Author Topic: Dennis James TPiR -- Week of July 17, 1975  (Read 11821 times)

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Offline Briguy

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Dennis James TPiR -- Week of July 17, 1975
« on: March 16, 2015, 10:09:00 PM »
From j-shea's website, I transcribed (hopefully as accurately as possible) the program from the week of July 20, 1975. The date listed was July 17, but this may be a summertime rerun from the winter of 1975 (if so, likely very late 1974, when Dennis still had his (temporarily) long hair from his hosting stint on NBC's "Name That Tune"), and as before when I transcribed one of these, I used the Saturday date closest to the given air date. So in that case ... .

Here goes:

(j-shea's audio tape begins with the following promo: "Pepper and Williams, at 6 and 11." Probably refers to a newscast.)

"A fortune in fabulous prizes may go to these people tonight if they know when The Price is Right!"

• Linda Arnatti, COME ON DOWN!
• Kathy Warren, COME ON DOWN!
• John Washington, COME ON DOWN!
• Rosalee Gabriel, COME ON DOWN!

You are the first for contestants on the PIR. And now here’s the star of "The Nighttime Price is Right," Dennis James

Dennis: (to audience) "I was peeking out and saw John go like this!" (Probably motioning in some way to show his excitement.) "Hey, welcome Rosalee, John, Kathy, Linda ... folks at home, welcome! Another week has gone by."

Which lead to the ...

1st IUFB: A player piano. (Piano) Pianato Party-Piano. "Can be played manually or electronically, and built by Aeolian Corporation. And this piano can be yours if the Price is Right!"

"Oh, it's gonna be a happy show tonight," says Dennis, noting that it was (probably) Anitra that was playing the jaunty cue that was used underneath John's price description.

• Rosetta – $1100
• John – $900
• Kathy – $1500 (About $15, she said, and Dennis takes it to mean $1500.)
• Linda – $1000

ARP: $1780. Kathy wins, and Dennis then transitions into what will be one of the prizes available in the next game ...

It's luggage! Skyway Outdoor Twist Luggage ... on wheels.

But if Kathy doesn't win that, she can win ...

... "A NEW SPORTSCAR!!!"

A Jensen Healey, with the classic lines of sports car design all the technological developments in automotive engineering. With standard alloy wheels, radial tires, four-cylinder engine and four-speed synchromesh transmission; options are tonneau cover and racing stripes.

It's Any Number, along with TDPB.

9 7 6 4 2

CAR: $ 6924 WIN!!!!!
LUGGAGE: $ _ _ _ ()
GDPB: $ _ _ _ (7)

This time, Dennis gave us the price (hence why we see it showing. Apparently, none of the numbers picked out were in the luggage. Although based on a November 1973 episode -- and assuming inflation (which was running rampant at this time) didn't kick in too severely, $315 seems like a reasonable price, since none of those numbers were called. Which means the piggy bank probably held $8.07.

Total winnings: $8704 (and virtually assured a spot in the Showcase).

----------

John had apparently made a comment during the commercial break, which Dennis picks up on. "I don't know the prices like these women do," was his (apparent) quote. Well, Johnny's going to call out another contestant right now.

Alisha Brewster, COME ON DOWN!!

2nd IUFB: A game! (How vague, but just wait for the description.) "It's Puppy Pong, the friendly puppy and his doghouse with the familiar game of Pong inside. For kids of all ages. And Anitra and Janice are playing right now, let's watch!" (A few seconds as the two models play the familiar game.) "All controls are child-proof and hazard free. From Atari Corp. of Los Gatos, Calif."

Side note ... Puppy Pong was indeed the familiar game of the groundbreaking arcade game Pong. No real differences from the grown-up version, except maybe with a skill-level adjuster to make it a little slower to fit kids (or play the adult speed if desired). It was a yellow hardwood casing, shaped like a doghouse, and had a white cartoon dog with black collar -- probably a sheepdog looking happily over the roof, just seeming to call kids out, inviting them to play with him.

According to a few online sources including Wikipedia, this game was placed at several Chuck E. Cheese pizza restaurants back in the mid-1970s, and also made available to dentists and pediatricians for their waiting rooms (to give the kids something to do while waiting for their appointment and ease their minds). The game was free to play; players simply pressed a reset button to start the game (or start a new game if things didn't go well), and it was set up for one or two players.

