Concentration

[PYLdude]

I will apologize if this has been asked before, Norm, but when you deal with 28 pages' worth of questions it kind of becomes hard to keep track (I guess I should be lucky that I have asked you a couple questions that weren't asked before, lol).

When the show was being put together initally, was there any consideration given to anything else being part of the operations of the game board- as in, instead of having the mechanical trilons that you eventually used could there have been other options to use like pull cards? Or would that not have been feasible?

[Matt Ottinger]

No reason to create another topic for this small tidbit, and it's not really even a question for Norm, unless he'd like to use it as a springboard to talk about his special celebrity shows.  In the latest Today Show retrospective book, in the section spotlighting Hugh Downs, there is, somewhat surprisingly, a Concentration picture.  Hugh is at the contestant area with celebrity players Merv Griffin and Mitch Miller.  For those of us who were childhood fans of the show, it's always nice to see another glimpse of it, even in print.

[geno57]

In the latest Today Show retrospective book, in the section spotlighting Hugh Downs, there is, somewhat surprisingly, a Concentration picture.

Nice pic.  It's the show's second set, so it would be circa 1961 or '62.

[normb]

I will apologize if this has been asked before, Norm, but when you deal with 28 pages' worth of questions it kind of becomes hard to keep track (I guess I should be lucky that I have asked you a couple questions that weren't asked before, lol).

When the show was being put together initally, was there any consideration given to anything else being part of the operations of the game board- as in, instead of having the mechanical trilons that you eventually used could there have been other options to use like pull cards? Or would that not have been feasible?

Nope,  We automatically felt very satisfied with the three sided decision.  We needed the three sides: 1. the box number, 2. the prize description and 3. a portion of the puzzle. The trilons and their ability to go clockwise and counter-clockwise was perfect for our needs. Also, it made us unique -- what  other show is remembered by the clunkety-clunk of their game board? The pull tabs were already reserved for the contestant prize lists.

[normb]

In the latest Today Show retrospective book, in the section spotlighting Hugh Downs, there is, somewhat surprisingly, a Concentration picture.

Nice pic.  It's the show's second set, so it would be circa 1961 or '62.

As host of that era's TODAY show, he was proud to be the emcee of CONCENTRATION, and mentioned it often.  At first he was concerned that his public image as an ultra serious and extremely intelligent TV personality would be harmed. A few other TV news men had tried it.  Most viewers felt the show was educational -- I didn't -- it was just entertaining -- just good, clean fun. In actuality we were far from slapstick, or silly, so Hugh liked the opportunity to be associated with this type of show and took every advantage to brag about it.  Photo ops were only one way, like the one you saw involving him on the TODAY show and CONCENTRATION.  He did the same thing when he did the TONIGHT show and CONCENTRATION.

[chris319]

Not on the subject of Concentration, but it would be interesting to see how the Today Show book treats the subject of Charles Van Doren. Unfortunately there is no video of his Today Show appearances on YouTube.

(MOMENTS LATER)

But there is this 26-second gem on the NBC News archive (not a big deal):

http://www.nbcuniversalarchives.com/nbcuni/clip/5112571329_006.do

[Matt Ottinger]

Not on the subject of Concentration, but it would be interesting to see how the Today Show book treats the subject of Charles Van Doren. Unfortunately there is no video of his Today Show appearances on YouTube.

I can't speak to the newer book, but I have a copy of the last big hardback history the show did (2003) and they not only mention Van Doren and the scandal, they kinda make a big deal about it.  In keeping with their mission of patting themselves on the back whenever possible, the focus is on the "extraordinary personal moment" when Dave Garroway addressed the camera to talk about Van Doren's absence.  The Garroway speech is quoted at length, maybe in its entirety.  I know I've seen the clip before, probably on one of the history specials.

[chris319]

I am reading a book about the NBC Monitor radio program. Garroway was a major player on Monitor, yet I haven't come across any mention of Van Doren doing It. Seems just about everyone at 30 Rock, and some from outside 30 Rock, did Monitor: Bill Cullen, Gene Rayburn, Joe Garagiola, Henry Morgan, Arlene Francis, Monty Hall, Hugh Downs and others too numerous to mention.

