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{{History merge | originalpage=Michael Larson | reason= | details= |nowarning= }} |
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{{redirect |Michael Larson|other uses|Michael Larson (disambiguation}} |
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{{short description|1984 dramatic TV game-show success}} |
{{short description|1984 dramatic TV game-show success}} |
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{{italic title|string=Press Your Luck}} |
{{italic title|string=Press Your Luck}} |
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{{ |
{{use mdy dates|date=May 2024}} |
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In 1984, contestant Michael Larson won a record-breaking amount of {{US$|110237|1984|long=no}} on the American game show ''[[Press Your Luck]]''. |
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{{use mdy dates|date=April 2024}} |
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The '''''Press Your Luck'' scandal''' was Michael Larson's record-breaking game show win of {{US$|110237|1984|long=no}}. |
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An Ohio man with a penchant for [[get-rich-quick scheme]]s, Larson studied |
An Ohio man with a penchant for [[get-rich-quick scheme]]s, Larson studied the game show and discovered that its ostensibly randomized game board was actually only five different patterns of lights. After successfully auditioning in person at the [[Los Angeles]] studio, Larson performed on May 19, 1984, and beat the show so dramatically, he was accused by executives of [[CBS]], the network on which ''Press Your Luck'' aired, of cheating. After the network paid, Larson moved on to other endeavors, eventually [[fugitive|fleeing from law-enforcement]] under suspicion of [[fraud]], and dying in hiding in [[Apopka, Florida]]. |
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==Background== |
==Background== |
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===''Press Your Luck''=== |
===''Press Your Luck''=== |
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{{main|1=Press Your Luck|l1=''Press Your Luck''}} |
{{main|1=Press Your Luck|l1=''Press Your Luck''}} |
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[[CBS]]' ''Press Your Luck'' is a half-hour television [[game show]].<ref name="2023-05-30 Dayton Daily News" /> Each half of the show began with a round of multiple-choice questions, where contestants earned three spins of the Big Board for each correct answer. |
[[CBS]]' ''Press Your Luck'' is a half-hour television [[game show]].<ref name="2023-05-30 Dayton Daily News" /> Each half of the show began with a round of multiple-choice questions, where contestants earned three spins of the Big Board for each correct answer. The Big Board was a ring of 18 light-up squares that rapidly illuminated in a seemingly random sequence until a contestant pressed the button to stop the lights.<ref name="2016-08-17 Priceonomics" /> The sequence was actually limited to only five different patterns, a holdover from the [[pilot episode]]'s limited budget,<ref name="2019-06-11 Hollywood Reporter" /> an [[Achilles' heel]] and calculated risk understood by the show's producers.<ref name="2003-03-16 Big Bucks" /> |
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Each chosen square represented three results, including prizes such as vacations, cash, and extra spins on the board; each spin also had a one-in-six chance to hit a Whammy, an animated character who wiped out that contestant's accumulated winnings. Over the show's first few episodes, winners averaged about {{US$|14000|1983|about=yes|round=-3}}. |
Each chosen square represented three results, including prizes such as vacations, cash, and extra spins on the board; each spin also had a one-in-six chance to hit a Whammy, an animated character who wiped out that contestant's accumulated winnings. Over the show's first few episodes, winners averaged about {{US$|14000|1983|about=yes|round=-3}}. The show ran from September 1983 to September 1986, [[game show host|hosted]] by [[Peter Tomarken]].<ref name="2016-08-17 Priceonomics" /> |
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===Michael Larson=== |
===Michael Larson=== |
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Paul Michael "Mike" Larson was born to Ruth Larson<ref name="1984-06-14 Cincinnati Enquirer" /> on May 10, 1949<ref name="Social Security Administration" /> in [[Lebanon, Ohio]].<ref name="2023-05-30 Dayton Daily News" /> One of four brothers,<ref name="2003-03-16 Big Bucks" /> he graduated [[Lebanon High School (Ohio)|Lebanon High School]] in 1967.<ref name="1967 Trilobite" /><ref name="1984-06-14 Cincinnati Enquirer" /> By 1983 he was twice divorced and living at the home of his girlfriend, Teresa Dinwitty; she would later say of her "boyfriend and common-law husband, 'He always thought he was smarter than everybody else,' and that he had a 'constant yearning for knowledge.{{single+double}}<ref name="2011-09 Damn Interesting" /> Larson had three children by three different women, including Jennifer (born May 18, 1978).<ref name="2003-03-16 Big Bucks" /> |
Paul Michael "Mike" Larson was born to Ruth Larson<ref name="1984-06-14 Cincinnati Enquirer" /> on May 10, 1949<ref name="Social Security Administration" /> in [[Lebanon, Ohio]].<ref name="2023-05-30 Dayton Daily News" /> One of four brothers,<ref name="2003-03-16 Big Bucks" /> he graduated [[Lebanon High School (Ohio)|Lebanon High School]] in 1967.<ref name="1967 Trilobite" /><ref name="1984-06-14 Cincinnati Enquirer" /> By 1983 he was twice divorced and living at the home of his girlfriend, Teresa Dinwitty; she would later say of her "boyfriend and common-law husband, 'He always thought he was smarter than everybody else,' and that he had a 'constant yearning for knowledge.{{single+double}}<ref name="2011-09 Damn Interesting" /> Larson had three children by three different women, including Jennifer (born May 18, 1978).<ref name="2003-03-16 Big Bucks" /> |
