Smash for Cash (TV Show)

*Smash for Cash* (1960-1961) was a popular program that ran for only a year due to a disaster that occured on set in an unreleased episode. Each episode featured a contestant who was a convict from a maximum security prison, and began with a brief interview of the convict and what they did to end up in prison. The convict would then be blindfolded and guided up on stage, where they would have exactly three chances to smash a random entity that was placed in front of them. If successful in their smash, the convict would be given $2,500 in bills of $100 denomination and then a chance to give a personal life lesson to the audience.

Only 24 episodes were aired to the public and the show was an instant hit. But, during the production of the 25th episode, *Ep. 25: Camelot*, the convict who appeared on the show was on stage and after he had missed his first swing, the audience shouted to him, "swing from over your head!" At this point, the convict, who remains anonymous, began to lift the sledgehammer above him when he heard a noise that sounded to him like a camel. And he was so sure of it, that he actually took his blindfold off just to see that there was a camel on stage.

Absolutely stunned by what was happening, the convict lowered the sledgehammer, and so one of the crew members walked over to explain to the convict that they had to reshoot, and it was at that moment that the convict raised the sledgehammer high, and smashed the crew member. In a 2002 interview with an audience member who was just a teenager at the time, the following was said:

*"And he just smashed the guy like it was nothing?"*

*"Yup. Uh-huh... flattened..."*

*"Like a pancake? To that degree?"*

*"More... I can't even describe it."*

*"So... Perhaps a hydraulic press?"*

*"I suppose."*

The audience screamed in horror, but the convict wasn't done just yet. Several crew members rushed over in an attempt to do something, but they were totally unprepared. The convict smashed two more of them, and just before another became victim to the sledge, a brave but foolish audience member tackled the convict on stage.

As the convict was tackled, a crew member made an attempt to grab the sledgehammer so no more damage could be done. But, little did he know, it wouldn't do anything.

The convict kicked the audience member off him, then kicked the crew member in the head by swinging his leg down and using his heel. The convict then yanked the unconscious crew member off the hammer and grabbed it.

At this point, most of the audience had left through the exits behind the rows of seats. But a few remained because they thought that this was all just part of the episode being a special episode because it was the 25th one.

The convict looked the audience member who tackled him in the eyes and said the following:

*"Boy, you've got big brass balls. But lemme tellya something. I'll bash your balls for free before I even think about crushin' a camel's. So dontchu ever fuckin' test me. And I don't give a fuck about no cash. Shove it up your ass, cause I'm cruisin' back to Alcatraz."*

The audience member had a panic attack thereafter, and took some Nembutal tablets that were given to him by a shaman from the sewer. He then realized that this show was funny, but it had gotten to a point where it was just pure insanity.

**TRIVIA:** A spinoff show was made and is still running every week on TV in some middle-eastern countries. The show is nearly identical to its inspiration, except every episode features a camel, but with a different type of hammer given to the episode's contestant.