Johnny: Here it comes! The first big hour-long game show in television! The fabulous, new 60-minute Price is Right!
Christine Burkhardt, COME ON DOWN! (Mid-20 brunette with short hair in a turquoise scoop-necked T-shirt and high-waisted white pants)
Lucille Johnson, COME ON DOWN! (Early to mid-20 brunette with Cher-like hairstyle in a floral print blouse knotted in the front and high-waisted white pants. She's carrying a crystal ball in her left hand.)
Lana Forks, COME ON DOWN! (Late 20s bleach blonde in a grayish blouse and green pants) and...
Brenda Mitchell, COME ON DOWN! (Early 30s black woman in white top and bell-bottom jeans with a blue bandanna on her head)
You are the first four contestants on TPIR! And now, here's the star of TPIR, Bob Barker!
Bob is wearing a black and brown plaid jacket and grayish slacks and the Beauties are wearing red velour dresses with striped necklines.
Bob: If you like games, this is the place for you. During the next hour, we're gonna be playing exciting pricing games. And here we go. Here is the first IUFB on TPIR.
1. Magnavox blanket chest stereo (Dian)
Brenda: $448 (Bob: "An interesting bid.")
Lana: $425
Lucille: $430
Christine: $450
ARP: $448! Brenda knew what she was doing!
Brenda's mouth is going a mile a minute when she meets Bob on the turntable. She's VERY hyper and never really stops bouncing up and down.
Bob: That is an astounding bid! You bid $448 and it...
Brenda: I know, I know!
Bob: How did you know?
Brenda: Because I've been watching every day and every night and I (unintelligible), OH GOD! (covers face with hands)
Bob: That's easy for you to say! You've watched so often that you know the prices?
Brenda: My mom is gonna be so proud when I came on down. I've been practicing coming on down! (Johnny laughs)
Bob: Where did you come on down from when you were practicing?
Brenda: Washington, D.C. Oh, oh, I came down steps. And I would come on down at work and everything. Almost got fired at work.
Bob: You almost got fired for coming on down?
Brenda: I was an usher at some place and I used to usher the people coming on down.
Bob: Oh, my! Well, now, now though, you really came on down! Then, you really won your way on up...
Brenda: But I didn't even practice comin' on up! I just kept practicing comin' on down! (Johnny cracks up and give one of his legendary belly laughs.)
Bob tells her that now that she's up there, she can win this.
Johnny: An exciting new concept in boating!
An odd way of introducing a prize, don't you think? Johnny further describes it as "all the excitement of motorcycle riding with the thrill of boating", essentially making it a jet ski. It's from Dyna Foil and is a prize worth $2220! A decent prize. Adjusted for inflation, that's about $9000 today.
Brenda sees Bullseye come around on the turntable and immediately starts despairing.
Bob: What's the matter?
Brenda: I'm single.
Bob: You're single?
Brenda: I don't know these things. (pointing to products)
Bob: Oh, you don't know these...
Brenda: I don't cook. I don't have anything to...oh my goodness.
Bob: Now, it's gonna be alright, Brenda. I'm gonna help you. But, you've never seen this game Bullseye, have you?
Brenda: Yes, I have.
Bob: Okay, then you know how to play Bullseye.
(Brenda makes a "so-so" gesture with one hand and makes a weird noise.)
Bob tells her to listen as Johnny describes the products* since she doesn't do a lot of shopping:
Alba 77 Fit 'n Frosty diet shake
Blammo sugarless gum
Desitin hand lotion
Hefty trash bags (20 pack)
Rice-a-Roni
* I can't believe it took me this long to notice this, but Bullseye was the first game to used those generic description labels for grocery products (i.e., "LOTION", "RICE", etc.) that we take for granted today. Without Bullseye, we wouldn't have such gems as "POCKET MEAL" or "PIZZA SNACK" to describe Hot Pockets!
Remember, this old-school Bullseye with a target of $9-10. And only the closest guess qualifies for the hidden bullseye.
