identify persons from their past. He hosted the daytime and prime-time versions of The Price Is Right, another Goodson-Todman production, from 1956 to 1965. He was also a panelist on I've Got a Secret
from 1952 until 1967 and then on To Tell the Truth
from 1969 until 1978, where he would also guest host on occasion. After relocating to southern California
, Cullen sub-hosted Password Plus
for four weeks in April 1980 while original host Allen Ludden
recovered from stomach cancer.
Cullen was in the running to be the host of the 1972
revival of The Price Is Right
, for CBS. However, the physical demands of the new format were considered too strenuous for Cullen. The job was instead split between Bob Barker
(daytime) and Dennis James
(nighttime); Barker took over both versions in 1977, and hosted The Price Is Right until his retirement in 2007. Occasional references to Cullen have been made by current The Price Is Right host Drew Carey
.
While much of Cullen's hosting duties were on the East Coast
, one game early in his career and those in his later years were shot in California
. One show he hosted, How Do You Like Your Eggs?
, was filmed in Columbus, Ohio, for Warner Cable's QUBE
system.
Cullen hosted 23 different game shows over the years, making him host of more game shows than anyone else in television history. These shows included Eye Guess
in the 1960s, Three on a Match and the nighttime version of The $25,000 Pyramid
in the 1970s, and Chain Reaction
, Blockbusters
, Child's Play
, Hot Potato
, and The Joker's Wild
in the 1980s (the last one after Jack Barry died).
He appeared as a celebrity guest on many other game shows throughout his TV career, including I've Got a Secret
, Password, To Tell the Truth
, Match Game
, and all pre-$100,000 versions of Pyramid
. Cullen also hosted a number of pilots for his close friend, quiz producer Bob Stewart
, who created The Price Is Right, Truth, and Password for Goodson-Todman and Pyramid for his own company. He thus became the only person to host each of these formats on a full- or part-time basis. He also appeared as a panelist on several game shows hosted by his favorite understudy, Bob Eubanks
, including those of Trivia Trap
, Rhyme and Reason
, and All Star Secrets
, and also made guest appearances with him on Family Feud
. He was also a close friend of Canadian-American host Jim Perry.
In 1982, Cullen made a surprise appearance on The Price Is Right to promote his new game show, Child's Play. This was the only time Cullen ever appeared on the revival of The Price Is Right and no mention was made of Cullen's original run as host. His successor Bob Barker
made a similar move to promote his new book Priceless Memories in April 2009 on Drew Carey
's show.
in his native Pennsylvania during World War II
(having failed to qualify for combat duty due to his physical disabilities), and was interested in mechanics. He did color commentary on college football
games early in his career, and also broadcast track and field
on NBC
. On I've Got A Secret, producers Mark Goodson
and Bill Todman
quickly learned to never start the questioning with Cullen if the guest's secret was anything sports-related or mechanical, because chances were good that he would guess it immediately.
in the 1970s and 1980s.
in the early 1930s. The long-term sequelae of that illness, combined with injuries sustained in a serious motor vehicle accident in 1937 requiring a 9-month hospitalization, left him with significant and lifelong ambulatory limitations.
His physical disabilities were (and largely remain) unknown to the general public due to the creative set design of his shows. The game's structure, its props, and any physical movement by contestants were deliberately arranged so that Cullen could remain stationary throughout the show. Rather than the grand entrance that was common for game show hosts, Cullen would begin each show either already seated or concealed on set behind a sign or podium so that he would only have to take a few steps. Cullen always sat in a chair while hosting, even on shows where the other participants stood. Similar accommodations were made when he served as a celebrity guest on other game shows.
Many of Cullen's show business colleagues were likewise unaware of his disability, which occasionally led to awkward situations. In the August, 2010 issue of GQ Magazine, under the heading "Epic Tales of Embarrassment", comedian/writer/producer Mel Brooks
related the following story to writer Steve Heisler:
in Los Angeles.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
and television personality whose career spanned five decades. He was best known for television game show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
s, having hosted multiple series (including Place the Face
Place the Face
Place the Face is an American game show that aired on CBS and NBC from 1953 to 1955. The series was hosted by Jack Smith, Jack Bailey, and then Bill Cullen. Jack Narz was the announcer.-Synopsis:...
