From YouTube, via BillCullen.net, a test episode of The Price Is Right from November 19, 1956, a week before it premiered on NBC. Some noted differences: cosmetically, Bill sat at a desk across from the contestants and the tote screens were conjoined together. From a gameplay standpoint, there is no last-bid buzzer so contestants continue bidding until they decide to freeze, no frozen "ding", and whoever overbids is disqualified from the next round. If everyone overbids, nobody is disqualified--the prize is carried over to the next bidding game as an extra.
The bargain hunters for today:
* Bernice Russell, a housewife from Baton Rouge LA.
* Eric Gates, a dance instructor from London, England.
* Jacqueline Scott, from Flaxton PA.
* Jean Fliss from Buffalo N Y.
First item: A Westinghouse 22-in. color TV.
Mrs. Russell starts:
(*--frozen bid)
----RUSSELL----GATES----SCOTT----FLISS----
-----------75 --------100 --------125 ---------250
----------295 --------300 --------325 ---------350
----------385 --------390 --------400 ---------415
----------420 --------424 --------450 ---------475
---------*420 --------480 --------485 --------*475
---------*420 -------*480 -------*485 -------*475
Actual retail value: $600 with Miss Scott the winner.
Second item: Service for twelve set of china from Royal Jackson. 103 pieces in all. The price is shown to the home audiences--$152.50. Bill does not know the price until he opens the envelope with the price tag in it.
Mr. Gates opens the bidding:
----RUSSELL----GATES----SCOTT----FLISS----
-------------- ----------70 ----------85 ----------90
-----------95 ----------98 ---------110 -------115
----------120 ---------125 ---------130 ------*115
---------*120 --------132 ----------133 ------*115
---------*120 --------135 ----------137 ------*115
---------*120 --------139 ---------*137 -----*115
---------*120 -------*139
Mr. Gates is the winner, and for a bonus he wins a dishwasher.
An NBC promo for the evening's primetime shows follows--Sir Lancelot, Stanley (a sitcom with Buddy Hackett) amd Robert Montgomery Presents.
Third item: A 20-day cruise for two to the Caribbean on the S.S. Royal Monarch.
Miss Scott opens the bidding:
----RUSSELL----GATES----SCOTT----FLISS----
-------------- ------------- ---------500 ---------700
---------1000 -------1050 --------1100 --------1200
---------1275 -------1285 --------1300 --------1500
---------1525 -------1575 --------1600 --------1650
---------1655 -------1658 -------*1600 --------1675
--------*1655 -----*1658 -------*1600 -------*1675
Actual retail value: $950, everyone overbid. The cruise will be added as an extra for the next item.
A PSA about forest fires follows.
The home showcase makes its initial presentation of the week. The items are a royal pastel mink coat, a white satin hat, earrings, evening gloves, alligator pocket book and 2-pc. set of Samsonite luggage. Viewers are to send their postcards with their total bid on everything in the showcase to:
Mink Showcase
P.O. Box 210
Grand Central Station
New York, N.Y.
All cards must be received by midnight on November 30. Ties will be subjected to bidoffs.
Last item: A 1957 Chevrolet Bel-Air with standard shift transmission.
Mrs. Fliss starts:
----RUSSELL----GATES----SCOTT----FLISS----
-------------- -------------- -------------- -----------2500
---------2750 ---------2800 --------2900 ----------3150
---------3200 ---------3300 --------3400 ----------3500
--------*3200 ---------3600 ------*3400 ---------*3500
--------*3200 --------*3600
Actual retail value: $2575, everyone overbid again. The car and the cruise will be held over as extras for the next show.
Totals:
----RUSSELL----GATES----SCOTT----FLISS----
-------------0 ---------377 ----------600 -----------0
Miss Scott wins the championship. She will return on the next show (assuming another test episode was done) to defend her championship and a player continues to appear as long as they keep winning.
