Who Came up with Mystery Game, Clue?
Trusty: Hey Smarty Pants, see if you can guess what board game I’m playing. First, I’m going to roll, 10. Now I have to decide which direction I want to move. Should I go to the dining room or the kitchen? Let’s try the kitchen. Why? Because I think it was Colonel Mustard in the kitchen with the, Hmm, I’m not sure. What about you Smarty Pants? Any idea which board game I’m playing? Do you need another clue? I bet most of you are onto me and know that I’m playing the classic board game, Clue, which has sold over 150 million copies worldwide since being invented in the 1940s. But while millions of people and possibly even you have enjoyed playing Clue for the past eight decades, how much do you really know about this mystery game?
Who invented it? Why does it take place in a mansion? Why are the characters named after colors? And what does a who done a detective game have to do with World War II? It’s time for another whiff of science and history on Who Smarted.
THEME SONG
Who smarted? Who smart? Is it you? Is it me? Is science or history? Listen up everyone. We make smarting lots of fun on. Who Smarted.
It’s a dark and stormy night. The perfect time to play clue. For those who’ve never played before, the rules are simple. Two to six players move their game pieces named after characters from room to room in a giant mansion to determine who committed a crime, what weapon they used to do it. And in which room did it take place? Was it Colonel Mustard in the kitchen or Miss Scarlet in the library? Did they use a wrench, a lead pipe, or a candlestick?
Okay. Before we tour the route, let’s address the elephant in the room. The game Clue centers around a victim named Mr. Body who has been found deceased or not alive and not by accident or old age, but rather on purpose. And the person who did it is one of the characters in the game. In fact, it might even be the character that you are playing as.
[Whoa]
According to Parker Brothers Clue is for ages eight and up. Of course, figuring out who mortally wounded Mr. Body might be a little much for younger kids, which is why they designed Clue Junior.
[Ah]
Clue Junior centers around figuring out which character ate the last piece of cake and in what room. Now, while use some of the same rooms and characters as a regular clue, it’s easier to understand, requires less reading and is far less gruesome for younger children. While it uses some of the same rooms and characters as regular clue, it’s easier to understand, requires less reading and is just more fun for younger children.
[Ah]
But where and when did the original clue start? And who came up with the idea? To help us solve this mystery, we’ve invited two people who’ve been there since the beginning. Why? It’s none other than Colonel Mustard and Miss Scarlet, welcome to Who Smarted.
[applause]
Chris: Thanks for having me, miss.
Jena: Delighted. Even if this room is quite tiny,
Trusty: It’s a sound booth. So, I got to ask, why do you both have English accents?
Jena: Why? Because we’re from Jolly old England.
Chris: My word gave a clue.
Trusty: Point taken. You know, let’s back it up and start from the very beginning.
Jena: Let’s.
[Rewind to the past]
It all started back in the 1940s where the middle of World War II in German areas was raining down on England.
Chris: That’s right. Planes were forming London Day and night. It was an awful mess.
Jena: Absolutely dreadful.
Trusty: It sounded.
Jena: During the air raid, Anthony Park a British musician and factory worker was stuck in his home in the countryside with his wife Elva.
Chris: Now mind you, during an air raid, all the power was cut off. No radio, no telephone, no tele. You had to just sit in the dark and hope a bomb didn’t land on your house.
Jena: Absolutely dreadful.
Trusty: Okay, so what about the Pratt?
Jena: All the patent had to keep them company on those dark and scary nights where a few candles and some books, notably, who’d done mysteries books by Agatha Christie?
Trusty: Ooh, I love Agatha Christie. “Murder on the Orient Express”, “Death on the Nile.” She wrote 66 novels all involving…
Chris: Someone meeting an untimely end and a detective trying to solve the case.
Trusty: Ah, I think I see where this is going. What about you, Smarty Pants? Anyhow, keep going.
Jena: Raiding these books about solving crimes allowed to each other. The Pratt were inspired to create a mystery book game in the style of an Agatha Christie novel to help pass the time.
Chris: Years later in 1947, Pratt was awarded a patent for his case, which he called Cluedo.
Trusty: In case you don’t know, a patent is a legal document from the government stating that you’re the owner of an invention. This prevents anyone else from making, using, or selling your invention. But wait, what’s Cluedo? I thought the game was called Clue.
Jena: Ah yes. Cluedo with a blend of the word clue because the object of the game was to collect clues. And the word Ludo, which is Latin for “I play.”
Trusty: Ah, mystery solved. But wait, when did it become clue?
Chris: Patience my dear boy, Pratt sold his idea for Cluedo to a games manufacturer in the UK called Waddington. Great company; terrible name.
Jena: The game sold so-so until a chance visit from an American Game Maker named Robert Barton helped bring Clue to the entire world.
Trusty: Wonderful. Who’s Robert Barton?
Chris: He’s the son in-law of George Parker.
Trusty: Aha. Smarty Pants. We talked about George Parker in other episodes of Who Smarted. Do you remember who George Parker was? That’s right. The creator of Parker Brothers. The company behind Monopoly and Nerf
Jena: Maxwell Monopoly was a huge hit in the 1930s for Parker Brothers. By the 1940s, sales had slowed to a fraction of their peak, one 10th to the exact.
Chris: And that wasn’t the only thing slowing down George Parker. Now in his 80s, old Georgie boy was set to retire. So, he passed the reins of his company to his son-in-Law.
Trusty: Let me guess. Robert Barton in the office with a pen. Ha
Chris: Aha. Jolly good one mate. Mr. Barton took over Parker Brothers and one of his first decisions was to go on vacation.
Trusty: Vacation?
