Albert Freedman: Difference between revisions

He was born and raised in Taunton, Mass on 27 March 1922. During World War II enlisted onin the U.S. Marines and was sent to the [[Pacific War|Pacific Theater]]. After WWIIthe war Freedman went to study at Boston College, and later at the [[University of Southern California]]. He also studied in Paris at a [[film school]].<ref name="Barnes"/> He was married to Esther Katz and had four children with her. He later remarried to Nancy and took on her 2two children as step childrenstepchildren.<ref name="Sandmomir">{{cite news|last1=Sandmomir|first1=Richard|date=28 April 2017|title=Albert Freedman, 95 producer of rigged 1950s Quiz TV Show|publishernewspaper=The Boston Globe|agency=New York Times|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92458154/albert-freedman-obit/|access-date=13 January 2022}}</ref>

In the early 1950s Freedman moved to New York and got a job with a [[Groucho Marx]] show called ''[[You Bet Your Life]]''.<ref name="Sandomir">{{cite news|last1=Sandomir|first1=Richard|date=22 March 2017|title=Albert Freedman, Producer of Rigged 1950s Quiz Show, Dies at 95|work=New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/22/business/media/albert-freedman-dead-quiz-show-scandal.html|access-date=12 January 2022}}</ref>

In the 1950s television was just becoming popular and Freedman became a [[Televisiontelevision producer]]. He produced a show called ''[[Tic-Tac-Dough]]'' and ''[[The Big Surprise]]''. Quiz shows gained popularity and: CBS started a show called the ''[[The $64,000 Question]]'' and it was immediately very popular. [[Dan Enright]] started a show called ''[[Twenty-One (game show)|Twenty-One]]'' to compete.<ref name="Sandomir"/> Enright's production company was called ''Entertainment Productions Inc.''<ref name="Casts"/> Freedman took over producing ''Twenty-oneOne'' in 1956. The show ''Twenty-One'' had a contestant named [[Herb Stempel]] who seemed unstoppable. The sponsor of the show was [[Geritol]] and they wanted a different contestant.<ref name="Sandomir"/>

In 1956 Freedman found a teacher from [[Columbia University]] named [[Charles Van Doren]]. In a 2008 ''[[New Yorker Magazine]]'' article Van Doren stated that Freedman told him, "I’veI've thought about it, Charlie, and I’veI've decided you should be the person to beat Stempel. And I’llI'll help you do it." In speaking to the [[The Interviews: An Oral History of Television|Archive of American Television]] in 2000, Freedman would only admit that he told Van Doren what to study prior to the shows. Van Doren debuted on the show 28 November 1956.<ref name="Sandomir"/>

in 1958 another contestant on ''Twenty-oneOne'' ([[Elfrida von Nardroff]]) went on to have a long run on the show and earned $220,500 in winnings. Shortly after her appearance on the show, an investigation was begun by [[Manhattan District Attorney|Manhattan district attorney]], [[Frank Hogan]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/15/business/media/elfrida-von-nardroff-dead.html|title=Elfrida von Nardroff, 96, Dies; Won Big Money on a Fixed Quiz Show|first=Richard|last=Sandomir|newspaper=The New York Times|date=15 December 2021}}</ref> The way the quiz show scandal began; aA standby contestant who had hoped to be on the television show ''[[Dotto]]'' complained to the New York District Attorney's office about irregularities.<ref name="Wisconsin">{{cite news |title=Producer of Quiz Show 21 is Indicted on Charges of Lying |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/other-articles-clipping-nov-08-1958-2945865/ |access-date=13 January 2022 |publishernewspaper=Madison Wisconsin State Journal |date=8 November 1958}}</ref>

