Queen for a Day

Queen for a Day
Host Jack Bailey poses for a promotional photo.
Created by	John Masterson
Presented by	Ken Murray (1945) Jack Bailey (1945-1964) Dick Curtis (1969-1970) Mo'Nique (2004)
Narrated by	Gene Baker John Harlan
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
Production
Executive producer(s)	John Masterson
Running time	30 minutes, later 45
Production company(s)	John Masterson Productions
Release
Original network	Mutual (radio) NBC (1956-1960) ABC (1960-1964) Syndicated (1969-1970) Lifetime (2004 Special)
Picture format	Black-and-white (original NBC run) Color (Syndicated) (Lifetime)
Audio format	Monaural
Original release	April 30, 1945 – May 27, 2004

Queen for a Day was an American radio and television game show that helped to usher in American listeners' and viewers' fascination with big-prize giveaway shows. Queen for a Day originated on the Mutual Radio Network on April 30, 1945, in New York City before moving to Los Angeles a few months later and ran until 1957. The show then ran on NBC Television from 1956 to 1960 and on ABC Television from 1960 to 1964.

The show became popular enough that NBC increased its running time from 30 to 45 minutes to sell more commercials, at a then premium rate of $4,000 per minute.

The show opened with host Jack Bailey asking the audience—mostly women—"Would YOU like to be Queen for a day?" After this, the contestants were introduced and interviewed, one at a time, with commercials and fashion commentary interspersed in between.

Using the classic applause meter, as did many game and hit parade-style shows of the time, Queen for a Day had its own special twist: Each contestant had to talk publicly about the recent financial and emotional hard times she had been through. The applause meter had also been used on earlier series, including Fred Allen's Judge for Yourself, a variety and game show which aired on NBC from 1953 to 1954.

Bailey began each interview gently, asking the contestant first about her life and family and maintaining a positive and upbeat response no matter what she told him. For instance, when a woman said she had a crippled child, he would ask if her second child was "Okay." On learning that the second child was not crippled, he might say, "Well, that's good, you have one healthy child."

The interview would climax with Bailey asking the contestant what she needed most and why she wanted to win the title of Queen for a Day. Often the request was for medical care or therapeutic equipment to help a chronically ill child, but sometimes it was as simple as the need for a hearing aid, a new washing machine, or a refrigerator. Many women broke down sobbing as they described their plights, and Bailey was always quick to comfort them and offer a clean white handkerchief to dry their eyes.

The harsher the circumstances under which the contestant labored, the likelier the studio audience was to ring the applause meter's highest level. The winner, to the musical accompaniment of "Pomp and Circumstance", would be draped in a sable-trimmed red velvet robe, given a glittering jeweled crown to wear, placed on a velvet-upholstered throne, and handed a dozen long-stemmed roses to hold as she wept, often uncontrollably, while her list of prizes was announced.