Let’s meet today’s contestants:
- Nancy, a marketing copywriter, sang some of “Bohemian Rhapsody” on an Australian game show;
- Joe, an astronautical engineer, picked cherries in Colombia; and
- Ben, a philosophy professor, regards Jeopardy! as “one of the most precious institutions of our culture.” Ben is an eight-day champ with winnings of $227,800.
DD1 ($600) – ART IMITATING LIFE – Jan Willem Pieneman’s painting of this 1815 event was to go to the Duke of Wellington, but stayed in Holland (Ben doubled to $5,600)
DD2 ($1,200) – POP CULTURE 2003 – In this film, the Emperor of Japan wants Algren (Tom Cruise) to modernize his army but Algren deeply respects the old ways (Joe doubled to $4,400)
DD3 ($2,000) – WALKING IN A REDWOOD FOREST – A national monument in Marin County known for old growth redwoods is named for this conservationist (Ben added $2,000 to his score of $16,400 vs. $8,000 for Joe.)
Ben was the only player on the plus side deep into round one, then found DD3 to help maintain a comfortable advantage into FJ at $20,800 vs. $7,600 for Joe and $3,600 for Nancy.
FJ – CHILDREN’S BOOKS – The original 1900 printing of this book was in a pale green dust jacket stamped in a vivid jewel tone of green
Ben and Joe were correct on FJ. Ben added $4,000 to win with $24,800 for a nine-day total of $252,600. All nine of Ben’s wins have been runaways.
Final scores: Ben $24,800, Joe $7,999, Nancy $100.
Tough category of the day: The players missed four in POP CULTURE 2003, including a clue where a reference to “I’m going to Wichita” didn’t lead them to “Elephant” group The White Stripes.
Correct Qs: DD1 – What is Battle of Waterloo? DD2 – What is “The Last Samurai”? DD3 – Who was Muir? FJ – What is “The (Wonderful) Wizard of Oz”?