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The Contestants

Bob Barker calls this, “the most talked-about moment in ‘Price is Right’ history!” Yolanda is called to come on down, and forgets she was wearing a tube top. What happened next, as Bob likes to say, was that “she came on down and they came on out!
Angela holds her commemorative rose as Bob Barker congratulates her on winning over $7000 on Valentine’s Day 1973, a very high total for a daytime show. What was special about her win? She won a Schierich bar base, a Levitz Love seat, a Chevrolet Vega, and two Toyota Corollas. She may well be the first player on the show to ever win three cars.
Judy’s all ready to play! Notice how sedate the audience is on this 1973 show. It’s an older crowd, better dressed, and a quieter bunch too. Male contestants frequently dressed in jackets and ties, and women in housedresses almost always brought their purses with them. In the 1980’s the show started skewing younger, and now the audience is composed primarily of college kids in their school colors and uberfans with their custom T-shirts.
Here is Bob – being surprised by a Samoan! Her first move was to place the straw hat he’s holding on his head. THEN she picked him up and spun him around.
“She picked me up so high I think I’m gonna have a nosebleed!”
This player was hoping to draw a small card on her last pull. It was a ten. Any card would have helped, but the ten gave her one of the best wins in Card Game history (1976).
That same episode gave us one of the 1970s’ best-remembered players, Crying Guadalupe. She learns she’s about to win a game room playing her pricing game.
She sees the new color TV and continues crying! After she got into her game, she settled down and the tears stopped.
For awhile, anyway. She spun $1.00 on the wheel to force a spin-off and win her $1000.
Barker gives Guadalupe a hug as the audience gives her a rousing ovation.
And here’s Guadalupe, crying still, having beaten her opponent and advancing to the showcase.
Guadalupe then makes a very good bid on a showcase featuring a boat, and wins her showcase…
…crying all the way to the bank with over $9000 in winnings and a place in all our memories.
Bob started one very memorable 1976 episode by announcing that a contestant had thrown a shoe.
It was Pamela, who turned out to be a real live wire — until she lost her game.
When Pamela won her one bid, she ran all over the stage and tried to chase Barker, who held his ground near the turntable.
Elijah wins his Showcase and brings us an un-4-gettable total.
A week before Christmas 1979, Sabrina Padilla makes a stunning bid on her showcase and wins both, beating her opponent by over $4000. The $2 is thought to be the second closest bid in showcase history. Remember the movie “Better Off Dead”? “Two dollars!”
Judith reacts appropriately, as one would if she won two cars in It’s Optional.
You want heartbreak? How about poor Dolores, who actually lost Hole in One in 1982 after getting all six products in order and winning a putt from the closest line! She didn’t push the ball hard enough. And this was well before the two-putt rule was in place. [2023 update: Dolores would be invited back for a redemption special on The Price is Right at Night]
Alice had a pretty interesting approach to the game. When Bob asked for her bid on the first item, she said “I pass.”
The contestant can’t believe she’s won as Barker makes it official by putting the card in the slot.
The rules of TPIR state that you have to put your full legal first name on your price tag. K. couldn’t. She’s a Hawaiian girl, and her first name is one of those long affairs — in fact, it’s over 60 letters long!
A Phone Home player wishes her partner well.
In this 1983 show, Sheri had eight chances left to win the car, and the numbers 8, 1, 2, 3, and 0. She tried every one of the six valid four-digit combinations (ending in 0) before she won on her eighth chance! What a great player!
Victoria asks if the lamps are by Richards. Johnny says they are. Without baiing an eye she bids $617.
Barker gets a big kick out of it when the bell goes off signaling a perfect bid. He tells the audience not to get excited. “It could mean $350 is right, it could mean $450 is right…”
“But it’s not!” says Victoria, who memorized a list of 200 prices before getting on the show.
In 1984, contestant Colleen wins only one punch. According to Barker, she’s the first to get only one punch.
Sometimes, one punch is all you need…she wins $10,000.
Lori wants to know what comes with the living room she can win. Some joker intimates that Dian comes with it.
Lori then says something surprising: “I don’t think my husband would like her.”
Barker is surprised at all she doesn’t win in the living room set. “No carpeting, no plants, no pictures…it’s hardly worth it! Wanna go sit down?”
So why on earth is Lori changing the check out to something higher? (That number, 4620, appears on every check in the pad and still does to this day. I have no idea why they settled on that number.)
These three contestants were in Contestants Row so long they decided to do something about it. Bob named them The Three Losers Featuring Donnell, who had a great deep singing voice. They did a few bars of “Clementine” before getting back to the game. Ironically, Donnell’s back up singers made it to the stage and Donnell didn’t.
