Bob Dyer facts for kids

Robert Neal Dyer (born May 22, 1909 – died January 9, 1984) was a famous American-born entertainer. He became very well-known in Australia. He was a singer, a radio and TV star, and hosted popular quiz shows.

Bob Dyer is best remembered for his long-running quiz show, Pick a Box. This show started on radio and later moved to television. At one point, Bob Dyer and his friend and rival, Jack Davey, were considered the best quiz hosts in Australia.

Bob and his wife, Dolly, were a very famous couple in Australia during the 1960s. Besides performing, they loved big-game fishing. Together, they broke about 200 world and Australian fishing records!

Bob Dyer's Early Life and Career

Bob Dyer was born in Hartsville, Tennessee, in the United States. His father, Heywood Leahman Dies, was a farmer. Bob left school when he was 12 years old.

He worked many different jobs, like washing dishes and driving a taxi. Later, he started working in theater. He toured the United States, performing in variety shows called vaudeville.

Coming to Australia

Bob Dyer first came to Australia in 1936. He was touring with a band. He returned to Sydney in 1937 as part of the Marcus Show. In this show, he performed a funny act with a ukulele and sang hillbilly songs.

A radio personality named Harry Griffiths met Bob Dyer when he was a child. Harry said that Bob was a big hit. He was a good actor, musical, and full of energy. He knew how to make people laugh.

Bob then traveled to England and appeared on early television. He came back to Australia in 1940. He called himself "the last of the hillbillies." He even made a radio show with that name.

Meeting Dolly

In 1940, Bob met Dolly Mack (whose real name was Thelma Phoebe McLean). She was a dancer in a show. Bob proposed to Dolly just nine days after they met. Nine days later, they were married!

Their wedding reception happened between shows. The next day, they went to Brisbane for their honeymoon. During World War II, Bob and Dolly entertained Australian and American soldiers. They performed in war zones like New Guinea.

Bob Dyer's Radio and TV Career

In the 1940s and 1950s, Bob Dyer became a huge radio star. He then moved to television in the late 1950s. Bob was known for his exciting and lively style.

People who worked with him said he was genuinely warm to his contestants. He was also good at making situations funny for entertainment. He planned all his jokes and stunts very carefully.

His Radio Shows

Bob Dyer's first radio shows were "stunt shows." These shows were different from other variety shows. Instead of just telling jokes, Bob's shows involved people from the audience.

The shows included Can You Take it? and It Pays to Be Funny. The ideas for these shows came from the United States. Bob got permission to use and change scripts from an American star named Art Linkletter.

People loved seeing others in funny situations. Most people didn't mind because Bob Dyer was always friendly. Also, the prizes for doing silly things were quite good!

Bob's shows were sponsored by companies like Solvol and Colgate-Palmolive. He had famous catchphrases like "Happy motoring, customers" and "Happy lathering, customers."

Rivalry with Jack Davey

Bob Dyer had a long-standing friendly rivalry with Jack Davey. They were both top quiz show hosts. Harry Griffiths said that Bob's jokes were more obvious than Jack Davey's clever humor. But Bob knew what most people wanted to hear.

Jack Davey was great on radio, but he didn't do as well on television. Lesley Johnson, who wrote about Jack Davey, said that Bob Dyer carefully wrote his scripts. Jack Davey, however, was known for his quick wit and warm voice on radio.

John Pearce, another radio personality, said that Bob Dyer listened to advice about TV. He understood that TV is mostly about what you see. He worked hard to make Pick a Box good for television.

Some well-known Australian actors, like Bud Tingwell, worked with Bob Dyer. They were assistant hosts on his radio shows. Bud Tingwell said Bob was a very generous professional.

The Famous Pick a Box Show

In 1948, Bob Dyer started the quiz show Pick a Box on radio. He changed his style, wearing a suit and glasses instead of his hillbilly clothes. In 1957, Pick a Box started on television.

It was the first big quiz show on national television. It was first sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive and later by BP. Bob's famous catchphrase on the show was "the money or the box." This phrase was known across Australia for many years.

Other well-known phrases from Bob Dyer were "Howdy, customers, howdy" and "Tell them Bob sent you."

Honours and Retirement

In 1969, Bob Dyer felt that Pick a Box was becoming less popular. So, in 1971, he and Dolly decided to retire. A few weeks before the last Pick a Box show, Bob and Dolly received special awards.

In June 1971, Bob was made an honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). Dolly was appointed a Member of the Order (MBE). At the award ceremony, the Governor of New South Wales, Sir Roden Cutler, even joked with Bob. He asked Bob if he wanted the medal or the box it came in!

Bob also won two Gold Logie Awards. He won one in 1960. In 1971, he and Dolly received a special Gold Logie. This award was to celebrate their amazing contribution to television over 15 years.

Early TV Simulcast

In early 1957, some radio shows were also broadcast on TV at the same time. This is called simulcasting. Two of Bob Dyer's shows, It Pays to Be Funny and Pick A Box, were part of this. After a year, only Pick A Box was still being simulcast. This continued for five years.

Big-Game Fishing Adventures

After retiring, Bob and Dolly moved to the Gold Coast in Queensland. They started to focus seriously on their hobby: big-game fishing. They loved catching large fish like marlin.

Together, Bob and Dolly broke 50 world records for fishing. They also broke 150 Australian fishing records. They were truly champions in the world of fishing!

Later Years and Passing

In the late 1970s, Bob and Dolly sold their house and moved to an apartment. Bob developed Alzheimer's disease. He became very private until he passed away in 1984. Dolly passed away almost 21 years later, on Christmas Day in 2004.