ANNOUNCER: Why is Ursinus College of Collegeville, Pennsylvania the subject of a Trivial Pursuit question?

And what must visitors to an exclusive hog farm in Lebanon County do before entering?

Find out as we all play The Pennsylvania Game.

[theme music] The Pennsylvania Game is made possible in part by Uni-Marts Inc., with stores in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia.

Serving you with courtesy and convenience every day of the year.

Uni-Marts, more than a convenience store.

Now let's get the game started.

Here's the host of The Pennsylvania Game, the Martha Raye of game shows, Lynn Cullen.

[applause] What does that mean?

I have a big mouth?

I think that is what that meant.

You mean it's not Halloween?

I thought this was the Halloween show.

Hi, I'm so glad to have you with us.

How's about we meet our panel?

I was going to say victims, but I decided not to.

Oh, this face is well known.

Bernie Asbell, a regular on The Pennsylvania Game, and author of umpteen books, the latest of just, what, went off to the publisher the other day to random house.

Please say hello to Bernie Asbell.

[applause] And Susan Berthold is a member of the Erie-based comedy troupe, In All Seriousness Incorporated.

Her interest ranged from reading and sleeping to bow hunting and ice fishing.

She caught, what, three last season, and they all melted.

Please welcome Susan Berthold.

[applause] And Philip Philip Mitchell made a name for himself with that name in the advertising business.

He founded his own advertising company in Atlanta, Georgia.

He sold it in 1977 and retired to State College.

He's involved in so many things that retired really is not the right word.

Please welcome Philip Philip Mitchell.

[applause] You guys ready?

OK. Ready as they're ever going to be.

Let's get question number one.

ANNOUNCER: In the mid 1920s Ursinus College in Collegeville Pennsylvania was mentioned in Ripley's Believe It or Not.

Then in 1993, the college became the subject of a question for Trivial Pursuit.

What's so noteworthy about Ursinus College?

A, it's the only college in the nation that has a huge tree in the endzone of its football field.

B, it was named after Dr. Zacharias Ursinus, who developed nasal spray.

C, it was the nation's first co-ed liberal arts college.

Or D, it's the only college run by a board and not a president.

LYNN CULLEN: Oh, Bernie's scratching his beard.

That's always a bad sign.

[laughs] It's one of those.

There's a tree growing in the end zone.

What did-- Zacharias Ursinus develop nasal spray.

It was the first co-ed liberal arts college, or is it run by a board not by a president?

I need you to choose, log in, and Bernie, what?

It's best known because it has a funny name.

But A, nobody could have made up A, so I'll choose A. Oh, I forgot to choose it.

There.

LYNN CULLEN: Nobody could have made up A, so you'll choose A. Yeah.

LYNN CULLEN: OK, OK. Susan, you look ill. [laughs] I chose C, I don't know why.

LYNN CULLEN: OK, well, that's a very-- that's a straightforward kind of a response.

First co-ed college.

Philip Philip?

I chose D. I was supposed to sit next to Bernie, he's an old timer and he was going to punch me one, two, three for these numbers.

Now I can't do it.

But I think that's a good way to run a university.

LYNN CULLEN: What?

A board, not a president?

A board.

Right.

LYNN CULLEN: OK.

I wonder if any of these panelists know what they're talking about.

We'll see.

ANNOUNCER: The answer is A. Ripley's Believe It or Not once mentioned Ursinus College as having the only known football field with a large tree in its end zone.

The 250-year-old Sycamore, which was blown over in a 1984 windstorm, was also the subject of a question in All-American edition of Trivial Pursuit.

Today, a one-ton grizzly bear carved from the tree's upper trunk is on permanent display on campus.

And Son of Sycamore, which was grown from cuttings from the ancient buttonwood, is now more than 20ft high and growing in the same end zone.

[laughter] That just doesn't seem like a good idea to me, does it?

I mean, it doesn't-- if I were a football player, I would not think that was a good idea.

By the way, Zacharias Ursinus didn't invent nasal spray, although it's too bad that he didn't.

He was founder of the college, and he was a Protestant theologian.

Lynn, can you imagine trying to steal the goalpost in that?

LYNN CULLEN: [laughs] Oh, yeah.

