Bowling for Dollars is a television game show on which people could play the sport of bowling to win cash and sometimes prizes based on how well they bowled.
Unlike most TV game shows of the time, which were taped in either New York or Hollywood and broadcast nationally, Bowling for Dollars was produced by local TV stations and featured contestants from the immediate area. The show was actually a franchise, created by Bert Claster of Claster Television, also the creator of Romper Room. Episodes of Bowling for Dollars were taped either in a local bowling alley or on a pair of bowling lanes constructed right inside the TV studio.
The show reached its heyday in the 1970s. The most recent station to air the format was Detroit, Michigan independent station WADL, which relaunched Bowling for Dollars in September 2013.
The show The show's main set consisted of a sliding door from which the host emerged, as did the contestants, one by one. There was also a Jackpot light with a numeric display of its value, and a Pin Pal container (see below). There were also stands set up for an audience.
Local editions may have varied, but there were two musical themes used. One was a custom theme for the show's opening and close (with a short phrase to introduce each contestant). The other was played when a contestant hit the jackpot, also used for commercial bumper music in some editions. The latter was an instrumental version of "Keep the Ball Rollin by Al Hirt, a song originally done by Jay & the Techniques.
Game play As each contestant appeared, the host would interview him or her for a couple of minutes. Then the audience camera would cue as the contestant pointed out whom he had brought along ("There's my wife Paula, there's my son Nick..."). The contestant was then instructed to pick a Pin Pal out of a container filled with postcards sent in by home viewers, then went off to the lanes where they would bowl at least two balls.
A half-hour show had seven contestants.
Prizes Each contestant received $1 for each pin knocked down (e.g., a contestant who knocked down a total of eight pins won $8, though some versions may have had a $5 minimum for fewer than five pins). A strike or spare awarded $20. The real allure of the show was the Jackpot, which was awarded to any bowler who got two consecutive Strikes. The jackpot started at $200, $300, or $500 (depending on the version) and was increased by $20 each time it was not hit.
Some versions of Bowling for Dollars awarded prizes in addition to the money. In the Detroit edition of the show, a contestant who got a spare won a dinner for two at a local restaurant. If that spare was a split, they would also get two large pies from Buddy's Pizza. If the contestant got only one strike, they got to pick a pin from a "pinboard" for a prize from a local jeweler; one such prize was a genuine diamond ring. Finally, contestants breaking the jackpot got to bowl one more time, and if that was a strike (a "turkey") they would receive yet another prize, such as a recliner chair or bicycle. The Los Angeles version awarded a portable television set for three consecutive strikes and a car for four.
Pin Pals Each contestant, just before approaching the bowling lane, was instructed to pick a postcard at random out of a large, horizontally mounted container. The name on the card was then read aloud by the host. These were Pin Pal cards, allowing a viewer at home to participate in the game on TV. Whatever the contestant won, the Pin Pal won also, although in many markets the jackpot was actually split between the two of them (e.g., $8 to share with your Pin Pal). Many people wrote clever messages on their Pin Pal cards, like "Strike it rich!" A Pin Pal was only eligible once per show, in case a Pin Pal tried to send an overwhelming number of postcards at one time.
Popular culture The show's title has been so popular, it has been parodied quite a bit. In the movie UHF, there was a show called "Bowling for Burgers". On George Carlin's 1981 album, A Place for My Stuff, he announced a parody called "Bowling for Pussy" in the track "Fourth Announcements". It was mentioned on The Carol Burnett Show in "The Family" skits titled "The Rehearsal" and "Mama's Accident". It was mentioned on a Mama's Family episode titled "Grandma U.S.A." as "Bowling for Dishes". The Michael Moore movie, Bowling for Columbine. The rock band Bowling for Soup. (Famous for the song "1985".) In the 1987 film The Running Man, it was spoofed as "Climbing for Dollars". In the Humongous Entertainment video game Backyard Baseball, the co-anchor for the game, Vinnie the Gooch, will sometimes comment "Bowling for Dollars..." in a deadpan tone should a pitcher throw the ball low enough to the ground.
The show is mentioned in "Get a Load of This" by R. Crumb & His Cheap Suit Serenaders and in "No Anchovies, Please" by the J. Geils Band.
Local editions
Bowling for Dollars was broadcast from TV stations serving medium to large communities all across North America. In many of these markets, the host was introduced by the announcer as "the Kingpin himself".
Baltimore There were two separate runs. Both aired on WBAL-TV, and both sites were filmed in studio (with bowling being with a Brunswick set): Duckpins and Dollars Hosts: Bailey Goss, then Chuck Thompson This show only required contestants to make one strike for the jackpot — a significantly harder task in duckpin bowling than in standard tenpins. Bowling for Dollars Hosts: Tom Cole, then Ron Riley, then Royal Parker At one point, the show alternated between duckpin and tenpin bowlers.
Boston This edition was titled Candlepins for Cash, featuring the regional candlepin variation of bowling, and had two separate runs:
WNAC-TV (now WHDH), 1973–1980, hosted by Bob Gamere; originated from area bowling lanes using WOR-TV's remote truck, then at special lanes built in the basement of WNAC-TV's Government Center studio WXNE-TV (now WFXT), 1980–1982, hosted by Rico Petrocelli; originated from Wal-Lex lanes in Waltham (closed in 2002).
Both editions only required contestants to make one strike for the jackpot — a significantly harder task in candlepin bowling than in standard tenpins. In the last two seasons of the show, the player would get $30 for a spare plus one bonus ball, worth $2 more per pin knocked down. When a person threw a 10-box (all pins knocked down on the third ball) they got $20 plus one bonus ball.
The 2006 show Candlepins For Dollars that aired on WLVI Channel 56 was not related to this format.
