The Game Show Forum
The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: calliaume on April 05, 2021, 12:39:42 PM
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Since I've worn glasses from the time I was 16, I've been curious as to what hosts wore glasses, and why. I'm going to note a few from what I remember, and please feel free to add/correct my information.
- Bill Cullen wore glasses virtually from the time we first saw him (although I think there are a few publicity stills from when he was very young without them).
- Groucho Marx wore his throughout the run of You Bet Your Life; it looks like he started wearing them years before.
- Allen Ludden also appears to have worn glasses his adult life, as he's shown wearing them in a still photo for Mind Your Manners.
- Peter Marshall started wearing glasses partway through the run of Hollywood Squares, maybe around 1970 or 1971 (although he has them on for a Kellogg's commercial before that series started). My guess is Marshall is farsighted, as you almost never see him wearing glasses during show intros; only during the gameplay.
- Tom Kennedy looks to have added glasses during the run of Split Second.
- Larry Blyden wore glasses for all his hosting duties; he seems to have not worn them or gone to contact lenses for some of his acting roles as needed.
- Jim Lange added glasses during the run of The Dating Game.
- Alex Trebek started wearing glasses around 1990 or so.
- Drew Carey got LASIK at some point but kept the glasses as a prop, but he now needs bifocals. (I hear ya, Drew.)
Any others?
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Two quick ones:
Cedric the Entertainer wore glasses on Millionaire (not sure about It's Worth What).
Al Roker wore glasses during Celebrity Family Feud.
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Robert Q. Lewis and Steve Allen immediately spring to mind.
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Jack Barry on "Break The Bank" only wore tinted glasses.
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Anne Robinson on The Weakest Link. Kennedy on Friend or Foe. Gordon Elliott on TTTT.
Joe Garagiola on all the shows he hosted.
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Clifton Fadiman on The Name's The Same & Robert Earle on College Bowl.
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Jack Barry on "Break The Bank" only wore tinted glasses.
Richard Dawson too, briefly, but this was because of surgery.
Can we count Anna Roisman at HQ Words?
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Jack Barry on "Break The Bank" only wore tinted glasses.
And with the hair dye job, he looked like a creepy 50-year-old teenager.
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Pat Finn on The Joker’s Wild.
Few others: J. Keith Van Straaten and Blaine Capatch on Beat the Geeks, Mike Richards on Divided, and assuming Ben Stein qualifies as host?
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Howie Mandel on the most recent Deal or No Deal.
I swear I saw Wayne Brady wear glasses on one of his shows.
ETA: Jerry Springer, Baggage, Gr££d.
I also believe the late Stuart Scott wore glasses on some of his ESPN game shows. I'm pretty sure those gigs came after his eye injury at a training camp.
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Stu definitely rocked the specs on Stump the Schwab at the very least. (Probably also Teammates or whatever the follow up was called)
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Jack Barry on "Break The Bank" only wore tinted glasses.
Richard Dawson too, briefly, but this was because of surgery.
See, I thought he was just wearing them because he couldn’t stand to be seen on MG anymore. Wasn’t aware there was a real reason because I never remembered seeing him wearing them on Feud.
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Teammates was the one I was thinking of. I forgot all about Stump the Schwab.
Jack Barry on "Break The Bank" only wore tinted glasses.
Richard Dawson too, briefly, but this was because of surgery.
See, I thought he was just wearing them because he couldn’t stand to be seen on MG anymore. Wasn’t aware there was a real reason because I never remembered seeing him wearing them on Feud.
The story I remember reading was his eyes were indeed sensitive to the studio lighting. Didn't realize he had surgery.
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An obscure one that fits the category. Hunter March wore glasses on "Emogenius" seen on GSN.
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I swear I saw Wayne Brady wear glasses on one of his shows.
He's for sure worn them on LMaD.
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Here's one more. Charles Nelson Reilly on "Sweethearts."
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I want to say that Betty White did occasionally on Just Men.