33   Recorded February 8, 1973

John Tartaglia from Sherman Oaks: “I’ll help the panel put their footprints in wet cement (for Grauman’s Chinese Theater)”

Sid Grauman opened his ornate movie theater on Hollywood Boulevard in 1927.  The famous footprints that would make it a Hollywood landmark began appearing almost immediately, though today there are conflicting stories as to how the tradition started.  Tartaglia, an interior designer by trade, took over the footprint ceremony in 1952 (his first celebrity was Jean Simmons from The Robe) and would continue to oversee the tradition through 1987.  After a series of purchases and acquisitions, the premises is officially known today as the TCL Chinese Theatre, though the Grauman name is still part of the public imagination.  These slabs would be taken to Grauman’s but appear to have only been put on display briefly and today are not considered official.  The original New York-based series performed a similar stunt in 1960 ( E390 ).  Those slabs ended up at a tourist attraction in Niagara Falls, Ontario.  

Bill Danch, a writer from North Hollywood: “I’ve won over 2000 prizes in contests”

During the questioning, the panel sees an ever-growing list of some of the more esoteric items that Danch has won in his efforts, such as a two-headed poncho, a cuckoo clock and a belly board.  Danch offers some tips and tricks on how to win, but the show doesn’t mention that he has literally written the book on the subject, How To Win Sweepstakes Prize Contests (Frederick Fell 1966).  The original show had a similar sweepstakes champion back in 1958 ( E313 ).