Game Show Contestant
In 1975 The Big Challenge was one of the most popular game shows on television. Twenty-three weekly episodes were broadcast before, quite suddenly, for no apparent reason, the program was taken off the air. This story takes place during the filming of the final episode.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I want to welcome everyone in our studio audience and those watching at home. I'm your host Shane Majors, and this is The Big Challenge."
Colored lights flashed and the title of the show appeared in large gold letters as the theme song played. As the last bars of the tune faded, the camera zoomed in on a close-up of the host, now standing behind the podium.
"Let's welcome back our reigning champion, a retired orthodontist from Bricktown, Massachusetts, Dr. Jacob Hines."
The cameraman pans from the former soap star turned game show host to the dentist, a distinguished-looking, white-haired gentleman who resembled an older version of Sir John Gielgud.
"As those of you who watch the show regularly will recall," the smiling Majors continued his introduction, "Dr. Hines's area of expertise is Adolph Hitler and Nazi Germany. So far, our champion has won over fifty thousand dollars in cash and prizes."
People in the studio applauded the elderly dentist who had beaten several challengers over the past two weeks to remain champion. In so doing, he had become somewhat of a television celebrity. Dozens of newspapers and magazines had run features on the record prizewinner and Nazi expert.
"Now, Dr. Hines, let us welcome the man who has come to challenge you," Shane announced. "Please welcome retired history professor from Miami, Florida, Johannes Schmidt."
Professor Schmidt, who like Dr. Hines was well into his eighties, took his place in the challenger's seat to the right of the champion. Shane spoke briefly with the two contestants before the start of the game and wished them both good luck.
"Dr. Hines, Professor Schmidt, if you're ready, let's play The Big Challenge."
Again, the orchestra played a few bars of the show's theme song.
"By now, I'm sure everyone both here and at home is familiar with the rules of the game, but let me repeat them. I will read a question, and the contestants must buzz in if they know the answer. If the player who buzzes in first answers the question correctly, I will then ask him a bonus question that could double the amount of money he wins in that round. At the end of the show, the player with the most cash will go on to our prize board."
The camera moved in for a close-up of the prize board, which included envelopes, edged in gold glitter, and numbered one through ten.
"Now, here's our first question," the host announced, "which is worth fifty dollars. Remember the subject is Nazi Germany. Ready? Adolph's father, Alois, changed his surname to Hitler in 1877. What was Herr Hitler's last name before he changed it? Professor Schmidt, you were the first to buzz in. What is your answer?"
"Alois's surname was originally Schicklgruber," the challenger replied with a faint accent. "It was the name of Hitler's grandmother, Maria Anna, who was not married when she gave birth to her son, Alois. On his baptismal register, the word illegitimate appeared in the place where the father's name is normally written. When he was thirty-nine, his birth certificate was changed to reflect that his stepfather, Johann Georg Hiedler, was his father. At that time, Alois assumed the name Hitler, a variant of Hiedler."
"Your answer is correct—and thorough, I might add. Now, to double that money, here's your bonus question, Professor Schmidt. Hitler had a portrait of what famous America behind his desk to serve as a form of inspiration?"
"Henry Ford is the only American mentioned favorably in Mein Kampf. Ford, who made no secret of his anti-Semitic views, was responsible for a four-volume publication entitled The International Jew: The World's Foremost Problem."
"I can see why Hitler was such a fan then," Majors joked. "That correct answer doubles your winnings, bringing your total to one hundred dollars. As both of you gentlemen know, each round the value of the question increases. Hands on your buzzers because here's your one-hundred-dollar question for round two. In 1938, Hitler received what honor from the American press? Professor Schmidt, again you were the first one to buzz in. What is your answer?"
"In 1938 Hitler was voted Time magazine's Man of the Year."
"Correct. And for another hundred dollars, here is your bonus question. Prior to the United States entering the war, what Hollywood star put up an amount equivalent today to twenty-five million dollars of his own money to finance an anti-Nazi film?"
"That would be Charlie Chaplin, and the film he made was The Great Dictator."
"Yes. That brings your two-round total to three hundred dollars. I wish I could give you an extra hundred for providing me with such detailed answers," the host laughed. "But I'm afraid the show's producers wouldn't approve. I'm curious. Have you ever been to Germany, Professor Schmidt?"