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Larson's penchant for "always running some little scam or another" began at an early age, secretly selling [[markup (business)|marked-up]] [[candy bar]]s to other [[middle school#United States|middle-school]] students. |
Larson's penchant for "always running some little scam or another" began at an early age, secretly selling [[markup (business)|marked-up]] [[candy bar]]s to other [[middle school#United States|middle-school]] students. Other schemes included repeatedly opening and closing bank accounts under assumed identities with companies that offered {{US$|500|long=no}} for each new customer. He once registered a business under a family member's name so as to fire himself and collect [[unemployment insurance in the United States|unemployment insurance]].<ref name="2010-07-16 This American Life" /> He was arrested by Ohio law-enforcement thrice between 1969 and 1982 for [[possession of stolen goods#United States|receiving and concealing stolen goods]], [[larceny#By trick|larceny by trick]], and [[petty theft]].<ref name="2022-03-07 World's Greatest Con" /> |
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By 1983, he worked repairing [[air conditioning]] systems,<ref name="2018-01-03 TV Series Finale" /><ref name="2022-03-07 World's Greatest Con" /> drove a [[Mister Softee]] [[ice cream truck]],<ref name="1994-11-26 TV Guide" /> and spent the rest of his time studying a wall of twelve televisions and looking for [[get-rich-quick scheme]]s.<ref name="2010-07-16 This American Life" /> |
By 1983, he worked repairing [[air conditioning]] systems,<ref name="2018-01-03 TV Series Finale" /><ref name="2022-03-07 World's Greatest Con" /> drove a [[Mister Softee]] [[ice cream truck]],<ref name="1994-11-26 TV Guide" /> and spent the rest of his time studying a wall of twelve televisions and looking for [[get-rich-quick scheme]]s.<ref name="2010-07-16 This American Life" /> |
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==Preparation== |
==Preparation== |
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[[File:PYL Larson.svg|thumb|left|One of the five ''Press Your Luck'' Big Board light patterns found by Larson]] |
[[File:PYL Larson.svg|thumb|left|One of the five ''Press Your Luck'' Big Board light patterns found by Larson]] |
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In November 1983, Larson first saw ''[[Press Your Luck]]'' and its record-breaking cash prizes. Fascinated, he bought a [[videocassette recorder]] (VCR), spent weeks analyzing the Big Board, and came to two conclusions. |
In November 1983, Larson first saw ''[[Press Your Luck]]'' and its record-breaking cash prizes. Fascinated, he bought a [[videocassette recorder]] (VCR), spent weeks analyzing the Big Board, and came to two conclusions. Firstly, the lights actually moved in five different predetermined patterns, and not randomly as advertised. Secondly, Larson never once saw a Whammy in squares four and eight. With these facts, Larson spent the next few months honing his skill at the game, using the VCR pause button to practice his timing.<ref name="2011-09 Damn Interesting" /> |
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Larson spent the last of his money<ref name="2016-08-17 Priceonomics" /> flying from [[Ohio]] to [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]] in May 1984, and auditioned for ''Press Your Luck''. |
Larson spent the last of his money<ref name="2016-08-17 Priceonomics" /> flying from [[Ohio]] to [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]] in May 1984, and auditioned for ''Press Your Luck''. Hyping himself as an appealing contestant, he told interviewers about being unemployed, his trip to Hollywood out of love for the show, being unable to afford a birthday gift for his six-year-old daughter, and buying his [[dress shirt]] at a [[thrift store]] down the street for {{US$|0.65|1984|long=no}}. [[Bill Carruthers]], the show's [[executive producer]], was impressed by Larson and won over by his charisma; contestant coordinator Bob Edwards would not recommend Larson, but because he could not articulate why, Carruthers overruled the decision.<ref name="1994-11-26 TV Guide" /><ref name="2011-09 Damn Interesting" /> |
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==Episode== |
==Episode== |
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Larson's episode of ''Press Your Luck'' was recorded on May 19, 1984.<ref name="2010-07-16 This American Life" /> |
Larson's episode of ''Press Your Luck'' was recorded on May 19, 1984.<ref name="2010-07-16 This American Life" /> With [[production code number]] 0188, the episode was [[television producer|produced]] by Bill Mitchell and [[executive producer|executively produced]] by show creator [[Bill Carruthers]].<ref name="2003-03-16 Big Bucks" /> |
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Larson was seated at the center lectern. |
Larson was seated at the center lectern. To his right was returning-champion Ed Long from California,<ref name="2007-01-31 Myths & Legends" /> a [[Baptist minister]]; to his left was [[dental assistant]]<ref name="2004-06-08 Toronto Star" /> Janie Litras. In the first question round, Larson earned three spins. He stopped his first spin on square 17, which revealed a Whammy, but also allowed him to calibrate the timing of his button presses. His next two spins landed on square four, giving Larson the lowest first-half total of {{US$|2500|1984|long=no}}.<ref name="2003-03-16 Big Bucks" /><ref name="2011-09 Damn Interesting" /> |
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===Second half=== |
===Second half=== |
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[[File:Other Part of Play Board which led to win cash prize in a TV game show by Larson.svg|thumb|left|Big Board hidden prizes in the second half; "+S" indicates free spins]] |
[[File:Other Part of Play Board which led to win cash prize in a TV game show by Larson.svg|thumb|left|Big Board hidden prizes in the second half; "+S" indicates free spins]] |
