Final Jeopardy: Famous Names (2-28-25)
The Final Jeopardy question (2/28/2025) in the category “Famous Names” was:
As a young reporter in Appleton, Wisconsin, Edna Ferber interviewed this hometown celebrity originally from Hungary
In the first semifinal match of the 2025 Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament, the contestants are: Roger Craig, an applied scientist from Arlington, VA; Jaskaran Singh, a consultant from Plano, TX; and Shane Whitlock, a radiologist orig. from Benton, AR.
Round 1 Categories: Eyewitness U.S. History – Books & Authors – Billboard Bills, Billys & a Billie – Social Types – Use Your Word Words – Not Today, Satin!
Jaskaran found the Jeopardy! round Daily Double in “Social Types” under the $600 clue just after the break. He was in last place with $1,800, $2,200 less than Shane’s lead. Jaskaran made it a true Daily Double and he was RIGHT.
Random house says this 2-word term for one who travels a lot for business was suggested by a Mad Max film title show
Jaskaran and Shane finished in a tie for the lead with $5,000. Roger was second with $4,400. All clues were shown.
Round 2 Categories: The County Line – Symbolism in Art – Meteorology – Creators & Creations – Period Entertainment – Before & After
Jaskaran found the first Daily Double in “The County Line” under the $1,600 clue on the 5th pick of the round. He was in the lead with $9,400, $3,400 more than Roger in second place. Jaskaran bet $4,000 and said Baltimore. That was WRONG.
Cross this county’s border & you’re in one of the “collar counties”: Lake, McHenry, DuPage, Kane & Will show
Shane found the last Daily Double in “Period Entertainment” under the $1,200 clue on the 15th pick of the round. He was in second place with $5,800, half of Roger’s lead. Shane bet it all and guessed “Jazz Age”. That was WRONG.
“The Night that Goldman Spoke in Union Square” is a song from this musical named for a music style that defined an era show
Roger finished in the lead with $14,400. Jaskaran was next with $12,600 and Shane was in third place with $3,200. All clues were shown.
ALL of the contestants got Final Jeopardy! right.
WHO IS HARRY HOUDINI?
Perhaps the first thing you will notice when you see Edna Ferber’s 1904 interview with Harry Houdini is the line that begins “Back in Place of His Birth” under “He is certainly a wonder”. It was Harry Houdini himself who perpetrated the myth that he was born in Appleton, Wisconsin. I remember seeing many articles over the years claiming yes to Appleton and no to Budapest and vice versa. His true place of birth (Budapest) and birthdate (3/26/1874) were finally accepted in the 1970s.
At the time that 19-year-old Edna Ferber interviewed 30-year-old Houdini, however, I guess there was no reason to doubt Houdini on that score. Edna Ferber went on to become a famous writer. She won a Pulitzer for “So Big”, her first novel. Many other Ferber works became award-winning films and plays.
Shane doubled up and finished with $6,400.
Jaskaran bet $12,598 and finished with $25,198.
Roger bet $10,801 and won the game with $25,201. Roger Craig is our first finalist. We’ll find out who will be joining Roger next Monday and Tuesday.
2 triple stumper from NOT TODAY, SATIN!:
($800) Minawear, founded in Venice Beach in 1998, makes clothing from this smokin’ fiber with anti-microbial benefits
($1000) Any goat besides an angora can provide this material made from the soft, downy undercoat, shed in early spring
2 years ago: Only ONE of the players got this FJ in “AMERICAN LITERATURE”
Letters, pocket knives, C rations & steel helmets are among the tangible items referred to in the title of this modern war classic show
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Another strong game. Good rally by Jaskaran who was way behind early.
Disappointed that Shane didn’t know the musical genre DD. Arguably it cost him the win. I saw and liked the movie when it came out in the early 80s, before it became a Broadway musical. I have a close pal who journeys to NYC a few times a year to see shows, and “Ragtime” is a big favorite of his. He paid four figures not long ago to see a one-night revival with the original cast.
First DD not a braincrusher. FJ stumped me. Didn’t realize Erik Weisz was from Wisconsin or Hungary, did know he died on my birthday, but many years earlier. Knew the “Name of the Rose” guy. Pretty sure I had that Hawaiian dish when I was there. Its non-rhyming version is known as a plate lunch. It was designed to keep the pineapple plantation workers well-fed.
It was another fantastic and competitive game. Gee, I sure wish that the telecaster in Kalamazoo, Michigan would get its act together as the transmissions keep getting cut off during the game. Anyways, I thought that the FJ was rather trivial and perhaps ambiguous. Well, the first thing that came to my mind was Zsa Zsa Gabor, and I stuck with her for FJ.