, the original The Price Is Right, the syndicated The $25,000 Pyramid
Pyramid (game show)
Pyramid is an American television game show which has aired several versions. The original series, The $10,000 Pyramid, debuted March 26, 1973 and spawned seven subsequent Pyramid series...
, and Blockbusters
Blockbusters (US game show)
Blockbusters is an American game show which had two separate runs in the 1980s. Created by Steve Ryan for Mark Goodson Productions, the first series debuted on NBC on October 27, 1980 and aired until April 23, 1982. In the first series, a team of two family members competed against a solo contestant...
) and served as a panelist on I've Got a Secret
I've Got a Secret
I've Got a Secret is a panel game show produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS television. Created by comedy writers Allan Sherman and Howard Merrill, it was a derivative of Goodson-Todman's own panel show What's My Line?...
and To Tell the Truth
To Tell the Truth
To Tell the Truth is an American television panel game show created by Bob Stewart and produced by Goodson-Todman Productions that has aired in various forms since 1956 both on networks and in syndication...
.
Early life
Cullen was born in PittsburghPittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, the only child of William and Lillian Cullen. He survived a childhood bout with polio that left him with significant physical limitations for the rest of his life (see medical history). He also wore very thick spectacles, which became a trademark.
Cullen's career began in Pittsburgh, where he worked at WWSW radio. He assisted sportscaster Joe Tucker, who called Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
games. He was well-known for his puckish sense of humor and for playing pranks on his fellow announcers while they were on the air. Cullen decided to try his luck in New York and one of his first jobs was writing for the Easy Aces
Easy Aces
Easy Aces, a long-running American serial radio comedy , was trademarked by the low-keyed drollery of creator and writer Goodman Ace and his wife, Jane, as an urbane, put-upon realtor and his malaprop-prone wife...
radio show.
Game show career
After moving to New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
he hosted several radio programs, including game shows, in the late 1940s and 1950s. His first TV game show was Winner Take All, a Mark Goodson
Mark Goodson
Mark Goodson was an American television producer who specialized in game shows.-Life and early career:...
-Bill Todman
Bill Todman
William S. "Bill" Todman was an American television producer born in New York City. He produced many of television's longest running shows with business partner Mark Goodson.-Early life:...
production that aired on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
in 1952. From 1954 to 1955, he hosted NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Place the Face
Place the Face
Place the Face is an American game show that aired on CBS and NBC from 1953 to 1955. The series was hosted by Jack Smith, Jack Bailey, and then Bill Cullen. Jack Narz was the announcer.-Synopsis:...
, a program in which celebrities identify persons from their past. He hosted the daytime and prime-time versions of The Price Is Right, another Goodson-Todman production, from 1956 to 1965. He was also a panelist on I've Got a Secret
I've Got a Secret
I've Got a Secret is a panel game show produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS television. Created by comedy writers Allan Sherman and Howard Merrill, it was a derivative of Goodson-Todman's own panel show What's My Line?...
from 1952 until 1967 and then on To Tell the Truth
To Tell the Truth
To Tell the Truth is an American television panel game show created by Bob Stewart and produced by Goodson-Todman Productions that has aired in various forms since 1956 both on networks and in syndication...
from 1969 until 1978, where he would also guest host on occasion. After relocating to southern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Cullen sub-hosted Password Plus
Password Plus and Super Password
Password Plus and Super Password are American game shows that are revivals of the game show Password. Both Password Plus and Super Password had the same format other than some subtle changes....
for four weeks in April 1980 while original host Allen Ludden
Allen Ludden
Allen Ludden was an American television personality, emcee and game show host, perhaps most well known for hosting various incarnations of the game show Password between 1961 and 1980.-Early years:...
recovered from stomach cancer.
Cullen was in the running to be the host of the 1972
1972 in television
The year 1972 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1972.For the American TV schedule, see: 1972-73 American network television schedule.-Events:...
revival of The Price Is Right
The Price Is Right (U.S. game show)
The Price Is Right is an American game show which was created by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. Contestants compete to identify the pricing of merchandise to win cash and prizes. The show is well-known for its signature line of "Come on down!" when the announcer directs newly selected contestants to...
