I saw this show taped in 1963 at the old ELYSEE STUDIO near B'way & 7th..The live Hammond B3 organ player, Paul Todman(?) was a hoot during warm-up...So glad i got to see the great Don Morrow live!!!!!!!!!!
This is one of the earliest memories of TV that I have, as I was age four when "Camouflage" debuted on ABC, and distinctly remember all the various details. Of course, I remember Don Morrow as the host, but don't think I ever watched it when Johnny Gilbert filled in. A rare treat to see Gilbert as a host instead of his usual announcing duties.
Was watching CBS Sunday Morning today about the Automat, and reminiscenced about going to a taping of this show in 1962. What a summer for a 10 yr. old from Norfolk Va.
I watched this show when I came home from school for lunch. I remember when my mother was a contestant and said, "Now, Scotty, eat your lunch." I was kidded about that for months afterward. She didn't win, but took home the Camouflage board game and a tote bag.
Johnny Gilbert who is 88 years of age, is still the announcing for "Jeopardy". He sounds as good as he did fifty years ago when this Camouflage episode aired!
Johnny Gilbert was such a fun and energetic host (also a greatly talented singer, as we saw on his "Music Bingo" after it moved to ABC. Like Jack Clark, he should have been in front of the camera a lot more as a host, but like Jack Clark, he was so brilliant at audience warm-ups and was so eloquent that he was huge demand as an announcer. With all respect to Alex Trebek, Johnny would have been an outstanding successor to Art Fleming on "Jeopardy!"
I don't remember watching this game show that Johnny Gilbert did back in 1962. But basically that woman that he described that won all those prizes 3 days before basically 23 different prizes if she'd won including a 1962 pontiac. Those are a lot of prices. And basically I do believe those prizes were over somewhere between 10 and 15,000 at that time. But I can tell you this some game shows give away more than that. But this was the early days of how game shows worked back then and camouflage was one of them. Although I don't remember watching it because in my time I barely knew what I was watching on TV at that time. As a matter of fact I was barely turning 4 years old at that time. And I cannot believe it Johnny Gilbert has been doing announcing work for game shows for a little over 60 years. That's right I said it 60 years. That's a long time. I think he's trying to emulate Don pardo. But I don't think he'll come close to Don pardo's 70 years at nbc.
The funny thing about one of the prizes was that it was a color TV set. ABC, the network that carried this show, broadcast all of its shows in black-and-white! ABC would not begin carrying any color programs until the Fall of 1962, and only filmed color programs until 1965. Some ABC live/tape shows were still in black-and-white into 1967. And dig that organ music!
I can still hear the music that played when a contestant had a look at the puzzle in my head. By the way, the last ABC show in black-and-white was "Everybody's Talking," which had the same time slot (12 N Eastern) that "Camouflage" had for all but its last three months.
@Noveltooner Good question....When Johnny Gilbert hosted a daytime talk show in Dayton, Ohio over WLWD-TV in Novermber, 1967, he was replaced...by a man named Phil Donahue!
This is from the show's first anniversary, and Don Morrow was off that day. I'd like to see an episode with Morrow as host,although Johnny Gilbert is no slouch as a host himself. I also wish ABC had flipflopped this show and "Queen For A Day"; a lot of us who were kids in 1962 liked this and two shows which aired in late afternoon: "Who Do You Trust?" (with Johnny Carson) and "American Bandstand." It would have been nice to have all three in a block; "Queen" probably had no appeal to kids except for those who liked the bizarre. This version is far superior to the 1980 Chuck Barris version; that host, Tom Campbell, probably still has problems hearing from the screaming female contestants, and I wonder how many bruises he got from their bearhugging him.
why was Johnny Gilbert hosting? (I assume he was the announcer.) (I am GUESSING he was just filling in as a substitute host for regular host Don Morrow?)
This was a weird show. It required the contestant to do something many Americans are not comfortable with: using their visual brain to find the hidden objects. Children's magazines of the era had similar contests, particularly the magazine known as, "Highlights for Children", every month.