"Yes. You see, I am a student as well as a teacher of history, so I have traveled to a great many places in Europe, Mr. Majors."
"It's no wonder then that you know your subject so thoroughly, professor. We will move on to our third round in just a few minutes. But first, our announcer, Bob Billings, will tell us about our great parting gifts. Bob?"
In a rich baritone voice with no trace of his former Brooklyn accent, the announcer briefly described the set of Encyclopedia Britannica, the lifetime supply of Rice-a-Roni (the San Francisco treat) and the home version of The Big Challenge that would be given as consolation prizes to the loser.
When the camera returned to him, Shane Majors flashed his beautiful capped teeth and dazzled the audience with his dimpled smile.
"Let's get back to our game. Round three, gentlemen, is worth two hundred and fifty dollars. What was the name given to the group of nonconformist teenagers who rebelled against the strict regimentation of the Hitler youth and sought freedom not only to express themselves but also to mingle with members of the opposite sex? Professor Schmidt, you again."
"They were known as the Edelweiss Pirates," the former history professor explained. "During the war, many of these malcontents assisted the Allies as well as deserters from the German Army."
"Another correct answer, professor. Now to double that two hundred and fifty dollars to five hundred, here's your bonus question. What Italian landmark served as a Nazi observation post during World War II?"
"That would be the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The Allies refused to bomb it because of its historic significance."
"Right, again. And that correct answer brings your total winnings for the three rounds up to eight hundred dollars. Dr. Hines, are you sure your buzzer still works?"
The audience members laughed again, as did the champion, who had yet to answer a question in the game.
"Round four is now worth five hundred dollars, so you're not out of the game yet, Dr. Hines. Here's the five-hundred-dollar question. Although one of six children, Hitler had only one living adult sibling. What was that sibling's name? Yes, Dr. Hines?"
"That would be his sister, Paula. When she lived and worked in Vienna, she used the name Wolf to conceal her relationship to the radical German politician."
"That's right. And our champion is on the board with five hundred dollars. Now for one thousand dollars and the lead in the game. Hitler was known to be an avid cinema buff who would view Hollywood movies during private screenings. What movie is credited with being the Führer's favorite?"
"Surprisingly enough, it was Walt Disney's first full-length animated feature, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."
"Yes. Could you imagine the Nazi version? 'Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho, it's off to war we go.'"
There was laughter from the audience and a smile from Dr. Hines, but Professor Schmidt maintained a solemn expression.
"And with that correct answer," Shane Majors continued, "our champion, Dr. Jacob Hines from Bricktown, Massachusetts, has taken the lead. But the questions for round five are worth seven hundred and fifty dollars, so it's still anybody's ball game. Now for the next question. Before the war, Adolf Hitler spent most of his time in his villa in the country. For seven hundred and fifty dollars, what was the name of that villa and where was it located? Professor Schmidt, you buzzed in first."
"Berghof was the name of the villa, which was originally a smaller chalet named Haus Wachenfeld. Hitler rented the house in 1928, but in 1933 he purchased the place from the money he had made selling his book, Mein Kampf. The villa was located in the Obersalzberg, a mountainside retreat situated above the village of Berchtesgaden in Bavaria."
"Correct. And you've now regained the lead with your encyclopedic knowledge, professor. Answer the bonus question, and you will bring your total winnings up to two thousand three hundred dollars. In his later life, Hitler lived at his villa with his mistress, Eva Braun. How and when did Hitler meet the young woman?"
"The two met in 1929 in Munich. Eva worked as an assistant to Heinrich Hoffmann, who was the official photographer of the Nazi Party. She met Hitler in Hoffmann's studio."
"Once again, that is the correct answer. We now have only two rounds left. Dr. Hines, are you ready? This question is worth one thousand dollars. What man boasted that he had personally seen to the extermination of two-and-a-half million persons at Auschwitz? Johannes Schmidt, our retired history professor, give us your answer, please."
"That would be Rudolf Franz Höss, the first commandant of the camp."
"That is absolutely right, sir. And now for two thousand dollars, here is your bonus question. What became of that commandant after the war ended?"
"Höss went into hiding, but in March 1946 he was captured by the British. He had been living as a farmer under the name Franz Lang. He testified at the Nuremberg trials and was later handed over to Polish authorities who tried him for murder. The Supreme National Tribunal in Poland found him guilty and sentenced him to die. He was executed next to the crematorium at Auschwitz."
