"Contestant"

[Don Howard]

I've just finished the first few chapters of this epoch trumpeting the televised and behind the scenes achievements as told to us by the lady--I'm using that word because it's Sunday--who went on many shows and did well. For those who have read this paperback (on loan from the library--thank heaven I didn't pay money for this) do you feel the urge to chase after this gal with a baseball bat?
Also, someone should inform her that her \"old acquaintance Jack Clark\" wasn't still announcing Wheel Of Fortune in the 1990s having gone over the rainbow many years before.

[joelvanderveen]

I must say I had to laugh after reading your comments. Haven't read the book, though.

[Matt Ottinger]

Oh, you have to check out \"Contestant\" if you can find it.  It's everything Don says it is and more.  Wald basks in the reflected glow of the stars and shows she experienced, and her writing style definitely seems as though she expects us to be breathlessly interested in every detail of her otherwise mundane life.

[Winkfan]

I have a copy of Noreen Wald's book in my collection; I found it a pretty good read, if you ask me. The one thing I hated about the book is that she doesn't mention Wink Martindale. Maybe he isn't among Noreen's faves. If I ever met up with Noreen, I'd teach her a thing or two about the Winkster!

Cordially,
Tammy Warner--the 'Emily Banks of the Big Board!'

[Jimmy Owen]

She was on \"The Big Showdown,\" so that makes her ok in my book (and her book too.)

[dzinkin]

[quote name=\'Don Howard\' date=\'Aug 31 2003, 03:16 PM\'] I've just finished the first few chapters of this epoch trumpeting the televised and behind the scenes achievements as told to us by the lady--I'm using that word because it's Sunday--who went on many shows and did well. For those who have read this paperback (on loan from the library--thank heaven I didn't pay money for this) do you feel the urge to chase after this gal with a baseball bat?
Also, someone should inform her that her "old acquaintance Jack Clark" wasn't still announcing Wheel Of Fortune in the 1990s having gone over the rainbow many years before. [/quote]
 All I can say is that I found the book for 30 cents in the used-book section of my local Barnes & Noble... and thanks to an error in the computer (which I didn't notice until I saw the receipt later), I ultimately paid only 3 cents for it.  Worth every penny, but not more. :-D

[ChuckNet]

I was in contact w/Noreen sometime last yr...her son got to me in the hopes of getting her Password appearance on tape, and gave me her #...we talked a bit, and in exchange for dubbing the ep, she sent me one of her novels, which she personally signed for me. A nice gesture, I thought.

Some of her comments, I have to admit, were dead on...anyone who's seen Peter Lawford play Pyramid would be inclined to agree w/her assessment that he was \"lucky to climb into his chair safely, never mind climbing the Pyramid\", as well as her description of Crosswits host David Sparks as \"a man w/out oars in a sinking rowboat\".

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious \"Chuckie Baby\")

[alfonzos]

I just found this in a used book store. I found the book rambling but interesting when she describes being on the show. I wish she had gone into more detail about the actual gameplay. The best part, by far, was her description of Crosswits.

[BrandonFG]

As a 14-y/o, I loved a book detailing one's efforts as a game show contestant. Would love to see it almost 11 years later and see if my opinion changes.

I seem to remember her not being too kind toward Arsenio, and said she played "Crosswits with Dimwits". I think she also tried to pitch a game concept called "Headline Hopscotch", a good decade before "Headline Chasers".

[pyrfan]

The thing that always irked me about her book was her attitude toward NBC over denying her the prizes she won when she was on "Eye Guess," even though she admits that she purposely left one of her game-show appearances off of her contestant application. Hey, it's pretty easy to grasp: You didn't play by their rules, so they have every right to withhold your prizes. After all, you won them, essentially, under false pretenses.


Brendan