Johnny Gilbert was not only a fine host, but is a fine singer as well. His biggest hit as host was ABC's "Music Bingo." He later succeeded Don Pardo as the announcer on "The Price is Right" when it moved to ABC. Of course, he later succeeded Pardo with the current "Jeopardy!". So the question is now, will Johnny succeed Don Pardo when he retires from "Saturday Night Live"? Mmnnn...
My favorite game show from back in the day. LOVED watching "Camouflage" every day during summer of 1960; so sad to have to miss it once school started. Don Morrow was great, and I remembered the silly little tune (played by the celeste and organ, all the way until TODAY, May 12, 2021.....the first time I"ve heard it (here) in more than 60 years). I think Merv Griffin imitated it in his own "Final Jeopardy" tune a few years later. Too bad that damn' organ is so annoying; the player was obviously doing a silent-movie-accompaniment thing to try to keep the excitement going, but it's way overdone. Odd, I don;t remember the continual organ underscore from 1960; it may have been added by '62 by the producers to keep the pace moving. We also had the Milton Bradley "home version"...but the drawings/graphics were not so clever in their design as the TV show. You had the hidden object, but all of the clear plastic overlays used to conceal it were just random shapes..squiggles, etc...so they could be used to obscure all of the hidden objects, without having to cleverly integrate them within a picture/scene. ("Seven Keys" with Jack Narrs (sp?) was my second favorite show).
Actually, it wasn't until January, 1961, that Camouflage came on the air. I, too, was a big fan of both Camouflage and Seven Keys back in those days in the early 1960s.
This version is far superior than the chuck barris version. Then again I’m not a big fan of chuckie’s creations. He just seemed to me to be a bit unhinged.
@Noveltooner When Johnny Gilbert hosted a daytime talk show in Dayton, Ohio over WLWD-TV in November, 1967, he was succeeded by a man named "Phil Donahue"!
Isn't this supposed to be one of the ultimate "cult classic" game shows?? Today, it would be so much easier to prepare the puzzles. They can all be done on a computer and fed to an HDTV screen in the studio.
The puzzles here seem pretty complicated, but maybe it's just me...it looks like you have to remove several "layers" before you even begin to see a hint of what the "hidden object" looks like, and being in black & white makes it that much more difficult.
I remember Music Bingo. That is how I will always remember Johnny Gilbert. But if memory serves me (and it serves me well), Don Morrow hosted Camouflage for a time.
Since the show had been on for a year at this time, it probably wasn't necessary to go through the rules. The object of the game was to find and trace an object hidden among a number of camouflage overlays. The value of the game began at 200 points and dropped 10 points whenever a player chose to pass or made an incorrect tracing. The host would ask a true-false question; a clock started at 10 and counted down, stopping when a player entered TRUE or FALSE. A correct answer gave the player the points and a chance to look at the picture with a piece of the camouflage removed. That player had 10 seconds to look and decide whether to try to locate the hidden object; if the player gave an incorrect answer the points and the chance to look went to the opponent. When a player scored 30 points (s)he got to see what the object looked like. First player to locate and trace the object won a showcase of prizes based on his/her quiz score plus the value of the game. The day's big winner got to try to find one more object in 15 seconds with none of the camouflage removed and, if successful, won a car. Winners remained on the show until defeated, winning the car, or winning five games.
I watched this show at lunchtime home from school. I also had the fun Milton Brady board game.
I had forgotten all about this show.
I saw this show taped in 1963 at the old ELYSEE STUDIO near B'way & 7th..The live Hammond B3 organ player, Paul Todman(?) was a hoot during warm-up...So glad i got to see the great Don Morrow live!!!!!!!!!!
I'm thinking you meant Paul Taubman.
This is one of the earliest memories of TV that I have, as I was age four when "Camouflage" debuted on ABC, and distinctly remember all the various details. Of course, I remember Don Morrow as the host, but don't think I ever watched it when Johnny Gilbert filled in. A rare treat to see Gilbert as a host instead of his usual announcing duties.
Was watching CBS Sunday Morning today about the Automat, and reminiscenced about going to a taping of this show in 1962. What a summer for a 10 yr. old from Norfolk Va.
