Luckiest Man in America release set (PYL movie)

[Bob Zager]

As of Monday, March 10:

(per X - OneTakeNews)

"The first trailer for ‘THE LUCKIEST MAN IN AMERICA’ has been rated and ready for release.

The film, which premiered to critical acclaim at #TIFF24, is set to release in theatres on April 4, 2025."

[BrandonFG]

And we have a poster. Yes, Peter's lectern is on the other side. No, it should not affect your ability to enjoy the movie.

[Bob Zager]

Thumbs up to the poster!  I wonder if they just reversed the set image, and digitally turned what would've been most obviously backward around.  I wonder because not only is the host lecturn on the opposite side, but the contestants (Ed and Janie) are reversed, too; and it also looks the contestant name tags are on their right breasts (viewers' left-side), and not their left breast (viewers' right side).

It doesn't bother me at all, but the large image of the character Larson, looking out of the corner of his eyes, is not at all like the real Larson, whose eyes are focuses almost 100% on the game board.

Thanks for sharing!

[BillCullen1]

Thumbs up to the poster!
Thanks for sharing!

Agreed. I will make an effort to see this in a theater.

[JasonA1]

I wonder if they just reversed the set image, and digitally turned what would've been most obviously backward around.  I wonder because not only is the host lecturn on the opposite side, but the contestants (Ed and Janie) are reversed, too

You seem to be absolutely right. The shots from the movie in the original post are all the "correct" way. Somebody just wanted the host at the left for the poster aesthetic.

-Jason

[MSTieScott]

Definitely reversed for the poster only (in addition to all the other things pointed out, the colors indicating earned spins and passed spins are on the opposite side).

In the movie, Peter and the contestants (and the name tags and the spin counters) were in the correct positions.

[colonial]

https://youtu.be/5Dw_pujgp5Y?si=82vGj0MdGwcXVoKO

The film's trailer.


JD

[SamJ93]

Wow, Paul Walter Hauser's portrayal of Larson is scarily accurate. The awkward smiling, the odd vocal inflection every time he yells "STOP!"...he did his homework.

Looking forward to seeing this, and really hoping that the weird hallucination sequence involving a giant Whammy makes sense in context...

[ITSBRY]

https://youtu.be/5Dw_pujgp5Y?si=82vGj0MdGwcXVoKO

The film's trailer.


JD

Holy cow, this looks phenomenal.

They even included the hidden score displays facing the contestants. Someone really did their homework. It’s a crying shame if they destroyed that set afterwards. So cool. Very excited to see this.

[Neumms]

Wow! If the movie is edited as well as the trailer, it’ll be phenomenal. I love David Straithairn, the guy playing Bil Carruthers.

[tyshaun1]

Looking forward to seeing this, and really hoping that the weird hallucination sequence involving a giant Whammy makes sense in context...

Come to find out that the show actually did have a human size Whammy on set. It just never made an appearance on the show.

[bscripps]

The TV production nerd in me is screaming about that show somehow being switched on a Grass Valley 100.



That, and the late 80's Panasonic, seen elsewhere in the trailer.  But it does look fantastic--looking forward to seeing this.

[mystery7]

The TV production nerd in me is screaming about that show somehow being switched on a Grass Valley 100.

Yeah, they were complaining about that a little on Eyes Of A Generation. Someone there also did a point-out on the RCA TK-47 cameras that should have been Hitachi SK-110s.

[Chief-O]

Someone there also did a point-out on the RCA TK-47 cameras that should have been Hitachi SK-110s.

Ope! I'm busted!

....though I doubt there's a single Hollywood prop house that has SK-110s. A larger switcher panel should've been easier to find though. Also, it seemed senseless to aim the applause sign *away* from the audience. (also, "boo" and "laugh" signs??)

The set, though.........quite impressive for a movie reproduction.

I'll be hoping to see this at some point once it shows up in my neck of the woods. I'm sure the nerd side of me will manage to pipe down about the artistic license......

[Bob Zager]

Someone there also did a point-out on the RCA TK-47 cameras that should have been Hitachi SK-110s.

...it seemed senseless to aim the applause sign *away* from the audience. (also, "boo" and "laugh" signs??)...

From the very first promotional picture of Paul Walter Hauser for the movie, I thought those signs were turned away from the audience, and it looks like that is right, and yes, senseless!

I've seen the trailer, and I think it will be enjoyable!  I was wondering why there were pieces of what appeared to be thin metal extending up from the main contestant desk.  Apparently, they were based on temporary props used on the actual show when they had the Home Viewer Game at the time, to hold the selected home viewers' postcards.

I don't know if I ever mentioned this, but back in 1984, I first found out about the episode, by reading a brief story in TV Guide magazine.  Here in Detroit, our then CBS-TV affiliate, WJBK-TV (Ch. 2), had opted not to carry "$25,000 Pyramid," nor "Child's Play," (and later "PYL") from Sept. 1982 until Sept. 1984.  I sometimes lucked out and watched on a Toledo, OH station, but often not in great quality.  Around mid-September, 1984; WJBK-TV started the post-CBS Morning News hour with "All-New LMAD," followed by "Anything for Money."  That was followed by network-fed "Pyramid," and "PYL."

Tomarken welcomed WJBK nationwide, and even brought up the then red-hot Detroit Tigers, who won the WS the following month!

FTR, WJBK switched to Fox Network affiliation in 1994, and WGPR (Ch. 62) became CBS affiliate, and eventually CBS bought the station and changed the call letters to WWJ-TV