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Double or Nothing

24 episodes · 1941–1951 · Mutual, NBC · Variety & Music

Play Double or Nothing on Radio Days

A quiz in which contestants could risk their winnings to double them. RadioGOLDINdex's records have it on Mutual in the early 1940s with Walter Compton as host and Nat Brusiloff's orchestra, then John Reed King, and later Walter O'Keefe, with the show on NBC by the end of the decade.

Sources: RadioGOLDINdex

Episodes

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1941

• How Do You Describe Counting in Jacks July 18, 1941 · Mutual · 30 min
  Walter Compton hosts the doubling quiz, and the opening question asks how counting works in the game of jackstones. Frank Forest sings with Nat Brusiloff's orchestra.
• Jack Lowe August 15, 1941 · Mutual · 29 min
  Walter Compton hosts; the opening question asks contestants to explain a bread-and-butter letter. Frank Forest sings with Nat Brusiloff's orchestra.

1942

• Arthur Treacher May 15, 1942 · Mutual · 30 min
  A program saluting Brazil, with Arthur Treacher among the contestants and Walter Compton hosting. An early question asks which American cities have the Loop, the Bowery and Nob Hill.
• Pat Rooney July 3, 1942 · Mutual · 30 min
  Walter Compton's quiz honors the Daughters of the American Revolution, with Pat Rooney as a guest contestant. An opening question tests how to pronounce fiance and fiancee.
• Salute to Victory Gardening July 17, 1942 · Mutual · 30 min
  The quiz honors Victory Gardens, with Meyer Davis as a guest contestant and garden-show chairman Richardson Wright on hand. The opening question asks for three kinds of cosmetics.
• Salute to the American Theatre Wing July 24, 1942 · Mutual · 30 min
  Walter Compton's quiz honors the American Theatre Wing, with Helen Menken, Madge Evans, Larry Adler, Lucy Monroe and Brock Pemberton competing. The first question: which mosquito bites, male or female?
• Lili Damita September 11, 1942 · Mutual · 30 min
  Vice Admiral Thomas Craven of the Merchant Marine Academy appears, and actress Lili Damita competes on Walter Compton's quiz. The opening question asks what V-Mail is.

1944

• How Much Milk and Cream Does America Eat March 4, 1944 · Mutual · 30 min
  John Reed King hosts; the Grand Slam question asks how many quarts of milk and cream an average American uses in a year.
• Average Life Span of the American Woman March 10, 1944 · Mutual · 30 min
  John Reed King hosts; the Grand Slam question asks the average life span of an American woman.
• How Many Rooms in the White House March 17, 1944 · Mutual · 26 min
  John Reed King hosts; the Grand Slam question asks how many rooms the White House has.
• Dedicated to Mark Twain April 21, 1944 · Mutual · 30 min
  Broadcast from Philadelphia's Boyd Theatre, with producer Jesse Lasky as a guest plugging his new film and John Reed King. The Grand Slam question asks how many Americans go to the movies each week.
• From Cincinnati August 13, 1944 · Mutual · 30 min
  John Reed King hosts from Cincinnati; the Grand Slam question asks how many round trips a typical milk bottle makes.
• Jane Wyman August 20, 1944 · Mutual · 30 min
  From Hartford, Connecticut, honoring Underwood-Elliot-Fisher war workers, with guest Jane Wyman singing a few notes. The Grand Slam question concerns how much meat Americans eat each year.
• How Many People Voted in 1940 September 1, 1944 · 29 min
• How Long Does a Dollar Bill Last September 8, 1944 · Mutual · 29 min
  John Reed King hosts from the Norfolk, Virginia, Naval Air Station; the Grand Slam question asks how long a dollar bill stays in circulation.
• Abandoned Bank Accounts October 13, 1944 · 29 min

1945

• Hosted by John Reed King February 2, 1945 · Mutual · 27 min
  John Reed King's quiz lets contestants double their winnings up to $100 or lose it all on a miss. Bob Young is the first contestant.
• False Japanese Surrender News August 12, 1945 · Mutual · 29 min
  A false report of Japan's surrender interrupts John Reed King's quiz. The Grand Slam question asks Hirohito's age.

1947

• Fastest Baseball Pitch April 2, 1947 · 27 min

1948

• How Many Peanuts in Peanut Oil January 2, 1948 · 28 min
• Screwing Party October 15, 1948 · NBC · 30 min
  Walter O'Keefe hosts on NBC; the first contestant talks about a "screwing party" on the air, and O'Keefe stumbles through the rest. The Grand Slam question asks how many piano tuners work in the U.S.

1949

• Mrs. Jessie Tift October 13, 1949 · NBC · 30 min
  Walter O'Keefe hosts; contestants include June Bryde Thale, a former Our Gang child actor. The Grand Slam question asks how many years before a New York bank account counts as abandoned.

1950

• Mrs. Nona Blue Henderson August 30, 1950 · NBC · 30 min
  Walter O'Keefe hosts; contestants include a retired Secret Service agent who advised on the film Mr. 880. The Grand Slam question asks how long a rhinoceros needs to walk 100 yards.

1951

• Contestants from Vancouver May 2, 1951 · NBC · 29 min
  Walter O'Keefe hosts as contestants from Vancouver, including Jack Kyle, take on all comers. The Andrews Sisters and Del Sharbutt deliver the commercials.