Lascia o raddoppia?

Lascia o raddoppia? (Italian pronunciation: [ˈlaʃʃa o radˈdoppja]; "Leave it or double it?")[1] was a game show that aired on Italian television from 1955–1959,[2] considered the Italian version of The $64,000 Question.[1] It was hosted by Mike Bongiorno with Edy Campagnoli as valletta (assistant).[3]

Contestants were asked a series of questions on a particular subject that, if answered correctly, would advance them to a prize of 2,560,000 lire (about 4,000 U.S. dollars in 1959). The contestant could then stop and walk away with that amount or take a chance on another question with the possibility of doubling their winnings to 5,120,000 lire (just over $8,000 in 1959).[1]

Controversies

Since the program aired on state-run RAI, the prize money came from the State treasury, making program officials particularly sensitive to viewer reaction.[1]

Contestants became overnight celebrities and received a high amount of coverage in the Italian press. Most received an average of 2,000 letters each week they were on the show.[1]

Maria Luisa Garoppo, a 23-year-old contestant from North Italy who was quite knowledgeable about Greek drama, scandalized many newspaper editors by wearing a tight red dress that accentuated her 45-inch bust and 19-inch waistline. Garoppo responded to her fashion critics by saying "It's not my fault if God constructed me unlike a telephone pole". The program coordinator subsequently paid her the prize money but removed her as a contestant, telling viewers she was "under doctor's care for emotional shock".[1]

Paola Bolognani, an 18-year-old philosophy student, was known as "the Marilyn Monroe of Italian soccer" for her knowledge of the game. While she was a contestant, her photo appeared on 22 magazine covers and she received more than 20,000 letters, including 3,500 that were marriage proposals.[1] Bolognani eventually won the top prize by tackling a tough three-part question on soccer, but while she was a contestant a newspaper published an article revealing that she had been an illegitimate child.[1]

Famous fans of the program

Pope Pius XII was known to be a great fan of Lascia o Raddoppia.[1]

Exiled Egyptian King Farouk gave $4,000 to Marisa Zocchi, a 19-year-old contestant who said she would use her winnings to hire a full-time nurse for her sick mother. Zocchi, who had held the title of Miss Tuscany in 1954, had stopped at the $4,000 prize level, sobbing as she explained to viewers she wouldn't risk trying for the full prize for her mother's sake.[1]

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References
  1. Lo Bello, Non. (1963, April 13–19). Rhubarb Every Thursday: Here's why Italian TV would rather bring back the bubonic plague than its own version of 'The 64,000 Question'. TV GUIDE, pp 8-11
  2. Wikipedia article on Lascia o raddoppia? in Italian
  3. Aldo Grasso, Massimo Scaglioni. Enciclopedia della Televisione. Garzanti, Milano, 1996 – 2003. ISBN 881150466X.
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