Some TV stations might have aired this as a filler for movies that ended too soon before the top or bottom of the hour. I think in Philadelphia Channel 6 did, they aired the show for it's entire 5 years it was on.
Looked at video more, now I'm not sure if it's just a good explanation to cover for Charles Nelson Reilly. 50/50 to me on the explanation by the talent coordinator.
I finally found what why Charles Nelson Reilly fell:
w w w.xanfan.c o m/pyramid/pyr-article3.htm
The talent coordinator says that when he backed up in his excitement, he tripped. After looking at it again, I'm starting to believe that is what happened, that he didn't faint, but I would like to see the whole clip.
BTW, it's good to now William Shatner won at least once. When you see all of the other Pyramid clips, you would think he never won--what fun it would be to see him on again!
CBS was pretty good with not destroying its shows (they seemed to have stopped in late 1972 as per a deal with Goodson-Todman, and simply decided to extend this generosity to the others), so I think the CBS "$10,000 Pyramid" exists.
The ABC run, though (up to late 1977), I'm much less certain about.
It's believed that most of the episodes of the $20,000 Pyramid prior to 1978 have been destroyed, at least according to Wikipedia. If it's true then that's a real pity. Many great episodes will be lost forever.
Were these clips in this pitch film from actual gameplay, or was it made especially to show the game was to be played?
I can remember the actual show when Lee Meriwether won with "Things that pinch". There was a lot of time left for the last subject. I can remember that I thought they wouldn't win. Lee didn't actually faint. She missed the chair when she went to sit down.
I recently watched an interview on Youtube with Bob Stewart.
According to Stewart, there was a fourth row of subjects that were to be used in the winner's circle. Stewart stated that after he and several producers couldn't get anywhere close to completing all of those subjects in 60 seconds, he went in the next day and had the crew cover the fourth row of subjects up.
"My team lose too much but I love them"......."I love the beer they serve in the neighborhood"....."We blame our losses and a lack of championships on billy goats, black cats, and Steve Bartman"
Very nice! Never seen this before, either. It was kinda neat to recognize a lot of the Winner's Circle solve clips from the $10K Pyramid episodes that have survived...especially Charles Nelson Reilly's bogus faint. :)
It actually read "things THAT pinch" as in "things that pinch you." I am unsure how "an Italian" relates, but good clues would be "an angry crab" and "a St. Patrick's day bully."
There was no doubt that station executives {mostly network affiliates} who saw this "pitch" (produced on videotape, and transferred to film) in the summer of 1974 KNEW they were going to show "THE $25,000 PYRAMID" in one of their weekly "7:30pm access" time periods- WCBS-TV in New York showed it on Tuesdays at 7:30 that fall.
Awesome vid. Does anyone know where I can download the theme song for the 70's version of pyramid? I have the 80's version but have been looking for the 70's for a long time now.
Awesome post, Adam! I am a HUGE old-school Pyramid fan, esp. the $25k-Cullen version. Brings back great memories of my formative years of game show watching. No one comes to close to Bill Cullen-best GS host ever!
I suspect, given the declining value of the dollar and rampant inflation right now, it would be worth even more than that. I know very well that $10,000 today would not even make a down payment on many vehicles, let alone any house--recall that Cullen and Clark heard innumerable joyous Winner's Circle victors declare that as their intended use for their winnings. It went back, in fact, to the first show on March 26, 1973, when Rob Reiner took a woman to the top.
A great find, indeed, Adam. If I were running a TV station in those days, you bet I would have scheduled this show at a time when EVERYONE could see it.
One more thing: I noticed that some of the CBS $10K clips have the celebrities using their hands in the Winner's Circle, while other don't. I'm guessing that they initiated that rule late in the CBS run.
BTW, I recognized Rita Moreno, Anita Gillette, Sandy Duncan, Loretta Swit, Jo Anne Worley, Charles Nelson Reilly, Anne Meara, and William Shatner (w/June Lockhart running down to congratulate the $10K winner), but I have no idea who are the celebrities seen in the 7th and 9th $10K clips respectively.