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In the second half of the show, the Big Board was reorganized and placed extra spins in the safe squares of four and eight. |
In the second half of the show, the Big Board was reorganized and placed extra spins in the safe squares of four and eight. In the question round, Larson earned seven initial spins of the Big Board, and his last-place position earned him the first spin. In his first 15 spins, Larson occasionally missed his safe squares, but was successful in avoiding Whammys, earning cash and prizes of {{US$|29351|1984|long=no}}. Beginning with spin 16, he then landed only on squares four and eight for 29 consecutive spins totaling {{US$|102851|1984}} in cash and prizes. After this 44th overall spin, Larson was losing his focus.<ref name="2016-08-17 Priceonomics" /> On spin 45, Larson missed the extra-spin squares: "I remember that moment. I was just so drained, […] I suddenly forgot where the whammies{{sic}} were. So I stopped and passed control of the board to the other players. I felt so relieved that it was over."<ref name="1994-11-26 TV Guide" /> Ed Long received Larson's remaining spins and hit a Whammy on his first.<ref name="2016-08-17 Priceonomics" /> |
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When the show's control-booth operators realized what Larson was doing, they called Michael Brockman, [[CBS]]' head of daytime programming. Brockman later told ''[[TV Guide]]'', "Something was very wrong […] Here was this guy from nowhere, and he was hitting the bonus box every time. It was bedlam, I can tell you." ''Press Your Luck'' [[television producer|producers]] wanted to stop the show, but without any apparent rule-breaking by Larson, they were forced to allow it to continue.<ref name="1994-11-26 TV Guide" /> |
When the show's control-booth operators realized what Larson was doing, they called Michael Brockman, [[CBS]]' head of daytime programming. Brockman later told ''[[TV Guide]]'', "Something was very wrong […] Here was this guy from nowhere, and he was hitting the bonus box every time. It was bedlam, I can tell you." ''Press Your Luck'' [[television producer|producers]] wanted to stop the show, but without any apparent rule-breaking by Larson, they were forced to allow it to continue.<ref name="1994-11-26 TV Guide" /> |
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==Legacy== |
==Legacy== |
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{{multiple image |
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[[File:Bill Murray (cropped).jpg|thumb|Bill Murray (October 2006)]] |
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⚫ | <!-- fictionalizations -->A film adaptation of the event was in the works by August 2000; titled ''Press Your Luck'', the [[comedy film]] featured [[Howard Franklin]] as [[screenwriter]] and [[film director|director]], [[Nicolas Cage]] as [[film producer|producer]], and had cast [[Bill Murray]] to portray Larson.<ref name="2000-08-18 ABC News" /> On November 13, 2017, Modernito Books published ''Larson - The Luckiest Man in the World'' ({{lang-es |text=Larson – El hombre con más suerte del mundo}}) by [[Javi de Castro]], a [[graphic novel]] about Larson's ''Press Your Luck'' winning streak.<ref name="2017-11-10 Canino" /> |
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| image1 = Bill Murray (cropped).jpg |
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| width1 = 324 |
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| height1 = 460 |
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| alt1 = |
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| image2 = 20210526—Paul Walter Hauser, interview for "Cruella", LosCriticologos (05m21s) (cropped).jpg |
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| width2 = 537 |
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| height2 = 565 |
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| footer = Bill Murray (2006) and Paul Walter Hauser (2021) |
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}} |
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⚫ | <!-- fictionalizations -->A film adaptation of the event was in the works by August 2000; titled ''Press Your Luck'', the [[comedy film]] featured [[Howard Franklin]] as [[screenwriter]] and [[film director|director]], [[Nicolas Cage]] as [[film producer|producer]], and had cast [[Bill Murray]] to portray Larson.<ref name="2000-08-18 ABC News" /> On November 13, 2017, Modernito Books published ''Larson - The Luckiest Man in the World'' ({{lang-es |text=Larson – El hombre con más suerte del mundo}}) by [[Javi de Castro]], a [[graphic novel]] about Larson's ''Press Your Luck'' winning streak.<ref name="2017-11-10 Canino" /> On May 9, 2024, [[Protagonist Pictures]] announced its [[drama film|drama]]–[[thriller film|thriller]] adaptation of the scandal; titled [[Press Your Luck (film)|''Press Your Luck'']], [[Maggie Briggs]] and [[Samir Oliveros]] wrote the script, Oliveros directed, and [[Paul Walter Hauser]] was cast as Larson.<ref name="2024-05-09 Hollywood Reporter" /> |
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<!-- non-fiction retrospectives -->With the 1994 release of the film [[Quiz Show (film)|''Quiz Show'']], Larson appeared on ''[[Good Morning America]]'' to discuss the film and his performance on ''Press Your Luck''.<ref name="2003-03-20 Cincinnati Enquirer" /> On March 16, 2003, the [[Game Show Network]] (GSN) aired its first [[documentary film]]; all about the 1984 event, the two-hour ''Big Bucks: The Press Your Luck Scandal'' gave the eight-year-old network its highest [[Nielsen TV ratings|Nielsen ratings]] yet,<ref name="2003-03-18 Game Show Network" /> and reunites Litras, Long, and [[Peter Tomarken]] from the original taping.<ref name="2003-03-20 Cincinnati Enquirer" /> The first episode of GSN's [[Cover Story (TV program)|''Cover Story'']] documentary series was also about the ''Press Your Luck'' win ("The Press Your Luck Scandal");<ref name="2018-01-03 TV Series Finale" /> upon its 7:00{{spaces}}PM, January 14, 2018 broadcast, the hour-long episode was watched by 583,000.<ref name="2018-01-17 ShowBuzzDaily" /> |
