About
"On a game show...there's a certain rhythm to the number of shots that are taken, the sequence of the shots. In other words, if you take a reaction shot of the champion, and the contestant reacts to that, you cut there. Then if they put up a score, you cut to the wide shot. And you cut back and forth. And if they emcee adlibs a clever line, you cut in the middle. But it has to be a rhythm."
In his over-two-hour interview, Mike Gargiulo (1926-2021) talks about growing up in Brooklyn, attending the University of Missouri, and his early interest in pursuing a career in television. He discusses starting out in local TV before moving to national television at NBC, and how he ended up going to Moscow in 1958 to set up a color television studio for the network there. He then describes how he came to film the “Kitchen Debate” between Richard Nixon and Nikita Khrushchev while in Moscow and coming back to the United States to work on the Merv Griffin-hosted game show Play Your Hunch. Gargiulo talks about his working relationship with producer Mark Goodson and his time working at Goodson-Todman Productions, including how shows were conceived and developed there. He goes into detail on the game shows Password and $10,000 Pyramid, both created by Bob Stewart, including the game play and camera setup, and the technicalities of directing game shows. Gargiulo also talks about directing live parades across the country, Frank Sinatra’s appearances on the Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon, and concludes by giving advice to aspiring directors. Howard Blumenthal conducted the interview in a joint venture with the Strong National Museum of Play on October 28, 2021 in New York, NY.
Highlights
Mike Gargiulo on how he came to film the 1958 "Kitchen Debate" between Richard Nixon and Nikita Khrushchev in Moscow when he was there to set up a color television studio for NBC
Mike Gargiulo on the camera setup on $10,000 Pyramid
Mike Gargiulo on the process of developing game shows at Goodson-Todman Productions
Mike Gargiulo on the celebrity players on Password
Mike Gargiulo on directing the Merv Griffin-hosted game show Play Your Hunch
Mike Gargiulo on what it took to direct coverage of live parades all over the country
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On his growing up in Brooklyn, and on attending the University of Missouri; on getting his first job in television, and on how he got into directing; on working on The Tex and Jinx Show, as well as some other shows he worked on the 1950s
On going to Moscow in 1958 to set up a color television studio for NBC, and on how he came to film the "Kitchen Debate" between Richard Nixon and Nikita Khrushchev; on meeting with Mark Goodson and being hired as a director on Play Your Hunch, and what was involved with directing that show; on his friendship with Merv Griffin
On going to work for Goodson-Todman Production; on working with game show producer Bob Stewart, and on his show Password; on the mechanics of Password, how the game was played, and on the celebrity players on Password
On the role of the game show producer in the creation and maintenance of a show, and on the role of the director on a game show; on Bob Stewart's innovations on Password, and on more specifics of working for Goodson-Toddman Productions; on Allen Ludden being hired to host Password
Chapter 2
On the creative process of developing game shows at Goodson-Todman Productions, and on how the game development would lead to the development of the set; on less successful games shows of his era, and on how Match Game came about
On how he ended up moving away from directing for Goodson-Todman Productions; on directing Three on a Match, as well as other shows for Bob Stewart, and on directing live events like the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade; on the development of Pyramid, and on directing the show
On how Dick Clark came to host Pyramid, and on host Bill Cullen; on $10,000 Pyramid moving from CBS to ABC, and on filming the show at the ABC studio; on the logistics of camera and audience placement on game shows in general, and on $10,000 Pyramid specifically; on the camera operators on $10,000 Pyramid
On his work on the Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon, and on directing Frank Sinatra's performances on the show; on working with Victor Borge, and on staying in New York, even as a lot of the television industry moved out to Los Angeles
On moving away from work in game shows, and on retiring at age 72; on his children and grandchildren, and on the then-current television he watched; on advice for aspiring directors, and on how he would like to be remembered
Shows
10,000 Pyramid aka 25,000 Pyramid aka 100,000 Pyramid
Mike Gargiulo on Bob Stewart's innovations on $10,000 Pyramid and how the contestants were directed to walk around during the game
Mike Gargiulo on the development of $10,000 Pyramid