Many people come to TPIR to win prizes. Ethel had something else in mind. “I had a dream about you, Bob, so I had to come down. I dreamt you were chasing me in the hayloft!”
Bob has always said that a man who gives away a lot of refrigerators tends to get hugged a lot. That goes for Lincolns, too, as a player gives his thanks after she’s made it all the way down the Golden Road.
Johnny yelled, “Janice Webber, COME ON DOWN!” and they did! They were BOTH named Janice Webber!
And a long day for Bob gets longer.
Phil says the one in white can stay and play, and the one in blue gets to sit down and watch the rest of the show.
Can this player slam-dunk a new car in “On the Nose”?
After a bad first throw that hit the lights, she underhanded her second biscuit into the basket and won!
Bob’s happy for her, but that’s not the point, as he continues his story about what a great high school basketball player he was!
This priceless reaction brought to you by Plinko, and $5000.
Never mind that this is a nighttime show…whether the sun is up or down, 10 seconds on Race Game is BLAZIN!
Don’t you love a big winner?
TPIR doesn’t get weirder than this. In 1987, Mary is shown winning the pricing game Most Expensive.
Minutes later, she’s on stage playing Hole In One! WHAT THE???! What had happened was Mary was called up on stage when she didn’t win the one bid! Another player had won it, was awarded the prizes Mary won, and Mary went back to Contestant’s Row, won the next one bid, and played Hole in One! Mary made it all the way to the Showcase and won it, scoring $12709 in her “actual” winnings not counting her first one-bid item and Most Expensive prizes, which she still got to keep.
Two Double Showcase Winners: from 1989…
…and from 1990.
Lisa in 1990 did what only one other person had done…
…get the exact total price on “Check-Out”!
Not just a winner, but a legend!
October, 1990: Dian gives contestant Lisa four Plinko chips, giving her a shot at $25000.
With four chips having landed in 0, Bob trusts Dian to drop the final chip! But her chip lands in a zero as well!
Bob is amazed that Lisa didn’t win a cent on five chips! So Bob climbs up the steps and gives it his all. “And ladies and gentlemen, if I am elected…”
Bob drops his chip, and it lands in the $1000 slot.
Here’s Elizabeth, who beat the odds when she won her Showcase Showdown with a total of only 30 cents.
You all remember Iila, right? Who could forget the woman who bid $9000 on “a surfer’s most excellent prize”?
Cathy has five dollars left and one number left! Sure winner, right?
Um, no. She said “9”! And it was a 3! She LOSES!
Twelve years later, that woman who picked Bob up, spun him around, and gave him a nosebleed (as he claimed) returned to pay Bob a visit and haunt him with painful memories. Muusolia was told by Bob, “I will never forget you!”
Danielle Torres and her jaunt into the TPIR record books.
Her opponent is truly happy for her too, having just won a Lincoln and a Corvette. And she didn’t even win both showcases! Imagine if THAT happened!
Danielle starts to come alive as they wheel out the Lincoln for Lucky Seven.
Van may be small, but she packs a wallop. So Bob will take a seat while Rod reads his copy.
Van wins the prizes and Bob’s natural instinct, of course, is to hide.
1993: Amanda’s thrill turns to horror as the wheel looks like it’s going to kick over to 15, which would give her a tie and force a spinoff! YOU MAKE THE CALL!
Amanda is declared a $1000 winner. But while Bob was placing the contestants for the spinoff, the pointer flipped over to the 15! Bob let the $1000 call stand, after equating it to golf. (Amanda won the showcase showdown but missed her showcase by a mile.)
You know what they say about dynamite coming in small packages! When Alexandra found out she was going to play ‘Plinko’ for a possible $25,000 prize back in 1986, she couldn’t contain her enthusiasm. Barker’s ready to run for cover!
“That arm breaks, Annie!” Bob had reason to be worried: when Annie saw that she was going to play “Five Price Tags” for a new jeep, she ran wildly from one end of the stage to another!
An amazing Cliffhanger win! Hans stops on 25 and she wins the game!
Remember Tanya, who played Cover Up in 1996 like nobody else ever had?
She got the first number right, then the second, and then the fifth! It came down to one choice for the third number and two for the fourth!
At that point she’d won the game because she got an extra turn if she got the fourth number wrong! And she needed it! The board has five numbers left — the least the board can show at the end! Brava, Tanya!
Linda Cardellini from “Freaks & Geeks” becomes the second KNOWN actor or actress to be called to ‘Come on Down’ prior to her fame.