Puppy Pong was an attempted compromise with Charles Schultz, the creator of the Peanuts comic strip, after Atari tried to create "Snoopy Pong" (with the familiar beagle and his doghouse). Apparently, Atari forgot to get Schultz's permission to use Snoopy in marketing this game, so "Puppy Pong" was a try at a compromise ... except Schultz apparently thought that the shaggy dog used here was still too much of a resemblance to our pal Snoopy.

The disagreements with Charles Schultz -- Atari WOULD get to use Snoopy in their 1982 home video game for kids, "Snoopy and the Red Baron" -- and few buyers meant this game didn't last much past 1976. And by that time the concept of Pong itself was starting to get long in the tooth. (Although the rival game show "Let's Make a Deal" gave away pong-type arcade games during the 1975-1976 season, as we'll see on Bzzzr! TV, I'm sure.)

BTW: I seem to vaguely remember something like this in a waiting room, or maybe the old Chuck E. Cheese's ... don't know if it was Pong or another game, but it was non coin-operated, meaning it had the manual start/reset switch and had a different housing from the regular adult game.

Anyway, back to the show "...and this electronic video game (which) can be yours if the Price is Right!"

• Alisha – $350
• Linda – $375
• Rosalee – $10 ("Ten what" asks James this time, since Rosalee gave a $15 bid the first time. "Ten dollars" replies Rosalee. And she means it! "OK," says James, well aware this game is more than $10.)
• John – (After some deliberation) $100

"Listen, everybody's entitled to their own bid, right John, Rosalee?" says Dennis

ARP: $795. Linda wins, and some people are left to wonder whether someday, someone will actually have the gall to say, "I wouldn't give one penny for that POS!"

Anyhow, Linda has a collector's item (see above), and Dennis shows her the game board which, through his description, leads us to a playing of the Bonus Game. And the bonus prize is ...

"Things for your viewing and listening pleasure."

For the living room, Magnavox's entertainment armoire, with 25-in. color TV and AM/FM stereo with phonograph. For the dining room, a "dry sink console" stereo with radio/phonograph/8-track tape player, also from Magnavox. Worth $2495.

The four prizes, and how it all goes:

• Leather goods – three-piece purse set from Princess Gardner. The wrong price is $51, says lower, and she's correct.
• Watch – Caravelle calendar watch. Not $35, the right price is lower, she says. And she's right.
• Waffle Baker – Look at the waffle baker, and listen to the "waffle maker," says the punny Dennis. It's TruTest's waffle baker, from True Value. Not $19, and she goes higher. She's fast, she's good, she's right!

Going for perfection and an automatic win, we get ...

• Phone – A frog phone. (Probably one of those novelty phones that were starting to become common in the early 1970s.) "The 2001 from Zamora. A very personal telephone for beauty and communication, the imaginative space-age design with a pleasant bell tone ... from Zamora USA." Not $118. Goes higher ... buzz!

Oh boy ... so it means she'll have to hope it's not behind the bottom space. But not to worry, we hear the winning bells, which means a win.

Total winnings: $3290 ... plus the waffle baker, the leather purse set and the man's watch.

----------

"John's gonna watch his wife ..." notes Dennis as he asks John to call down the next contestant.

Linda Wickel, COME ON DOWN!!
"She came down with a wiggle, Mrs. Wickel.

3rd IUFB: It's a secretary! From Jasper Cabinet Co., a French provincial secretary, of antique finish with automatic desk lift supports and 22-karat gold striped crown glass doors. (From Jasper, Ind.)

"John's trying to find his wife in the dog theater!" laughs Dennis as he calls out for the bids.

• Linda W. – $675
• Rosalee – $725
• John – $700
• Alisha – $750

ALL OVERBID!!!

• Linda W. – $500
• Rosalee – $575
• John – $600
• Alisha – $580

ARP: $595. Alisha wins.

"Hey John, if it's any consolation, you were just $5 over!"

Alisha could win a trip to London and Paris. Economy class via Air Canada, with 1 week stays at Portman Intercontinental Hotel (London) and the Hotel Intercontinental Paris (Paris).

It's the Range Game, the range from $2300 to $2900, with the $150 rangefinder. Dennis cautions Alisha that once the rangefinder is stopped, it cannot be started again.

After about 22-23 seconds of hearing the classic "rangefinder" bells, and the audience screaming "Higher, higher!" Alisha stops the machine. It's not known where it was stopped exactly, but ...

... we hear the winning bells!

"You've got it!" says Dennis, as he announces the price was (apparently) $2660.

Total winnings: $3255.

And poor Alisha is just a few dollars short of the Showcase. Never had a chance to get in.