<!-- non-fiction retrospectives -->With the 1994 release of the film [[Quiz Show (film)|''Quiz Show'']], Larson appeared on ''[[Good Morning America]]'' to discuss the film and his performance on ''Press Your Luck''.<ref name="2003-03-20 Cincinnati Enquirer" /> On March 16, 2003, the [[Game Show Network]] (GSN) aired its first [[documentary film]]; all about the 1984 event, the two-hour ''Big Bucks: The Press Your Luck Scandal'' gave the eight-year-old network its highest [[Nielsen TV ratings|Nielsen ratings]] yet,<ref name="2003-03-18 Game Show Network" /> and reunites Litras, Long, and [[Peter Tomarken]] from the original taping.<ref name="2003-03-20 Cincinnati Enquirer" /> The first episode of GSN's [[Cover Story (TV program)|''Cover Story'']] documentary series was also about the ''Press Your Luck'' win ("The Press Your Luck Scandal");<ref name="2018-01-03 TV Series Finale" /> upon its 7:00{{spaces}}PM, January 14, 2018 broadcast, the hour-long episode was watched by 583,000.<ref name="2018-01-17 ShowBuzzDaily" /> |
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<ref name="2000-08-18 ABC News">{{cite news |date=2000-08-18 |title=Bill Murray Presses His Luck |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=116245 |url-status=live |language=en |publisher=[[ABC News]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230916192323/https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=116245 |archive-date=2023-09-16 |access-date=2024-03-28}}</ref><!-- exhausted --> |
<ref name="2000-08-18 ABC News">{{cite news |date=2000-08-18 |title=Bill Murray Presses His Luck |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=116245 |url-status=live |language=en |publisher=[[ABC News]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230916192323/https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=116245 |archive-date=2023-09-16 |access-date=2024-03-28}}</ref><!-- exhausted --> |
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<ref name="2003-03-13 Variety">{{cite magazine |last1=Speier |first1=Michael |date=2003-03-13 |title=Big Bucks: The Press Your Luck Scandal |department=Television Review |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |language=en |volume=278 |issue=49 |page=10 |issn=0042-2738 |oclc=60626328 |quote=A snappy documentary that charts a crafty little con job, Game Show Network's |
<ref name="2003-03-13 Variety">{{cite magazine |last1=Speier |first1=Michael |date=2003-03-13 |title=Big Bucks: The Press Your Luck Scandal |department=Television Review |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |language=en |volume=278 |issue=49 |page=10 |issn=0042-2738 |oclc=60626328 |quote=A snappy documentary that charts a crafty little con job, Game Show Network's 'Big Bucks' spotlights a creep named Michael Larson and how he stuck it to CBS in 1984 on the popular 'Press Your Luck.' Comprehensive and clever, the upstart cabler's first original longform program underscores the impact that the cash-stash genre had on America's TV culture long before 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire' and 'Survivor' and is just the sort of thing to put a young company on the map. Jackpot.}}</ref><!-- exhausted --> |
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<ref name="2003-03-15 Boston Herald">{{cite news |last1=Ruch |first1=John |date=2003-03-15 |title=Game-show flick uncovers 'Press' mess |work=[[Boston Herald]] |language=en |page=28 |issn=0738-5854 |oclc=643304073}}</ref><!-- exhausted --> |
<ref name="2003-03-15 Boston Herald">{{cite news |last1=Ruch |first1=John |date=2003-03-15 |title=Game-show flick uncovers 'Press' mess |work=[[Boston Herald]] |language=en |page=28 |issn=0738-5854 |oclc=643304073}}</ref><!-- exhausted --> |
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<ref name="2016-08-17 Priceonomics">{{cite web |url=https://priceonomics.com/the-man-who-got-no-whammies/ |title=The Man Who Got No Whammies |last=Crockett |first=Zachary |date=2016-08-17 |website=[[Priceonomics]] |language=en |access-date=2023-02-04 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220613203252/https://priceonomics.com/the-man-who-got-no-whammies/ |archive-date=2022-06-13}}</ref> |
<ref name="2016-08-17 Priceonomics">{{cite web |url=https://priceonomics.com/the-man-who-got-no-whammies/ |title=The Man Who Got No Whammies |last=Crockett |first=Zachary |date=2016-08-17 |website=[[Priceonomics]] |language=en |access-date=2023-02-04 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220613203252/https://priceonomics.com/the-man-who-got-no-whammies/ |archive-date=2022-06-13}}</ref> |
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<ref name="2017-11-10 Canino">{{cite magazine |last1=Tones |first1=John |date=2017-11-10 |title=¡Regalamos adelanto exclusivo de |
<ref name="2017-11-10 Canino">{{cite magazine |last1=Tones |first1=John |date=2017-11-10 |title=¡Regalamos adelanto exclusivo de 'Larson – El hombre con más suerte del mundo' de Javi de Castro! |trans-title=We give away an exclusive preview of 'Larson - The Luckiest Man in the World' by Javi de Castro! |url=https://www.caninomag.es/regalamos-adelanto-exclusivo-larson-hombre-mas-suerte-del-mundo-javi-castro/ |url-status=live |magazine=Canino |language=es |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230528064706/https://www.caninomag.es/regalamos-adelanto-exclusivo-larson-hombre-mas-suerte-del-mundo-javi-castro/ |archive-date=2023-05-28 |access-date=2024-04-21 |quote=Javi de Castro (autor revelación del Salón del Cómic de Barcelona 2016) vuelve con una nueva novela gráfica basada en hechos reales: ''Larson - El hombre con más suerte del mundo'' es la historia de Michael Larson, concursante del televisivo ''Press Your Luck'' en el que gracias a una buena suerte escandalosa, ganó 120.237 dólares. Pero... ¿realmente era el hombre con más suerte del mundo?}}</ref><!-- exhausted --> |