, for CBS. However, the physical demands of the new format were considered too strenuous for Cullen. The job was instead split between Bob Barker
Bob Barker
Robert William "Bob" Barker is a former American television game show host. He is best known for hosting CBS's The Price Is Right from 1972 to 2007, making it the longest-running daytime game show in North American television history, and for hosting Truth or Consequences from 1956 to 1975.Born...
(daytime) and Dennis James
Dennis James
Dennis James was an American television personality, actor, and announcer. He is credited as the host of television's first network game show, the DuMont Network's Cash and Carry in 1946...
(nighttime); Barker took over both versions in 1977, and hosted The Price Is Right until his retirement in 2007. Occasional references to Cullen have been made by current The Price Is Right host Drew Carey
Drew Carey
Drew Allison Carey is an American actor, singer, comedian, photographer, sports executive, and game show host. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps and making a name for himself in stand-up comedy, Carey eventually gained popularity starring on his own sitcom, The Drew Carey Show, and serving as...
.
While much of Cullen's hosting duties were on the East Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
, one game early in his career and those in his later years were shot in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. One show he hosted, How Do You Like Your Eggs?
How Do You Like Your Eggs?
How Do You Like Your Eggs? was a game show that aired live from March 23 to 31, 1977 as experimental broadcasts for the Columbus, Ohio-based Warner QUBE system...
, was filmed in Columbus, Ohio, for Warner Cable's QUBE
QUBE
QUBE was a cable television system that played a pivotal role in the history of American cable television. Launched in Columbus, Ohio in December 1977, QUBE introduced viewers, and the international press, to several concepts that became central to the future development of cable television:...
system.
Cullen hosted 23 different game shows over the years, making him host of more game shows than anyone else in television history. These shows included Eye Guess
Eye Guess
Eye Guess is an American game show that ran from January 3, 1966 to September 26, 1969 on NBC in which two contestants tried to answer questions by remembering the answers hidden on a board , with the winner playing for various prizes including a new car.This was the first game show by Bob Stewart...
in the 1960s, Three on a Match and the nighttime version of The $25,000 Pyramid
Pyramid (game show)
Pyramid is an American television game show which has aired several versions. The original series, The $10,000 Pyramid, debuted March 26, 1973 and spawned seven subsequent Pyramid series...
in the 1970s, and Chain Reaction
Chain Reaction (game show)
Chain Reaction is an American game show created by Bob Stewart, in which players compete to form chains composed of two-word phrases.The show aired three separate runs: Bill Cullen hosted the original series on NBC from January 14 to June 20, 1980...
, Blockbusters
Blockbusters (US game show)
Blockbusters is an American game show which had two separate runs in the 1980s. Created by Steve Ryan for Mark Goodson Productions, the first series debuted on NBC on October 27, 1980 and aired until April 23, 1982. In the first series, a team of two family members competed against a solo contestant...
, Child's Play
Child's Play (game show)
Child's Play is an American television game show in which adult contestants tried to guess words based on definitions given by children. The Mark Goodson-produced series debuted on CBS from September 20, 1982 at 10:30 AM Eastern/9:30 AM Central...
, Hot Potato
Hot Potato (game show)
Hot Potato was a television game show broadcast on NBC in the United States from January 23 to June 29, 1984. Bill Cullen was the show's host and Charlie O'Donnell was the announcer....
, and The Joker's Wild
The Joker's Wild
The Joker's Wild is an American television game show that aired at different times during the 1970s through the 1990s. Contestants answered questions based on categories that were determined randomly by a mechanism resembling a slot machine....
in the 1980s (the last one after Jack Barry died).
He appeared as a celebrity guest on many other game shows throughout his TV career, including I've Got a Secret
I've Got a Secret
I've Got a Secret is a panel game show produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS television. Created by comedy writers Allan Sherman and Howard Merrill, it was a derivative of Goodson-Todman's own panel show What's My Line?...
, Password, To Tell the Truth
To Tell the Truth
To Tell the Truth is an American television panel game show created by Bob Stewart and produced by Goodson-Todman Productions that has aired in various forms since 1956 both on networks and in syndication...
, Match Game
Match Game
Match Game is an American television game show in which contestants attempted to match celebrities' answers to fill-in-the-blank questions...
