The $64, 000 Question (1955–1958) User Reviews (3)

A good concept that might have been carried too far

[bpatrick-8 · 7/10 · 30 November 2014]

The basic concept of "The $64,000 Question" was sound; it had run for years on radio as "The $64 Question," with contestants answering progressively more difficult questions in a category of their choice, starting at $1 and increasing to the titular top prize. Contestants could take their winnings and leave at any point, or risk losing everything if they missed on a future question.

By 1955 $64 wasn't likely to excite many people, so when Louis G. Cowan bought the rights to the show he envisioned something like a climb up Mt. Everest (this wasn't long after Sir Edmund Hillary's ascent); as on the radio show, one contestant at a time would pick a category, answer a few easy questions starting at $64, then--at the $8000 level--be placed inside an isolation booth for the four big-money questions. And just to add to the suspense, once the contestant got to that level, he or she was asked just one multi-part question a week, then given a week (if they answered correctly) to decide whether to continue or risk losing everything (but winning a new Cadillac as a consolation prize).

The show's producers liked to have people with interests unrelated to their professions; psychologist Joyce Brothers on boxing, as already mentioned; Marine Corps Capt. Richard McCutcheon (the first $64,000 winner) on cooking; jockey Billy Pearson on art. Fine and dandy, but what I think hurt the show was that Charles Revson, head of the show's cosmetics sponsor Revlon, would drop not-so-subtle hints as to contestants he wanted to keep on and those he wanted off. Since all contestants had been pre-tested to see if their knowledge of their category was genuine, it was easy to write to a contestant's strength if Revson liked the person, or write something to knock them out if they didn't. The catch here is that the contestants were not (unlike "Twenty-One") given the questions and answers in advance (although some claimed to have heard component parts of their questions), and so it's not really fair to say that the "Question" was rigged; indeed, Dr. Joyce Brothers correctly answered a number of questions intended to eliminate her.

Nonetheless, the ratings (especially in the first year, 1955-56) seemed to indicate that the public treated this show almost like a soap opera: will the cooking expert, or opera expert, answer the big-money question? Will he or she quit? Maybe it was changing times but the 1970s remake, "The $128,000 Question," never engaged the country like the original did. But in 1958 "Question" got tarred with the same brush as "Twenty-One," perhaps unfortunately.

Sure, Charles Revson wanted what he felt was best for his show, which was making tons of money for him, but 20-20 hindsight says he should have made lipstick and let the producers run the quiz.

Hal March deserves a mention. He was a sympathetic, yet excitable host in the Bert Parks tradition (when somebody answered a tough one he'd shout "You're RIGHT! You're absolutely RIGHT!"). Also, $64,000 in 1955 was worth about $512,000 today (and CBS considered, and rejected, a pilot for "The $1,064,000 Question" in 2007).

Still a television landmark after nearly 60 years.

$64,000 Question- When Quiz Shows Were Rigged **1/2

[edwagreen · 5/10 · 11 November 2009]

No matter how enlightening this 1950s game show was, it soon became the symbol of game show rigging at its worst.

The show produced some really great talent who chose a topic and were able to play up until reaching the jackpot of $64,000. Joyce Brothers, as an example, got her start on the show. She was a child psychologist, who went on to fame with her knowledge of boxing. She became prominent in the psychology field and this show opened the door to a very successful career for her.

Remember Charles Van Doren? He also appeared to be very bright in his field until it was determined that he and many other contestants were given the answers or given the type of questions that "might" be asked. In other words, the people behind the show were seeing which contestants would be the most interesting and therefore they would keep them on longer to spur viewer interest.

Memorable Milestone

[dougdoepke · 24 January 2014]

Summer was traditionally a time when TV networks tried out new shows, not expecting much in the ratings. However, despite expectations The $64,000 Question was an instant hit in June, 1955. Back when a dollar was worth much more than today, the amount of ultimate prize money was simply staggering. Most radio game shows, from which Question evolved, offered only paltry amounts in comparison. Contestants on Question selected a category from a board and started with an easy $64.00 question. Then with each correct answer, the prize money doubled all the way to $64,000. Needless to say, the questions got steadily harder as the contestant progressed. At the $4,000 level, I believe, contestants entered an isolation booth where only the questioner could be heard. Of course, this added greatly to the drama, especially when a contestant began to sweat.

At first, contestants were strictly ordinary people with expertise in a particular field. Joyce Brothers, who went on to a lengthy media career, was probably the best known of this field. After all, who would expect such a diminutive, feminine-looking woman, to know so much about boxing, of all things. Later, however, when the novelty began to wane, producers brought in celebrity contestants, such as Vincent Price to test his knowledge of art, a personal passion of his. The show continued its ratings blitz for a few more years, even having the distinction of being the only show to knock I Love Lucy out of the #1 ratings spot.

However, Question was eventually caught up in the quiz show scandal surrounding its chief competitor "21" and its now notorious contestant Charles Van Doren. Congressional investigators later found out he, along with other contestants, had been fed answers and even coached in how to intensify the personal drama. To my knowledge, Question was never found guilty of feeding answers, but producers did manipulate questions to favor contestants with more audience appeal over those with less. After all, advertising rates depended on audience size, and Revlon Cosmetics, Question's sponsor, was no less interested than other commercial outfits. The notorious scandal that erupted in 1959 disillusioned many trusting folks, and had an understandably dampening effect on big money quiz programs for years, if not decades, afterwards.

Nonetheless, back when 64-thousand was worth much more than today, many of us who hung on each installment remember the show as a compelling oddity and a memorable milestone in TV's evolution.