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<ref name="2018-01-03 TV Series Finale">{{cite web |url=https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/press-luck-gsn-air-documentary-game-show-scandal/ |title=''Press Your Luck'': GSN to Air Documentary About Game Show Scandal |last=Pena |first=Jessica |date=2018-01-03 |website=TV Series Finale |language=en |access-date=2024-04-21 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive. |
<ref name="2018-01-03 TV Series Finale">{{cite web |url=https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/press-luck-gsn-air-documentary-game-show-scandal/ |title=''Press Your Luck'': GSN to Air Documentary About Game Show Scandal |last=Pena |first=Jessica |date=2018-01-03 |website=TV Series Finale |language=en |access-date=2024-04-21 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240421155944/https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/press-luck-gsn-air-documentary-game-show-scandal/ |archive-date=2024-04-21}}</ref><!-- exhausted --> |
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<ref name="2018-01-17 ShowBuzzDaily">{{cite web |url=https://showbuzzdaily.com/articles/showbuzzdailys-top-150-sunday-cable-originals-network-finals-1-14-2018.html |title=UPDATED: |
<ref name="2018-01-17 ShowBuzzDaily">{{cite web |url=https://showbuzzdaily.com/articles/showbuzzdailys-top-150-sunday-cable-originals-network-finals-1-14-2018.html |title=UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 1.14.2018 |last=Metcalf |first=Mitch |author-link=Mitch Metcalf |date=2018-01-17 |website=[[ShowBuzzDaily]] |language=en |access-date=2024-04-21 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180118001951/http://www.showbuzzdaily.com/articles/showbuzzdailys-top-150-sunday-cable-originals-network-finals-1-14-2018.html |archive-date=2018-01-18}}</ref><!-- exhausted --> |
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<ref name="2019-06-11 Hollywood Reporter">{{cite magazine |last1=Higgins |first1=Bill |date=2019-06-11 |title=Hollywood Flashback: An Ice Cream Man Hacked 'Press Your Luck' in 1984 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/an-ice-cream-man-hacked-press-your-luck-1984-1217142/ |url-status=live |magazine=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |language=en |issn=0018-3660 |oclc=44653726 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231107201713/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/an-ice-cream-man-hacked-press-your-luck-1984-1217142/ |archive-date=2023-11-07 |access-date=2024-04-21 |quote=In an episode of the CBS morning game show 'Press Your Luck' — which is relaunching in primetime on ABC with Elizabeth Banks as host — a 35-year-old Ohio man set a record for winnings after cracking the code to avoid the dreaded Whammy.}}</ref><!-- exhausted --> |
<ref name="2019-06-11 Hollywood Reporter">{{cite magazine |last1=Higgins |first1=Bill |date=2019-06-11 |title=Hollywood Flashback: An Ice Cream Man Hacked 'Press Your Luck' in 1984 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/an-ice-cream-man-hacked-press-your-luck-1984-1217142/ |url-status=live |magazine=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |language=en |issn=0018-3660 |oclc=44653726 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231107201713/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/an-ice-cream-man-hacked-press-your-luck-1984-1217142/ |archive-date=2023-11-07 |access-date=2024-04-21 |quote=In an episode of the CBS morning game show 'Press Your Luck' — which is relaunching in primetime on ABC with Elizabeth Banks as host — a 35-year-old Ohio man set a record for winnings after cracking the code to avoid the dreaded Whammy.}}</ref><!-- exhausted --> |
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<ref name="2023-05-30 Dayton Daily News">{{cite news |last1=Lynch |first1=Greg |date=2023-05-30 |title=Lebanon man and a $110,000 'Press Your Luck' scandal |editor1-last=Bethard |editor1-first=Ashley |work=[[Dayton Daily News]] |language=en |volume=146 |issue=229 |page=B2 |issn=0897-0920 |oclc=232118157}}</ref><!-- exhausted --> |
<ref name="2023-05-30 Dayton Daily News">{{cite news |last1=Lynch |first1=Greg |date=2023-05-30 |title=Lebanon man and a $110,000 'Press Your Luck' scandal |editor1-last=Bethard |editor1-first=Ashley |work=[[Dayton Daily News]] |language=en |volume=146 |issue=229 |page=B2 |issn=0897-0920 |oclc=232118157}}</ref><!-- exhausted --> |
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<ref name="2024-05-09 Hollywood Reporter">{{cite magazine |last1=Ford |first1=Lily |date=2024-05-09 |title=Paul Walter Hauser to Star in Game Show Drama Feature 'Press Your Luck' |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/press-your-luck-protagonist-pictures-cast-announced-1235894394/ |url-status=live |magazine=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |language=en |issn=0018-3660 |oclc=44653726 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240510003436/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/press-your-luck-protagonist-pictures-cast-announced-1235894394/ |archive-date=2024-05-10 |access-date=2024-05-10 |quote=The actor stars in the upcoming Protagonist Pictures film, based on a true story about an ice-cream truck driver from Ohio who steps onto a TV show harboring a secret.}}</ref><!-- exhausted --> |
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Revision as of 16:51, 24 May 2024
In 1984, contestant Michael Larson won a record-breaking amount of $110,237 (equivalent to $323,296 in 2023) on the American game show Press Your Luck.
An Ohio man with a penchant for get-rich-quick schemes, Larson studied the game show and discovered that its ostensibly randomized game board was actually only five different patterns of lights. After successfully auditioning in person at the Los Angeles studio, Larson performed on May 19, 1984, and beat the show so dramatically, he was accused by executives of CBS, the network on which Press Your Luck aired, of cheating. After the network paid, Larson moved on to other endeavors, eventually fleeing from law-enforcement under suspicion of fraud, and dying in hiding in Apopka, Florida.
