Game Contestant Put Himself in Jeopardy

During an intermission in the taping of “Jeopardy,” announcer Johnny Gilbert told the audience off camera the story of one overly self-conscious contestant. Right before Alex Trebek’s eyes, the poor guy had started to waver back and forth during the questioning, then fainted. Revived, he was told he didn’t have to finish. “But I do want to finish,” he said, aware that the game was in the big-bucks “Double Jeopardy” stage. Later, the contestant’s poor physical condition was traced to the fact that he had been on a liquid diet for several weeks, fearful that he would look fat on TV.

Hmmm. I’ll take stupid weight loss ideas for $200, Alex.

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IN OTHER MEDICAL NEWS: Gerald Elijah snapped a shot of a sign of a practitioner who can apparently pull teeth through manipulation (see photo).

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POLICE LOG: Paula Van Gelder of L.A. had to read one item in a local weekly twice to make sure the suspect was not arrested for making a pass (see accompanying). Actually he was accused of making and passing bad checks.

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LUCKILY, HE WAS DEAF TO CRITICISM: Today is the 228th birthday of Ludwig van Beethoven, a name not usually associated with L.A. But there is a statue of the German composer in Pershing Square, paid for with funds raised by members of the L.A. Philharmonic back when Ludwig was only 163. Even this fine gesture could not escape controversy. As Times columnist Harry Carr wrote at the time, the statue “created public excitement because his trousers need pressing” (see photo).

But why dwell on the negative? Better to recall Mayor Frank Shaw’s memorable speech at the site of the statue. His Honor declared that he was delighted that L.A. had such a fine “sympathy” orchestra.

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COURTING RIDICULE: Here’s another gem from “Great Moments in Courtroom History,” the incredible but true collection of excerpts of testimony compiled by Charles M. Sevilla in the magazine of the California Attorneys for Criminal Justice. An expert witness is testifying.

Lawyer: “Would you characterize that within a reasonable degree of medical certainty as a serious injury?”

Physician: “Well, I don’t know that. When you say serious, everything is relative. Someone who has a cracked skull and lost three eyes . . .”

Judge (interrupting): “Three eyes?”

Physician: “It’s more serious.”

Judge: “Where do you practice?”

miscelLAny:

After reading the real estate listing in this space for a house with “illegal bachelor over garage,” Gary Robb wondered if that wasn’t also the subject of a musical. You know, “Fiddler on the Roof.”

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Steve Harvey can be reached by phone at (213) 237-7083, by fax at (213) 237-4712, by e-mail at steve.harvey@latimes.com and by mail at Metro, L.A. Times, Times Mirror Square, L.A. 90053.