I watched this show when I came home from school for lunch. I remember when my mother was a contestant and said, "Now, Scotty, eat your lunch." I was kidded about that for months afterward. She didn't win, but took home the Camouflage board game and a tote bag.
Johnny Gilbert who is 88 years of age, is still the announcing for "Jeopardy". He sounds as good as he did fifty years ago when this Camouflage episode aired!
Johnny Gilbert was such a fun and energetic host (also a greatly talented singer, as we saw on his "Music Bingo" after it moved to ABC. Like Jack Clark, he should have been in front of the camera a lot more as a host, but like Jack Clark, he was so brilliant at audience warm-ups and was so eloquent that he was huge demand as an announcer. With all respect to Alex Trebek, Johnny would have been an outstanding successor to Art Fleming on "Jeopardy!"
I don't remember watching this game show that Johnny Gilbert did back in 1962. But basically that woman that he described that won all those prizes 3 days before basically 23 different prizes if she'd won including a 1962 pontiac. Those are a lot of prices. And basically I do believe those prizes were over somewhere between 10 and 15,000 at that time. But I can tell you this some game shows give away more than that. But this was the early days of how game shows worked back then and camouflage was one of them. Although I don't remember watching it because in my time I barely knew what I was watching on TV at that time. As a matter of fact I was barely turning 4 years old at that time. And I cannot believe it Johnny Gilbert has been doing announcing work for game shows for a little over 60 years. That's right I said it 60 years. That's a long time. I think he's trying to emulate Don pardo. But I don't think he'll come close to Don pardo's 70 years at nbc.
Remember when daytime television consisted of game shows, daytime dramas, and off-network comedy reruns? What happened?
I USED TO WATCH THIS WHEN I WENT HOME FOR LUNCH FROM SCHOOL. COOL SHOW.
The funny thing about one of the prizes was that it was a color TV set. ABC, the network that carried this show, broadcast all of its shows in black-and-white!
ABC would not begin carrying any color programs until the Fall of 1962, and only filmed color programs until 1965. Some ABC live/tape shows were still in black-and-white into 1967.
And dig that organ music!
I can still hear the music that played when a contestant had a look at the puzzle in my head. By the way, the last ABC show in black-and-white was "Everybody's Talking," which had the same time slot (12 N Eastern) that "Camouflage" had for all but its last three months.
@Noveltooner Good question....When Johnny Gilbert hosted a daytime talk show in Dayton, Ohio over WLWD-TV in Novermber, 1967, he was replaced...by a man named Phil Donahue!
Thank you for making me laugh today!
This is from the show's first anniversary, and Don Morrow was off that day. I'd like to see an episode with Morrow as host,although Johnny Gilbert is no slouch as a host himself. I also wish ABC had flipflopped this show and "Queen For A Day"; a lot of us who were kids in 1962 liked this and two shows which aired in late afternoon: "Who Do You Trust?" (with Johnny Carson) and "American Bandstand." It would have been nice to have all three in a block; "Queen" probably had no appeal to kids except for those who liked the bizarre.
This version is far superior to the 1980 Chuck Barris version; that host, Tom Campbell, probably still has problems hearing from the screaming female contestants, and I wonder how many bruises he got from their bearhugging him.
I liked Camouflage with pictures, and I liked GSN's try at Camouflage with words. I'm not any good at it, but oh well! :P
why was Johnny Gilbert hosting? (I assume he was the announcer.) (I am GUESSING he was just filling in as a substitute host for regular host Don Morrow?)
This was a weird show. It required the contestant to do something many Americans are not comfortable with: using their visual brain to find the hidden objects. Children's magazines of the era had similar contests, particularly the magazine known as, "Highlights for Children", every month.
Johnny Gilbert was not only a fine host, but is a fine singer as well. His biggest hit as host was ABC's "Music Bingo." He later succeeded Don Pardo as the announcer on "The Price is Right" when it moved to ABC. Of course, he later succeeded Pardo with the current "Jeopardy!". So the question is now, will Johnny succeed Don Pardo when he retires from "Saturday Night Live"? Mmnnn...