Brenda. after checking with a friend in the audience, first chooses 8 lotions. Each one is $1.59, eight is $12.72!
Brenda: (stomping foot) I blew it!
As Bob tells her that she's still in the game and brings her closer to the board, she accidentally steps on his foot.
Bob; Oh, you got my toe. Oh, my toe! Oh, you blew it so far as my toe is concerned!
Brenda reluctantly chooses 18 Rice-a-Ronis. It's obvious she doesn't really know what she's doing and and just following audience instructions. One Rice-a-Roni is 45¢, 18 is $8.10. Close, but not quite enough. Twenty would have given her the win.
Her last choice is 5 of the waste bags. One is 95¢, 5 is $4.75. Target missed again!
Her only chance is with the Rice-a-Roni. Is the hidden bullseye there?
Rice-a-Roni = hidden bullseye!
Brenda wins and is jumping all around. Bob tells her to watch his toe. He quickly signs off with "We'll be right back."
(That entire first segment, from the beginning of the opening to the fade to commercial took exactly nine minutes! It took us until about 3:50 just to get to the prize reveal in Bullseye!)
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Bob: Johnny, who's coming down here to contestants' row now?
Johnny: Bob, it's gonna be Howard Posters! COME ON DOWN! You're the next contestant on TPIR! (Older man with salt-and-pepper hair in a white button-down shirt and black slacks)
2. Amana trash compactor (Dian; the turntable didn't come around right away)
Bob: And I want you to know that compactor works a lot better than the turntable it came around on!
Howard: $325
Lana: $350
Lucille: $165
Christine: $162
ARP: $280. The very pretty Lucille goes back to the giant price tag to win...
A NEW CAR! (they're using the Family Feud theme as a car cue by this point)
A tacky yellow AMC Gremlin coupe with a black stripe up the side and loaded with options. Dian holds up one of those blue sponsor cards that says "American Motors", so apparently said cards for cars are also in use by this time.
It's another current game with old rules -- Dice Game. Can Lucille win in spite of the terrible odds?
First roll: 1. Lucille says higher. Duh.
Second roll: 6. Lucille says lower.
Third roll: 1. Lucille says higher.
Fourth roll: 5. Lucille says higher.
Because of the long first segment, Bob rushes right to the reveal.
First number: 3. Uh-oh. I don't like the look of the this one bit. At this point in the show's run, $3500 or less for a car would be unusually cheap. Surely the next number couldn't be zero to five, could it?
Second number: 9! Told ya so.
The price was $3941 and Lucille won't be driving that ugly Gremlin around town.
Bob: We have more Price is Right coming up after this!
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Bob: Off we go to get another contestant. Who is it, Johnny?
Johnny: Judith Lake, COME ON DOWN! You're the next contestant on TPIR! (Early to mid-20s pregnant blonde with big glasses in a white maternity top with red polka dots and black slacks)
3. Emerson Chromalox ceiling fan and light (Anitra) with a caftan by Queen's Way to Fashion (Dian)
Judith: $298
Christine: $230
Howard: $325
Lana: $275
ARP: $267. Christine is the winner.
She is presented with prices of $664, $235, $400, and $468 which match...
(Cue Starcrossed)
A Maytag dishwasher (Janice)
Porcelain pillow sculpture thing (Janice)
Dresser and mirror (Anitra)
Walnut floor clock (Anitra)*
* This is the order they appeared onstage. Johnny described the dishwasher first, then the clock, pillows, and dresser.
She has 45 seconds to win all four prizes. On your mark, get set, go!
Dishwasher: $468
Pillows: $235
Dresser: $664
Clock: $400
1 right, 25 seconds remaining.
Dishwasher: $468
Pillows: $400
Dresser: $664
Clock: $235
0 right, 9 seconds.
She switches the clock and dishwasher as time runs out.
0 right and she fails at Race Game. What were the right prices?
Dishwasher: $400
Pillows: $235
Dresser: $468
Clock: $664
Bob: Christine, you've learned a lot about shopping today. Bye-bye! (to us) We're gonna have a showcase showdown after we have this.