Number 7 in this sequence of clips is Alan Alda from M*A*S*H, and number 9 (receiving the clues) is Lee Meriwether from Barnaby Jones. She fainted after winning, one of the only times someone passed out on the show, and she was a celebrity!
I actually have a non-letterboxed version of this film in my tape collection. Trust me, it's not the letterboxing that's to blame for the bottoms of the category boxes being cut off; it's like that on the "real thing" as well.
$25,000 would be even MORE money back in 1974 when the Cullen Pyramid started up! You know some of those winners were featured in the opening montages of those rare $10,000 Pyramid shows GSN once aired.
The plywood was there because at first there were going to be 4 clues on the bottom, each worth $25 with the money doubling to the inevitable $50 (bottom 3), $100 (middle 2) and $200(Top). But having to go through 10 subjects with a list of clues in 0:60 was near impossible. Answering 10 questions in 0:60 was more reasonable. Good thing that plywood WAS there.
Those first $10G wins were accompanied by what have to be the fastest chase lights I have ever seen. In fact, once the show moved to ABC I (all of age 6) would be perplexed when they showed highlights at the top of the show of the CBS wins and then I would see someone hit the jackpot during the actual show and the lights would be normal.
I agree. I don't know what elements of the Ken Aldin oiginal song do it for you, but its brassiness and tight arrangement sound so New York (my home region)...which of course was the show's home for its first eight years. The 1982 Bob Cobert remake was rock-solid because it had the 1973 version as its base, but I think the trumpets worked a little too "overtime" for my taste. (I am a singer and former trumpet player.) Truth be told, both versions run rings around most other quiz show themes.
My favorite is the Tuning Up remake from 1982. The escalating trumpet notes in the song's main chorus give you the sense that you're actually climbing a pyramid.
I think I saw Valerie Harper in this clip.
tyrese3745 1 year ago
Some TV stations might have aired this as a filler for movies that ended too soon before the top or bottom of the hour. I think in Philadelphia Channel 6 did, they aired the show for it's entire 5 years it was on.
gsnfan 1 year ago
Oh, thanks for posting this. I wondered how shows tried to sell themselves to station managers.
ErniePaulGeorge 1 year ago
Looked at video more, now I'm not sure if it's just a good explanation to cover for Charles Nelson Reilly. 50/50 to me on the explanation by the talent coordinator.
ErniePaulGeorge 1 year ago
I finally found what why Charles Nelson Reilly fell:
w w w.xanfan.c o m/pyramid/pyr-article3.htm
The talent coordinator says that when he backed up in his excitement, he tripped. After looking at it again, I'm starting to believe that is what happened, that he didn't faint, but I would like to see the whole clip.
BTW, it's good to now William Shatner won at least once. When you see all of the other Pyramid clips, you would think he never won--what fun it would be to see him on again!
ErniePaulGeorge 1 year ago
@ErniePaulGeorge
In 37 seconds, no less!
GSNSmashFan3 6 months ago
I don't know any of the people that won, but it makes you feel good to see nice people win especially on such a great game show!
Beautifulmusiclistnr 1 year ago
Shatner was more excited than the contestant.
eshaw2115 1 year ago
@eshaw2115 It looked like Shatner almost kicked her in the process...lol
dboy122660 1 year ago
CBS was pretty good with not destroying its shows (they seemed to have stopped in late 1972 as per a deal with Goodson-Todman, and simply decided to extend this generosity to the others), so I think the CBS "$10,000 Pyramid" exists.
The ABC run, though (up to late 1977), I'm much less certain about.
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
It's believed that most of the episodes of the $20,000 Pyramid prior to 1978 have been destroyed, at least according to Wikipedia. If it's true then that's a real pity. Many great episodes will be lost forever.