Linda Cardellini was one of the first four contestants on her show, way back in 1993!
Unlike Vanna White, Linda reportedly did make it out of contestant’s row, but did not win her Pricing Game.
An early playing of ‘Grand Game’ featured an excited contestant named Pauline, who won the $10,000, and then chased Barker across the stage for a kiss. Though Barker was quick, she eventually caught him.
Here is a contestant, reaching into the $100 pocket! This practice was ended long ago, and now Bob just hands perfect-bid contestants their bonuses.
Look out Bob! It’s another Samoan contestant excited about winning a big prize. This one may be small, but she’s got a strong arm, as she crushes Barker in a bear hug!
In what has to be one “Shell Game’s” all-time funniest moments, Deborah gets confused about how to play and lifts a shell as if she’s going to place the chip under it. Bob says, “That’s the dirtiest trick anyone has ever played on me!”
Realizing her mistake, she “surrenders” the chip by placing it in front of the shell she already knows doesn’t have the ball under it. Bob does a double take, then tells her to move the chip: “You cheated and got away with it!”
Deborah was a terrific sport, laughing at herself throughout the bit, and Bob was sure to keep the hilarity going.
It was down to two shells: the last one she had a chip in front of and the one she’d already exposed. Bob: “You’ve ruined my show! You’ve ruined my game. This would be exciting…but everybody KNOWS the damned thing’s not here!”
A winning contestant gets so excited she forgets to thank Bob…who is left alone on the turntable.
Bryan didn’t realize that the green section meant he won an additional $5,000 in his bonus spin. Here’s a nice shot of their graphic from 1986.
“The Price is Right” has long been a favorite with the college crowd! But sometimes Bob worries about his safety when the partying starts on stage!
Bob invited Donna, a dance instructor, to show Barker’s Beauties a new step. She demonstrates the “Snake.”
Janice and Dian immediately take to the new step.
When Barker tried to get Holly to join in, she pointed at him and suggested HE do it instead!
Dora may look innocent enough, but she turns a simple game of “Temptation” upside down!
Bob knew he was in trouble with Dora when she had to think about whether the first digit of the car was a 6, 3 or 0!!
Bob finally has enough. “Dora, I’ve been doing this show for a long time. But how I ever ran into you, I do not know!”
Ailene clearly didn’t think she’d won her showcase. When Bob pointed at her and said, “You WIN,” what happened next was priceless.
With just over $11,000 in winnings, Ailene fainted at the thought of being the day’s big winner. Bob hurriedly signed off as models and a production assistant rushed to the contestant’s aid.
Staffers rush to the turntable right after Ailene fainted.
Another “Shell Game” fiasco: this time, they replaced the familiar yellow ball with new blue one. But this one doesn’t roll as easily under the shell. Look closely at the first shell, and you’ll see it rolling up to reveal the ball as Bob shuffles the shells.
But the contestant was the only person in the studio who DIDN’T notice. She managed to win after the audience told her which shell to place a chip in front of. Bob shows off the new ball and explains to her what she missed.
Bob mentions having received a letter from a viewer who says it’s inappropriate for women to reach in his pocket for their cash bonus when they’ve made a perfect One-Bid.
After a poll of the audience, Bob decided to let the tradition continue. Eventually, though, the practice was discontinued.
Denise wins a Porsche at the end of the Golden Road, making her, at the time of this 1986 episode, the biggest daytime winner to date before she ever got to the showcases. Counting the $43,917 automobile, she walked into the Showcase Showdown having won more than $47,000 in prizes. Not bad for a day’s work!
Bob loves to toy with contestants during “Temptation,” stalling the final digit’s reveal as long as he can.
Daniel was more than a little excited when he won an $8,560 car!
“Temptation” winner Daniel lifts Bob right off his feet! Funny, he didn’t LOOK Samoan!
Despite the bear hug, Bob wasn’t injured and congratulated the happy contestant.
A different camera captured this great shot, which was used as a still to bump to break and again later in the show.
One of the all-time worst “SuperBall” players. “Yvonne, I’ll never forget you,” Bob said.
Yvonne managed to throw the ball and get it stuck on top of the win circle! Bob couldn’t reach the ball because of the netting, so it was just left there.
Yvonne never did get the hang of playing Skeeball. “This has never happened before,” Bob said as he walked over to get a closer look.
Bob decided to allow Yvonne to use the next prize’s ball for the one that had gotten stuck, and he sent Dian to look for an extra one to use for the next prize.
Her next throw bounced off of the back of the Skeeball board and rolled back down the ramp. “Can you believe what’s happening to me on this?!? She’s thrown every ball all over the place and she’s only won $50 bucks!”
