candid

Candid Camera is a long-running television series, created and produced by Allen Funt, which initially appeared on radio as Candid Microphone in the 1940s. After a series of theatrical film shorts, also titled Candid Microphone, Funt's concept came to television on August 10, 1948.

The premise of the show involved concealed cameras filming ordinary people being confronted with unusual situations, sometimes involving trick props, such as a desk with drawers that pop open when one is closed or a car with a hidden extra gas tank. When the joke was revealed, victims would be told the show's famous catch phrase, "Smile, you're on Candid Camera." With humor based on putting real people in fabricated situations, the show was very much a precursor to the more recent wave of prank shows such as Punk'd and Girls Behaving Badly.

Writer Woody Allen got his start writing for the show in the 1960s and performed in some scenarios. Buster Keaton and Muhammad Ali also appeared in Candid Camera segments.

The show often played its hidden camera pranks on celebrities as well. One memorable episode had actress Ann Jillian (who is Lithuanian) scheduled to make a small donation to a Lithuanian charity. When police officers informed her a con artist was behind the charity, they convinced her to donate a much larger amount with the assurance that he would be arrested when he accepted the check. After an arrest attempt, Jillian was told the man was running a legitimate charity, a set-up that forced her into acting as though she had intended to donate hundreds of thousands of dollars all along.

Candid Candid Camera

In the 1960s and 1970s, Candid Camera produced over ten tapes of adult-oriented (but not pornographic) stunts and hidden camera gags called Candid Candid Camera. For example, a man was hired as a hypnotist's assistant and then a beautiful new lady patient disrobed while "hypnotized".

Legacy

A British version of Candid Camera began in 1960 and ran for seven years. It was initially presented by Bob Monkhouse and featured Jonathan Routh and Arthur Atkins as pranksters. The show briefly returned in 1974, hosted by Peter Dulay. Jeremy Beadle made his name hosting prank shows, notably Beadle's About in the 1980s.

An Australian version of Candid Camera with the same name, began in the late 1990s and ran until the end of the century. It was successful until the show was cancelled for unknown reasons. Quebec saw its own adaptation titled Les insolences d'une caméra.

Several series with different variations have been produced. Totally Hidden Video was seen on Fox from 1989 until 1992. MTV's Ashton Kutcher vehicle, Punk'd, devised elaborate pranks on celebrities. Some shows have been criticized because of the potential cruelty inherent in the pranks, such as Scare Tactics. Oblivious gave cash prizes to unsuspecting subjects in the street who answered trivia questions but did not realize they were on a game show. The most ambitious of all was The Joe Schmo Show in which Matt Kennedy Gould was surrounded by actors and hoaxed for the entire series.

Candid Camera is currently hosted by Allen Funt's son, Peter Funt, and Clint Eastwood's wife, Dina. Previously, Peter Funt co-hosted with Suzanne Somers. It no longer airs on the PAX Network and is seeking a new outlet.

Lawsuit

In a suit filed against Peter Funt, Pax and the Mohave County Airport Authority, Philip Zelnick, 35, claimed he incurred bruises and bleeding after becoming stuck in a fake X-ray scanner in one of the show's pranks. The jury awarded Zenlick a total of $300,000 in punitive damages, with Peter Funt and the show ordered to pay $150,000 each.

References

• Funt, Allen. Eavesdropper at Large: Adventures in Human Nature with "Candid Mike". Vanguard Press, 1952.
• Funt, Allen. Candid Kids. Bernard Geis, 1964.
• Funt, Allen. Candidly, Allen Funt: A Million Smiles Later. Barricade Books, 1994.
• Candid Camera's response to the lawsuit settlement

External links

• Candid Camera official site
• Israeli mockumentary
• Candid Camera (1948) at IMDB
• Candid Camera (1953) at IMDB
• Candid Camera (1960) (American) at IMDB
• Candid Camera (1960) (British) at IMDB
• Candid Camera (1991) at IMDB
• Candid Camera (1992) (New Zealand) at IMDB
• Candid Camera (1998) at IMDB