Were these clips in this pitch film from actual gameplay, or was it made especially to show the game was to be played?
NYBredBamaFed 2 years ago
These clips were all of actual gameplay -- several of these were seen in the opening sequence of the "$10,000" episodes that GSN reran.
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
I can remember the actual show when Lee Meriwether won with "Things that pinch". There was a lot of time left for the last subject. I can remember that I thought they wouldn't win. Lee didn't actually faint. She missed the chair when she went to sit down.
I'd love to see this episode again.
priceisrightfan101 2 years ago
I recently watched an interview on Youtube with Bob Stewart.
According to Stewart, there was a fourth row of subjects that were to be used in the winner's circle. Stewart stated that after he and several producers couldn't get anywhere close to completing all of those subjects in 60 seconds, he went in the next day and had the crew cover the fourth row of subjects up.
montevallomatt 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
"My team lose too much but I love them"......."I love the beer they serve in the neighborhood"....."We blame our losses and a lack of championships on billy goats, black cats, and Steve Bartman"
sugarbear522 2 years ago
Some of these i remember seeing on the opening montages.
Hondo20132 2 years ago
Italians are known for using their fingers for "pinching". Brilliant clue. To think this was filmed 36 years ago in 1973. Nothing beats the Pyramid !
DISCOVEGASGUY 2 years ago 14
Very nice! Never seen this before, either. It was kinda neat to recognize a lot of the Winner's Circle solve clips from the $10K Pyramid episodes that have survived...especially Charles Nelson Reilly's bogus faint. :)
MikeHL78 2 years ago
did they say 'italians' for 'things that punch'
nycboy3489 2 years ago
Rocky Baoboa (sp?)
smashwhammy 2 years ago
The category was actually "things that pinch." However, I do not know what "Italian" has to do with the category.
mjhunt1 2 years ago
What are more things that are sliced?
floridapanthersroar 3 years ago 3
A piece of pizza..... ;-)
gameshowluvr86 3 years ago 3
That would most likely be zapped by the judges...piece is synonymous with slice.
PriceRight89 2 years ago
Piece is synonymous with "portion".... not slice.
yandrsupreme 2 years ago
You got "America's Cars".
What are more things that pollute?
floridapanthersroar 3 years ago
Cigars, gas burning factorys,
secondchance1977 3 years ago
I would say "a badly maintained diesel truck."
mjhunt1 3 years ago
What are things that are sliced?
Who are government workers?
What are things that pollute?
floridapanthersroar 3 years ago
1 Fruit, vegetables, your credit card bills.
2 The President, the vide president, tax colletors.
3 Americas Cars,
secondchance1977 3 years ago
1 Bread, pizza
floridapanthersroar 3 years ago 2
2. Your representative, your senator.
PriceRight89 3 years ago
Was this filmed on a color kinescope or something?
Hondo20132 3 years ago
It doesnt look like it has the characteristics of a kinescope, so it might be a low quality tape.
secondchance1977 3 years ago
It must be CineColor.
floridapanthersroar 3 years ago 2
What at 2:33 is actually read?
floridapanthersroar 3 years ago
It's hard to see but it's "Things That Cling"
PriceRight89 3 years ago
I cannot believe after seeing 2 clips of illegal clues on Things that Cling, this video shows that she got it.
GameShowFan6 2 years ago
What are things you pinch?
floridapanthersroar 3 years ago
It actually read "things THAT pinch" as in "things that pinch you." I am unsure how "an Italian" relates, but good clues would be "an angry crab" and "a St. Patrick's day bully."
mjhunt1 3 years ago
What is an Italian?
floridapanthersroar 3 years ago
Classic reaction by Charles Nelson Reilly @ 1:33. :-D
WhatsAYak 3 years ago
I love that the celebrities in some of these clips were happier than the contestants.
