TV Guide (November 19, 1955)

Final Decision Is Not On Evans’ Conscience In the category, Food, Evans wanted an expert to identify the parts of the animal from which come the various cuts of meat. “I couldn’t ask that because the questidbn suggests slaughtering of the animal.” He paused and added sardonically, “Everyone knows that brisket of beef comes wrapped in cellophane in the supermarket.” Queries about recipes were rejected because a contestant might say, “And then I stir in a half pound of plaster of Paris. At least, that’s the way it’s done in my family.” Observed Evans, “We’d have a terrible time disproving that.” A fair question, according to the professor, is one which asks for information an expert in the field would be reasonably expected to know. “If we had asked Captain McCutchen (who won $64,000) .to describe foods served during the first Ming Dynasty, we may have baffied him. But the question would have been unreasonable.” Evans explained that he doesn’t select the final questions used. When a category is decided upon, he draws up 200 questions, graded in difficulty. “The first one has to be easy,” he said. “If a man failed the $64 question, it would be like getting a flat tire at his own funeral.” The 200 questions are then sifted by Evans, Steve Carlin, the executive producer, and Koplin. A final 66 are chosen, or six for each of the 11 steps leading to the top. Each, technically, is equally difficult. Carlin and Koplin select one of the six. “That’s a decision,” Evans said, “which I’m happy not to have on my conscience.” The category, the Bible, turned out to be a sore point for Evans, who said, “As a child, I had the Bible drilled into me. Yet, I wasn’t able to ask a single scholarly question on interpretation. An intelligent question would be, ‘Tell the difference in the Ten Commandments from the Old Testament as stated by Roman Catholics and as stated by the Protestants.’ It seems it could come as a great shock to many Protestants and Catholics that there is a difference* and would raise protests. So I was stuck with asking for such things as the names of the Disciples.” Evans’ idea of a real contest would be to bring on a renowned scholar, quiz him on his specialty and throw him to the wolves. “There isn’t a man alive who couldn’t be stumped by a question in his field.” To prove his theory, he asked his university colleagues if they would appear on the show as the accompanying expert whom the contestant is allowed to consult for the final, $64,000 question. All said, “No.” The reasoning: If the contestant turned to the expert for help and if the expert let him down, the blow would be terrible. The expert has too much to lose and not enough to gain. “In fact,” Evans said, “viewers don’t like real experts. That’s why I’m not seen on this show. Hal March is a good emcee because people identify themselves with him. He couldn’t answer any more questions than the average viewer could. But I would be looked down upon as the professor sneering at the common man. If we get a Harvard professor as contestant, I could emcee. All I would have to do is butcher him and everyone would cheer for me.”—Kathy Pedell *The apparent difference is chiefly a matter of numbering. The First Commandment as stated by Protestunts is: “I am the Lord thy God; thou shalt have no other gods before me.” The Second is: “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image .. .” Roman Catholics combine these two in their First Commandment. The Protestants’ 10th Com mandment is: “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house . . . nor his wife, nor his (property). Catholics count this as two Commandments. Thus both religions have the same total number of Commandments. There also is some difference in phrasing.