Quotes

I often ask myself, 'How am I working?' I'm certainly not the guy who appeals to women between the ages of 18 and 35.

[about not being allowed to wear a brace in school sports] I did fine on the back lot. Maybe I ran a lot slower, but I hit the ball a lot harder.

[in 1957 about his limp] Like thousands of other youngsters, I was stricken with polio as a child. Even with the wonderful care I received from my parents and doctors, I still carry the scars of this experience. Somehow, it never got me down. That's why I would rather not have people who see me limp along show any pity, distress or compassion--since I don't feel this way about my physical condition.

[in 1988 about game shows] I don't enjoy television as much as I used to. It's not as much fun. There's a lot of greed today, it seems. A lot of business administration aspirants coming along. They used to play it for fun, to get on the air and have their friends see them. You'd give them a thousand dollars and you made their year. Now, unless it's twenty or thirty thousand dollars, they look at you like you suckered them into a deal that really didn't turn out as well as they perhaps had hoped.

Two reasons, money and exposure. [Also,] it's no strain...shows of the type I do don't require a lot of rehearsal and preparation.

[Who had the hiccups when taping five To Tell the Truth (1969) programs in 1 day]: When the shows ran through a week, people thought I had hiccupped an entire week, and were sorry for me! More than 5000 letters came in offering sympathy and remedies, and I was very touched.

[For being the 1st game show host on the air, in live programming that he had to sleep during shifts]: I'm the only person I know who gets out of bed twelve times a week instead of seven.

[on appearing with fellow panel member Henry Morgan on I've Got a Secret (1952)]: I've got to be careful that Henry Morgan and I don't get kidding and forget about the game. We've had the riot act read to us, let's face it. We've gotten the riot act for horsing up the show too much.

[Who said in 1958]: I hope never to be a big, really big, star, I may never be one in any case. But I've seen too many big names burn themselves out on television.

[When asked if would like to have all the money he had given away to contestants over the decades]: No, I would rather have all the answers to the questions I've asked. As the smartest guy in the world, all the rest would follow.

I never considered myself a top-flight announcer. I'm not an actor . . . . But this I can do.

If anything, the industry has treated me better than I deserve. If you don't have high aspirations--and I don't--it's terrific. I like my niche. I'm never under great pressure and I've made a lot of money over the years doing what I enjoy doing.

The networks are moving away from game shows and instead want talk shows that specialize in gossip and drama. I'm lucky I worked when I did, because if I was trying to break into hosting now, I'd likely end up behind a desk somewhere pushing papers.

I've been lucky to have never been unemployed for longer than two weeks at anytime in my career.

The producers always want a new name, a fresh face, but go with someone familiar in the end. That's how I've gotten so many jobs.