tvpirate05 3 years ago
There was no doubt that station executives {mostly network affiliates} who saw this "pitch" (produced on videotape, and transferred to film) in the summer of 1974 KNEW they were going to show "THE $25,000 PYRAMID" in one of their weekly "7:30pm access" time periods- WCBS-TV in New York showed it on Tuesdays at 7:30 that fall.
fromthesidelines 3 years ago
thanks for posting this film of The $25,000 Pyramid. it shows clips of episodes that were destroyed by cbs.
robcas123 3 years ago 2
@robcas123 if i'm not mistaken, it was abc, not cbs, that was responsible for the erasure.
meyerj75 1 year ago
Haha, "prime access time".
Shat nearly took her head off with those chukkas, and when he's hugging her...
"BACK OFF, SHE'S MINE! I'M HUGGING HER!"
Easy there, captain.
NeoSquirrel 3 years ago 2
At least he didn't throw her chair out of the Winner's Circle.
davemock 3 years ago
He was a bit like the Samsonite Gorilla when he did that, wasn't he? Just bonkers.
NeoSquirrel 3 years ago
Awesome fakr faint, Charles Nelson Reilly.
darthchaosofrspw 3 years ago 3
I thought he really fainted! That has to be one of the scariest reactions I've ever seen!
But I still gotta laugh!
PatrioticPirate 3 years ago 2
Man, I miss his style.
NeoSquirrel 3 years ago
I can't thank you enough for this amazing clip. You're a star!
catwalkcanada 3 years ago
Awesome vid. Does anyone know where I can download the theme song for the 70's version of pyramid? I have the 80's version but have been looking for the 70's for a long time now.
jsciarri 3 years ago
The theme song has recently been posted!
Search $10,000/$20,000 Pyramid.
tncookies 3 years ago
Awesome post, Adam! I am a HUGE old-school Pyramid fan, esp. the $25k-Cullen version. Brings back great memories of my formative years of game show watching. No one comes to close to Bill Cullen-best GS host ever!
terjer01 4 years ago 2
Me too! '70s and '80s Pyramid was (IS) the best!
gameshowluvr86 4 years ago
This is just amazing. Thanks for sharing!
KoopaKid17 4 years ago
LMAO!!! at the guy's expression at 1:53
gameshowluvr86 4 years ago
My goodness! $10,000 must have been A LOT during the early-mid '70s!! Love the reactions! :D
gameshowluvr86 4 years ago
$10,000 was a ton of money back then. In fact, ten grand in 1973 would be worth close to $50,000 in today's money.
KoopaKid17 4 years ago 2
I suspect, given the declining value of the dollar and rampant inflation right now, it would be worth even more than that. I know very well that $10,000 today would not even make a down payment on many vehicles, let alone any house--recall that Cullen and Clark heard innumerable joyous Winner's Circle victors declare that as their intended use for their winnings. It went back, in fact, to the first show on March 26, 1973, when Rob Reiner took a woman to the top.
michaeltstroud 3 years ago 3
Uh-uuuuuuuuunh, bro. $10,000 then is daggon near $110,000 today! And I love the holy h*ll the audience raised- PRICELESS!
PatrioticPirate 3 years ago
According to Inflation Calculator, it's closer to $50,000.
AdamNedeff 3 years ago
A great find, indeed, Adam. If I were running a TV station in those days, you bet I would have scheduled this show at a time when EVERYONE could see it.
aman1016 4 years ago
One more thing: I noticed that some of the CBS $10K clips have the celebrities using their hands in the Winner's Circle, while other don't. I'm guessing that they initiated that rule late in the CBS run.
vnisanian2001 4 years ago
BTW, I recognized Rita Moreno, Anita Gillette, Sandy Duncan, Loretta Swit, Jo Anne Worley, Charles Nelson Reilly, Anne Meara, and William Shatner (w/June Lockhart running down to congratulate the $10K winner), but I have no idea who are the celebrities seen in the 7th and 9th $10K clips respectively.
vnisanian2001 4 years ago
one of them is Alan Alda and the other I believe is Lee Meriwether receiving the clues
TalkingOrangutan 4 years ago
Number 7 in this sequence of clips is Alan Alda from M*A*S*H, and number 9 (receiving the clues) is Lee Meriwether from Barnaby Jones. She fainted after winning, one of the only times someone passed out on the show, and she was a celebrity!
