The Joker's Wild all-time champion
ROBDON33
Now my question has been answered. Joe Dunn won the most money on any
contestant in the history of the original run (1972-75, 1977-86)...$66,200 in
cash and prizes...surpassing previous all-time champ Eileen Jason by over
$11,000.
Plus, if this is true, he is the first person ever to retire as undefeated
champion
on TJW...leaving with $50,000 in cash and prizes and the remaining $16,200
going to charity, since there was a limit of $50,000 at that time. Before that
the limit was $35,000.
Does anyone remember from the first year of TJW, when they had the Joker's
Jackpot if anyone retired undefeated during the early days or did they keep on
playing until defeated? Just wondering to back Jack Barry's statement that no
one in the history of The Joker's Wild has ever retired undefeated.
Sort of a funny moment...in the bonus round a contestant spun $50, $50, $50
resulting in an automatic win...Jack Barry said..."no...no...not true, not
true"...as the lights began to flash on and off, then realizing that the player
spun a natural triple, resulting in an automatic win. The contestant had $800,
and Barry apparently forgot about the natural triple rule, thinking that she
had $950.
Kenneth Johannessen
> Does anyone remember from the first year of TJW, when they had the
Joker's
> Jackpot if anyone retired undefeated during the early days or did they
keep on
> playing until defeated? Just wondering to back Jack Barry's statement
that no
> one in the history of The Joker's Wild has ever retired undefeated.
I remember watching Frank Dillon break the "Joker's Jackpot" twice, and had
to go because he exceeded CBS' $25,000 limit. He said at the time he
wanted to use some of the money to start a CBS-Jack Barry scholarship of
some sort.
He then came back during the syndie version and played in the Tournament of
Champions, and won once, I think...the next year he got played in the
finals, and got beat. He needed a double in his final spin, but got only
single categories. Barry seemed astonished, and Dillon didn't look too
happy. But he was a real gentleman throughout. If I recall correctly,
Barry even offered him a job on the air after his loss.
k.j.
Tjhornikel
>I remember watching Frank Dillon break the "Joker's Jackpot" twice, and
>to go because he exceeded CBS' $25,000 limit. He said at the time he<BR>
>wanted to use some of the money to start a CBS-Jack Barry scholarship of<BR>
>some sort. <BR>
><BR>
>He then came back during the syndie version and played in the Tournament
>Champions, and won once, I think...the next year he got played in the<BR>
>finals, and got beat. He needed a double in his final spin, but got only<BR>
>single categories. Barry seemed astonished, and Dillon didn't look too<BR>
>happy. But he was a real gentleman throughout. If I recall correctly,<BR>
>Barry even offered him a job on the air after his loss. <BR>
Frank Dillon actually won two JW tournaments. The $50K and $100K tournaments,
then losing ,as described above to Eileen Jayson in the $250K tournament. I
had the opportunity to speak with Frank Dillon following 1979 championship
series, and he regretted even participating in it. He felt that each years
champion should be allowed to retire with full honors, not constantly
challenged. After all, until that time, he was an undefeated champ. I tried
to call him recently, and found the number disconnected. Anyone know of his
whereabouts?
"May all your consequences be happy ones",
Tom Hornikel
Lover of, Kim (lovely bride), Timothy and Eva (beautiful children), TV
game shows, the Cleveland Indians, entertaining with magic and balloonology,
Dr. Who, Mr. Bean, Star Trek, Chrysler Co
Brian Dominy
On 14 Apr 1998 03:29:30 GMT, tjhor...@aol.com (Tjhornikel) wrote:
>Frank Dillon actually won two JW tournaments. The $50K and $100K tournaments,
>then losing ,as described above to Eileen Jayson in the $250K tournament. I
>had the opportunity to speak with Frank Dillon following 1979 championship
>series, and he regretted even participating in it. He felt that each years
>champion should be allowed to retire with full honors, not constantly
>challenged. After all, until that time, he was an undefeated champ. I tried
>to call him recently, and found the number disconnected. Anyone know of his
>whereabouts?
There was a Frank Dillon who played in the Jeopardy! Seniors Tournament
a few years back -- same person? He kinda looked like John Mahoney
(Frasier's dad).
--
Brian Dominy ================================ pin...@mediaone.net
Visit the Dimension of Mind at http://www.se.mediaone.net/~pinball
for information on pinball, TV game shows, music, and more.
Kenneth Johannessen
> Frank Dillon actually won two JW tournaments. The $50K and $100K
tournaments,
> then losing ,as described above to Eileen Jayson in the $250K tournament.
