Queen for a Day

It's a glimpse into some of the more bizarre development of our culture, with its carnival of advertisements and ominous ( bizarrely sci-fi ) premise. Some of the episodes change up ( it's heavy ) and so the first episode is a must if you want a righteous hit imo

The world of the TV Game Show was going full blast in TV's earliest days. We had the the Networks teaming with the likes of titles such as: "BREAK THE BANK" (Bert Parks 1948-57), "STRIKE IT RICH" (Warren Hull 1951-55), "STOP THE MUSIC" (Bert Parks 1949-56) and "THE BIG PAYOFF" (Bess Myerson & Randy Meriman 1951-59 ). There was plenty of music, flashing lights and tons of prizes as well as ca$h! A good time was had by all!

Then we had "QUEEN FOR A DAY" (Jack Bailey 1956-64). This show stands out from all others. It has been written up in sociological studies and psychological journals a like. It was highly unique in format and rules of engagement between competing contestants. In our proverbial nutshell, the show MC, strong lunged Jack Bailey, would introduce each of 3 contestants, one at a time. All the Lady contestants had so long a time to tell the Host, the Studio Audience and the Whole Televiewing world at large, just why she should be chosen "Queen for a Day!"

The sadder the story, the more tears and hankies used, the better as it was sad stories and those women caught up in that the show wanted. Prizes included furniture, household appliances and even cold ca$h, were those things among the prizes.

As each contestant was brought out on stage, Host Mr. Bailey would conduct a sort of interview, just to make sure that all the proper, relevant, squalid details weren't overlooked, omitted or otherwise forgotten. Jack also had a habit of attempting to put the ladies at ease with a little good-natured joshing. (That was really a sight to behold! On the one hand we had the little, teary-eyed sobstress; in contrast big, bellow-voiced Mr. Bailey, "gently" kidding the wretched, little teary eyed dear.

It would go something like:

LADY CONTESTANT: "…..and after that, Jack, (sob, sob!) My husband died, then (boo-hoo!), we were evicted, and were (wahhhh!) out in the cold Winter, and….." JACK BAILEY: "Well, HA, HA, HA!! Today is your Lucky Day, getting to tell your story here and having the chance at being chosen (raising the amplification on his already shattering voice level) QUEEN FOR A DAY!"

Toward the conclusion of the program, the studio audience would choose who would be that day's QUEEN FOR A DAY! We don't know, but we believe that the two runners-up did get some sort of prize or compensation for competing, telling their sad stories and otherwise baring their souls to the World.

No, we don't know; but we sure hope so!

I remember this show as a kid. Mostly women from lower class families with lots of kids and little money would give their hard luck story to the audience then one of them via applause would be crowned and they would get their item to improve their lives. Generally the item was a washer or dryer or sewing machine etc. (which was an excellent way to advertise appliances etc.) I guess it was sad in a way and was meant to be very touching. However if they were to show these old episodes now it might be some of the most hysterical stuff on TV. Grace Lee Whitney who went on to become Janice Rand on Star Trek was a regular on the show.

Jack Bailey, a sort of Carl Denham type, hosted this show in which four women sitting on a panel (the potential Queens) vied for unknown prizes by telling the sob stories of their lives in turn -- with as much sensation, pathos and outright bawling as each could muster, since the most effective story, or storyteller, won the prizes.

If this sounds to you like a pandering premise for a TV reality show, I couldn't disagree.

The winning woman was chosen by a crude decibel-reading "Applause Meter," and the Queen of each episode was crowned with as much blubbering as one might expect for a Miss America winner. At the climax, the ostensibly life-changing prizes were revealed to the winner.

The prizes fell far short of what we see on eerily similar shows today like Extreme Home Edition -- in fact, each day's Queen for a Day typically got what might pass for one prize in a preliminary round on "The Price Is Right" these days -- but often these were appliances to ease 1950s women's work, like a refrigerator or washer/dryer set.

Rather than hilarious, as I remember it, this show should seem shameful today because of its crude and early-TV sensationalist exploitation of people's every-day tragedies, not to mention some of the contestants' willingness to do anything for a buck, and the naked greed of the sponsors. Then there's the high probability that the new frig or washer/dryer set could hardly fix all that was wrong with the life of each winning "Queen for a Day."

Still, its viewers found this show fascinating (like a car crash?) and often a tear-jerker as well.

My father was killed in a traffic accident on 3 June 1959, my mother was a winning contestant on the Queen For A Day Show. We were as poor as a church mouse and there were no social assistance programs then as we have now. My mother was 28, my sister was 8, I was 5 and my baby sister was 3. Mama didn't know it at the time of my father's death, that she was pregnant with her 4th child. Just before he died, he had promised my sister that if she got good grades on her report card that he would buy her a pony. She did and he died before he could fulfill his promise. My mother was the winner and crowned Queen For a Day.

What she was presented as Queen was beyond belief. She won 2 complete bedroom sets, a full living room set, a full dining room set complete with a set of dishes for a service for 8, a set of silver ware, a cookset, a built in (the countertop) mixer, a hot water heater, a 7 piece patio set, a complete set of tupperware, twelve complete outfits that include; dress, matching shoes and handbags, 12 pairs of stockings, a complete set of Sarah Coventry jewelry, a complete set of rhinestone jewelry, a diamond encrusted watch, a four piece matching mother/daughters outfit, a swimsuit, a check for $1,000 and a shetland pony.

For all of those who say this was charity, I won't argue for or against that, but for all of you who say these women did not receive much in the way of gifts, I have yet to see a TV show that offers more to it's winning contestants.

The episode featuring my mother aired on 16 July 1959. I'd give my right arm to have a copy of that episode.