LarryChipMarsh 3 years ago
@vnisanian2001 Sally Struthers is also in this clip.
NYBredBamaFed 1 year ago
A rare treat indeed! Wow!
SuperGamer7 4 years ago
Great find!!! Where did you find this? Wowo
It would sell me too!
TalkingOrangutan 4 years ago
Great film -- hate to see it letterboxed because it cuts off the bottom of the answers from the pyramid. But better to see this than not to!
mobilene 4 years ago 2
I actually have a non-letterboxed version of this film in my tape collection. Trust me, it's not the letterboxing that's to blame for the bottoms of the category boxes being cut off; it's like that on the "real thing" as well.
TheKid965 4 years ago
This pitchfilm is awesome...$10,000 must have been a lot of money back in 1973-74.
gsnman 4 years ago 2
$25,000 would be even MORE money back in 1974 when the Cullen Pyramid started up! You know some of those winners were featured in the opening montages of those rare $10,000 Pyramid shows GSN once aired.
NEPatriot 4 years ago
The first 9 $10K wins seen here are from when the show taped at the Ed Sullivan Theater. I know this because of these following observations:
The lights would go dark during the Winnercircle.
The top part of the winnercircle board covered the $10K sign.
The lights went faster originally.
The bottom part of the winnercircle board originally had a piece of plywood.
The last $10K win seen here must be from the first week to be taped at the Elysee Theater with June Lockhart & William Shatner.
vnisanian2001 4 years ago
The plywood was there because at first there were going to be 4 clues on the bottom, each worth $25 with the money doubling to the inevitable $50 (bottom 3), $100 (middle 2) and $200(Top). But having to go through 10 subjects with a list of clues in 0:60 was near impossible. Answering 10 questions in 0:60 was more reasonable. Good thing that plywood WAS there.
NEPatriot 4 years ago
Also the "numeral flaps" on the timer went slower on the CBS/Ed Sullivan Theater version.
byrd56 4 years ago 2
The technical term is "Solari boards."
AdamNedeff 4 years ago
Do they have a Solari font anywhere online? Ive been looking around for it. :)
gameshowluvr86 4 years ago
pages. cthome. net/ryan_bugaj/fieldguide. html
Remove the spaces.
KoopaKid17 4 years ago 3
Awesome! Thanks a lot. :)
gameshowluvr86 4 years ago
Those first $10G wins were accompanied by what have to be the fastest chase lights I have ever seen. In fact, once the show moved to ABC I (all of age 6) would be perplexed when they showed highlights at the top of the show of the CBS wins and then I would see someone hit the jackpot during the actual show and the lights would be normal.
davemock 4 years ago
Great point about the lights, I really liked the fast motion they had orginally - almost like an old Vegas hotel sign!
And no matter what, I still prefer the $10K's theme/Winner's Circle music over the later version.
ccie12933 3 years ago 2
I agree. I don't know what elements of the Ken Aldin oiginal song do it for you, but its brassiness and tight arrangement sound so New York (my home region)...which of course was the show's home for its first eight years. The 1982 Bob Cobert remake was rock-solid because it had the 1973 version as its base, but I think the trumpets worked a little too "overtime" for my taste. (I am a singer and former trumpet player.) Truth be told, both versions run rings around most other quiz show themes.
davemock 3 years ago
My favorite is the Tuning Up remake from 1982. The escalating trumpet notes in the song's main chorus give you the sense that you're actually climbing a pyramid.
gameshowluvr86 3 years ago