POSERS AND PENALTIES

New Zealand Listener, Volume 18, Issue 460, 16 April 1948, Page 17

POSERS AND PENALTIES

FEYAHE Commercial Division of the NZBS will shortly introduce to film audiences and radio listeners its most ambitious comedy production so far-Posers, Penalties and Profits-a New Zealand counterpart of the American show Truth or Consequences. Like the U.S. version, this is a quiz which offers contestants a wide range of unusually valuable prizes, the penalty for failure also being a profit, but earned in some distinetly unorthodox, way. It may involve a, competitor in a visit to some odd part of the city to collect his or her prize, with relay points broadcasting progress to listeners and to the theatre audience. Even the lions’ cage at the Wellington Zoo may be chosen as the hiding-place for a box of nylon stockings, and it will be. the contestant’s job to extract that box. | The Commercial Service tells us that aeroplane travel in search of prizes might be necessary before the series is cover, and a forfeit may entail an effort by somebody on the stage to sell the aludience’ some article that has never been offered for sale in New Zealand before. If a man and his wife covet a free washing-machine, the wife may be asked to demonstrate, on the stage, her ability to chasten her husband with a broom handle or, more likely, something less lethal. Cash prizes will be available to anyone in the theatre who can, for instance, recognise the recorded voice of some well-known New Zealander. The Commercial Service has been busy arranging this session for some time and has collected a large number of posers and penalties (with the profits) which, it hopes, will give audiences half an hour of broad comedy for nine weeks. Fun But No Embarrassment Intending contestants may apply to their local ZB stations for inclusion in the sessions and their names Will be

drawn by ballot. Though Posers, Penal- | ties and Profits is a form of quiz in which anybody may draw a simple question (for instance, what is the difference between an Imperial and an American gallon?) the accent will be on the unusual, But the Commercial Service assures contestants that nobody will be placed in an embarrassing position or made to look foolish. Rather will they be invited to join in the fun for theif own profit and the amusement of others, as well as themselves. The quiz will open at the Empire Theatre; Dunedin, on Thursday, April 22, during the cinema performance between 8.10 p.m, and 8.40 p.m. Other dates will be: Regent Theatre, Christchurch, April 29; Majestic Theatre, Auckland, May 6; Majestic Theatre, Wellington, .May .13; and Regent Theatre, Palmerston North, May 20. Following this tour each centre, with the exception of Palmerston North, will be visited again-Dunedin, May 27; Christchurch, June 3; Auckland, June 10; and Wellington, June 17. It will be broadcast by all the ZB stations and 2ZA at 9 o'clock on each evening of performance. The compere on the stage will be Selwyn Toogood. Some of the Prizes Among the prizes will be wristlet watches, leather travelling-bags, suites of furniture, a fortnight’s holiday anywhere in New Zealand, sets of women’s clothing, vacuum cleaners, raincoats, men’s shirts in hard-to"get sizes, dozens of pairs of nylon stockings, radio sets, large grocery orders, washing-machines, dozens of art union tickets, water-heaters installed anywhere the winner wishes, and even concrete-mixers. The promoters anticipate that contestants will go to singular lengths to win some of these articles.