I never even heard of this show.
60 years ago this premiered.
The taxes on all those winnings must have been lethal!
the puzzles on this show seem hard to solve, especially since they're in black & white. BTW wasn't there a 2nd ep. of (1960s) Camouflage on here?
My favorite game show from back in the day. LOVED watching "Camouflage" every day during summer of 1960; so sad to have to miss it once school started. Don Morrow was great, and I remembered the silly little tune (played by the celeste and organ, all the way until TODAY, May 12, 2021.....the first time I"ve heard it (here) in more than 60 years). I think Merv Griffin imitated it in his own "Final Jeopardy" tune a few years later. Too bad that damn' organ is so annoying; the player was obviously doing a silent-movie-accompaniment thing to try to keep the excitement going, but it's way overdone. Odd, I don;t remember the continual organ underscore from 1960; it may have been added by '62 by the producers to keep the pace moving.
We also had the Milton Bradley "home version"...but the drawings/graphics were not so clever in their design as the TV show. You had the hidden object, but all of the clear plastic overlays used to conceal it were just random shapes..squiggles, etc...so they could be used to obscure all of the hidden objects, without having to cleverly integrate them within a picture/scene. ("Seven Keys" with Jack Narrs (sp?) was my second favorite show).
Actually, it wasn't until January, 1961, that Camouflage came on the air. I, too, was a big fan of both Camouflage and Seven Keys back in those days in the early 1960s.
I believe this episode was originally telecast on Monday, January 8, 1962.
The champion won a lot of prizes for a show so soon after the quiz-show scandals!
My mom and I would watch this show and would be on edge when the contestant would trace the hidden object!
I remember seeing a 1961 (?) ep of this show here, but it's now gone. I think it was with Don Morrow. Did CZcams take it down?
And this is the 50th anniversity of Camouflage. I hope Johnny Gilbert sees this video. Alan Katzer
48 pounds of ham ! wow !
This version is far superior than the chuck barris version. Then again I’m not a big fan of chuckie’s creations. He just seemed to me to be a bit unhinged.
@Noveltooner When Johnny Gilbert hosted a daytime talk show in Dayton, Ohio over WLWD-TV in November, 1967, he was succeeded by a man named "Phil Donahue"!
Well, Channel 2 in Dayton got rid of him for Donahue for 45 years until September, 1996.
Johnny Gilbert back then looked like a teenager. LOL.
48 pounds of ham?
Wendy Taylor defeated 8 opponents
My god Wendy won so many prizes
They forgot the kitchen sink, LOL
Isn't this supposed to be one of the ultimate "cult classic" game shows??
Today, it would be so much easier to prepare the puzzles. They can all be done on a computer and fed to an HDTV screen in the studio.
The puzzles here seem pretty complicated, but maybe it's just me...it looks like you have to remove several "layers" before you even begin to see a hint of what the "hidden object" looks like, and being in black & white makes it that much more difficult.
@joebradio
Lots of ham sandwiches!
I remember Music Bingo. That is how I will always remember Johnny Gilbert.
But if memory serves me (and it serves me well), Don Morrow hosted Camouflage for a time.
Don Morrow was the regular host of Camouflage.
WHAT ARE THE RULES
Since the show had been on for a year at this time, it probably wasn't necessary to go through the rules. The object of the game was to find and trace an object hidden among a number of camouflage overlays. The value of the game began at 200 points and dropped 10 points whenever a player chose to pass or made an incorrect tracing. The host would ask a true-false question; a clock started at 10 and counted down, stopping when a player entered TRUE or FALSE. A correct answer gave the player the points and a chance to look at the picture with a piece of the camouflage removed. That player had 10 seconds to look and decide whether to try to locate the hidden object; if the player gave an incorrect answer the points and the chance to look went to the opponent. When a player scored 30 points (s)he got to see what the object looked like. First player to locate and trace the object won a showcase of prizes based on his/her quiz score plus the value of the game. The day's big winner got to try to find one more object in 15 seconds with none of the camouflage removed and, if successful, won a car. Winners remained on the show until defeated, winning the car, or winning five games.