Break the Bank (1976)

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Break the Bank (1976)
The Break the Bank opening title.
Airdates:	ABC April 1976-June 1976, Syndicated September 1976-September 1977
Host:	Tom Kennedy, Jack Barry
Announcer:	Johnny Jacobs, Ernie Anderson
Producer:	Barry-Enright Productions

Contents 1 Gameplay 1.1 Front Game 1.2 End Game 2 Notes

Gameplay

Front Game

The game was played between one man and one woman. Each player attempted to match dollar amounts on a game board of 20 boxes, flanked by nine celebrities (four beside the rows of the board and five above each column). The board consisted of three sets of dollar amounts ranging from $100 to $300 in the network version ($100-$500 in the syndicated version), always linked together orthagonally; five blank spaces, which were never connected; five money bags, which may or may not be linked; and one wild card. The object of the game was to capture all three spaces of the same amount.

The challenger began the game by choosing one of the boxes. The player could claim a money amount or Wild Card by correctly determining which celebrity of the two chosen to answer a question (based on which row and column the square was situated) was giving the right answer. If the player chose the right celebrity that the player claimed the square and kept control, otherwise the square was left unclaimed and the other player gained control. (This rule was later changed to award it to the other player unless it completed his/her set.)

Blank spaces automatically forfeited control to the other player. If a money bag was revealed, the player was given the option of either claiming the bag and giving up control, or forgoing the money bag and keeping control.

The first player to capture three squares with the same dollar amount (or two plus the Wild Card) won the game and the combined total of the squares captured plus a bonus prize. Capturing three money bags "broke the bank", winning the game and a jackpot of cash and prizes.

On the network show, contestants continued to play as long as they won the game, or until they won $20,000.

Syndicated players stayed for the entire show, playing as many games as time would allow. If time ran out, contestants would alternate calling boxes and claiming the contents without having to answer a question. The player who won more games advanced to the bonus game. If they tied, the player with more winnings moved on.

End Game

Each of the nine celebrities held a placard bearing dollar amounts from $200 to $1000, with one "BUST" card among them. The winner would call on the celebrities one at a time, who revealed their money amount with each selection. If the player could amass $2000 or more, the amount was augmented to $5000; finding the 'bust' card lost all the bonus winnings and ended the round. The player could bail out and keep the money after finding any money amount.

Notes

• Boxes were marked with either a moustache or a pair of lips based on who claimed it.
• Similar to Hollywood Squares, celebrities were encouraged to give joke answers to the questions before officially answering the question. On rare occasions, both celebrities gave an incorrect answer (despite being furnished with the right answers before the show), requiring the question to be thrown out.
• Both Jack Barry and Tom Kennedy wore tinted glasses during their hosting duties, due to the particularly strong lighting used in the show.
• If a player in the network version won the game without his opponent getting a turn, that same challenger was brought back to play a second game.