Let's Make a Deal! A Monty Hall Quiz

Answer: Canada

Monty was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada to parents who had been in the arts before settling down to raise a family. Monty suffered a bad kitchen burn as a child, and was barely recovered from that when he came down with double pneumonia. He spent his recovery in bed listening to the radio whenever he could; he credits this time with inspiring his career choice later on.

Answer: Host for radio programs and shows

According to his autobiography, Monty attempted to join the Canadian Army several times, but was not accepted. He ended up serving his country though service with the Canadian Officer's Training Corps while he was in college. Monty's superiors recognized his aptitude for broadcasting early on and assigned him to announcing, hosting, and emcee duties for military radio programs and live events.

Answer: Rangers

Starting in 1959 Monty was a radio analyst for the New York Rangers professional hockey team. During the time Monty hosted, the Rangers had few wins, but Monty said he loved broadcasting for hockey and would have done it for free. Two of his other jobs during that time period were hosting "Cowboy Theater" and "Fun in the Morning," both children's programs for local New York television stations.

Answer: A bad prize

"Let's Make a Deal" contestants would be offered one of three prizes hidden behind a curtain. A zonk was the least desirable prize -- often it was something like a donkey, a pile of bologna, or a giant pair of clown shoes. When a zonk was revealed, it was accompanied by a "wah, wah, wah, wahhhhh" sound effect.

Answer: Elephant

A baby elephant was supposed to serve as a booby prize, but it got away from its trainer and ran out into the street. Fortunately his handlers caught up with him and no harm was done to anyone or the elephant. More recent versions of "Let's Make a Deal" have not involved any live animals in its productions and instead have a team of engineers and artists to make robotic and inanimate art instead.

Answer: They have the same birthday, 10 years apart.

Both Regis Philbin and Monty Hall were born on August 25th, though Monty was born in 1921 and Regis in 1931. Monty and Regis are two of some of North America's most iconic game show hosts; others include Wink Martindale, Peter Marshall, Bob Barker, and Dick Clark. Monty Hall is most known for hosting "Let's Make a Deal" from 1963 to 1986, and returning briefly in 1991. Monty also had a few guest appearances in television shows such as "The Love Boat", "Love, American Style", and "The Nanny."

Answer: University of Manitoba

Monty graduated from the University of Manitoba in 1945 with a degree in zoology and chemistry. Forty years later, he was granted an honorary PhD for his accomplishments in broadcasting and his philanthropy, especially to children's charities. Soon after that, the Canadian government bestowed on Monty the prestigious Order of Canada for his humanitarian efforts.

Answer: Beverly Hills

Although Monty was mayor of Hollywood from 1975 to 1980, he and Marilyn, his wife, lived for many years in Beverly Hills, California. This is where they raised their three children, who also went into show business. Joanne is an actress who has won a Tony, and Sharon and Richard are both television producers.

Answer: KFOG

KFOG has been broadcasting from San Francisco at 104.5 MHz since the 1960s. One of its longtime weekday features was a set list of ten songs from a specified year at 10am, and Monty was one of the broadcasters who provided the introduction to the set list. KFOG's transmitter is located at the top of Mount Sutro in San Francisco.

Answer: Probability of choosing a prize with three choices

"The Monty Hall Problem" relates to probabilities faced when contestants try to pick the one great prize out of a choice of three, all of which were hidden behind curtains. Monty would tell contestants to pick one of the curtains but wouldn't open it just yet; let's say they picked A. Then he would reveal "zoink" from the remaining curtains, say B. So then it was up to the contestants to stick with A or choose C. Now would it be smarter to keep A, or switch to C? Which curtain is more likely to have the great prize?

Monty himself indicated that he doesn't think the puzzle accurately portrays what would happen on the set of "Let's Make a Deal." He reported that he would read and send nonverbal cues with the contestants to confuse them, thereby possibly influencing the probability in a particular direction.