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By: fuzzymemories

Description: This clip made possible by the donations from our generous group of "Fuzzketeers" during the Spring 2012 Tape Transfer Fundraiser.

Here's Part 1 of a special called So You Think You Know Chicago? on WBBM Channel 2. This was the third broadcast in a continuing series of shows called Chicago Alive. The hosts were legendary anchors Bill Kurtis and Walter Jacobson. Also features John Callaway, as well as an all-star panel to be mentioned later. Here's a Chicago Tribune advertisement for the special. Includes:

Tail end of preemption notice for Here's Lucy (the presence of Serif Gothic Medium for the show title, plus the fact that the 1973-74 season was that show's last, would be the dating guideline for this program) (voiceover by Ed Roberts)

Opening titles for Chicago Alive with quick-cut look at the various sights of the Chicago skyline and throughfares (including several shots of the Marina City Towers at various angles, including an aerial shot) (opening voiceover by Ed Roberts) - plus opening sponsor billboard for:

- McDonald's and the Association of Chicagoland McDonald's Restaurants - "You Deserve a Break Today"
- The Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of Chicago - "It's the Real Thing"
- Continental Bank of Chicago, La Salle at Jackson - "The Big Bank with the Little Bank Inside"

Faraway shot of studio set, with a Marconi Mark VII color camera seen at bottom left; followed by Bill Kurtis and Walter Jacobson taking turns explaining the purpose of this program which was to test how much people know the city; Walter then introduces the panelists who are Irv Kupcinet of the Chicago Sun-Times and Kup's Show; Rev. Jesse Jackson, head of what Jacobson calls "Organization PUSH"; Amanda Jones, Miss USA 1973 (from Illinois); and Wally Phillips of WGN Radio 720. Bill explains the rules and protocols of the quiz, and Walter explains the scoring procedures.

The first question has to do with how Chicago got its nickname "The Windy City" (wind gusts, political oratory or hard sell [related to their drive to get the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition over New York, St. Louis and Washington, DC]); Kup says the second description is the accurate one, while Wally says that in terms of the (weather) wind, Milwaukee has Chicago beat. Bill gives the correct answer as the third, and attributed the phrase to Charles Dana, editor of the New York Sun (later famous for printing the letter whose response yielded the now-famous "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus"), who disliked Chicago's tactics for getting the exposition to their city. Walter then expresses disappointment that no-one on the panel would have gotten that one.

The next question is posed by TV2 reporter John Callaway, eating a huge ice cream sundae at a luncheonette, as to which suburb was the first to have this dessert exposed to them; Rev. Jackson guesses Cicero, while Amanda mentions the sundae was first invented in Evanston and gives details as to how it came about (relating to the Women's Christian Temperance Union and their call for prohibition on sodas). Walter then cuts back to John at the luncheonette for the answer, and his history lesson on how it came about, and Bill gives points to Amanda.

The next question after that deals with the longtime "lovable losers" in Chicago baseball, the Cubs, back to the team's glory days of 1906-10 and a trio of players that excelled in crucial double plays and were later immortalized in a poem by Franklin P. Adams, "Tinker to Evers to Chance" (Bill pronounces the first player's surname as "Tinkers"). The question is who played third base - Amanda guesses Bobby Douglas, while Wally recounts a court case involving the legendary players (the punchline being that the judge "left nothing to Chance"); the correct answer was Harry Steinfeldt (1877-1914).

Walter then goes to the next question which has to do with a man suiting up for swimming in the Caribbean, with film footage of him getting dressed for same, and then him in the water with various local fish; the exact question is where in Chicago does he make his living, with Wally guessing the Shedd Aquarium; Walter gives the man's name as Ken Terrell, who worked at the Shedd's coral reef as one of the diver/feeders. With that, Bill signals for the first commercial break.

Commercial: McDonald's - with various families at play, on the beach, etc., then stopping at a McDonald's restaurant for a nice meal - "You Deserve a Break Today" (Copyright McDonald's Corp. 1974)

This aired on local Chicago TV on Monday, March 25th 1974 during the 8pm to 9pm timeframe.