Buffalo Station: WGR-TV/WGRZ Channel 2 Host: Ed Kilgore Sites: Original—In studio. (It's believed that the set shared the same studio with the news set.) Revival—Dave & Buster's at the Eastern Hills Mall in Clarence, New York.
A revival of Bowling for Dollars aired between January and February 2008 on WGRZ, also hosted by Kilgore. This version, airing weekdays at 11:45 AM, was much shorter, with only one frame. It used a rotation of numerous theme songs, mostly from game shows of the 1970s.
A similar competing show, called Beat the Champ, aired on WBEN-TV during the original Channel 2 program run, hosted by Van Miller. This was one of two local-origination bowling programs on Channel 4 throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the other being a women's team-bowling program called Strikes, Spares & Misses hosted by Chuck Healy.
Charlotte Station: WPCQ (now WCNC) Channel 36 Host: Larry Sprinkle Site: George Pappas Park Lanes Only runs for a short time from September 10, 1984, until September 1985.
Cincinnati Station: WKRC-TV Channel 12 Host: Glenn Ryle; fill-ins included weatherman Mike Fenwick, sportscaster Dale Conquest, and WKRC radio host, Jerry Thomas. Site: In studio lanes. The set for Nick Clooney's daytime talk show sat atop the lanes. There was also a daytime version that featured only lady bowlers called Strikes and Spares, hosted by Jerry Thomas. The show first premiered on WKRC as a 13-week trial run in the fall of 1971. It became a regular series on September 3, 1972, airing live at 7:00 p.m. weeknights, later moving to 6:30 p.m. Gus Bailey, then-station PD, cancelled the show in the fall of 1975; its last weeknight program was Thanksgiving night. WKRC began a pre-recorded Saturday afternoon filler show in 1976, hosted by Dick Schorr, who also hosted the weeknight edition on sister station WTVN-TV (now WSYX) in Columbus. (WKRC-TV and WTVN-TV/WSYX were both owned by Taft Broadcasting, now they are both owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group.)
Cleveland Had three separate runs of Bowling for Dollars. Two used in-studio lanes. 1st run (September to December 1972) Station: WUAB Channel 43 Host: Wirt Cain who was primarily a Cincinnati TV personality. He would drive to Cleveland every other weekend to record 10 Bowling For Dollars shows. Location: The show was recorded at Parmatown Lanes on Day Drive, which was next door to the Channel 43 studios. 2nd run (August to September 1973) Station: WEWS Channel 5 Hosts: Don Webster, Paul Wilcox 3rd run (August 15, 1977 to January 5, 1979) - First aired weeknights at 7:00 from August 1977 to September 1978, and later moved to 5:30 PM until January 1979. Station: WJW (then WJKW) Channel 8 Host: Dick Goddard Substitute Host: Bob "Hoolihan" Wells The jackpot started at $200 and increased by $20 per contestant until it was won. The top prize once went over $3000. Site: In-studio lanes (Brunswick set with A2 pinsetters and custom sweeper labels. The sweeper label mentions WJKW's then-logo only and callsign). Announcers: Joe Grant, Andy Hale, John FitzGerald
Columbus, Ohio
Station: WTVN Channel 6 (Now WSYX) Host: Dick Schorr, Gene Fullen with Sally Flowers Site: Two in-studio lanes Aired weeknights at 7:00 PM.
Dallas/Fort Worth Aired on: WFAA Channel 8 ABC (August 11, 1975 – September 26, 1978), (6:30 PM Monday through Friday). Host: Verne Lundquist for most of the series Site: Forum Lanes in Grand Prairie, Texas (which at that time was the host site for PBA tournaments held in the spring) and Golden Triangle Bowl in Irving, Texas.
Dayton, Ohio Station: WLWD (now WDTN) Host: David G. McFarland Site: In-studio lanes (aired live) The show aired Mon-Fri at 7:00 p.m.
Detroit Station: WWJ-TV/WDIV Channel 4 (original run); WADL Channel 38 (2013–present) Host: Bob Allison, Chuck Springer Site: Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, MI This was originally at Highland Lanes in Toledo, Ohio, where it was also seen on WDHO Channel 24 (now WNWO-TV). It moved to Detroit in about 1974. A revival of this show began in June 2013 on WADL, initially as a one-hour retrospective special, with a weekly half-hour series starting in September. As with the original version, the WADL version was hosted by Bob Allison and originated from Thunderbowl Lanes.
Flint, Michigan Station: WJRT Channel 12 Host: Ed Phelps Site: Southland Lanes (now Grand Blanc Lanes), Grand Blanc Township Original Host: Fred Trost 1979-1980
Honolulu Station: KWHE Channel 14 Site: Aiea Bowling Center, Barber's Point Bowling Center, Hickam Bowling Center, K-bay Bowling Center, Leeward Bowling Center, Pali Bowling Center, Schofield Bowling Center, and Subase Bowling Center Time: 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. every Saturday
Kansas City Station: KMBC Channel 9 Host: Fred Broski Site: Originally at King Louie West Lanes in Overland Park, 2 years NKC Pro bowl, then in studio
Kitchener, Ontario, Canada Station: CKCO-TV Channel 13 Host: Jim Craig (1972/73), then Bill Inkol (74-?), later Jeff Hutcheson, Tom Knowlton Site: Victoria Bowlerama/Twin Cities Bowl
Los Angeles Station: KTLA Channel 5 (July 4, 1972 -- March 4, 1977); KHJ-TV (now KCAL-TV) Channel 9 (February 27 -- September 15, 1978) Host: Chick Hearn (July 4, 1972 -- September 3, 1976; February 27 -- September 15, 1978); Jim Lange (September 6, 1976 -- March 4, 1977)