Hey, this next question, it's all wet.

ANNOUNCER: About 1.4% of Pennsylvania is made up of wetlands.

Which county in Pennsylvania has the highest percentage of land area covered by wetlands?

A, Pike.

B, Huntington.

C, Susquehanna.

Or D, Erie.

LYNN CULLEN: Huh.

Yeah?

Philip was looking at it.

Yes, you can choose.

You can choose.

Philip looks like he knows.

Pike, Huntington, Susquehanna, or Erie, which one has the most wetlands?

Wetlands.

I don't know, was it wetlands or wetlands?

Susan, you look sick again.

[laughs] Well, I chose C because I know that the Susquehanna is a large body of water.

LYNN CULLEN: [laughs] And it was about water, so maybe it drains out through there.

LYNN CULLEN: Yes, maybe it does, maybe it does.

Philip?

I chose D. It has to be D, because Lake Erie is there.

OK.

But I mean-- it's not-- OK, it has to be D, he says.

Bernie, does it have to be D?

I chose D because Lake Erie is a bigger body of water than the Susquehanna.

LYNN CULLEN: Yeah.

[laughter] I'll tell you.

You guys are amazing.

Astounding, it's hard to keep up with you.

Let's get the answer.

ANNOUNCER: The answer is A, Pike County.

6.7% of Pike County is covered with wetlands.

In all, there are only about 404,000 acres of wetlands in Pennsylvania.

Wetlands provide invaluable habitat to a long list of Pennsylvania's wildlife, including rare and unusual insect-eating plants like the pitcher plant.

They're also important to humans.

They prevent flooding of drainage systems, act as filters for pollutants, help maintain water tables.

Unfortunately, nearly half of all the wetlands found in Pennsylvania have been drained during this century.

Mm-hmm.

40% of the state's wetlands are in just seven of the state's counties.

This is one of those facts that-- very important to know.

They are Pike, Monroe, Crawford, Erie, Wayne, Luzerne, and Mercer.

BERNIE ASBELL: Still there.

Now, I don't suppose you remember what I just said.

Would you want me to repeat it?

LYNN CULLEN: No, no, no.

I mean, if you could, I'd be astounded and amazed.

You know what?

You've written, what, 14 books?

Now 14.

Mm-hmm.

LYNN CULLEN: 14 books.

I mean, you get up in the morning and you sit down and you start to write?

I've often wondered how professional writers do it.

You get up in the morning, you sit down, you start to write.

Yeah, that's about it.

And do you use a-- I mean, obviously, you used to start writing on a-- you used a typewriter, now you're using a word processor.

That's right, everybody does.

Yeah.

Well, I think there are a few-- I actually heard of some who are still doing longhand.

Do you believe that?

Yeah, with pencil and yellow pads, and then they have somebody else put it on a word-- LYNN CULLEN: Yeah.

It's kind of odd.

But you know it's the hardest thing about it?

LYNN CULLEN: What?

The next sentence.

Always.

LYNN CULLEN: Oh, yeah, right.

I know.

Yeah, the next sentence.

Wow, wow.

Well, we'll look forward to your new book about the birth control pill.

Susan, in all seriousness, which is the name of your comedy troupe, which is awful cute, the fact of the matter is, is that comedians or comics, I have found out, tend to be, in real life, really rather serious.

Yes.

LYNN CULLEN: Yes.

And terrified?

Sometimes.

LYNN CULLEN: Sometimes, sometimes.

Yeah.

So what kind of things do you do?

I mean, where do you perform your-- Oh, we perform nationally.

LYNN CULLEN: Oh, you do?

Yes.

Colleges-- we've been working a lot with corporations, doing private functions, writing specialized comedy.

We do sketch comedy-- LYNN CULLEN: OK. Like a Saturday Night Live-type show wonderful.

What fun, what fun.

In All Seriousness.

Phillip Phillip-- Yes, dear.

--Mitchell.

How did you-- I mean, I'm sorry, you've been asked 7,000 times, I'm sure, but how did you get the name Phillip Phillip Mitchell?

Well, you see, my oldest brother was named Phillip, my next oldest brother was Phillip, my youngest brother was Phillip, my father's name was Phillip.