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Lucille: 30¢ + 35¢ = 65¢ (She gives Bob her crystal ball, a good loock charm, to hold for her as she spins.) WIN!
Christine: 65¢ + 80¢ = $1.45 OVER
Brenda: 60¢ + 80¢ = $1.40 OVER
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Bob: There's another contestant headed our way. Who is it, Johnny? Who is it?
Johnny: Bob, it's Sherry Dahl, Sherry Dahl! COME ON DOWN! You're the next contestant on TPIR! (Late 20s blonde in a red and white striped top and jeans)
4. Bishop's chair imported from the Philippines (Janice)
Sherry: $460
Howard: $400
Lana: $300
Judith: $461 (following the advice of her sister)
ARP: $750. Judith's sister was right.
Judith, who has a very heavy Southern drawl, says to Bob "I didn't think y'all let pregnant women on this show!"
Bob: Oh, I've had a lot of mothers-to-be on this stage. Now, you remember your promise, Judith. (she giggles) During one of the messages, she promised not to deliver during the show. But here is what you can win!
A NEW CAR!
Another AMC. This time, a Hornet Sportabout station wagon with wood paneling. As always, it's backed by the AMC Buyer Protection Plan.
It's Card Game for our soon-to-be mom. She draws the $1000 card and is extremely happy and jumping around.
Judith: I didn't step on your toe, did I?
Bob: No, you didn't step on my toe.
Judith: Not twice in a row!
Bob: Oh, no, I couldn't take that. I'd be crippled.
First draw: 9 of diamonds ($900)
Second draw: 10 of clubs ($1900; she tells Bob she's from Houston, TX after he notes her accent)
Judith: The only thing is the military has stuck me out here away from all of my friends!
Bob: Well, your friends will see you win the car.
Judith: Oh, does this come on in Texas the same time it does out here?
Third draw: 4 of diamonds ($2300; Bob says he believes the show comes on in TX at 9am.)
Judith: Can't they [the audience] get organized and give me one bit of advice?
Bob: No, they can never get organized and give you just one bit of advice. There's a lot of differences of opinion out there.
She then asks what kind of car it is before drawing a 10 of diamonds to make $3300. Her sister Deborah is telling her to stop, but she draws again.
Judith: I'm gonna see if I can find a little one.
Fifth draw: King of spades! ($4300)
She stops. She must come within $1000 without going over to win the car. The actual retail price of that car is...$4311! A difference of only $11 has to be a record.
Because the game took so long, Bob immediately launches into "There's more Price is Right coming up." after declaring her a winner.
Johnny: Stay tuned for more pricing games and the fabulous showcases coming up on the second half of TPIR! (logo still zooms in)
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Bob: Johnny Olson, what is the name of our next participant?
Johnny: Bob Barker, meet Thelma Phillips! COME ON DOWN! You're the next contestant on TPIR! (Older black woman in a red and white striped pantsuit and white turban on her head)
5. Glass desk
Thelma: $299
Sherry: $300
Howard: $375
Lana: $376
ARP: $680. Lana escapes!
It's up to the stationary portion of the turntable where Give or Keep is already out in the open. Lana can now win what?
A baseball glove sofa! And to go with it, season tickets for two to all the home games of the L.A. Dodgers for their 1977 season! It's a prize package worth $3840! Only $101 less than the car from today's Dice Game.
First pair
Galaxy Royal costume jewelry (JEWELRY)
Romertopf clay roasting pot (CLAY POT)
Keeps clay pot, jewelry is $29.
Second Pair
Hamilton Beach no-scorch iron (IRON)
Maybelline makeup and tote bag (COSMETICS)
Keeps cosmetics, iron is $34.
Third pair
Four gallons of True Value paint (PAINT)
West Bend coffee maker (COFF. MAKER)
Keeps paint, coffee maker is $50. There is now $113 in the GIVE column.
