Art Linkletter's House Party
Encyclopedia
House Party is an American radio
daytime variety
/talk show
that aired on CBS Radio
and on ABC Radio from January 15, 1945 to October 13, 1967. It had an equally long run on CBS
television as Art Linkletter's House Party and, in its final season, The Linkletter Show, airing from September 1, 1952 to September 5, 1969.
The series was launched when producer John Guedel
learned that an ad agency wanted to do a new daytime audience participation show, and he pitched a series that would star Art Linkletter
. Asked to provide an outline, Guedel and Linkletter came up with a format that would give Linkletter great freedom and allow for spontaneity.
, the 25-minute House Party premiered on CBS Radio
on January 15, 1945, and ran weekdays at 4 p.m., three days a week, through January 10, 1947. Following a break, it then ran weekdays at 3:30 p.m. from December 1, 1947 to December 31, 1948. It continued to be sponsored by General Electric even as it switched to ABC Radio, where it ran for 30 minutes in the same timeslot from January 3 to July 1, 1949. ABC then aired it as a 25-minute sustained-advertising program weekdays at noon from September 19 to December 30, 1949.
It returned to CBS Radio only days later, making its longest continued run from January 2, 1950 to October 13, 1967 as a 30-minute show running weekdays at various times. It was sponsored by Pillsbury from 1950 to 1952, and by Lever Brothers
from 1952 to 1956. During its first season, the soundtrack from the TV show was run immediately on radio following the telecast.
show Life with Linkletter, which ran October 6, 1950 to April 25, 1952. IUnder the title Art Linkletter's House Party, the show premiered on CBS
television on September 1, 1952 and had become television's longest-running daytime variety show by the time it completed its run on September 5, 1969. It ran first at 2:45 p.m. EST
for only fifteen minutes, but by February 1953 it aired from 2:30 p.m. to 3:00 pm, remaining in that time slot for 15 years. It became a morning show titled The Linkletter Show from 1968 to 1969. (Linkletter had a similar but unrelated prime-time series, The Art Linkletter Show, on NBC television from February 18 to September 16, 1963.)
Following CBS' cancellation of the daytime TV show, NBC
revived the old ABC series Life With Linkletter, this time co-hosted by Linkletter and his son Jack Linkletter
. This aired on weekday afternoons from December 29, 1969, to September 25, 1970.
A new, syndicated version of the show, called House Party with Steve Doocy
, ran during 1990.
The show's best-remembered segment was "Kids Say the Darndest Things", in which Linkletter interviewed schoolchildren between the ages of five and ten. During the segment's 27-year run, Linkletter interviewed an estimated 23,000 children. The popularity of the segment led to a TV series with the same title
hosted by Bill Cosby
on CBS-TV from January 1998 to June 2000.
cartoonist Charles Schulz. The 1957 book was reissued in 2005 by Ten Speed Press (ISBN 1-5876-1249-6, ISBN-13 9-7815-8761-2497)
Old-time radio
Old-Time Radio and the Golden Age of Radio refer to a period of radio programming in the United States lasting from the proliferation of radio broadcasting in the early 1920s until television's replacement of radio as the primary home entertainment medium in the 1950s...
daytime variety
Variety show
A variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and sketch comedy, and normally introduced by a compère or host. Other types of acts include magic, animal and circus acts, acrobatics, juggling...
/talk show
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
that aired on CBS Radio
CBS Radio Network
The CBS Radio Network provides news, sports and other programming to more than 1,000 radio stations throughout the United States. The network is owned by CBS Corporation, and operated by CBS Radio ....
and on ABC Radio from January 15, 1945 to October 13, 1967. It had an equally long run 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...
television as Art Linkletter's House Party and, in its final season, The Linkletter Show, airing from September 1, 1952 to September 5, 1969.
The series was launched when producer John Guedel
John Guedel
John Guedel, was a radio and television producer who co-created and produced Art Linkletter's and Groucho Marx's most important and successful broadcast properties, including You Bet Your Life and People Are Funny...
learned that an ad agency wanted to do a new daytime audience participation show, and he pitched a series that would star Art Linkletter
Art Linkletter
Arthur Gordon "Art" Linkletter was a Canadian-born American radio and television personality. He was the host of House Party, which ran on CBS radio and television for 25 years, and People Are Funny, on NBC radio-TV for 19 years...
. Asked to provide an outline, Guedel and Linkletter came up with a format that would give Linkletter great freedom and allow for spontaneity.
