cue card

Cue cards, also known as note cards, are cards with words written on them that help actors and speakers remember what they have to say. They are typically used in television broadcasts where they can be held off-camera and are unseen by the audience. Cue cards are still currently being used on all late night talk shows including Jay Leno, David Letterman, Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Kimmel as well as Variety and sketch comedy shows like Saturday Night Live and Mad Tv rely heavily on Cue Cards. Many other TV shows, including game and reality shows, still use cue cards due to their mobility, as a teleprompter only allows the actor or broadcaster to look directly into the camera.

Cue cards were originally "invented" when Barney McNulty, a CBS page and former military pilot, was asked to write ailing actor Ed Wynn's script lines on large sheets of paper to help him remember his script. McNulty volunteered for this duty because his training as a pilot taught him to write very quickly and clearly. McNulty soon saw the necessity of this concept and formed the company "Ad Libs." McNulty continued to be Bob Hope's personal Cue Card man until he stopped performing.

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