Now the real name is Mickiewicz.

M-I-C-K-I-E-W-I-C-Z.

LYNN CULLEN: Wait.

But I found nobody ever could spell it or pronounce it.

And in Poland, some families take and have-- the boys, all take as their middle name, their father's first name.

And since I was named after my father, then I got Philip Philip.

So you mean all the males in your family were named Philip?

Yes.

So when your mother said, "Philip?"

You were always right.

Somebody would come running.

[laughter] LYNN CULLEN: Well, that's like George Foreman, the boxer.

All of his sons are named George.

I have a sister too.

LYNN CULLEN: Named Phyllis?

No.

LYNN CULLEN: No, no.

Everybody bites the wrong way on that.

She is Helen.

LYNN CULLEN: OK, OK, wowee.

How about another question?

You guys game for another one?

Let's do it.

ANNOUNCER: In Lebanon County, visitors to an exclusive hog farm must do which of the following before entering?

A, learn hog calls.

B, take a shower.

C, be referred by a physician.

Or D, sign a waiting list.

LYNN CULLEN: Wow.

OK, you're going into a hog farm, do you have to learn hog calls, take a shower, be referred by a physician, or sign a waiting list?

My, my, my.

Take a take a shot at that.

And Philip, explain yourself.

What did you choose?

This is strictly a shot.

They're all dumb questions, their answers or what have you-- LYNN CULLEN: Well, one of these dumb ones is right.

So let's have a hog-calling contest.

LYNN CULLEN: OK, let's have a hog-calling contest, A. Bernie, what do you think?

I took B, because hogs are smart and they probably demand-- have you ever seen how human beings live?

LYNN CULLEN: Yes.

[laughs] So I just imagine-- LYNN CULLEN: Take a shower before you're coming.

I used to live on a pig farm, so I know.

Yes, what, Susan?

I combine both the cleanliness and the dumb question to pick C. LYNN CULLEN: That you have to be referred by a physician.

So you don't bring in any diseases.

LYNN CULLEN: OK, so we're all over the place.

Taking showers, doing hog calls, and getting a doctor's order.

Let's see.

ANNOUNCER: The answer is B, take a shower.

Visitors to the Mock owned farms are required to shower, wash their hair scrub, their fingernails, and change into the provided clean clothing before entering.

Four Lebanon County men invested millions to build the state of the art facility that raises some 1,400 hogs in a disease-free environment.

Not only do the pigs live in air-conditioned comfort, they also have personal dieticians who select the perfect blend of grains at mealtime.

LYNN CULLEN: Yeah.

Yeah, isn't that strange?

Hey, Bernie, Bernie, you're burning us up.

Bernie's got two correct answers.

And Phillip Philip and Susan, zilch at this point.

Bernie's in the lead.

[applause] I'm sorry.

Here is our first clue for the "Mystery Pennsylvanian."

Listen up.

Guessing on this one, you get three points.

Born in Philadelphia in 1949, he landed his first big movie roles in films that John Travolta turned down.

Born in Philadelphia in '49, he landed his first big movie roles in films that John Travolta turned down.

Oh my.

Perplexity is what greets us.

Phillip's taking a stab at it.

And while you guys do that, we're going to move on, we're going to move on to our next question.

ANNOUNCER: In 1843, Pennsylvania became the first state legislature in the nation to appropriate money for this purpose.

Was it A, to establish meteorological stations in each county of the State, B, to aid veterans of the revolutionary war in the war of 1812, C, to establish an agricultural college, or D, to temporarily house and care for immigrants?

LYNN CULLEN: OK, the year is 1838, the Pennsylvania legislature is appropriating money for what purpose?

Meteorological stations, aiding veterans, agricultural colleges, or caring for immigrants.

1833, excuse me, I got the year wrong.

1843.

Well, well, 1843, they're telling me in my ear.

Close enough.

LYNN CULLEN: Close enough.

It was way back when.

Bernie, what do you think?

Well, I think it's "established an agricultural college," which no doubt became Penn State College and-- LYNN CULLEN: No doubt.

--and then it became Penn State University.

LYNN CULLEN: No doubt.

Except it was a high school first.

LYNN CULLEN: Uh-oh.

