After achieving winnings of $69,500, Stempel's scripted loss to the more popular Van Doren occurred on December 5, 1956. One of the questions Stempel answered incorrectly involved the winner of the 1955 Academy Award for Best Motion Picture (the correct answer was "Marty," one of Stempel's favorite movies; as instructed by Enright, Stempel gave the incorrect answer "On the Waterfront," winner of Best Motion Picture the previous year). Although the manipulation of the contestants on "Twenty-One" helped the producers maintain viewer interest and ratings, the producers had not anticipated the extent of Stempel's resentment at being required to lose the contest against Van Doren. Initially, Stempel was dismissed as a sore loser, due in part to the fact that there was no solid reason to question the reputations of the quiz shows themselves.