, and all pre-$100,000 versions of Pyramid
Pyramid (game show)
Pyramid is an American television game show which has aired several versions. The original series, The $10,000 Pyramid, debuted March 26, 1973 and spawned seven subsequent Pyramid series...
. Cullen also hosted a number of pilots for his close friend, quiz producer Bob Stewart
Bob Stewart (television)
Bob Stewart is a former American television game show producer. He was active in the TV industry from 1956 until his retirement in 1992....
, who created The Price Is Right, Truth, and Password for Goodson-Todman and Pyramid for his own company. He thus became the only person to host each of these formats on a full- or part-time basis. He also appeared as a panelist on several game shows hosted by his favorite understudy, Bob Eubanks
Bob Eubanks
Robert Leland "Bob" Eubanks is an American television/radio personality and game show host, best known for hosting the game show The Newlywed Game on and off since 1966, where he was known for using the catchphrase, "Makin' Whoopee"...
, including those of Trivia Trap
Trivia Trap
Trivia Trap is an American game show produced by Mark Goodson Productions. It was created by producer Goodson and originally ran from October 8, 1984 to April 5, 1985 on ABC. The game featured two teams of three contestants each who competed against each other to answer trivia questions in various...
, Rhyme and Reason
Rhyme and Reason
Rhyme and Reason is an American television game show that aired on ABC from July 7, 1975 through July 9, 1976. Bob Eubanks hosted the show, with Johnny Jacobs serving as announcer.-Gameplay:...
, and All Star Secrets
All Star Secrets
All Star Secrets was an NBC daytime game show that aired from January 8 to August 10, 1979. A Hill-Eubanks Production, the show was hosted by co-creator Bob Eubanks and announced first by Charlie O'Donnell, but due to conflicts with his announcing duties on Wheel Of Fortune, he was later replaced...
, and also made guest appearances with him on Family Feud
Family Feud
Family Feud is an American television game show created by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. Two families compete against each other in a contest to name the most popular responses to a survey question posed to 100 people...
. He was also a close friend of Canadian-American host Jim Perry.
In 1982, Cullen made a surprise appearance on The Price Is Right to promote his new game show, Child's Play. This was the only time Cullen ever appeared on the revival of The Price Is Right and no mention was made of Cullen's original run as host. His successor Bob Barker
Bob Barker
Robert William "Bob" Barker is a former American television game show host. He is best known for hosting CBS's The Price Is Right from 1972 to 2007, making it the longest-running daytime game show in North American television history, and for hosting Truth or Consequences from 1956 to 1975.Born...
made a similar move to promote his new book Priceless Memories in April 2009 on Drew Carey
Drew Carey
Drew Allison Carey is an American actor, singer, comedian, photographer, sports executive, and game show host. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps and making a name for himself in stand-up comedy, Carey eventually gained popularity starring on his own sitcom, The Drew Carey Show, and serving as...
's show.
Achievements
Cullen served in the Civil Air Defense as an instructor and patrol pilotAviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
in his native Pennsylvania during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
(having failed to qualify for combat duty due to his physical disabilities), and was interested in mechanics. He did color commentary on college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
games early in his career, and also broadcast track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
. On I've Got A Secret, producers Mark Goodson
Mark Goodson
Mark Goodson was an American television producer who specialized in game shows.-Life and early career:...
and Bill Todman
Bill Todman
William S. "Bill" Todman was an American television producer born in New York City. He produced many of television's longest running shows with business partner Mark Goodson.-Early life:...
quickly learned to never start the questioning with Cullen if the guest's secret was anything sports-related or mechanical, because chances were good that he would guess it immediately.
Honors
The Game Show Congress, a nonprofit association that seeks to promote the game show industry, annually presents the Bill Cullen Career Achievement Award to performers who have had distinguished careers in the genre. The first award in 2004 was given posthumously to Cullen himself, which his widow Ann accepted.Personal life
Cullen was married three times. His first marriage was a brief one while still living in Pittsburgh. His second marriage was to singer Carol Ames from 1949 to 1955. On December 24, 1955, Cullen married former dancer and model Ann Roemheld Macomber, daughter of composer Heinz Roemheld; this marriage would last until his death. Ann often appeared with Cullen on TattletalesTattletales
Tattletales is a game show which first aired on the CBS daytime schedule on February 18, 1974. It was hosted by Bert Convy, with several announcers, including Jack Clark, Gene Wood, Johnny Olson and John Harlan, providing the voiceover at various times...
in the 1970s and 1980s.
