Model Holly Hallstrom became a fan favorite, in part, because of her charming misadventures onstage. She’s smiling for the camera, completely unaware that she was holding the sign upside down. In this particular case, it was explained that the small catch on the back of her blouse had broken just before the act began, and that stagehands had to duct tape the back of the blouse to her back to keep it on. Holly joked that she was just ‘confused’!Murphy’s Law really liked Holly. During this playing of ‘Most Expensive,’ she couldn’t blame her problem with the price sign on a missing button!The lovely Janice Pennington tells all during a Barker’s Beauties interview in the mid 80’s.Janice Pennington knows how to think on her feet. When a tennis ball machine failed during a one-bid, she didn’t get flustered…she just picked up the tennis balls from the bin and threw them herself. Barker complemented her on her ingenuity, then joked that the show had probably just lost a sponsor.Dian tells Bob during one of his many Barker’s Beauties interviews that she’s always asked what kind of person Bob is really like. He wanted to know how she responded. Her response, “Well, I’m no dummy!”Like hang-gliding? Then you’ll love Jan’s Happy Legs pants!Anitra Ford knows “You’ll love it at Levitz”! And we love us some loveseat!Isn’t that cute! A little combo Washer and Dryer for when you have only three shirts to do. Even as early as 1973, Janice had her style down.Holly explains what she’s looking for in a man during a Barker’s Beauty Interview.Kyle Aletter, daugher of Frank Aletter and Lee Meriwether, was a substitute Barker’s Beauty in the 1980’s. She would even participate in the Barker’s Beauties Interview when she was on the show.Anitra Ford, model from 1972-1977, was a one-woman Grocery Game on this 1976 episode. Here she is with Baskin Robbins ice cream……Jet Dry water spot preventer……and Smuckers Grape Jelly.Dian looks sharp in this scene from a 1976 show.Janice used to surprise Bob when she handed off the mike. This day she placed a pair of fake teeth in her mouth, but Bob decided everyone should be in on the joke.Very few game show models’ careers have spanned as many years as the career of Mary Poms. She started in 1967 on ABC’s “Temptation”, ended in 1985 on “Catch Phrase” (under real name Shana Forman), and in the middle was “The Wizard of Odds” (1974 with rookie American host Alex Trebek) and substitute duty on TPIR in the mid-70’s.A double delight for a ceiling fan presentation. The winning bidder also gets a caftan from Queen’s Way to Fashion. Or would you rather have a case of Clindo?Holly Hallstrom in her first year with the show, 1977.Taster’s Choice, the freeze dried coffee that looks, smells and tastes like fresh ground coffee.Another sword-and-silliness epic from the fevered brow of Jay Wolpert! It all paid off when he wrote “The Count of Monte Cristo” a few years back. Ben Her (Janice) challenges her archrival, Mazola (Holly), in a chariot race that has taken to the Los Angeles Freeway system.Did we mention Mazola was a cheater? She attempted to distract Ben Her by smacking a pie in her face.CBS had two Captains on its schedule in 1978: Captain Kangaroo, and Captain Jan, who would prance around the stage solving people’s problems and generally saving the day.Janice Pennington nearly throws her back out dancing like a native to introduce a trip to Tahiti. The director had fun with her performance, alternating between shots of her gyrating hips and the art cards that showed the hotel and countryside.From 1981: Ready? OK! It’s the famous Price Is Right Cheerleaders! “Okay, girls, let’s hear what you’re cheering for today!”This Showcase is brought to you by the letters “T”…The letters always spelled out the final prize offered. U, A, T…could it be a trip to Utah?…and “A”.The monster (Janice) goes berserk and lays waste to the carnival stand.Dian works the TPIR elevator in this long-running showcase.And every so often, Dian was needed in a bikini for a boat presentation so Ralph, the TPIR Robot, was ready to lend an electronic robotic hand.If there’s a clock in this shot, I sure haven’t noticed it.One of the show’s typically groovy jukebox presentations with Holly getting down.The best dancer on the entire TPIR staff was Janice. She had killer hip action and she knew it!Another good scout, the pigtailed Dian.She’s getting her next merit badge in retailing.Dian warns you not to touch her goodies unless you have money to pay for them.One last meal before the girls submit to the torture at Johnny’s Health Club.And I KNOW you all aren’t looking at the a spa!Slurp!Plasti-kote spray paint is fetchingly supported by Holly.It’s a trip to Tahiti! More importantly, it’s Janice!Yeah, why IS Holly ogling a six-foot party sub in a fez?Look who’s running the cash register today! Janice was out for this taping so Dian got the nod.She’s getting to be a pro at this cash register business!Dian would be the first to tell you it beats actually running a cash register for a living — but not by much.A popular series of showcases featured the girls in various work situations, describing the strange things that happen to them on the job. In this one, Holly was a park ranger.Holly on her favorite TPIR prize, the trampoline. She can’t do her usual stunts because she’s got the dress on.That explains a lot.But Venus girls rock!Big recovery. Jan was going to flip the price tag upside down.Be prepared for another Price Scout to take her rhyming oath.Watch out for the Prizebusters!And here’s Dian as a bank teller.She’s number one!Holly’s really going to catch it this time.Even Lee Meriwether’s kids like the great taste of Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup.The girls get ready to celebrate the 16th year in their kickin’ Jeran fashions.Vegas, baby! Holly does her best glam as a sexy showgirl.Janice loves that peanut butter! Thank goodness this isn’t “Say When!!” or else it’d be leaking out the bottom.We make another visit to the TPIR nursery to see what the babies have on their minds.Baby Dian.Baby Janice can’t quite remember that she’s going to be an “international skating star”, and has to be prompted by Baby Holly about what her line is. Note the microphone sticking out of her chest!Baby Holly tells her playmates that her parents will let her drive home from the nursery in her new car!