Mike Gargiulo on directing $10,000 Pyramid, and on hosts Dick Clark and Bill Cullen
Mike Gargiulo on $10,000 Pyramid moving from CBS to ABC
Mike Gargiulo on filming $10,000 Pyramid for ABC at the Elysee Theatre
Mike Gargiulo on the camera setup on $10,000 Pyramid
Mike Gargiulo on the camera operators he worked with when he was directing $10,000 Pyramid
Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon
Mike Gargiulo on directing Frank Sinatra's appearances on the Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Mike Gargiulo on directing CBS's coverage of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Match Game
Mike Gargiulo on how Match Game came about, and on filming the show
Password
Mike Gargiulo on working on the development and technicalities of the game show Password
Mike Gargiulo on the mechanics of the game show Password
Mike Gargiulo on the celebrity players on Password
Mike Gargiulo on Allen Ludden being hired to host Password
Play Your Hunch
Mike Gargiulo on being a director on Play Your Hunch hosted by Merv Griffin
Tex and Jinx Show, The
Mike Gargiulo on working on The Tex and Jinx Show
Topics
Advice
Mike Gargiulo on advice to aspiring game show directors
Cold War
Mike Gargiulo on going to Moscow in 1958 to set up a color television studio for NBC, and on how he came to film the "Kitchen Debate" between Richard Nixon and Nikita Khrushchev
First Big Break
Mike Gargiulo on his first job in television, on a local wrestling show in New York City in the 1950s
Pivotal Career Moments
Mike Gargiulo on his first job in television, on a local wrestling show in New York City in the 1950s
Pop Culture
Mike Gargiulo on the celebrity players on Password
Richard M. Nixon
Mike Gargiulo on going to Moscow in 1958 to set up a color television studio for NBC, and on how he came to film the "Kitchen Debate" between Richard Nixon and Nikita Khrushchev
Television and the Presidency
Mike Gargiulo on going to Moscow in 1958 to set up a color television studio for NBC, and on how he came to film the "Kitchen Debate" between Richard Nixon and Nikita Khrushchev
War
Mike Gargiulo on going to Moscow in 1958 to set up a color television studio for NBC, and on how he came to film the "Kitchen Debate" between Richard Nixon and Nikita Khrushchev
Professions
Directors
Mike Gargiulo on how he got into directing
Mike Gargiulo on the role of the director on a game show, and on the director's role in creating the rhythm of the show
Mike Gargiulo on directing Pyramid, and on the importance of rhythm in directing game shows
Mike Gargiulo on how the cameras and audience were set up when he directing game shows
Mike Gargiulo on advice to aspiring game show directors
Producers
Mike Gargiulo on the role of the producer in the creation and maintenance of game shows
Genres
Game Shows
Mike Gargiulo on Play Your Hunch hosted by Merv Griffin
Mike Gargiulo on directing the game show Password
Mike Gargiulo on Allen Ludden being hired to host Password
Mike Gargiulo on $10,000 Pyramid
People
Victor Borge
Mike Gargiulo on working with Victor Borge
Dick Clark
Mike Gargiulo on how Dick Clark came to host $10,000 Pyramid
Bill Cullen
Mike Gargiulo on Bill Cullen as host of $10,000 Pyramid
Mark Goodson
Mike Gargiulo on how sending a jokey postcard to Bob Stewart from Moscow in 1958 led to a meeting with Mark Goodson and being hired as a director on Play Your Hunch
Mike Gargiulo on working for Mark Goodson at Goodson-Todman Productions
Mike Gargiulo on what it was like to work at Goodson-Todman Productions and how they would develop game show concepts
Merv Griffin
Mark Gargiulo on his friendship with Merv Griffin, whom he worked with when he was directing Play Your Hunch, hosted by Griffin
Nikita Khrushchev
Mike Gargiulo on going to Moscow in 1958 to set up a color television studio for NBC, and on how he came to film the "Kitchen Debate" between Richard Nixon and Nikita Khrushchev
Jerry Lewis
Mike Gargiulo on standing in for Frank Sinatra while he was directing him on an appearance on the Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon
Allen Ludden
Mike Gargiulo on Allen Ludden being hired to host Password
Nipsey Russell
Mike Gargiulo on directing an episode of $10,000 Pyramid with Nipsey Russell as celebrity guest
Frank Sinatra
Mike Gargiulo on standing in for Frank Sinatra while he was directing him on an appearance on the Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon
Mike Gargiulo on directing Frank Sinatra during an appearance on the Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon
Bob Stewart
Mike Gargiulo on how sending a jokey postcard to Bob Stewart from Moscow in 1958 led to a meeting with Mark Goodson and being hired as a director on Play Your Hunch
Mike Gargiulo on working with game show producer Bob Stewart
Mike Gargiulo on Bob Stewart's innovations on Pyramid and how the contestants were directed to walk around during the game
Mike Gargiulo on how $10,000 Pyramid was developed by Bob Stewart