I
> had the opportunity to speak with Frank Dillon following 1979
championship
> series, and he regretted even participating in it. He felt that each
years
> champion should be allowed to retire with full honors, not constantly
> challenged. After all, until that time, he was an undefeated champ. I
tried
> to call him recently, and found the number disconnected. Anyone know of
his
> whereabouts?
Thank you for correcting me, Tom...I wasn't sure if it was one or two
TofC's that he won. I just remember him being a super nice man. From all
my years of watching game shows, I remember the names of only two champions
off the top of my head...Frank Dillon and John Hatton, who won $120K on
"Blockbusters." Dillon always impressed me (as did Hatton.) I hope he's
well, wherever he is.
k.j.
Dave Mackey
ROBDON33 wrote:
>
> Does anyone remember from the first year of TJW, when they had the Joker's
> Jackpot if anyone retired undefeated during the early days or did they keep on
> playing until defeated? Just wondering to back Jack Barry's statement that no
> one in the history of The Joker's Wild has ever retired undefeated.
In the early 70's, CBS had a $25,000 limit, which wasn't first tested on
"The Joker's Wild", but "Gambit". A couple with the last name of
Winterbottom was the first ever to have to retire undefeated because
they had exceeded CBS' limit on winnings. They made out like bandits on
the Gambit Board.
ROBDON33
Thanks for the replies. I'm sure that there was more than one champion on TJW
who retired undefeated besides Joe Dunn.
And very interesting info on CBS having the $25,000 limit which was still in
place in the early-1980s. These days the limits are
roughly around $100,000...but there is only one network game show left in the
United States....all the others are syndicated.
Either way Joe Dunn will rank up there with Eileen Jason and Frank Dillon as
the top all-time winners on the 1972-86 version of TJW...winning $66,200 in
cash and prizes, including I'm guessing
four automobiles, each one valued at the time over $5,800 (calculating from a
game in which a contestant went from total winnings of $9,500 to
$15,800...including the $500 for the win.)
Tjssbh4
>From all
>my years of watching game shows, I remember the names of only two champions
>off the top of my head...Frank Dillon and John Hatton, who won $120K on
>"Blockbusters." Dillon always impressed me (as did Hatton.) I hope he's
>well, wherever he is.
yeah, I was glad when he won the whole thing...Bill Cullen announced that while
they were taping the shows (on his first run, when he could only win ten games
for $60K) that his house had burned down while they were away. He seemed
especially happy that John had won the $60K, and it was great to see him win
another $60K to be able to pay off the new house and whatever. I won't forget
him for a while.
bh4
(Bill Hughes IV)
"Are you now, or have you ever been, a member of the Communist party, or a
fellow traveler?"
THEJ-MAN
I don't remember Joe Dunn. What year was he on Joker's Wild?
Yours truly,
THE J-MAN
THE J-MAN'S GAME SHOW PAGE
http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/4439/
ROBDON33
Guess you haven't been watching GSN or don't have it. Joe Dunn (guessing
that's his name) was on in early-1983, during the neon-set era and ended up
winning $66,200 in cash and prizes, well more than what Eileen Jayson won in
1979 with $55,380. At the start of TJW, Jack Barry made the announcement that
Dunn will retire undefeated due to the $50,000 limit which was set (of course,
on Barry & Enright shows, players can continue past the $50,000 mark until
defeated or retire undefeated, as was the case). Barry also said that Dunn was
the first champion ever to retire undefeated on TJW...that isn't the case, if
you go back to the early days, Frank Dillon retired undefeated when he reached
the limit of $25,000 during the CBS run.
Tjhornikel
>There was a Frank Dillon who played in the Jeopardy! Seniors Tournament<BR>
>a few years back -- same person? He kinda looked like John Mahoney<BR>
That is correct! Frank Dillon did appear about five years ago on a J! Senior
Tournament.
Before Joker, he appeared on the Who What Where Game and Art Fleming's
Jeopardy!
Kenneth Johannessen
> yeah, I was glad when he won the whole thing...Bill Cullen announced that
while
> they were taping the shows (on his first run, when he could only win ten
games
> for $60K) that his house had burned down while they were away. He seemed
> especially happy that John had won the $60K, and it was great to see him
win
> another $60K to be able to pay off the new house and whatever. I won't
forget
> him for a while.
IIRC, didn't they show a videotape of John's new house when he returned for
his second go-round on the show??
k.j.
Tjssbh4
>IIRC, didn't they show a videotape of John's new house when he returned for
>his second go-round on the show??
>
>
yeah, they did...I remember that now.