--------

SHOWCASES

Kathy is the top winner, Linda is the runner-up. Dennis reviews the rules, and let's get to the action:

Showcase 1
* A new dining room. From Broyhill, the Bedford pine collection, with Colonial design, four chairs, tressel table, china hutch, and dry sink.
* 8-place China service (Spove, with tradewinds design).
* Living room. Broyhill Tempo collection, a contemporary living room ith 102-in. pillow sofa, swivel table, and cocktail and end tables.
* Masland 100 square yards carpeting.
* Electronic organ. Baldwin Interlude organ, with optional tape recorder and player.
* FUR-Full-length rat coat with glacial mink, features a matched collar and balloon sleeves, accented with matching leather belt (Zinman Furs' Defino Collection).

Kathy keeps this Showcase and bids $6200.

Showcase 2 – It's a dice showcase! So in order:

* 6: A six-pack of Frostee root beer. (Now in sugar-free!)
* 5: Five pairs of shoes from Personality.
* 4: Four men's outfits. From Eagle Clothes, it's three men's suits and a coordinated sports coat and slacks.
* 3: "Three pieces of furniture." (How vague, but get a load of the description provided to Johnny ... .) "Absolutely new look for the home, New Dimension furniture by Decorian, super comfortable and easy to care for, goes anywhere." (Possibly a seating group or something with a table connecting a seating area?)
* 2: TWO NEW CARS!!!! The Opel Manta and Opel Manta GT, both equipped with power disc brakes and optional tinted glass and sport spoke disc wheels. Plus 2 cases of GTX Castrol motor oil.

And the one?

* 1: A trip to Las Vegas! (Of course!) 1 week at the MGM Grand Hotel.

Bid: $6800.

The moment of truth:

Kathy: $7695 (diff $1495).
Linda: $8825 (diff $2025)

Kathy wins, and begins to cry, she's so happy. Kathy's won $16,399, including the player piano, the Jensen Healey sports car, two rooms of furniture, some china and a fur coat. Nice haul!!!!

Dennis: “Don't miss the show next week because if you do, we're gonna miss you!” (And then they go over to look at the fur coat and all the other goodies!)

CNAOS: Gift back of Texstar's K2R, the spot remover for clothing of non-washable fabrics; and a $25 gift certificate to Martinizer, a dry cleaners (that still has two locations today in Ohio!!!).

After Johnny’s usual spiel, the final statement: “Announced models of automobiles won may be changed due to availability, and do not include tax or license. Hotel rooms are subject to availability.”

And that is that. Later!

Brian
« Last Edit: March 16, 2015, 10:19:17 PM by Briguy »

Offline Briguy

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Re: Dennis James TPiR -- Week of July 17, 1975
« Reply #1 on: March 16, 2015, 10:23:30 PM »
BTW: Anybody know if the "Puppy Pong" game was ever awarded on the daytime TPiR? So far, based on existing descriptions, one hasn't been spotted yet, but there are dozens of episodes from 1974-1975 that we've yet to see, so I wonder ... .

Brian

Offline blozier2006

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Re: Dennis James TPiR -- Week of July 17, 1975
« Reply #2 on: March 16, 2015, 10:41:17 PM »
Per Scott Robinson's posts, this was 087N, taped August 17, 1974.

Offline Briguy

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Re: Dennis James TPiR -- Week of July 17, 1975
« Reply #3 on: March 19, 2015, 10:05:31 AM »
Per Scott Robinson's posts, this was 087N, taped August 17, 1974.

Which is why I think the date listed on j-shea's website is from a summer rerun. And that the actual first-run date, in the first market in which this particular episode aired, was probably sometime in late October or early November 1974.

Or -- since bicycling of episodes was in full place with syndication -- it could be the first time this show aired in this particular market.

Although I'm betting it's a summer rerun.

Brian

Offline Briguy

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Re: Dennis James TPiR -- Week of July 17, 1975
« Reply #4 on: March 19, 2015, 03:50:36 PM »
In any case, for those who are interested, here a link to a picture of what the Puppy Pong machine looked like (a latter day picture):

http://www.gooddealgames.com/articles/CGE2K3/PuppyPong_2.JPG

You can find more online by Googling "Puppy Pong" in your browser. There's vintage ads and photos to see.

It appears that this machine also had an optional bookcase (to set the machine on), the aforementioned skill level controls (and other settings for such things as volume) and even an optional coin-op mechanism to control use.

Brian
« Last Edit: March 19, 2015, 03:54:56 PM by Briguy »