Clay pot: $26
Cosmetics: $30
Paint: $44
She only has $100 in the KEEP column and she and her fiance will miss out on all those ball games!
We'll be back with another pricing game after this!
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Bob: Johnny, who belongs right down here?
Johnny: Bob, it's gonna be Donna Scheiermeyer! COME ON DOWN! You're the next contestant on TPIR! (Early 20s brunette in a black top with colorful stitching down the front and jeans)
6. Litton microwave oven (Janice)
Donna: $395
Thelma: $499
Sherry: $350
Howard: $460
ARP: $499! Thelma struts onstage.
Thelma: I knew I was supposed to do that as many times as I done watched the show!
Bob: You have watched enough for it to pay off!
Now she can win (cue Family Feud commercial outro)...
A pachinko machine (Anitra)
A Carolina Tables dinette (Anitra)
A McGraw-Edison air conditioner (Dian)
An American Natural water bed (Dian)
Bob: Thelma, if you've been watching this show so much, I'll bet you know how to play the Poker Game, don't you?
Thelma: Almost. I'm almost about to fall dead. I'm gonna have to take my nerve pills when I get off here. (Bob laughs.)
She chooses the waterbed first. It's $300 for a pair of zeroes.
Next, the dinette at $595. Her hand is now 55009. She keeps it. How much is the pachinko machine?
$414. What about the air conditioner?
$500! Thelma's fives and zeroes beat the house's fours and zeroes and she's doing her victory strut!
We're gonna have our second showcase showdown after this!
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Bob: Before we go any further, I want to make an official announcement. If Thelma wins $1000, she has promised to take everybody out to dinner! That includes Karen, that includes Barbara, Jay Wolpert, Johnny...
Thelma: The whole gang!
Lana: 30¢ + 15¢ = 45¢ (Thelma tells Bob during Lana's first spin that she might buy him a new Hong Kong jacket, referring to the style of plaid jacket he's wearing.)
Thelma: 55¢
Judith: 40¢ + 40¢ = 80¢ WIN!
Our mom-to-be defeats sassy senior Thelma and advances to the showcase!
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Top winner: Judith
Runner-up: Lucille
Showcase #1
It all begins with a refreshment center (Anitra; it's basically a giant armoire to hold bar glassware and drinks).
And after enjoying refreshments, you relax here in your new living room! (Fame Furniture Co., modeled by Dian)
And for warmth underfoot, there's carpeting! (Bell Industries; ugly orange and modeled by Dian)
And finally, for tyour family's entertainment, this organ! (The Swinger 390 by Kimball, modeled by Janice)
And this showcase can be yours if the price is right!
Judith passes. Lucille bids $2500. Judith, this is your showcase.
Johnny: Your showcase is a salute to a man of the world, Jacques Cousteau! And it begins with a trip to the country of his birth -- France! (one week for two at Paris Sheridan)
Now, as everyone knows, the world of Jacques Cousteau is the sea. And you can keep a slice of that world in your own home with this aquarium! (Volna Ltd. lighted aquarium tower and terrarium table, modeled by Anitra)
And next, we offer you the fruit of Jacques Cousteau's skills as both a marine scientist and inventor when we offer you his most famous invention -- this aqualung complete with scuba accessories! (Diver's Corner his and her scuba gear with lessons, modeled by Dian)
And finally, you can take that scuba equipment with you on a voyage aboard your new boat! (Judith: "My husband will just die!") (Barnacle Bill's 18-foot Avenger ski boat pwered by Mercury outboard motor, modeled by Janice)
And this showcase, a salute to a "Man of the World" Jacques Cousteau, can be yours if the price is right!
(With so much bantering on today's, Bob has to really rush the results.)
Judith bids $5000 (the title card on her podium reads "COUSTEAU" instead of "BOAT") and the actual retail price of her showcase is...$9884! A difference of $4884!
Things look good for Lucille! She bid $2500, and the actual retail price of her showcase is...$3632. She wins with a difference of $1132!
Lucille wins $3912 in prizes. Bob Barker saying goodbye everybody!