Radio
Sponsored by General ElectricGeneral Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
, the 25-minute House Party premiered on CBS Radio
CBS Radio Network
The CBS Radio Network provides news, sports and other programming to more than 1,000 radio stations throughout the United States. The network is owned by CBS Corporation, and operated by CBS Radio ....
on January 15, 1945, and ran weekdays at 4 p.m., three days a week, through January 10, 1947. Following a break, it then ran weekdays at 3:30 p.m. from December 1, 1947 to December 31, 1948. It continued to be sponsored by General Electric even as it switched to ABC Radio, where it ran for 30 minutes in the same timeslot from January 3 to July 1, 1949. ABC then aired it as a 25-minute sustained-advertising program weekdays at noon from September 19 to December 30, 1949.
It returned to CBS Radio only days later, making its longest continued run from January 2, 1950 to October 13, 1967 as a 30-minute show running weekdays at various times. It was sponsored by Pillsbury from 1950 to 1952, and by Lever Brothers
Lever Brothers
Lever Brothers was a British manufacturer founded in 1885 by William Hesketh Lever and his brother, James Darcy Lever . The brothers had invested in and promoted a new soap making process invented by chemist William Hough Watson, it was a huge success...
from 1952 to 1956. During its first season, the soundtrack from the TV show was run immediately on radio following the telecast.
Television
Linkletter and Guedel first spun off the format to television with the prime-time ABCAmerican Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
show Life with Linkletter, which ran October 6, 1950 to April 25, 1952. IUnder the title Art Linkletter's House Party, the show premiered 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...
television on September 1, 1952 and had become television's longest-running daytime variety show by the time it completed its run on September 5, 1969. It ran first at 2:45 p.m. EST
Eastern Standard Time
Eastern Standard Time may refer to:*North American Eastern Time Zone, UTC-5*Australian Eastern Standard Time, UTC+10*An album by Hip Hop group Kooley High...
for only fifteen minutes, but by February 1953 it aired from 2:30 p.m. to 3:00 pm, remaining in that time slot for 15 years. It became a morning show titled The Linkletter Show from 1968 to 1969. (Linkletter had a similar but unrelated prime-time series, The Art Linkletter Show, on NBC television from February 18 to September 16, 1963.)
Following CBS' cancellation of the daytime TV show, 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...
revived the old ABC series Life With Linkletter, this time co-hosted by Linkletter and his son Jack Linkletter
Jack Linkletter
Jack Linkletter was an American game show and television host and entertainer. He was the son of Art Linkletter.-Early life:...
. This aired on weekday afternoons from December 29, 1969, to September 25, 1970.
A new, syndicated version of the show, called House Party with Steve Doocy
Steve Doocy
Stephen James "Steve" Doocy is an American network-television personality on the Fox News Channel, journalist, and a best selling author.-Early life:...
, ran during 1990.
Synopsis
Hosted by Linkletter, House Party featured everything from household hints to hunts for missing heirs. A humorous monologue by Linkletter could be followed by an audience participation quiz to win prizes, musical groups, informal celebrity interviews and guest speakers from assorted walks of life. Ideas for the show were devised by producer John Guedel and his father, Walter, but Linkletter never used scripts or rehearsed.The show's best-remembered segment was "Kids Say the Darndest Things", in which Linkletter interviewed schoolchildren between the ages of five and ten. During the segment's 27-year run, Linkletter interviewed an estimated 23,000 children. The popularity of the segment led to a TV series with the same title
Kids Say the Darndest Things
Kids Say the Darndest Things is an American comedy series hosted by Bill Cosby that aired on CBS as a special on February 6, 1995 then as a full season from January 9, 1998 to June 23, 2000...
hosted by Bill Cosby
Bill Cosby
William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr. is an American comedian, actor, author, television producer, educator, musician and activist. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at various clubs, then landed a starring role in the 1960s action show, I Spy. He later starred in his own series, the...
on CBS-TV from January 1998 to June 2000.
Books
The show's popularity led to the books Kids Say the Darndest Things (Prentice-Hall, 1957) with House Party mentioned in the front cover blurb. It was followed by Kids Still Say the Darndest Things! (Bernard Geis, 1961), both illustrated by PeanutsPeanuts
Peanuts is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz, which ran from October 2, 1950, to February 13, 2000, continuing in reruns afterward...
cartoonist Charles Schulz. The 1957 book was reissued in 2005 by Ten Speed Press (ISBN 1-5876-1249-6, ISBN-13 9-7815-8761-2497)