Background
Press Your Luck
CBS' Press Your Luck is a half-hour television game show.[1] Each half of the show began with a round of multiple-choice questions, where contestants earned three spins of the Big Board for each correct answer. The Big Board was a ring of 18 light-up squares that rapidly illuminated in a seemingly random sequence until a contestant pressed the button to stop the lights.[2] The sequence was actually limited to only five different patterns, a holdover from the pilot episode's limited budget,[3] an Achilles' heel and calculated risk understood by the show's producers.[4]
Each chosen square represented three results, including prizes such as vacations, cash, and extra spins on the board; each spin also had a one-in-six chance to hit a Whammy, an animated character who wiped out that contestant's accumulated winnings. Over the show's first few episodes, winners averaged about US$14,000 (equivalent to about $43,000 in 2023). The show ran from September 1983 to September 1986, hosted by Peter Tomarken.[2]
Michael Larson
Michael Larson | |
---|---|
Born | Paul Michael Larson May 10, 1949 Lebanon, Ohio, US |
Died | February 16, 1999 Apopka, Florida, US | (aged 49)
Other names | "Mike" |
Occupations |
|
Children | 3 |
Paul Michael "Mike" Larson was born to Ruth Larson[5] on May 10, 1949[6] in Lebanon, Ohio.[1] One of four brothers,[4] he graduated Lebanon High School in 1967.[7][5] By 1983 he was twice divorced and living at the home of his girlfriend, Teresa Dinwitty; she would later say of her "boyfriend and common-law husband, 'He always thought he was smarter than everybody else,' and that he had a 'constant yearning for knowledge.'"[8] Larson had three children by three different women, including Jennifer (born May 18, 1978).[4]
Larson's penchant for "always running some little scam or another" began at an early age, secretly selling marked-up candy bars to other middle-school students. Other schemes included repeatedly opening and closing bank accounts under assumed identities with companies that offered $500 for each new customer. He once registered a business under a family member's name so as to fire himself and collect unemployment insurance.[9] He was arrested by Ohio law-enforcement thrice between 1969 and 1982 for receiving and concealing stolen goods, larceny by trick, and petty theft.[10]
By 1983, he worked repairing air conditioning systems,[11][10] drove a Mister Softee ice cream truck,[12] and spent the rest of his time studying a wall of twelve televisions and looking for get-rich-quick schemes.[9]
Preparation
In November 1983, Larson first saw Press Your Luck and its record-breaking cash prizes. Fascinated, he bought a videocassette recorder (VCR), spent weeks analyzing the Big Board, and came to two conclusions. Firstly, the lights actually moved in five different predetermined patterns, and not randomly as advertised. Secondly, Larson never once saw a Whammy in squares four and eight. With these facts, Larson spent the next few months honing his skill at the game, using the VCR pause button to practice his timing.[8]
Larson spent the last of his money[2] flying from Ohio to Hollywood in May 1984, and auditioned for Press Your Luck. Hyping himself as an appealing contestant, he told interviewers about being unemployed, his trip to Hollywood out of love for the show, being unable to afford a birthday gift for his six-year-old daughter, and buying his dress shirt at a thrift store down the street for $0.65 (equivalent to $1.91 in 2023). Bill Carruthers, the show's executive producer, was impressed by Larson and won over by his charisma; contestant coordinator Bob Edwards would not recommend Larson, but because he could not articulate why, Carruthers overruled the decision.[12][8]
Episode
5.19.84[4] | |
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Press Your Luck episode | |
Presented by | Peter Tomarken |
Produced by |
|
Production code | 0188 |
Original air dates |
|
Larson's episode of Press Your Luck was recorded on May 19, 1984.[9] With production code number 0188, the episode was produced by Bill Mitchell and executively produced by show creator Bill Carruthers.[4]
Larson was seated at the center lectern. To his right was returning-champion Ed Long from California,[13] a Baptist minister; to his left was dental assistant[14] Janie Litras. In the first question round, Larson earned three spins. He stopped his first spin on square 17, which revealed a Whammy, but also allowed him to calibrate the timing of his button presses. His next two spins landed on square four, giving Larson the lowest first-half total of $2,500 (equivalent to $7,332 in 2023).[4][8]
Second half
In the second half of the show, the Big Board was reorganized and placed extra spins in the safe squares of four and eight. In the question round, Larson earned seven initial spins of the Big Board, and his last-place position earned him the first spin. In his first 15 spins, Larson occasionally missed his safe squares, but was successful in avoiding Whammys, earning cash and prizes of $29,351 (equivalent to $86,079 in 2023). Beginning with spin 16, he then landed only on squares four and eight for 29 consecutive spins totaling US$102,851 (equivalent to $301,635 in 2023) in cash and prizes. After this 44th overall spin, Larson was losing his focus.[2] On spin 45, Larson missed the extra-spin squares: "I remember that moment. I was just so drained, […] I suddenly forgot where the whammies [sic] were. So I stopped and passed control of the board to the other players. I felt so relieved that it was over."[12] Ed Long received Larson's remaining spins and hit a Whammy on his first.[2]
When the show's control-booth operators realized what Larson was doing, they called Michael Brockman, CBS' head of daytime programming. Brockman later told TV Guide, "Something was very wrong […] Here was this guy from nowhere, and he was hitting the bonus box every time. It was bedlam, I can tell you." Press Your Luck producers wanted to stop the show, but without any apparent rule-breaking by Larson, they were forced to allow it to continue.[12]
Square | Hits | Totals |
---|---|---|
4 | 24 (55%) | $89,500 |
6 | 1 (2%) | $2,250 |
7 | 2 (5%) | $2,651 † |
8 | 17 (39%) | $12,500 |
17 | 3 (7%) | $3,336 † |
† includes prizes |
When Litras' turn came around, she passed her last three spins to Larson, who was obligated by the rules to use them. Larson stopped the first two spins in squares four and eight, but he stopped the third too early and it landed on square 17. Instead of the Whammy again, though, it was a trip to The Bahamas. That ended the game,[8] and after 47 spins of the Big Board, Michael Larson had won cash and prizes (including a sailboat and all-inclusive vacations to Kauai and The Bahamas) totaling $110,237 (equivalent to $323,296 in 2023). Ed Long still received his $11,516 (equivalent to $33,773 in 2023) from the previous episode, while Janie Litras' last Whammy had left her with nothing.[2]
