Bern Bennett
Encyclopedia
Bern Bennett is an American radio and television announcer
. For nearly sixty years, beginning in 1944, he was a staff announcer at CBS
. In the 1940s and 1950s he was closely associated with Bud Collyer
, as announcer on three Collyer-hosted game shows: "Winner Take All", "Beat the Clock
", and "To Tell the Truth
". In 1957, Bennett was the subject of a contest on "Clock" in which viewers were asked to "Draw the Masked Announcer" (meaning draw what they thought Bennett looked like); Bennett, who was never seen on-camera, made an appearance with the winner, Edward Darnell of Columbus, Indiana, who had been flown to New York to be a contestant on "Clock". Collyer often kidded Bennett about the tendency for his voice to break when introducing "America's number-one clock watcher... BUD COLLYER," and his voice breaking on the word "Collyer." Bennett was announcer on "Clock" until it moved from CBS to ABC in 1958.
Bennett also served as fill-in announcer on such shows as "The Ed Sullivan Show
" and "What's My Line?
"
In 1960, Bennett was transferred to Los Angeles
, where he was heard as announcer on such shows as "The Danny Kaye Show
", "Your Surprise Package", the Tournament of Roses Parade
, and, most notably, the soap operas "The Young and the Restless
" and "The Bold and the Beautiful
". He also announced for the short lived soap, The Clear Horizon
. In 1975, he subbed for a week on Match Game
for its regular announcer Johnny Olson
. He also appeared on other networks: as the voice of a television announcer in an episode of "The Flintstones
" (ABC) titled "Fred Flintstone: Before and After"; on "The Facts of Life
" (NBC) in an on-camera appearance; and as a "central subject" on the 1991 NBC version of "To Tell the Truth
".
Bennett is now retired.
Announcer
An announcer is a presenter who makes "announcements" in an audio medium or a physical location.-Television and other media:Some announcers work in television production , radio or filmmaking, usually providing narrations, news updates, station identification, or an introduction of a product in...
. For nearly sixty years, beginning in 1944, he was a staff announcer at 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...
. In the 1940s and 1950s he was closely associated with Bud Collyer
Bud Collyer
Bud Collyer was an American radio actor/announcer who became one of the nation's first major television game show stars...
, as announcer on three Collyer-hosted game shows: "Winner Take All", "Beat the Clock
Beat the Clock
Beat the Clock is a Goodson-Todman game show which has aired on American television in several versions since 1950.The original show, hosted by Bud Collyer, ran on CBS from 1950–1958 and ABC from 1958–1961. The show was revived in syndication as The New Beat the Clock from 1969–1974, with Jack Narz...
", and "To Tell the Truth
To Tell the Truth
To Tell the Truth is an American television panel game show created by Bob Stewart and produced by Goodson-Todman Productions that has aired in various forms since 1956 both on networks and in syndication...
". In 1957, Bennett was the subject of a contest on "Clock" in which viewers were asked to "Draw the Masked Announcer" (meaning draw what they thought Bennett looked like); Bennett, who was never seen on-camera, made an appearance with the winner, Edward Darnell of Columbus, Indiana, who had been flown to New York to be a contestant on "Clock". Collyer often kidded Bennett about the tendency for his voice to break when introducing "America's number-one clock watcher... BUD COLLYER," and his voice breaking on the word "Collyer." Bennett was announcer on "Clock" until it moved from CBS to ABC in 1958.
Bennett also served as fill-in announcer on such shows as "The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan....
" and "What's My Line?
What's My Line?
What's My Line? is a panel game show which originally ran in the United States on the CBS Television Network from 1950 to 1967, with several international versions and subsequent U.S. revivals. The game tasked celebrity panelists with questioning contestants in order to determine their occupations....
"
In 1960, Bennett was transferred to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, where he was heard as announcer on such shows as "The Danny Kaye Show
The Danny Kaye Show
The Danny Kaye Show is an American variety show hosted by Danny Kaye that aired on CBS from 1963 to 1967 on Wednesday nights. Directed by Robert Scheerer, the show premiered in black-and-white, but later switched to color broadcasts...
", "Your Surprise Package", the Tournament of Roses Parade
Tournament of Roses Parade
The Tournament of Roses Parade, better known as the Rose Parade, is "America's New Year Celebration", a festival of flower-covered floats, marching bands, equestrians and a college football game on New Year's Day , produced by the non-profit Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association.The annual...
, and, most notably, the soap operas "The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in a fictional Wisconsin town called Genoa City, which is unlike and unrelated to the real life village of the same name, Genoa City, Wisconsin...
" and "The Bold and the Beautiful
The Bold and the Beautiful
The Bold and the Beautiful is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS Daytime. It premiered on March 23, 1987....
". He also announced for the short lived soap, The Clear Horizon
The Clear Horizon
The Clear Horizon is a soap opera which ran on CBS Daytime from July 11, 1960 to March 10, 1961 and from February 26, 1962 to June 11, 1962. The show was created and head written by Manya Starr. -Premise:...
. In 1975, he subbed for a week on Match Game
Match Game
Match Game is an American television game show in which contestants attempted to match celebrities' answers to fill-in-the-blank questions...
for its regular announcer Johnny Olson
Johnny Olson
John Leonard "Johnny" Olson was an American radio personality and television announcer. His work spanned 32 game shows produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman from the late 1950s through the mid 1980s...
. He also appeared on other networks: as the voice of a television announcer in an episode of "The Flintstones
The Flintstones
The Flintstones is an animated, prime-time American television sitcom that screened from September 30, 1960 to April 1, 1966, on ABC. Produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, The Flintstones was about a working class Stone Age man's life with his family and his next-door neighbor and best friend. It...
" (ABC) titled "Fred Flintstone: Before and After"; on "The Facts of Life
The Facts of Life (TV series)
The Facts of Life is an American sitcom that originally ran on the NBC television network from August 24, 1979 to May 7, 1988. A spin-off of the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, the series' premise focused on Edna Garrett as she becomes a housemother at the fictional Eastland School, a prestigious...
" (NBC) in an on-camera appearance; and as a "central subject" on the 1991 NBC version of "To Tell the Truth
To Tell the Truth
To Tell the Truth is an American television panel game show created by Bob Stewart and produced by Goodson-Todman Productions that has aired in various forms since 1956 both on networks and in syndication...
".
Bennett is now retired.
Sources
- The Encyclopedia of TV Game Shows, Volume 3, by David Schwartz, Steve Ryan, and Fred Wostbrock.