Final Jeopardy: Recording History (12-23-16)
The Final Jeopardy question (12/23/2016) in the category “Recording History” was:
Guinness recognizes his 1902 version of Leoncavallo’s “Vesti La Giubba” as the 1st million-selling record.
2x champ Sam Scovill has pocketed $38,802 over the last 2 games. It’s his third game and his opponents today are: Vinnie Chiappini, from Providence, RI; and Molly Thacker, from Arlington, VA.
Round 1 Categories: Power Awards – Places That Became Words – Beastly State Symbols – Cockles & Muscles – NFL Cheerleading Squads – It’s Over
Sam found the Jeopardy! round Daily Double in “NFL Cheerleading Squads” under the $400 clue on the 2nd pick of the round. He was the only one with anything — $200. He bet the $1,000 allowance and he was RIGHT.
The Gold Rush. show
Sam finished in the lead with $5,000. Vinnie was second with $4,200 and Molly was last with $2,000.
Round 2 Categories: Glory to God – In the Highest – Piece – On Earth – Good Will – Toward “Men”
Sam found the first Daily Double in “Good Will” under the $800 clue on the 4th pick. He was in the lead with $5,800 at this point, $1,200 more than Vinnie in second place. He bet $800 but did not take a guess so he was WRONG.
This man enjoyed good Will Shakespeare & his actors so much, he made them grooms of the King’s chamber. show
Vinnie found the last Daily Double in “On Earth” under the $800 clue, with 13 clues remaining after it. In the lead with $9,800, he had $400 more than Sam in second place. He bet $1,000 and he was RIGHT.
In 1896 the mountain now called Denali was named for this man, 5 years before his death. show
Vinnie finished in the lead with $13,200. Sam was next with $11,800 and Molly was in third place with $2,800.
Only ONE of the contestants got Final Jeopardy! right.
WHO IS ENRICO CARUSO?
Caruso’s “Vesti La Giubba” is No. 10 on Don’t Stay Up Too Late’s list of 50 Records That Matter, 1900-1919: “Opera is thought of as the music of the generations before Tin Pan Alley, but at the turn of the century it was easily the most popular, successful, and profitable form of music, pop music in the strictest financial sense. This recording was by some reckonings the first million-seller in all of recorded music, the first genuine pop smash, a glimpse of the biggest star in the world at the height of his powers. The song itself, a showcase from Leoncavello’s one-act 1892 verismo opera Pagliacci, is the turning point in the play, in which the titular clown, though broken-hearted, forces himself to go on capering for the crowd….”
Here is the link to the Guinness World Records page, naming “Vesti La Giubba” the very first million selling recording.
Molly wrote down Edison. She lost her $1,000 bet and finished with $1,800.
Sam got it right. He bet $5,599 so that brought him up to $17,399.
Vinnie wrote down Bell. He lost $10,401 bet, landing in second place with $2,799. So Sam won the match and his 3-day total is $56,201.
Best wishes from Fikkle Fame to everyone celebrating this weekend. May your holidays be filled with joy and love.
A triple stumper from each round
COCKLES & MUSCLES ($600) In rhyme, features of her garden included cockleshells & pretty maids all in a row
GOOD WILL ($2000) Written around 1589, this history “Part One” is generally agreed to be Shakespeare’s first play
2 years ago: ALL of the players got this FJ in “African Flags”
The flag of Burundi has stars representing the Twa & these 2 other ethnic groups much in the news in the 1990s. show
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44/61
I thought Caruso was an easy guess, and the only one from that era.
There was a whole opera category in October 2015 where Alex Trebek was at the Met and in one of them, he was wearing Enrico Caruso’s costume from “I Pagliacci.” The video of the whole category is still on the weekly recap
Asked for the name of the man, he answered “Mt. McKinley”. You never know what Jeopardy will nitpick and reject, or what it will accept.
Horney Toad should be acceptable, but I guess they went with the official state name.
Thank you posting this information everyday. Where I am, FJ was never aired. After the category was announced, it went to commercial and never came back. The next show began and I rewound the recording 3 times thinking it happened so quick that I must have missed it.. Rooting for Sam as I happen to live in Oklahoma too.
I just love that scene with the horned frog and the horny toad. But seriously though Alexander Bell and Thomas Edison were inventors of the phonograph and the telephone and they were not musicians. So for the two opponents that came up with those had no knowledge of music history from the early years.
Congrats to sam once again, and also Vj happy holidays to you and wishing you and your family a joyful christmas. Also was caruso a jazz musician?
@Lou, Well, Vinnie certainly had his Shakespeare on lock. Molly seemed to be having a hard time getting in on the buzzer between the 2 guys.
Caruso was an opera singer. Listen to the video Also, the information part in the recap explains how popular opera was in the early 1900s.
I dunno… I thought Caruso was the obvious answer, but since Edison’s company and equipment were used to produced the recording, and the question was not crystal clear, I didn’t think Molly’s answer was totally unfounded. I think she might have a case to make for getting second place. She had no shot at anything else.
idk, Susan. According to wikpedia’s list of Caruso’s recordings, the particular 1902 recording the clue refers to was made in Milan by the Gramophone and Typewriter Co. (the Guinness record refers to it as GT). He made 2 subsequent records for Victor Talking Machine Company. So it doesn’t look like Edison was involved at all.
and I meant to say — 2 subsequent recordings of “Vesti la giubba”
I gotta put in that $600 triple stumper from the Beastly State Symbols over here. It was so funny! The clue: Texas calls its state reptile a horned lizard; Wyoming uses this amphibian name for a related animal
Vinnie said “horned frog” and Sam said “horny toad,” and Molly didn’t buzz in. So Alex said “What is the horned toad.” Then he deadpanned: “Not horny. Different connotation.” LOL! I love it when Alex deadpans.
LINK: 9 more clues from this match
Yeah, that was really funny, especially Alex’s expression when he said it.
Merry Christmas to you and your family, VJ. And to all FF visitors, Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Happy Kwanza, or whatever you celebrate. 🙂
Thanks, Cece, hope you and yours have a great one, too.
To me, Alex is at his funniest when he delivers a funny line straight-faced. Second funniest, when he acts like a little boy.