Fallout
CBS' Standards and Practices department thought that Larson had cheated and was not entitled to his winnings.[3] Network executives pored over the footage, but could find no evidence of malfeasance.[8] Former executive for CBS Daytime programming, Bob Boden, explained in 2007 the network's "prevailing wisdom […] was that he hadn't cheated; that he was just smarter than CBS."[13] A few weeks later, they mailed Larson a cheque. He was ineligible to return to the show (as Long had done) because he had exceeded the network's limit of $25,000.[8]
The episode aired on June 8 and 11, 1984,[5] broken into two parts due to its length.[15] Some at CBS had wanted to quash the episode entirely, and afterwards made the ultimatum that it never be aired again, even including that requirement with their broadcast syndication contracts.[10] To prevent anyone from repeating Larson's success,[8] the Big Board was programmed with 27 additional light patterns,[3] and CBS set a $75,000 ceiling for contestants' winnings.[16] Larson later contacted Press Your Luck's contestant coordinator and issued an unanswered challenge: "I know you've added patterns to the board, but I bet I can beat you again. How about a tournament of champions?"[12]
Legacy
A film adaptation of the event was in the works by August 2000; titled Press Your Luck, the comedy film featured Howard Franklin as screenwriter and director, Nicolas Cage as producer, and had cast Bill Murray to portray Larson.[17] On November 13, 2017, Modernito Books published Larson - The Luckiest Man in the World (Spanish: Larson – El hombre con más suerte del mundo) by Javi de Castro, a graphic novel about Larson's Press Your Luck winning streak.[18] On May 9, 2024, Protagonist Pictures announced its drama–thriller adaptation of the scandal; titled Press Your Luck, Maggie Briggs and Samir Oliveros wrote the script, Oliveros directed, and Paul Walter Hauser was cast as Larson.[19]
With the 1994 release of the film Quiz Show, Larson appeared on Good Morning America to discuss the film and his performance on Press Your Luck.[20] On March 16, 2003, the Game Show Network (GSN) aired its first documentary film; all about the 1984 event, the two-hour Big Bucks: The Press Your Luck Scandal gave the eight-year-old network its highest Nielsen ratings yet,[21] and reunites Litras, Long, and Peter Tomarken from the original taping.[20] The first episode of GSN's Cover Story documentary series was also about the Press Your Luck win ("The Press Your Luck Scandal");[11] upon its 7:00 PM, January 14, 2018 broadcast, the hour-long episode was watched by 583,000.[22]
On a March 17, 2003 memorial episode of Whammy! The All-New Press Your Luck[23] (a remake of the original show), Ed Long and Janie Litras returned to play against Larson's brother,[24] James Larson.[4] In his 2004 book Life as a Loser, Will Leitch credited the Press Your Luck scandal with inspiring his own appearance on Win Ben Stein's Money.[14]
Larson's 1984 record for "most game-show winnings in a single day" was $110,237 (equivalent to $323,296 in 2023). It lasted until 2006 when The Price Is Right contestant Vickyann Chrobak-Sadowski[8] won $147,517 (equivalent to $222,956 in 2023). She was succeeded by Sheree Heil, whose 2013 Price Is Right winnings totaled $170,345 (equivalent to $222,811 in 2023).[25]
Larson
Michael Larson paid $28,000[16] or $35,000 in taxes.[12] He immediately spent some of his winnings buying lavish gifts for his daughter's sixth birthday (the day before the episode filmed);[4] more was invested in a real-estate Ponzi scheme.[9]
In late 1984, Larson withdrew $100,000 in one-dollar bills to try and win a local contest by matching serial numbers. After redepositing half of the bills, the remaining money was stored around Dinwitty's house while the two exhaustedly checked each bill. One evening, while the two were away from home, burglars stole the remaining $50,000 (equivalent to about $147,000 in 2023). Larson was convinced Dinwitty was involved in the theft, and she later fled her home with her children until Larson vacated. As of 2010, the burglary had not been solved.[9]
After working as an assistant manager at Wal-Mart, Larson sold shares in a fraudulent multi-level marketing scheme; in 1995 he was charged for taking $1.8 million (equivalent to about $3.6M in 2023) from 14,000 investors. Under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service, and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, he fled Ohio for Apopka, Florida, where he died of throat cancer[3] on February 16, 1999.[6]
Larson became regarded as a modern-day folk hero to some people, while others "regard him as a cheap huckster or a likable-but-occasionally-creepy crackpot."[8] In 2003, Variety opined that "[n]either the scandal nor Larson ever hit critical mass a la [the MIT Blackjack Team] and Charles Van Doren".[26] Speaking on Larson's win the same year, the Boston Herald's John Ruch wrote that Larson should be "remembered as an original hacker and a classic American hero."[23] In 2011, Damn Interesting opined that despite the 1984 win having been called a cheat, a scam, or a scandal, "his impressive performance on Press Your Luck may be one of the only honest days of work that Michael Larson ever did."[8]
See also
- 1950s quiz show scandals – Revelations that contestants on TV quiz shows were secretly assisted by producers
- Charles Ingram – English fraudster (born 1963)
References
- ^ a b Lynch, Greg (May 30, 2023). Bethard, Ashley (ed.). "Lebanon man and a $110,000 'Press Your Luck' scandal". Dayton Daily News. Vol. 146, no. 229. p. B2. ISSN 0897-0920. OCLC 232118157.
- ^ a b c d e f g Crockett, Zachary (August 17, 2016). "The Man Who Got No Whammies". Priceonomics. Archived from the original on June 13, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
- ^ a b c d Higgins, Bill (June 11, 2019). "Hollywood Flashback: An Ice Cream Man Hacked 'Press Your Luck' in 1984". The Hollywood Reporter. ISSN 0018-3660. OCLC 44653726. Archived from the original on November 7, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
In an episode of the CBS morning game show 'Press Your Luck' — which is relaunching in primetime on ABC with Elizabeth Banks as host — a 35-year-old Ohio man set a record for winnings after cracking the code to avoid the dreaded Whammy.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Tomarken, Peter; Larson, James; McGlynn (née Dinwitty), Teresa; Schwab, Ron; Edwards, Bobby; Stern, Rick; Long, Ed; Litras Dakan, Janie; Carruthers, Bill; Brockman, Michael; Martin, Patrick; Pettijohn, Adrienne; Lieblich, Darlene; Long, Kathy; Mitchell, Bill; Boden, Bob (March 16, 2003), Big Bucks: The Press Your Luck Scandal, Game Show Network
- ^ a b c Hoffman, Steve (June 14, 1984). Blake, George R. (ed.). "Local Man Pressed Luck To Be A Winner". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Vol. 144, no. 66. p. C-15. OCLC 41881827.