It was discovered that ''Twenty-One'' had been paying some contestants to lose. The trouble began when a losing contestant did not receive compensation that was promised to him. The man went to the media and revealed the game show's scheme.<ref name="Kinsler">{{cite news |last1=Kinsler |first1=Mark |title=Remember When: The quiz show scandal |url=https://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/story/news/2021/08/16/remember-when-quiz-show-scandal/8124434002/ |access-date=12 January 2022 |publishernewspaper=Lancaster Eagle Gazette |date=16 August 2021}}</ref> A Grand[[grand Juryjury]] was convened in November 1958.<ref name="Matthews">{{cite book |last1=Matthews |first1=Melvin E. |title=Loss of innocence : America's scandals in the post-war years |date=2019 |publisher=Algora Publishing |location=New York |isbn=978-1628943504 |pages=119–120 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Loss_of_Innocence/aL2XDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=Elfrida%20%20von%20Nardroff%20scandal |access-date=12 January 2022}}</ref> On 7 November 1958, Freedman became the first person indicted and arrested in the quiz show scandal.<ref name="Wisconsin"/><ref name="Arrested">{{cite news |title=Producer of Quiz Show 21 is Arrested |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/other-articles-clipping-nov-07-1958-2945842/ |access-date=13 January 2022 |publishernewspaper=Fergus Falls Daily Journal |date=7 November 1958}}</ref> He became the central figure in the quiz show scandals.<ref name="Barnes"/> When Freedman was previously before the Grandgrand jury he had denied that he supplied contestants with answers, and when he was led out of court after his testimony he stated, "Everything I told the Grand Jury is the Truth."<ref name="Producer">{{cite news |title=Producer of Quiz Show is Indicted |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92456785/freedman-quiz-show/ |access-date=13 January 2022 |publishernewspaper=York Daily Record |date=8 November 1958}}</ref> There were also accusations that Freedman tried to extort $5000 from Van Doren;, a charge which Freedman denied.<ref name="Casts">{{cite news |title=Casts Doubt on a Hoax Denial |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92459418/5000-albert-freedman/ |access-date=13 January 2022 |publishernewspaper=Kansas City Star |date=4 November 1959}}</ref>

After Freedman admitted he had lied to the Grandgrand Juryjury he was indicted for Perjury[[perjury]].<ref name="Federal">{{cite book |title=Federal Communications Commission Reports |date=1964 |publisher=United States Government Printing Office |location=Washington D.C. |page=759 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wyPVAAAAMAAJ&dq=albert+freedman+perjury+guilty&pg=PA758 |access-date=12 January 2022}}</ref> He was arrested and then recanted his testimony to the Grandgrand Juryjury in order to avoid a conviction.<ref name="Barnes"/> He was facing 2two counts of perjury and 10 years in prison.<ref name="Producer"/> Faced with the prospect of prison, he finally admitted that he had given contestants answers.<ref name="Economist">{{cite news |title=Obituary: Albert Freedman died on April 11th |url=https://www.economist.com/obituary/2017/05/04/obituary-albert-freedman-died-on-april-11th |access-date=12 January 2022 |publisherwork=Economist |date=6 May 2017}}</ref> Van Doren pled guilty to perjury.<ref name="Barnes"/> In 1962, von Nardroff plead guilty to second-degree perjury. Twelve other former contestants were also arrested in the scandal.<ref name=":0" />

Freedman never worked in television again.<ref name="Barnes"/> He relocated in London and worked for ''[[Penthouse (magazine)|Penthouse]]'' and other pornography publications.<ref name="Economist"/> In 1981 Freedman went on to earn a Ph.D. the [[Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Sexuality]].<ref name="Barnes">{{cite news |last1=Barnes |first1=Nick |title=Albert Freedman, Central Figure in the Quiz Show Scandals of the 1950s, Dies at 95 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/albert-freedman-dead-producer-involved-quiz-show-scandals-was-95-996189/ |access-date=12 January 2022 |publisherwork=The Hollywood Reporter |date=20 April 2017}}</ref> Freedman died of heart failure 11 April 2017.<ref name="Sandomir" /> At the time of his death he lived in [[Greenbrae, California]].<ref name="Sandmomir" />