New old games in the J! Archive

[Robert K S]

That was me, but I see that "amateur voice actor" and "admin hopeful" Sock reverted the addition...

I think this is probably as big a coup as any discovery we've had since exposing repeat contestant Jeff Kirby. In his early career the writer worked to maintain an air of mystery surrounding his persona and didn't grant interviews. I think years went by without a confirmed picture of him being published. Although that has changed, I'm still not aware of any biography of Kaufman that mentions his Jeopardy! appearance.

[MitchO]

Wikipedia has a very complex set of "fact verification" rules that I find confounding to the non-obsessed. They won't take what we have here as sufficient.

[brick]

A photo of screenwriter Kaufman from high school, in '76. That face looks a lot more like the J! contestant.

[Robert K S]

Wikipedia has a very complex set of "fact verification" rules that I find confounding to the non-obsessed. They won't take what we have here as sufficient.

Wikipedia has no fact verification to speak of; a fact could be demonstrably true--say, for example, algebraically true--and there would still be some editors objecting to its inclusion for want of its having been stated in a book, and the title and page number of that book. And then there are editors who think even that much is not sufficient, if the book is not recent enough, since, hey, facts can change over time. In the future, the goldmine for historical researchers won't be the articles on Wikipedia but the edit histories full of all the marvelous discarded bits.

[brick]

And if it's the same guy, was mentioned 12 years later in a clue: http://www.j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=2744 (STUPID ANSWERS, 600)

I didn't bother to look who Bamaman was talking about until you posted this. Donald Kaufman was on Jeopardy!? This makes my year.

In all the excitement I neglected to tip my hat to you for that.

[Robert K S]

Here's a few more images of Charles.



Put these up on your screen side-by-side with the Colbert interview and tell me that's not the same smile.

[MitchO]

Wikipedia has a very complex set of "fact verification" rules that I find confounding to the non-obsessed. They won't take what we have here as sufficient.

Wikipedia has no fact verification to speak of; a fact could be demonstrably true--say, for example, algebraically true--and there would still be some editors objecting to its inclusion for want of its having been stated in a book, and the title and page number of that book. And then there are editors who think even that much is not sufficient, if the book is not recent enough, since, hey, facts can change over time. In the future, the goldmine for historical researchers won't be the articles on Wikipedia but the edit histories full of all the marvelous discarded bits.

You're correct, of course. Neither "fact" nor "verification" is really the accurate term for what Wiki editors use; those terms are more like what said editors described their rules to be, to themselves, in bed at night, gripping their Jimmy Wales dolls. :p

[MarkBarrett]

I added Keith Walker's debut: http://www.j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=4984

That means there was a consecutive 3-spot of 5x champs in March of 1987 if I'm looking at the archive correctly?

Not as famous as Charles Kaufman, but I did find and add the game Chris Keyser played: http://www.j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=4939 a few weeks back

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0450899/

For today's game will the search engines wonder why there is an uptick of searches for Marla Collins? SPORTS TRIVIA $800

I took a guess at that stuff for the first part of "SOFT" $300. Lower, all caps, some, none?

On what planet is OTHELLO $800 an $800 clue? Who would know that one?

[brick]

On what planet is OTHELLO $800 an $800 clue? Who would know that one?

That was a tough category. The name rings a bell now that I see it, but I could not have summoned it.

[Volante]

I took a guess at that stuff for the first part of "SOFT" $300. Lower, all caps, some, none?

Looks like you got it in one.

[Bamaman]

That was me, but I see that "amateur voice actor" and "admin hopeful" Sock reverted the addition...

I think this is probably as big a coup as any discovery we've had since exposing repeat contestant Jeff Kirby. In his early career the writer worked to maintain an air of mystery surrounding his persona and didn't grant interviews. I think years went by without a confirmed picture of him being published. Although that has changed, I'm still not aware of any biography of Kaufman that mentions his Jeopardy! appearance.

Seth's games were quite a haul. In addition to Kaufman, we also found Eddie Timanus' mom and the fact Seth was good friends with TOC finalist Steve Bernan.

I had actually never heard of Kaufman, but for some reason I looked him up to see if he had written anything.

