Rudy Reber

Rudy is a telemarketer (Boo...) who was once a stand-up comedian. Here was the question he got that sent him into the hot seat.

Put the following magazines in order by when they were founded, starting with the earliest.
A. Rolling Stone B. Seventeen
C. Time D. Wired
Correct Order (drag the mouse over the letters): C-B-A-D
Rudy's winning time: 5.69
Competitors: 3/10

Let's see if this comedian can knock 'em dead!

For $100:
1. If you're trying to find other players in a game of hide-and-seek, what are you most likely called?



A. ButterbeanB. Goon
C. DunceD. It

Rudy selects D...

That's it! $100.

For $200:
2. In a standard automobile, what is another term for the gas pedal?



A. SpeedometerB. Accelerator
C. OdometerD. Distributor

Rudy says it's B... He got it for $200!

For $300:
3. Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, and their pals were considered members of what?



A. Cool ClubB. Rat Pack
C. Brat PackD. Partridge Family

Noting how odd it is that Joey Bishop wasn't mentioned in the question, Rudy picks B...

As his final answer.

It's a good one for $300!

For $500:
4. What do people commonly call their relationship to the daughter of their aunt or uncle?



A. CousinB. Niece
C. BrotherD. Uncle

Rudy chooses A...

That's the one! $500.

For a guaranteed $1000:
5. The sport of exploring caves is known by what term?



A. DecoupageB. Trapunto
C. SpelunkingD. Angling

Rudy goes with C...

And he nails the thousand dollars!

For $2000:
6. What city is the setting for the television show 'The Simpsons'?



A. SpringfieldB. Harper Valley
C. Sherman OaksD. Williamsburg

Rudy takes A...

And he'll turn it orange.

That's exactly right! $2000!

For $4000:
7. What is the proper name for a female walrus?



A. Ewe B. Cow
C. Mare D. Sow

Rudy uses process of elimination, and arrives at B...

Which he will lock in.

It sure is a cow! $4000!

Reege: "You're a cool cat, you know that Rudy?"
Rudy: "I'm too stunned to get excited."

For $8000:
8. In Dr. Seuss' book, 'The Cat in the Hat,' what color is the cat's stripe hat?



A. Red and greenB. Red and black
C. Black and whiteD. Red and white

Rudy thanks his daughters for loving this book, making it so that he knows it's D...

Which will be his final answer.

Those daughters came in handy! $8000!

For $16,000:
9. Which of the following actors has never played an astronaut in a movie?



A. Jack NicholsonB. Tom Hanks
C. Tom CruiseD. Bruce Willis

He knows Nicholson was one in Terms of Endearment, Hanks was one in Apollo 13, and Willis was one just last year, so it's gotta be C...

Yes, that's his final answer.

And it's the right answer! $16,000!

For a guaranteed $32,000:
10. Who took over command of the United Nations forces from General MacArthur in the Korean War?



A. Matthew B. RidgwayB. George S. Patten
C. Omar N. BradleyD. Dwight D. Eisenhower

Rudy knows that Patton was dead by this time, and that Eisenhower was already President. But he thinks the 50:50 will help him with the other two.

A. Matthew B. RidgwayOUT



C. Omar N. BradleyOUT

Rudy, already used a 50:50 when you eliminated B and D on your own!

Then, out of the blue, he says it's A.

And that is his final answer.


Well, the answer was sudden...


But it was right!
He's just won $32,000!!

For $64,000:
11. In what decade were girls first officially allowed to play Little League baseball in the U.S.?



A. 1950sB. 1960s
C. 1970sD. 1980s

Rudy: "You know, Regis, New Yorkers are the greatest people on the face of the Earth."

Way to butter up the crowd before giving the question to them.

A. 1950s - 8%B. 1960s - 22%



C. 1970s - 50%D. 1980s - 20%

Figuring the audience will be fairly reliable on this one, Rudy settles on C.

Final answer? It is.


Rudy trusted the audience on a fairly tricky question.


And they came through for him!
Rudy wins SIXTY-FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS!!!

For $125,000, or ONE EIGHTH of a MILLION DOLLARS:
12. Which of these men was never married to Marilyn Monroe?



A. Joe DiMaggioB. Arthur Miller
C. James DoughertyD. Nathan Miller

Rudy immediately says D...

As his final answer.


The joker is going for some serious money.


And I'm not kidding when I say...


That he's just won ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS!!!!

At the beginning of the game, Rudy and Regis joked about what may happen if, during Rudy's stand up days, he wound up in the lineup with Rita Rudner. Well, during the break, guess who called? That's right, none other than Ms. Rudner. In fact, she offers Rudy some important advice on how to win the big money.

"The next question Regis asks you, he's gonna give you four... things, A, B, C, or D. And one of them is gonna be the right answer. And you pick the right one, and then you're gonna win."

With advice like that, how could anyone lose on this show?

For $250,000, or ONE QUARTER of a MILLION DOLLARS:
13. A statue of what person stands high above Trafalgar Square?



A. William ShakespeareB. Admiral Lord Nelson
C. Queen ElizabethD. Sir Walter Raleigh

Rudy immediately chooses B.

Reege: "You've been to London?"
Rudy: "Um... no."

B is his final answer.


I wonder if he used Rita's advice.


I wonder if Rita got to hear Rudy.


Because he's just won A QUARTER-MILLION DOLLARS!!!!!!

The stage is set yet again for someone to reach the top of the mountain. Rudy Reber, with 250 grand in his pocket, stands just two questions away from the summit. A misstep along the way, though, will cause a big tumble.

For $500,000, or HALF A MILLION DOLLARS:
14. Which Hollywood figure directed Michael Jackson's 1988 video 'Bad'?



A. Steven SpielbergB. Francis Ford Coppola
C. Martin ScorseseD. John Landis

Rudy's next move is obvious: He's going to Phone a Friend. Now comes the burning question of who might know this.

Apparently the answer is a fellow comedian, Will. Here's what they say after Rudy gives the question and choices:

    Will: "Landis."
    Rudy: "Sure?"
    Will: "Yep."
    Rudy: "You know for a fact?"
    Will: "Yep."
    Rudy: "My man!" (The crowd cheers) "I'm gonna go with Will on this one. Stick around, 8 seconds, maybe he'll tell you - D, Final answer, John Landis." (Hang up with 6 seconds left.)



Well, they leave the correspondent on after the conversation; he just can't say anything back.


Will right now is probably feeling very proud of Rudy.


And now, he gets to listen to him...


Lose $218,000. Landis directed 'Thriller', but C. Martin Scorsese directed Bad.
Rudy Reber becomes the third person to crash on the fourteenth question.
Rudy: "Durst, you dog!"

TRIVIAL TRIVIA
In orientations with each show's contestants, Michael Davies uses this question as a lesson on how not to use the Phone-a-Friend. He says that Rudy simply took Will's answer without checking for certainty. The transcript, however, shows that Rudy did indeed ask if Will was sure... twice.

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