"A fitting end, I would say," Shane Majors editorialized. "Now we must pause for a commercial break. When we come back, we'll see which of our two contestants goes on to our prize board."
After a commercial for the show's sponsor, the General Motors Company, the show's theme song played, and the camera panned the studio audience before zooming into another close-up of Shane Majors.
"Welcome back to The Big Challenge. Our champion, Dr. Jacob Hines, has one thousand dollars, and the challenger, Professor Johannes Schmidt, is in the lead with four thousand three hundred as we come to our final round. This question is worth two thousand five hundred dollars, which can be doubled in the bonus round, so everything is riding on these final two questions. Put your hands on your buzzers, gentlemen, and good luck. What close associate of Adolf Hitler immediately succeeded him as Chancellor of Germany, but only held that position for one day? And it's our challenger, Johannes Schmidt, the retired history professor from Miami, Florida, who buzzed in first. What is your answer, sir?"
"Paul Joseph Goebbels, the Reich Minister of Propaganda."
"Again, you are correct. Congratulations on becoming our new champion. In a few minutes you will go to our prize board, but first, here's your bonus question. You now have six thousand eight hundred dollars. If you answer this final question correctly, you can bring your cash total for today's game up to nine thousand three hundred. In the mid-1930s Hitler enjoyed a close friendship and a possible romantic relationship with what British woman?"
"The answer is Unity Mitford. She was the daughter of an English nobleman who, obsessed with Hitler, learned German, traveled to Germany and worked her way into his inner circle."
"Yes. There's no stumping you, I see. Well done, Professor Schmidt. Congratulations on being the new champion of The Big Challenge. Sadly, we must say goodbye to Dr. Jacob Hines, who leaves us with more than fifty thousand dollars in cash and prizes. Not a bad total, Dr. Hines."
"No, it's not. Thank you, Shane. It's been a real pleasure being on this show," the former champion declared. Then he turned to the man who defeated him, saying, "And you, Professor Schmidt, I will enjoy watching you claim the prize you so richly deserve."
As the audience applauded loudly, Dr. Hines shook the host's hand and left the stage.
"Now, Professor Schmidt, would you join me up here in the winner's circle?" Majors asked.
"I'd be delighted to," the winner replied, as a curtain opened behind Shane Majors, revealing the show's prize board.
"On this board behind me are ten envelopes containing valuable prizes such as cash, cars and trips. As today's champion, all you have to do is select an envelope, and you will win the prize described inside. Isn't that simple? Okay, Professor Schmidt, which envelope do you want?"
The old man selected one of the envelopes and handed it to Shane Majors. The host opened it and unfolded the piece of paper inside.
"Oh, professor, I hope you like to travel," said the host, trying to add to the suspense of the moment. "As the champion of The Big Challenge, you have won an all-expenses-paid trip to beautiful Israel."
Professor Schmidt turned pale, and his eyes darted to both sides of the stage as if looking for a way out. Dr. Hines and several other men were waiting in the wings, watching him intently. One of the orthodontist's young companions approached the new champion.
"Professor Schmidt," he said, holding out his identification, "I'm with the United States Department of Justice, and these gentlemen are agents of the Israeli government. They would like to ask you a few questions."
Professor Schmidt closed his eyes. This was the moment he had long dreaded.
One of the Israelis addressed him with contempt, "Johannes Schmidt—John Smith? I would have expected something more original from you."
"How did you find me?" the dejected old man asked.
"We've been looking for you for more than thirty years. Did you think you had fooled us with that fake suicide? We knew you had survived the war, but we had no idea where you were hiding. It took us years to coax you out into the open. Dr. Hines, a former 'guest' at one of the Nazi concentration camps, agreed to help us lay the trap."
Dr. Hines smiled bitterly at his challenger and said, "They knew you would never stand by quietly and let a Jew be declared an expert on Nazi Germany."
Another agent approached the old man and announced, "You're going to have to come back to Israel with us. Thousands of people are waiting there to greet you. They may even declare a national holiday when we show up with you, Herr Hitler—or should I call you Mein Führer?"
Salem won $25,000 on a game show. He used his winnings to buy a giant chess piece made of Godiva chocolate!