[Eric Paddon]

Not on the subject of Concentration, but it would be interesting to see how the Today Show book treats the subject of Charles Van Doren. Unfortunately there is no video of his Today Show appearances on YouTube.

I can't speak to the newer book, but I have a copy of the last big hardback history the show did (2003) and they not only mention Van Doren and the scandal, they kinda make a big deal about it.  In keeping with their mission of patting themselves on the back whenever possible, the focus is on the "extraordinary personal moment" when Dave Garroway addressed the camera to talk about Van Doren's absence.  The Garroway speech is quoted at length, maybe in its entirety.  I know I've seen the clip before, probably on one of the history specials.

The old MSNBC series (from the days before it became a network of certified flakes) "Time And Again" once had a program on the quiz show scandals that had one clip of Van Doren from Today as well as Garroway's speech.   It also showed an interview with Van Doren from 1987 when he appeared on Today in connection with the show's anniversary week and there was only one oblique question about the scandal at the end of the interview (about moving on from the experience) which I'm sure was a precondition to his appearing.

[Bob Zager]

I just stumbled across this photo up for bids on eBay, showing Bob Clayton standing in front of the game board, with a fully revealed rebus puzzle (pretty easy to solve, IMO).

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1972-TV-Game-Show-Concentration-Host-Bob-Clayton-Wire-Photo-/300672746853?pt=Art_Photo_Images&hash=item46017e0565

[chris319]

That puzzle makes little sense unless #20 is revealed.

[JakeT]

That puzzle makes little sense unless #20 is revealed.

Yeah, maybe in 2012 but in 1972, solving "THE JIMMY STEWART -----", TV viewers probably wouldn't have had that much difficulty in realizing that "SHOW" was that last word in the solution.

JakeT

[dale_grass]

That puzzle makes little sense unless #20 is revealed.

I'da went with a guy going 'shh' and a garden hoe.

[Denials]

The problem I see there is that then you have to do something else for the word "art."

Given what Mr. Blumenthal has said here, "art" by itself might be hard because of all the different possible words that could be guessed given the rest of the picture - "painting", "Museum", "gallery", "exhibition", etc.  If I read Mr. Blumenthal's comments correctly, he was trying to go for clues that were generally unambiguous.

Of course, all of this comes with the disclaimer that Concentration was off the air well before I was born, so my observations could be way off.

[normb]

The problem I see there is that then you have to do something else for the word "art."

Given what Mr. Blumenthal has said here, "art" by itself might be hard because of all the different possible words that could be guessed given the rest of the picture - "painting", "Museum", "gallery", "exhibition", etc.  If I read Mr. Blumenthal's comments correctly, he was trying to go for clues that were generally unambiguous.

Of course, all of this comes with the disclaimer that Concentration was off the air well before I was born, so my observations could be way off.

Nope -- you are right on target. As I've said, it would be misleading to show two groups of men in a tug of war and use it to convey the word, "pull."  That drawing (or clue) could be a number of different things.  I have always replied to this question, the clues must be the item itself, NOT the "act of."  If I drew an eye -- that's all it was -- not "seeing," "cornea," or anything else. As is the case with the "Jimmy Stewart Show"  I did things like that very often -- making complicated and, if you will, pretty pictures.  What makes a puzzle easy or difficult?  Depends upon when the key clue is revealed.  Like all of my puzzles, if a player turned up "Art Show" early, they could take a wild guess.  If it remained hidden, the game took longer to play (which I liked).  Whoever, in your group who  suggested the use of someone saying, "Shh" plus a hoe (for the word, show) -- be realistic -- that's not really that creative or even humorous.  When I had no alternative, I had to draw simple things like that. The more unusual clues I could use, gave the puzzles lots more variety and made life a lot more challenging for me and the mail from our viewers showed they liked it as well.