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We Take Your Word

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We Take Your Word is an American radio program that was broadcast on CBS beginning January 29, 1950. It was also adapted into a television version.

Format

Members of a panel provided "definitions, derivations and histories" of words submitted by members of the broadcast audience. Each person who submitted a word that was used on the program received a book; if the panel failed to define the word correctly, the submitter also received $50. Panelists' comments were not classified as right or wrong, but when the panel discussion concluded, a "Voice of Authority" spoke to give the correct information. Words that were discussed on the program included "gardenia", "glamour", "democracy", "republic", "typhoon", "dandelion", "daisly", "ceremony", "cupola", "dome", "fanfare", "parapet", and "salvo".

Radio

Don Hollenbeck was the initial host; John K. M. McCaffrey replaced him beginning on February 19, 1950. in hopes that "McCaffrey's personality would make the program a commercial success." Regular panelists were Lyman Bryson and Abe Burrows. Guest panelists included Vicki Cummings, Cornelia Otis Skinner, Faye Emerson and Eva Le Gallienne. Producers included Werner Michel and Sam Abelow. The show was sustaining.

Use of We Take Your Word extended beyond entertainment. The magazine Educational Screen reported on a high school that used a wire recorder to preserve episodes of it and other programs for use in high-school classes "to stimulate vocabulary building and word study".

Critical response

The trade publication Billboard wrote, after the show's first anniversary, that it "continues to blend education plus entertainment in a manner which should make for many such more anniversaries." The reviewer added, "This program certainly proves that entertainment can be combined with education."

Media critic John Crosby wrote, "At its best it's one of the wittiest programs anywhere on the air." He described the program as "witty, literate, extremely learned, educational in the best sense, and a lot of fun to listen to."

The trade publication Variety called We Take Your Word "an adult show that is erudite, but with an informal air far removed from the stuffiness of a classroom. In fact, it had as many laughs as some comedy stanzas." The review commended the "well-balanced panel" and Hollenbeck's "relaxed quizmastering".

Television

An experimental television version of We Take Your Word debuted on April 1, 1950, with McCaffrey as wordmaster. It ended that month. The program returned on June 9, 1950, with John Daly as wordmaster and ran through January 23, 1951. It resumed in March 1951 with McCaffrey as wordmaster and ended June 1, 1951. Panelists included Bryson, Burrows, and Ilka Chase. Guest panelists nicluded Jan Struther, Nina Foch, and Richard Carlson. Gil Fates was the producer, and Fred Rickey was the director. The program originated from WCBS-TV.

Critical response

A review in Billboard called We Take Your Word "the last word in intelligent video entertainment". It complimented McCaffery's work as moderator and Burrows's and Foch's performances as panelists.

References

  1. ^ Ghiglione, Loren (2011). CBS's Don Hollenbeck: An Honest Reporter in the Age of McCarthyism. Columbia University Press. pp. 153–154. ISBN 978-0-231-14497-1. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  2. ^ Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (1999). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present (7th ed.). New York: The Ballentine Publishing Group. pp. 1098–1099. ISBN 0-345-42923-0.
  3. ^ "We Take Your Word". Variety. February 1, 1950. p. 28. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  4. ^ Crosby, John (April 3, 1950). "Wise, Witty New Show Is We Take Your Word". Arizona Republic. p. 15. Retrieved September 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Morse, Leon (February 3, 1951). "We Take Your Word". Billboard. p. 8. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  6. "Radio and Television: Catholic Coordinating Committee to Offer Drama-Documentary Series on WNBC". The New York Times. February 13, 1950. p. 32. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  7. "Word Quiz, 10 P.M.; New Songs At 8". Atlantic City Press. December 8, 1950. p. 32. Retrieved September 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. Moyes, William (July 16, 1950). "Behind the Mike". The Oregonian. Oregon, Portland. p. 12. Retrieved September 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "The Panel for 'We Take Your Word'". The New York Times. February 5, 1950. p. 99. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  10. "Abelow at 'Word' Helm". Billboard. January 27, 1951. p. 38. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  11. Musselman, Dayton L. (May 1951). "Record Radio Programs Automatically!". Educational Screen. p. 178. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  12. Baber, David (June 14, 2015). Television Game Show Hosts: Biographies of 32 Stars. McFarland. p. 60. ISBN 978-1-4766-0480-0. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  13. "Godfrey to Start New Series April 4: Twice-Weekly Program Over C.B.S. Video Will Include Songs and Ukulele Lessons". The New York Times. March 27, 1950. p. 38. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  14. McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 899. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
  15. ^ Bundy, June (March 24, 1951). "We Take Your Word". Billboard. p. 9. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  16. "Panel Quiz Shows (Continued)". Ross Reports. June 18, 1950. p. 26. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
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