- ^ a b Social Security Death Index, Master File, Washington, D.C.: Social Security Administration
- ^ Kaufman, Chuck; Feltner, Bill; Keever, Jane, eds. (1967). "Classes". The 1967 Trilobite. Lebanon, Ohio: Lebanon High School. pp. 81–120.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Bellows, Alan (September 2011). "Who Wants To Be a Thousandaire?". Damn Interesting. Archived from the original on December 19, 2022. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
Michael Larson had a lot of time and TVs on his hands, and he used them to hack one of his favorite game shows.
- ^ a b c d e Allee, Shawn; Glass, Ira (July 16, 2010). "Million Dollar Idea". This American Life. Chicago Public Media. Archived from the original on January 20, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
Back in the 1980s Michael Larson made the most money ever on the game show Press Your Luck. And it was no accident—Larson had a plan to get rich that surprised everyone: The home viewers, the show's producers and mostly Larson himself. This and other stories of million dollar ideas, including some from our listeners.
- ^ a b c Young, Justin Robert; Brushwood, Brian (March 7, 2022). "Michael Larson broke Press Your Luck". World's Greatest Con. Season 2. Episode 2. fireside.fm. Archived from the original on September 22, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
- ^ a b Pena, Jessica (January 3, 2018). "Press Your Luck: GSN to Air Documentary About Game Show Scandal". TV Series Finale. Archived from the original on April 21, 2024. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f Greenberg, Peter S. (November 26, 1994). Disney, Anthea (ed.). "The Day the Game Show Got Whammied". TV Guide. Vol. 42, no. 48 #2174. pp. 26–29. ISSN 0039-8543.
{{cite magazine}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b Jillette, Penn; Teller; Boden, Bob; Newton, Todd; Long, Ed; Larson, James (January 31, 2007). "Film Frights & Red Scares". Myths & Legends. Season 1. Episode 4. TV Land.
- ^ a b Fraser, Garnet (June 8, 2004). Shears, Mary Deanne (ed.). "A game show schemer's tragic win". Toronto Star. p. D9. ISSN 0319-0781. OCLC 137342540.
Book recalls how contestant rocked game show world: Studied patterns, won $110,000 and then his troubles began
- ^ Higgins, Chris (May 6, 2013). "The Man Who Pressed His Luck ... and Won". Mental Floss. ISSN 1543-4702. Archived from the original on April 2, 2024. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
- ^ a b Hopkins, Tom (November 26, 1994). "Lebanon Man Pressed His Luck to Limit". Dayton Daily News. p. 1A. ISSN 0897-0920. OCLC 232118157.
- ^ "Bill Murray Presses His Luck". ABC News. August 18, 2000. Archived from the original on September 16, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- ^ Tones, John (November 10, 2017). "¡Regalamos adelanto exclusivo de 'Larson – El hombre con más suerte del mundo' de Javi de Castro!" [We give away an exclusive preview of 'Larson - The Luckiest Man in the World' by Javi de Castro!]. Canino (in Spanish). Archived from the original on May 28, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
Javi de Castro (autor revelación del Salón del Cómic de Barcelona 2016) vuelve con una nueva novela gráfica basada en hechos reales: Larson - El hombre con más suerte del mundo es la historia de Michael Larson, concursante del televisivo Press Your Luck en el que gracias a una buena suerte escandalosa, ganó 120.237 dólares. Pero... ¿realmente era el hombre con más suerte del mundo?
- ^ Ford, Lily (May 9, 2024). "Paul Walter Hauser to Star in Game Show Drama Feature 'Press Your Luck'". The Hollywood Reporter. ISSN 0018-3660. OCLC 44653726. Archived from the original on May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
The actor stars in the upcoming Protagonist Pictures film, based on a true story about an ice-cream truck driver from Ohio who steps onto a TV show harboring a secret.
- ^ a b Kiesewetter, John (March 20, 2003). Callinan, Thomas E. (ed.). "'Big Bucks' recalls scandal". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Vol. 162, no. 344. p. F4. OCLC 41881827.
- ^ "'Big Bucks: The Press Your Luck Scandal' Delivers Record Ratings for Game Show Network" (press release). Santa Monica, California: Game Show Network. March 18, 2003. Archived from the original on August 20, 2016. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via PR Newswire.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch (January 17, 2018). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 1.14.2018". ShowBuzzDaily. Archived from the original on January 18, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
- ^ a b Ruch, John (March 15, 2003). "Game-show flick uncovers 'Press' mess". Boston Herald. p. 28. ISSN 0738-5854. OCLC 643304073.
- ^ Owen, Rob (March 15, 2003). "Documentary examines '84 scam". Press Journal. Vol. 84, no. 186. Scripps Howard News Service. p. C14.
- ^ Chan, Anna (December 30, 2013). "'Price Is Right' gives its biggest winner yet a $157,000 car". Today. Archived from the original on August 12, 2022. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
- ^ Speier, Michael (March 13, 2003). "Big Bucks: The Press Your Luck Scandal". Television Review. Variety. Vol. 278, no. 49. p. 10. ISSN 0042-2738. OCLC 60626328.
A snappy documentary that charts a crafty little con job, Game Show Network's 'Big Bucks' spotlights a creep named Michael Larson and how he stuck it to CBS in 1984 on the popular 'Press Your Luck.' Comprehensive and clever, the upstart cabler's first original longform program underscores the impact that the cash-stash genre had on America's TV culture long before 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire' and 'Survivor' and is just the sort of thing to put a young company on the map. Jackpot.
External links
- Big Bucks: The Press Your Luck Scandal at IMDb
- Media related to Michael Larson at Wikimedia Commons