Susan?

Well, I do know the first degree in agriculture was in Pennsylvania and offered at Penn State, so I picked C also.

LYNN CULLEN: OK, you and Bernie are in agreement.

Well, since they both chose C, I chose C. ANNOUNCER: What the heck.

Yeah, that's right.

LYNN CULLEN: Unanimity.

Are they all right or are they all wrong?

We're right this time.

ANNOUNCER: The answer is A, to establish meteorological stations in each county of the State.

In 1843, the Pennsylvania State legislature granted $4,000 to the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia to establish weather stations in every county in the state.

The weather stations were charged with taking weather observations and keeping weather records.

OK, Pennsylvania is really into whether.

I mean, State College is the weather capital of the world.

How about another question?

Listen to it.

ANNOUNCER: In September of 1993, the United Nations joined with Juniata College in an unprecedented educational effort aimed at developing nations.

What does this unique initiative provide?

A, international seminars on arms control and disarmament.

B, educational opportunities for children in war-torn regions.

C, agricultural assistance programs for women.

Or D, opportunities abroad for pre-med students.

Hmm.

LYNN CULLEN: Yeah, that's what I would say if I were sitting on the panel.

Bernie just went "hmm."

Well, Juniata and the United Nations joining together for what?

That's the question and I need your answers.

Susan?

Oh, I picked D because I hadn't picked it yet.

LYNN CULLEN: [laughs] That's good.

That's actually a very good reason, as good as any.

Philip?

Well, if they didn't do it, B, for educational opportunities for children, they should have.

LYNN CULLEN: They should have.

OK. Yeah, Juniata is a place that overflows with kindness, and it led me to be.

LYNN CULLEN: OK, we've got two B's, we've got a D, and let's get an answer.

ANNOUNCER: The answer is A, the first international seminars on arms control and disarmament.

Scholars from around the world are joined by United Nations diplomats at Juniata College in Huntingdon, for two weeks of intensive study.

The goal is to educate future leaders of the third world on conflict resolution, negotiation, disarmament, and arms control, and to build the political support necessary for peaceful resolution of disputes between developing nations.

LYNN CULLEN: Well, our score has remained the same since last I told you.

Bernie, you're still ensconced in first place, and Philip and Susan are trying to get out of the starting game.

[applause] [audio logo] OK, second clue.

"Mystery Pennsylvanian."

A devout follower of Tibetan Buddhism and founder of the Tibet house in New York, his bad boy image is now a thing of the past.

Born in Philadelphia in 1949, he landed his first big movie roles in films that John Travolta turned down.

A devout follower of Tibetan Buddhism.

He, in fact, founded Tibet House in New York.

His bad boy image now a thing of the past.

[chuckles] Bernie, we got you stumped.

We don't usually have you stumped.

People used to tour Pennsylvania by railroad, and now a lot of them do it, well, on bicycles.

Let's look.

ANNOUNCER: Converting abandoned railways to trailways is creating thousands of miles of hiking and biking trails throughout the United States.

Where does Pennsylvania rank nationwide for the number of rail trails?

A, first.

B, second.

C, fifth.

Or D, 10th.

LYNN CULLEN: Where do we rank with rail trails?

Taking old rail lines and making them into trails.

Such a great idea.

Philip, what do you think?

This is worse than the Penn State blue books of 55 years ago.

LYNN CULLEN: [laughs] But I'll try number one.

First.

OK, OK, we're first.

I like the sound of that.

Bernie?

If it weren't first why would the question be asked?

LYNN CULLEN: Indeed.

Yeah.

Oh, hey.

It might be on to something.

Sue?

Ditto.

LYNN CULLEN: OK, OK, we've got the three A's, and we say we're number one.

Let's find out.

ANNOUNCER: The answer is A, first.

Pennsylvania, with its rich railroading history, now has the greatest number of rail trails in the country, with 45.

Although the movement didn't officially get started until December of 1986, Pennsylvania was the first state in the nation to develop an abandoned rail line for public use.

In 1943, the Bridgewater Riding Club in Susquehanna County converted 14 miles of old trolley lines into a running and walking path called The Endless Mountain Riding Trail.