Medical history
Cullen contracted poliomyelitisPoliomyelitis
Poliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an acute viral infectious disease spread from person to person, primarily via the fecal-oral route...
in the early 1930s. The long-term sequelae of that illness, combined with injuries sustained in a serious motor vehicle accident in 1937 requiring a 9-month hospitalization, left him with significant and lifelong ambulatory limitations.
His physical disabilities were (and largely remain) unknown to the general public due to the creative set design of his shows. The game's structure, its props, and any physical movement by contestants were deliberately arranged so that Cullen could remain stationary throughout the show. Rather than the grand entrance that was common for game show hosts, Cullen would begin each show either already seated or concealed on set behind a sign or podium so that he would only have to take a few steps. Cullen always sat in a chair while hosting, even on shows where the other participants stood. Similar accommodations were made when he served as a celebrity guest on other game shows.
Many of Cullen's show business colleagues were likewise unaware of his disability, which occasionally led to awkward situations. In the August, 2010 issue of GQ Magazine, under the heading "Epic Tales of Embarrassment", comedian/writer/producer Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks is an American film director, screenwriter, composer, lyricist, comedian, actor and producer. He is best known as a creator of broad film farces and comic parodies. He began his career as a stand-up comic and as a writer for the early TV variety show Your Show of Shows...
related the following story to writer Steve Heisler:
The week of October 17–21 in 1966—that would make me about 40—was a special celebrity week on Eye GuessIn a 2011 taped interview shown by HBO titled "Mel Brooks and Dick Cavett", Brooks relates that at the end of this embarrassing moment for him, Cullen, crying, embraced him and said, "No one ever had the nerve...It's such a relief." Brooks says that he, not really knowing what to say to cover his faux-pas, responded, " I hadda do it for you Bill."Eye GuessEye Guess is an American game show that ran from January 3, 1966 to September 26, 1969 on NBC in which two contestants tried to answer questions by remembering the answers hidden on a board , with the winner playing for various prizes including a new car.This was the first game show by Bob Stewart...
. Bill Cullen was the host. The game was very similar to ConcentrationConcentration (game show)Concentration was an American TV game show based on the children's memory game of the same name. Matching cards represented prizes that contestants could win...
. I was teamed up with Julia Meade. Remember her? Actress, very pretty young lady, blonde... Okay, never mind. I don't think I won, but I did get the take-home game. Anyway, the show is over, and I start walking toward the podium to say good night to Bill, to thank him for having me on. He starts coming toward me cross-stage, and I don't know what he's doing. His feet are flopping. His hands are flying everywhere. He's doing this kind of wacky walk-of-the-unfortunates that Jerry LewisJerry LewisJerry Lewis is an American comedian, actor, singer, film producer, screenwriter and film director. He is best known for his slapstick humor in film, television, stage and radio. He was originally paired up with Dean Martin in 1946, forming the famed comedy team of Martin and Lewis...
used to do. So I figured, what the hell, I'll join him. I start doing, I dunno, this multiple-sclerosisMultiple sclerosisMultiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
walk, flapping my arms and doing the Milton BerleMilton BerleMilton Berlinger , better known as Milton Berle, was an American comedian and actor. As the manic host of NBC's Texaco Star Theater , in 1948 he was the first major star of U.S. television and as such became known as Uncle Miltie and Mr...
cross legs—my own Jerry Lewis impression... And Julia is whispering, "No! He's crippled, Mel!" I don't even hear her. Finally we meet in the middle, we hug, and he says to me, "You know, you're the only comic who's ever had the nerve to make fun of my crippled walk. Everyone's so careful, it makes me feel even worse." And I realize, Oh, my God, this guy is really crippled! It was my worst moment—and if you weren't me, probably the funniest thing that ever happened.
Death
Cullen, a smoker for most of his life, died on July 7, 1990, of lung cancerLung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
in Los Angeles.
External links
- The Bill Cullen Homepage by Matt Ottinger