He grabs that ball back from her. “I suppose you think you’re going to get to roll that ball again. Well, you’re not! You’ve already had more rolls than anyone else in the history of this game!” In the end, Yvonne wound up with a mere $200, yet landed a spot in the record books.
As if Bob didn’t have enough trouble with Yvonne, in the same show, he had to suffer through a Showcase Showdown he’ll probably never forget. Jeff and Edgar (see next photo) tied three times in a row after the first contestant went over $1.00. The first time, they tied at 80¢. The second time, it was at 15¢. The third time, it was 60¢! After the third tie, Bob warned them that if they tied again, he’d disqualify both of them and give BOTH showcases to Yvonne!
Finally, Edgar wins with 75¢! Bob said they wouldn’t be able to air “The Young and the Restless” that day because this Showdown had taken so long! Bob looked pretty tired by the time he pitched to the commercial break.
At the start of a show from early 1986, Bob has Arlene stand up to show off her shirt, which reads, “Rod Roddy: My kinda guy!” Bob then mentions for the first time that Rod has become the newest official member of the ‘Price’ family.
A contestant spins $ .90 in the showcase showdown from the first permanent hour-long show in 1975. Note that the familiar green sections didn’t premiere when the Big Wheel itself did! Note that the handles we’re familiar with today were originally red handlebar-style pegs when the wheel debuted.
A $10,000 Grand Game winner on one of the 1986 Prime time specials! Note the $10,000 win graphic.
But this contestant’s hug actually popped one of the studs in his tuxedo shirt!
The camera caught this audience member during a bump to break. Later in that show, the director took a freeze-frame of this image, and superimposed the words, “TELEVISION’S MOST EXCITING HOUR” from the opening title cards over it going into the Showcase Showdown’s consolation prize plugs.
Mary Ella couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw the showcase in one of the 1986 Prime time specials.
Mary Ella had the chance to win two new Mustangs.
She was even more in shock when she won her showcase.
Winning more than $42,000 in prizes was just too much for her! As she hugged Bob, she slumped to the floor!
Bob exhibits the classic “show must go on” tradition, quickly signing off as Janice and Holly look after her.
As the camera frantically tries to get a shot of her, Holly calls for a cup of water to someone offstage.
But as quickly as Mary Ella fainted, she was back on her feet.
And during the parade of prizes, she was jumping up and down as if her fainting spell had never even happened!
Bob makes his Inspiration Putt to show Bertha how easy it is during a playing of “Hole In One.”
But it’s Bertha who has the last laugh! When Bob asks her if she saw his “finely tuned muscles” as he made the putt, she looked at him and asked, “You have muscles?” Bob’s reaction was priceless.
A contestant who could give our own ClockGameJohn a run for his money. With more than half of the time left to win the second prize, her first bid is $999: right on the nose!
Tossing his price holder in the air, Bob jokes about the quick win: “Well, what do you want to do now?”
You have to look carefully at this picture from a 1988 playing of “Master Key,” but you’ll notice something’s wrong with the key Bob is holding. It turns out that when Todd put the key into the middle lock, the end of the key slipped off. Bob joked that the key was worth $5,000! Todd ended up not having to worry about what might have been opened with the broken key…his other choice was the Master Key.
Winnifred takes the LONG way around the stage.
She goes all the way around the audience and straight up on stage! Bob holds her hand as she comes up one side, then leads her straight back down via the other set of steps.
But Winnifred is slick: she sits on the stage next to the steps and tells Bob she doesn’t want to leave him. He sits with her for a moment and tells her that while parting is difficult, she has to get down to Contestant’s Row where she belongs!
But wouldn’t you know it: she’s right back on stage and ready to play the “Race Game.”
Despite her best efforts, she managed to only win one prize.
As time runs out, Winnifred tells Bob she hopes the one prize she’s won is the recliner because she’s tired!
Sure enough, Winnifred wins the recliner, and can’t wait to try it out!
Bob gets an unusual gift: a pair of Ohio State boxers!
Annie in action celebrating the very thought of winning a jeep. But hold on, Annie…you haven’t even played the game, yet!!
Annie never stops moving…but this time she’s taking a victory lap around the stage, weaving around cameras, nearly running into poor Roger Dobkowitz. She must have really wanted that Jeep!
‘Well, they’re young and they’ll understand!’ When Lilie was called to “come on down,” she came on up on stage. Bob asked her how she was going to explain it to the three contestants waiting to win their way up. Her response clearly delighted Bob and got huge laughs from the audience.

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