While estimates are hard to come by, it's believed that 11,000 miles of abandoned rail lines exist in Pennsylvania, 6,000 miles of which could someday be converted for public use.

That'd be wonderful.

A great, great, great, idea.

I've got an idea, how about another question?

PHILIP PHILIP MITCHELL: Sure.

ANNOUNCER: Bellefonte, Pennsylvania is known as the one-time home of five of Pennsylvania's governors.

Let's recognized this town's rich Black American culture.

Which of the following is not true of Bellefonte?

A, John H. Mills of the Mills brothers was born there.

B, its schools were among the nation's first to be desegregated.

C, it was an important stop on the Underground Railroad.

Or D, it was the birthplace of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

LYNN CULLEN: OK, now again, to reiterate, three of those things are in fact true of Bellefonte.

We're looking for the one statement that is not true.

And you have chosen.

Bernie?

Well, I chose D, because I think that one's right.

I mean, I think it's wrong.

LYNN CULLEN: You think it's wrong.

It's right, it's wrong, so therefore it's right or wrong.

That's right.

Susan?

I chose B because it was the most general.

[laughs] OK. Getting desperate-- I chose-- LYNN CULLEN: OK, Philip, I'm sorry.

I chose D. Not because Bernie did, because he's been leading me astray.

[laughter] LYNN CULLEN: Well, let's see if you're on the right track now.

Maybe.

ANNOUNCER: The answer is D. The first African Methodist Episcopal Church was established in Philadelphia in 1816.

Saint Paul's in Bellefonte wasn't erected until 1859.

Among the church's ministers were both grandfathers of the world renowned Mills Brothers.

John H. Mills, the father and one-time member of the Mills Brothers, was born in Bellefonte in 1882.

Bellefonte was also an important station on the Underground Railroad, a system set up to help slaves escape to free states and Canada.

And nearly 70 years before the US Supreme Court declared school segregation unconstitutional, Bellefonte's public schools were desegregated.

Interesting.

Philadelphia, by the way, was the birthplace of the AME Church.

I want to thank Dan Clemson of Mechanicsburg for that question, and we'll send him a Pennsylvania Magazine subscription to thank him.

And my heavens, I have another question here.

It shocked me to see, but here it is, or here it is.

ANNOUNCER: Basketball star Suzie McConnell is considered one of Penn State Lady Lions all-time greats.

Among other career highlights, the perfect point guard, as she was often called, is winner of the Frances Naismith Hall of Fame Award.

Does the Naismith Award honor A, the nation's leader in assists and steals, B, the nation's best guard, C, the nation's all-time leading scorer, or D, the nation's best small player.

LYNN CULLEN: OK, well, Suzie got the Naismith Award, but what did she get it for?

Suzie McConnell, from a wonderful family of great basketball players in Pittsburgh.

Susan?

I picked B. LYNN CULLEN: You picked B.

You think she's the nation's best guard.

Doesn't have the slightest idea.

Philip?

Can I change after picking?

No, you can't change.

I'm sorry.

That'd be cheating.

Philip?

Philip?

I chose D, but she was all of them.

LYNN CULLEN: She was all of them.

But she was a little thing.

I think she was all of them too.

I chose C. I wish I had chosen A. LYNN CULLEN: OK, OK, well, wait till you find-- How's that for a strategy, huh?

OK, yeah, yeah.

Well, let's see what the right answer is.

It might not be either, or it might be neither.

ANNOUNCER: The answer is D. Suzie McConnell won the Frances Naismith Award in 1988 for being the nation's best player under five feet six inches tall.

A giant among players in all other respects, Mcconnell-Serio helped the US Women's Basketball Team win the 1988 Olympic gold medal in Seoul, South Korea, and the 1992 bronze medal in Barcelona, Spain.

[audio logo] OK, from the courts to our last shot at the "Mystery Pennsylvanian."

I hope this does it for you.

Today, he is one of Hollywood's leading men, married to one of America's most beautiful faces.

He married her face?

He couldn't marry the whole woman?

All of me.

I imagine married to one of America's most beautiful women, I imagine.

Born in Philly in '49, landed his first big roles in films that John Travolta turned down.

He is a devout Tibetan Buddhist.

Bad boy image now a thing of the past.

