Who was the first host of "The Price is Right"?

Before Johnny Olson started yelling "Come on down!" to contestants in the 1972 run, Bill Cullen hosted the original "The Price is Right" that premiered on NBC in November 1956. Cullen was already the host of a popular morning radio show at the time, which meant he was sprinting across the city to take on hosting duties. Producer Bob Stewart fought hard for Cullen though, telling NBC executives he'd rather have Bill with zero rehearsal than anyone else with proper preparation. Cullen pulled off this double duty for nine years, hosting both the daytime and nighttime versions until the show ended in 1965. When CBS revived the show in 1972, they considered bringing Cullen back, but the physical demands of the new format were too much since he'd been dealing with mobility issues from childhood polio. He made one appearance on Bob Barker's version in 1982 to promote his own show.