Fun, Games and Jackpots

   by Sam Ewing

 

Congratulations! You have won today's jackpot $2.00 in groceries at the Piggly Wiggly store!"

Friends of Radioland, that was a major award during Depression-era radio. Small giveaways on local stations marked the humble origins of giant network prize programs that zombiefied America in the late 30s, 40s and early 50s. We probably wouldn't have The Wheel of Fortune if someone at a "coffee pot" station hadn't created Spin to Win over 50 years ago.

Many primitive game shows, such as the Sidewalk Ukulele Music Quiz and Pick a Lucky Number, of 1936 are now happily forgotten but, by giving out cans of soup, bottles of catsup and boxes of cereal to eager contestants,they set the trend for high stakes jackpots. In 1937, at age 16 while a high-school student, I conducted a daily quarter-hour mystery tune phone-in show on radio station WQBC in Vicksburg, Miss. Listeners called in to identify a piece of music for a pair of movie tickets worth about 30 cents. Meanwhile, at one Midwestern station the announcer-host of a Feather Your Nest phone-in program awarded live chickens.
With guessing games and prizes popular on local stations, combined with the human desire to get "something for nothing," it was inevitable that a national blockbuster program would emerge.

Sure enough, orchestra leader Horace Heidt and his Musical Knights burst onto the National Broadcasting Company with a giveaway program, Pot 0' Gold. Every Tuesday evening the show awarded $1000 in 1939 U.S. currency. Heidt spun a huge numbered wheel three times during the program. The first number to come up indicated a telephone directory from among the show's vast library of such books used in cities across the USA. The second spin gave the page number and selected the line, name and telephone number of the lucky person who had a chance at the cash.

Heidt's orchestra played music at a breakneck speed while the ca11 was placed. When the party was reached, announcer Ben Grauer shouted: "Stop, Horace!" Grauer then advised the astounded person on the line that $1000 would be on the way via Western Union.

Pot 0' Gold created a nationwide sensation. So many hopefuls stayed home on Tuesday nights and seated themselves beside a radio and telephone that theater owners everywhere complained about poor attendance. Listeners didn't stop to consider that the odds were about 80 million to one against being called. NBC, flushed with success over the runaway Pot 0' Gold hit, followed through with Beat the Band, a musical quiz with strong audience participation. It brought together the Ted Weems Orchestra with singer Perry Como and host Garry Moore. Musical questions were solicited from listeners and used to stump the band. The orchestra had to play the number within a time limit. For every question used, a listener received a check for $5. If the band was stumped, the listener netted $10. Every entrant got a box of KIX cereal.

Working in Hollywood in the 1950's, my production partner, Pat Cooney and I put a format spin on Beat the Band. Cooney and I created a TV program, Treasure Tune Clock. The half-hour show featured Joyce Collins, a talented pianist, who knew thousands of popular songs, MC Harry Koplan, and a panel of guest celebrities, the likes of Rudy Vallee and "Golden Girl" Betty White. The program also boasted a giant clock with a half-minute sweep second hand.

To win on Treasure Tune Clock, viewers visited sponsoring Chevrolet dealers in greater Los Angeles, submitting songs that Joyce Collins had to lay ad lib within 30 seconds. The celebrity panel judged if Miss Collins had produced at least 16 bars of the song correctly. If not, 50 U.S. savings bonds were awarded the entrants.

The Idea of Beat the Band actually lived on until mid 1992 in slight variation on the Johnny Carson Tonight Show. Johnny and guest host Jay Leno entertained with "stump the band."

Members of the studio audience asked Doc Severinsen's orchestra to try to play obscure songs by giving them only the titles: "Frozen Birds Over Alaska," and "I've Got Athlete's Foot Again" were typical. Tonight handed out dinner certificates to stumpers. Beat the Band was a simple, catchy idea that people have always loved, regardless of the size of the prize.The World War II years introduced new giveaway shows. One of these, Double or Nothing, was presented on the Mutual Radio Network from 1940 through 1947. The format was simple: an easy question paid $2; one slightly harder, $4: and so on to $10. Higher prizes were awarded in the "Sweepstakes Quiz." War's end brought consumer desire for household appliances, new cars, boats, vacations, and other luxuries they had missed for years Radio producers quickly took advantage of this pent-up consumer demand.

New York and Hollywood idea men whipped together quiz formats that gave both studio audiences and home listeners a chance to win thousands of dollars in prizes. The first and most flamboyant of the large-scale giveaways was Stop the Music, which combined entertainment, excitement and suspense. The show had "hit" written all over it with bouncy, popular tunes, fabulous prizes unheard of in those days and starring "You, the people of America!"

This hour program which debuted in 1948, realized for the ABC network its wildest dreams, blasting all competition, and actually driving Fred Allen, an American humor icon, off the air. Part Pot 0' Gold and part Your hit Parade, musical selections were played by the Harry Salter Orchestra and lyrics were handled by vocalists Kay Armen and Dick Brown.

A telephone call was placed to a home somewhere in the country from a complete collection of U.S. phone books. When the connection came through, and a telephone bell sounded, Bert Parks (best known later as host of the Miss America Pageants) cried out, "Stop the music" If the person at home could name the selection, a prize, such as a sewing machine or silver service, was awarded. Plus that, contestants had a chance to guess the "Mystery Melody" for a giant jackpot.

For example, the giant jackpot of Jan.21, 1951 consisted of a $2000 diamond ring, a $2000 Benrus wristwatch, silver service for 12, complete furniture for three rooms, living room and dining room suites, all kitchen appliances, installed air conditioning for year-round comfort, a huge clothing wardrobe, an all expense vacation for two in Miami and in the Bahamas, plus a $1000 stock or bond investment on the New York Stock Exchange compliments of Sweetheart Soap. One "mystery melody" was a little-known belly dance number called "The Vision of Salome."

Motivated by the success of Stop the Music, giveaway fever spread to all networks inspiring a total of 54 programs.

National television sounded taps for the radio network giveaway programs. Giveaways then moved exclusively to local radio stations where they remain popular audience-builders to this day. The prizes were usually small meals, movie theater and rock concert tickets, car washes, a helicopter ride for two, a bucket of chicken, or $14.50 in cash. Anything and everything.

Cash, even in small amounts, is the best-liked prize. Cash is something everyone can use. Very few merchandise prizes will appeal to everybody.

Not long ago, listening to a program on a Washington state station, I heard a program host say: "Congratulation! You have won today's jackpot--$25 in groceries at Barker's Better Foods!" It took me back to WQBC in 1937.

Except for inflation, it seems we've returned to the radio give-away of more than 50 years ago. As they say, history repeat's itself, but comes back wearing some sort of disguise.