He's now one of Hollywood's leading men, and he's married to a beautiful face.

[chuckles] [humming] All right, bells are about to run out.

I can-- oh, Bernie, Bernie, Bernie.

Yeah, Hollywood is not my turf.

Hmm.

Except for the movies I've seen.

Don't have the slightest idea, huh?

I'm going to-- if I if, I got it, I'd probably try to get out of the Hollywood game.

OK, let's see.

Susan.

Susan.

I just kept guessing wildly at male actors of about that age.

LYNN CULLEN: You think Fred Rogers and Sean Penn and Michael Keaton are the same age?

Well.

Fred is very well preserved.

LYNN CULLEN: So Michael Keaton is who you ended up with.

Yes.

OK. [chuckles] Philip.

I would have gotten the right answer, but this damn thing won't work.

[laughter] LYNN CULLEN: Oh, it really doesn't.

You see that?

LYNN CULLEN: Well, I'll tell you what-- You found me out, dear.

Well, I'll tell you what.

You can say it.

You can just tell me what the correct answer is then.

I'll call your bluff.

I forgot.

LYNN CULLEN: I forgot, right.

OK. Let's see who this famous Pennsylvanian is that nobody seems to know.

[laughs] ANNOUNCER: Richard Gere was born in Philadelphia in 1949, but grew up in Syracuse, New York.

He got his theatrical start in the Provincetown Playhouse on Cape Cod, and went on to star in London's West End production of Grease.

Became the first American asked to join London's prestigious National Theater Troupe, and landed his first big movie roles in American Gigolo and An Officer and A Gentleman, roles that John Travolta turned down.

Later, he starred in Internal Affairs and the box office hit Pretty Woman.

Today, he is regarded as one of Hollywood's top leading men.

Gere's once-famous bad boy image began to fade after being introduced to the spiritual leader, the dalai lama.

Today, he is a devout follower of Tibetan Buddhism and founder of the Tibet House in New York.

He is an accomplished musician with a vast collection of vintage guitars, and is married to supermodel Cindy Crawford.

Richard Gere, a famous Pennsylvanian.

Yeah, well, famous to some, but not to others.

I mean, that's not all news to you, is it?

Richard Gere?

Cindy Crawford?

Come on, come on.

Aren't we with it here?

SUSAN BERTHOLD: I never heard of-- No, we're not, we're not.

But Bernie's with it enough to have won that game.

Although, Philip, you gave him a good run at the end.

Just one one point away.

[applause] Congratulations, Mr. Asbell.

I know you've won many a game, but we're going to give you-- I don't know that we've ever given you this-- BERNIE ASBELL: Cindy Crawford.

Ha, ha.

Yeah, dream on.

How about this instead of Cindy?

The Keystoner gift basket, compliments of JJ's Basket Delights.

OK?

[applause] JJ'S Basket Delights of Mechanicsburg.

It's really full of all sorts of good stuff, grown or processed right here in Pennsylvania.

That is where we are, isn't it?

Pennsylvania.

Thank you.

You were a delight, as usual.

Susan, you were a good sport.

Philip, Philip, Philip, Phillip, you were wonderful.

I think you're just as beautiful as that gal.

LYNN CULLEN: Oh, without a doubt.

I mean, I'm sure if Richard saw me he would just throw her over in a minute.

By the way-- by the way, we get some of our best questions from you, the audience, and maybe you've got one you're sitting on right now.

How about sending it to us?

Here's how you do it.

You send it to, surprisingly, The Pennsylvania Game, at 214 Wagner Annex, University Park, PA, 16802.

And if we use it, well, we're going to thank you with a year's subscription to Pennsylvania Magazine.

I'm going to thank you again.

You were wonderful.

I'm going to thank the audience, you've been great.

And thank you, most of all, and hope you join us again when we play The Pennsylvania Game.

[applause] ANNOUNCER: The Pennsylvania Game is made possible in part by Uni-Marts Inc, with stores in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia.

Serving you with courtesy and convenience every day of the year.

Uni-Marts, more than a convenience store.

WOMAN: Meals and lodging for contestants of The Pennsylvania Game provided by the Nittany Lion Inn, located on Penn State's University Park campus.

[music playing]