[brick]

Seth's games were quite a haul.

So does this mean I get the keys to the secret rooftop pool and resort?

[Bamaman]

I added Keith Walker's debut: http://www.j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=4984

That means there was a consecutive 3-spot of 5x champs in March of 1987 if I'm looking at the archive correctly?

Not as famous as Charles Kaufman, but I did find and add the game Chris Keyser played: http://www.j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=4939 a few weeks back

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0450899/

For today's game will the search engines wonder why there is an uptick of searches for Marla Collins? SPORTS TRIVIA $800

I took a guess at that stuff for the first part of "SOFT" $300. Lower, all caps, some, none?

On what planet is OTHELLO $800 an $800 clue? Who would know that one?

Did Keith sing the $400 Cracker Jack response?

Just 16 to go until we hit 5,000 games.

[Robert K S]

I asked my fiancée to lend her preternatural facial recognition capabilities to the task. After watching the interview with Alex and the 2005 acceptance speech, she doesn't think Jeopardy! contestant Charles Kaufman is the same person as the Oscar-winning screenwriter Charlie Kaufman. She's exceptionally good at this sort of thing, so I have to trust she's right.

[brick]

I've been chatting with Seth online. He was astonished about Charlie Kaufman. Said he was quiet and not memorable. I think I mentioned earlier that there was another contestant when he was there that they had to put on hold until Seth lost because Seth had briefly dated her sister years earlier. They are FB friends and he asked her. She doesn't really remember Kaufman either. He was definitely very short though, which bolsters the ID.

I also asked him about Terri and Eddie Timanus. I will quote him.

I met them both when we tried out in Atlantic City. His mother was just there to drive him down there, and tried out just for kicks. Eddie was obviously going to be on--it just took them longer to figure out how to handle him. I met him some years later, and he told me I won because I had easy categories--like New York City. Ha!

[brick]

I asked my fiancée to lend her preternatural facial recognition capabilities to the task. After watching the interview with Alex and the 2005 acceptance speech, she doesn't think Jeopardy! contestant Charles Kaufman is the same person as the Oscar-winning screenwriter Charlie Kaufman. She's exceptionally good at this sort of thing, so I have to trust she's right.

Did you show her the high school photo I posted? Because I think that as a beginning point and the Jeopardy photo as a middle point are pretty convincing. The list of coincidences is very high for it to be someone else. Kaufman's first professional success was selling two scripts to Get a Life in 1991. The J! contestant says he has sold two scripts. Two sons, the right age, very short for a man. I think the voice matches, too.

[Robert K S]

Because I think that as a beginning point and the Jeopardy photo as a middle point are pretty convincing. The list of coincidences is very high for it to be someone else. Kaufman's first professional success was selling two scripts to Get a Life in 1991. The J! contestant says he has sold two scripts. Two sons, the right age, very short for a man. I think the voice matches, too.

I agree, there are a lot of coincidences. And to top it off, screenwriter Charlie is a known geek who would probably do well on a show like Jeopardy! But the eyes don't quite match, the hair doesn't match (at all), and the contestant's gestures and mannerisms are much more muted. What's more, the contestant has two sons whereas 2005 Oscar winner Charlie appears to have just one daughter.

[Bamaman]

His Wikipedia article says he has two children, but does not give their genders.

[cheezguyty]

I asked my fiancée to lend her preternatural facial recognition capabilities to the task. After watching the interview with Alex and the 2005 acceptance speech, she doesn't think Jeopardy! contestant Charles Kaufman is the same person as the Oscar-winning screenwriter Charlie Kaufman. She's exceptionally good at this sort of thing, so I have to trust she's right.

What does she think about this Charles Kaufman?

[brick]

I asked my fiancée to lend her preternatural facial recognition capabilities to the task. After watching the interview with Alex and the 2005 acceptance speech, she doesn't think Jeopardy! contestant Charles Kaufman is the same person as the Oscar-winning screenwriter Charlie Kaufman. She's exceptionally good at this sort of thing, so I have to trust she's right.

What does she think about this Charles Kaufman?

Wow. I think you win. What a wild set of coincidences!