Celebrities Wink Martindale, Birthday: 4 December 1933, Jackson, Tennessee, USA

The biggest thing to remember in game show hosting is you've got to have fun. For most people this i...Show more »

The biggest thing to remember in game show hosting is you've got to have fun. For most people this is their one and only time ever on television, so you want to make it as memorable as possible. The best hosts take the spotlight off themselves and shine it on the contestants, making them the stars of the show. Show less «

Subtly is gone. Richard (Dawson) and Gene (Rayburn), for example, could take a regular occurrence an...Show more »

Subtly is gone. Richard (Dawson) and Gene (Rayburn), for example, could take a regular occurrence and make a hilarious situation out of it. Bob Barker and Bob Eubanks did this regularly on their shows. A show like Family Feud, which Steve Harvey has done a tremendous job of hosting, now writes the questions in such a way that it forces the contestants to answer provocatively. It doesn't feel as creative and kind of cheapens what could be more authentic reactions with regular questions. Show less «

[on his mother who wanted him to be a preacher]: She felt that way, because God gave me such a wonde...Show more »

[on his mother who wanted him to be a preacher]: She felt that way, because God gave me such a wonderful voice. She thought that I should think seriously about going to seminary to become a preacher, but what she didn't understand was that preachers had to be called to the ministry. You just don't wake up one day and become a preacher. Show less «

I always thought I'd want to have a restaurant.

[When he had a #1 song]: That's something that can never be duplicated; it was just unbelievable to ...Show more »

[When he had a #1 song]: That's something that can never be duplicated; it was just unbelievable to me that I was on the show, I was just so nervous. Like everyone else, I'd sit in Memphis and watch "The Ed Sullivan Show". When I got the call to [perform "Deck of Cards"] on Ed's show, it was like an out-of-body experience. Show less «

Honey, puhleeez, I can't tell you how much I owe in credit cards.

[on the hobbies he enjoys during his spare time]: I tried golf several years ago. But being a left-h...Show more »

[on the hobbies he enjoys during his spare time]: I tried golf several years ago. But being a left-hander I quickly determined golf wasn't for me. I took up tennis and to this day it is my favorite sport, and pastime. Show less «

[If background puzzles were an asset to the game show strategy]: A background in puzzles is certainl...Show more »

[If background puzzles were an asset to the game show strategy]: A background in puzzles is certainly not a requirement for a contestant. The main requirement is the player's desire to win and compete. He or she should know the rules of game play "backwards and forwards" before attempting to play the game on TV. Naturally if the show is Q & A it helps to be above average at all subjects of trivia. Show less «

[on getting his first job after graduation from high school]: They gave me a job at $25 per week, an...Show more »

[on getting his first job after graduation from high school]: They gave me a job at $25 per week, and for that you were expected to do everything. You read commercials, the news - play-by-play high school football and basketball, and you played records. If the floor needed sweeping, you did that too. Show less «

The industry has changed and now they want comedians doing this job. God bless them, Drew Carey, Ste...Show more »

The industry has changed and now they want comedians doing this job. God bless them, Drew Carey, Steve Harvey, Wayne Brady, even Jane Lynch have done wonderful work, but the occupation of a game show host has become obsolete. Pat (Sajak) and Alex (Trebek) are the last of a dying breed. A guy like Bill Cullen, heck even myself, would struggle to even be considered these days. Show less «

[Who talked about how a game show must last]: That guy's up there, that gal's up there winning all t...Show more »

[Who talked about how a game show must last]: That guy's up there, that gal's up there winning all that money and those cars and those prizes, I could do the same thing. That is the real important guide to a successful game show. Show less «

[Of Pat Finn]: Not only I have heard of him, he's been a good friend of mine, and I've known him for...Show more »

[Of Pat Finn]: Not only I have heard of him, he's been a good friend of mine, and I've known him for years, he's a terrific producer. He has produced some good shows and has hosted some good shows. Show less «

For a while, when people thought of The Price is Right, they thought of Bill Cullen. However, Bob Ba...Show more »

For a while, when people thought of The Price is Right, they thought of Bill Cullen. However, Bob Barker became such an icon through that show that nobody, nobody could ever come close to taking his place. The Price is Right is Bob Barker and Bob Barker is The Price is Right. When you think of game show hosts, he's the first one that'll pop into your head. He's a legend and made that show a television institution. Show less «

[Who talked about commuting from Calabasas to Las Vegas doing Gambit (1972)]: We taped 10 shows in t...Show more »

[Who talked about commuting from Calabasas to Las Vegas doing Gambit (1972)]: We taped 10 shows in two days every other week. All of us involved in producing the show flew from L.A. to Las Vegas. When the last shows were done, we would fly home to L.A. A fun experience taping a show in Las Vegas. Show less «

[When asked if he's planning on retiring]: Retire from what? Having fun? I've never had more fun in ...Show more »

[When asked if he's planning on retiring]: Retire from what? Having fun? I've never had more fun in my life. Show less «

I can't speak for Pat (Finn), but I can tell you, if he's like me, I did enjoy meeting all of the co...Show more »

I can't speak for Pat (Finn), but I can tell you, if he's like me, I did enjoy meeting all of the couples and contestants on all of my shows. Most emcees do. Show less «

[on getting a job, when he was 17]: I used to bug the hell out of him to give me a job.

Gene (Rayburn) was a great friend and helped me realize that in order to make it in this business yo...Show more »

Gene (Rayburn) was a great friend and helped me realize that in order to make it in this business you've got to be yourself, warts and all. He let it all hang out on Match Game and that was a big reason for the show's success. Show less «

I had been a deejay since I was 17. My roots were in radio, but I thought it would be fun to try my ...Show more »

I had been a deejay since I was 17. My roots were in radio, but I thought it would be fun to try my hand hosting a television game. I'd become addicted to Allen Ludden's popular show, 'Password.' And after hosting a local version of 'What's This Song,' a musical show featuring celebrities, NBC added it to its daytime lineup. Show less «

[Of Bill Cullen]: I was fortunate to have the pleasure of sharing a dressing room with Bill Cullen, ...Show more »

[Of Bill Cullen]: I was fortunate to have the pleasure of sharing a dressing room with Bill Cullen, when the two of us were doing shows for [Barry & Enright Productions]. I was doing Tic-Tac-Dough' and he was filling in for Jack Barry on "Joker's Wild". We got to talk between breaks of shows. It's really one of the most memorable periods of my game show hosting life. Sadly, one of the things I remember most is that he smoked about three packs of unfiltered Camel cigarettes a day. That's what took his life. Show less «

Everybody relates to debt. Well, we all have debt.

Wink Martindale

Wink Martindale's FILMOGRAPHY

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