Carhop Holly looks for people sneaking into the drive in, but can only find things like an organ, a pinball machine and a motorcycle.Everyone’s favorite cashier, Janice.Here’s Janice, and she’s pushed badly her Inspiration putt.But what’s this? It’s headed right for the cup! It goes in! Janice isn’t even watching!Janice can’t believe it, for a change! How did it go in the hole?The girls try to figure out how the putt went in. As you may be able to see there was a small hump in the carpet on the green, and the ball just dumped off at the right speed and went in.Before they go to the next game, Bob and Janice gather in front of the studio monitor (note that the slate is covered up) to watch a replay of the putt. When Janice sees it, she just can not stop laughing. Just another day at TPIR!The unforgettable Kathleen Bradley.Holly shows off those wonderful shorty-overalls with the gold spangles and those rhinestone-studded TPIR t-shirts. When I worked in a warehouse, how come I never got that lucky?The final prize is a pair of surf jets, and all they have to do is take the tarp off.Err, this is Holly Hallstrom we’re talking about here. A girl who could trip over cracks in linoleum. It’s not going to be easy. (By the way, she’s not in this shot as she is presently tangled up in the tarp.)Dian got busted again! (Like once wasn’t enough…)Back when it was Janice, Dian and Holly, Barker would often bring the models out for a brief conversation. He’d ask them about the men in their lives, what they did on their days off and how they stayed in such great shape.Chantal wants you to know if you win the Byrd Indy Racing Car, you also get the instruction book free of charge.Before she became Sheena, Queen of the Jungle, Gena Lee Nolin paused during a safari bonus prize to show off a camera. (1994)Holly takes her Price Scout oath.Model Janice Pennington was hired by Mark Goodson, who told her that “The New Price is Right” might last for a few years. She stayed with the show for twenty-nine years. Here she is on the very first episode, modeling a range. This episode aired on September 4, 1972!When Bob let his hair go gray, Janice Pennington, chalk in hand, decided to adjust Bob Barker’s portrait on the $10,000 bill during a PunchboardWhat do you do when you’re modeling a refrigerator that’s loaded improperly and it nearly crushes you? If you’re Janice Pennington, you make the best of the situation and keep smiling.Heather Kozar is up for a water balloon fight! Or has she already been in one?Kyle Aletter, daughter of Lee Meriwether, substituted for Barker’s Beauties in the late 80’s. Here, she gets a big round of applause for her exercise technique!Nikki Ziering has just passed her spelling test. Barker’s Beauties always get the perfect grades.One of Idaho’s finest citizens, Brandi Sherwood, from one of her first appearances.The item up for bids was a set of encyclopedia. Dian became so engrossed in one volume that she walked down from the turntable and bumped into Barker!On one show, when Janice Pennington was ill and not able to work, Kyle Aletter filled in for her. Her mother, actress Lee Meriwether, brought her daughter to the studio and took the opportunity to hand Bob Barker his microphone.Bob keeps Janice on stage after she whispers to him that her beloved husband, Carlos, is in the audience. Janice didn’t mean for Bob to point him out, thus the look of surprise on her face!Carlos deAbreau, husband of Janice Pennington, visited the show and was pointed out to America (much to Janice’s surprise) by Barker.Bob has Janice stay on stage after making his entrance. He asks her about exercise, and reveals to the audience that she recently hyperventilated and passed out while exercising. She adds that she had bitten her tongue and had to have stitches! Ouch!“The Price is Right’s” answer to the Andrews Sisters: Dian, Holly and Janice sing the plug to a Karioke machine up for bids. Unfortunately, they never released an album!Holly makes a less-than-inspired “Inspiration Putt” in “Hole in One…or Two”Holly, Dian and Kathleen visit Vicki Lawrence in 1993 just before Dian’s exit from the show. Vicki also played host to Susan Stafford, Carol Merrill, and Summer Bartholomew in the episode.Janice rockin’ out – play that guitar!
Publicly, TPIR was a big happy family. Backstage, things were not so happy.
Dian left TPIR in 1993 and sued Bob Barker the following year, claiming that she was forced into a sexual relationship with Bob (who from 1988-2007 was Executive Producer) in order to keep her job.
Bob admitted to having a sexual relationship with Dian but denied coercing her, and announced his intention to countersue. Dian later dropped her suit.
During Dian’s suit, Bob asked Holly and Janice to prepare to testify & speak to the press about the matter. Janice agreed; Holly declined.
Holly would be fired from TPIR in 1995. The stated reason was cutting back from four models to three; others around the set had overheard Holly, Bob & other producers discussing weight goals Holly allegedly failed to meet. Holly went to the press claiming the actual reason for her firing was “because I was not cooperating with [Bob’s] publicity campaign to smear Dian.”
Bob sued Holly for defamation of character; Holly countersued. The legal battle lasted years.
Janice, Kathleen, and director Paul Alter testified in court with what they knew of Holly’s firing; all three of them (and several other female staff members who had spoken up about working conditions backstage) would be abruptly dismissed from TPIR by 2001. Many of them (including Janice and Kathleen) sued for wrongful termination and received out-of-court settlements.
Holly eventually settled her suit out of court in 2005 for what is rumored to be several million dollars. She and Kathleen have spoken out about the environment backstage during their time at TPIR.
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