CNN - Barker takes a licking, keeps on pitching

Barker takes a licking, keeps on pitching

June 5, 1996
Web posted at: 7:45 a.m. EDT

From Correspondent Ron Tank

HOLLYWOOD, California (CNN) -- Legendary game-show host Bob Barker taped an episode of "The Price is Right" last week that will air in September, beginning his 25th anniversary season as the show's star.

"Can you believe 25 years? No one has a show for 25 years," the 72-year-old host told his audience. It's true. Nobody has a 25-year-old show except for Barker, who clearly remembers the first show in 1971. (1.3M QuickTime movie)

"Well, I came through those doors right over there, with dark hair and very few wrinkles," he recalled.

Hair color aside, not much else has changed over the past 4,672 shows. Winning the games and prizes on-stage is still as frantic as ever. The models -- the show calls them Barker's Beauties -- are still here, showing off the prizes up for bid.

How do they feel about their nickname? "I enjoy it," said Kathleen Bradley. "I'll tell you, I'd rather be called Barker's Beauty than no one's beauty."

Barker, meantime, would rather forget one beauty. "About three years ago when that sexual harassment suit was filed against me ... I was just devastated because it was totally untrue," he said.

Dian Parkinson accused Barker of forcing her to have sex with him, but later dropped her lawsuit. Then Holly Holstrum accused producers of firing her for gaining weight. They denied it, but Holstrum is no longer there either.

Janice Pennington is still around 25 years later, and still singing Barker's praises. "He has the best delivery of any host, his timing is impeccable," she said.

Announcer Rod Roddy said Barker's is "a very tough job." "You have to be able to remember all the things that go on with the games, and there are 60 games in this show," he said.

Barker's job is made even tougher with his duties as both host and executive producer, which claim three to four full days a week, off and on the set. "If I don't look that old, one of the reasons would be that I've had the pleasure of doing something all my life that I enjoy," he said.

As for the future, Barker's taking it one year at a time. Don't surprised to see him here even longer, as long as the price is right.

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Barker takes a licking, keeps on pitching

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