Jena: You can’t make big executive decisions if you’re not relaxed.
Trusty: If you say so.
Chris: Bobby B popped across the pond to England where he stumbled across the Cluedo game. He loved it, quickly bought the rights, and shortened the name to Clue. Since Americans wouldn’t know what the Dickins Ludo meant.
Trusty: Good idea. I guess vacations do make you smarter.
Jena: When Mr. Barton acquired the American Rights for Clue in 1949, the timing couldn’t be better. As radio programs, TV shows and movies about crime solving detectives were very popular in America.
Chris: That 1949 version of the game is pretty much how most people knew it now. There’s six characters,
Trusty: You know them. Smarty Pants, try to name them. Ready. Go.
Jena: Did you say Mr. Green, Professor Plum, Colonel Mustard, Mrs. White, Mrs. Peacock and me, Miss Scarlet?
Chris: Altogether in the big house with nine rooms.
Trusty: Oh, can you name the rooms? This is trickier. Go ahead. Maybe your adults can help you.
Jena: Did you say the kitchen, dining room, lounge, hall, study library, billiard room, ball room and conservatory.
Trusty: Great. what’s a conservatory?
Chris: It’s like a greenhouse with big glass windows and lots of plans. Ha-ha.
Trusty: Oh, sounds nice.
Jena: Unless someone bumped you on the head with a candlestick.
Trusty: Speaking of Clue also has six deadly weapons. Can you name them? Go.
Jena: Did you say rope, dagger or knife, revolver wrench, lead pipe and the candle stick?
Trusty: Wow. Some of you really know your Clue. Anyway, like we said, the object is figuring out who committed the crime against Mr. Body, where they did it and with what weapon.
Jena: Precisely my dear. But did you know there was another weapon that was part of the original game that was removed?
Trusty: Huh? Smarty Pant. Can you guess which weapon didn’t make the final cut? Was it A, poison, B, a fireplace poker, C, an axe or D, hypodermic needle? The answer right after this quick break.
Commercial
Hi, parents Trusty here. Like you, I’ve got a lot on my plate and as much as I love cooking, what ends up on my dinner plate, sometimes I’m stuck in the studio on a tight deadline or simply not in the mood for dishes. That’s when Factor becomes my superhero, delivering delicious chef crafted meals that fit perfectly into my life. And they’re ready in 2-minutes or less. Even better with 35 meals to choose from each week. Factor is designed to fit into any eating approach. Keto high protein, calorie smarter, just plain delicious. So, I can eat well and hit my macros and spend less than takeout. So, here’s some ways that Factor fuels me.
During studio sessions, when recording runs late, a two-minute gourmet meal keeps me going. Where after a marathon of researching and scripting, when I’m not feeling like cooking from scratch, I can still enjoy a nutritious dinner without the prep. And let’s be honest, sometimes it’s just about avoiding the kitchen cleanup. So, join me with some hassle-free dining. Head to factormeals.com/smarted50 and use code Smarted 50 to get 50% off. That’s code Smarted 50 at factormeals.com/smarted50 to get 50% off.
Hey, Smarty Pants, want to know one of my favorite sounds? Here it is. That’s the sound I hear when I’m learning a new language with Babbel. And if you want to learn a new language this year, I guarantee it’ll be one of your favorite sounds too. Learning a new language has always been on my to-do list, and thanks to Babbel, I can check it off, but it’s not just about memorizing words, it’s about understanding a culture, connecting with other people on a deeper level, and expanding my horizons. With Babbel’s quick 10-minute lessons designed by over 150 language experts. I was able to get the hang of the basics of German in only 3-weeks.
Babbel is convenient, effective, and genuinely fun. Best of all, Babbel has equipped me with real life conversation skills, making it easy to order food, ask for directions, or shop in stores. Plus, Babel’s speech recognition technology has been a game changer for my pronunciation, helping me sound like a local or close to it. Dankeschon, Babbel!
Here’s a special limited time deal for our listeners. Right now, get 50% off a one-time payment for a lifetime Babbel subscription, but only for our listeners at Babbel.com/smarted. Get 50% off at Babbel.com/smarted. Spelled B-A-B-B-E-L.com/smarted. Rules and restrictions may apply.
Trusty: Now back to Who Smarted. So which weapon was axed from the original version of clue? Was it A, poison, B, a fireplace poker, C, an ax or D, a hypodermic needle? If you said an ax, you’re right. But if you said any of the others, you’re also right.
Jena: That’s right. Early versions of Clue included all of those weapons and even a small bomb,
Trusty: Wouldn’t that destroy the evidence?
Chris: Chad’s got a point
Jena: Anyway. Those rather unseemly options were ditched in favor of the current weapons,
Chris: Although even they recently changed.
Trusty: That’s right. Clue was updated in 2008.
Jena: Now instead of a big mansion in the English countryside, a crime takes place at a fancy Hollywood party with rooms including a bar, a swimming pool, and a movie theater.
Chris: They even changed our back stories. For instance, professor Plum became a billionaire video game designer. Well, they changed me from a military hero to a football star.
Jena: They also swapped out some of the weapons and added a baseball bat. An ax like Anthony Pratt originally wanted and a trophy.
Chris: Not my football trophy.
Jena: Afraid so Colonel.
Trusty: But wait, if you’re an ex-football player, why do they still call you Colonel Mustard?
Chris: They’re such a thing called tradition.
Trusty: Gotcha.
Jena: Speaking of for fans of the original, the classic version is still available for purchase.
Trusty: So, are there any other interesting facts about clue that most people don’t know?
Chris: Well, did you know my name wasn’t always Colonel Mustard?
Trusty: It wasn’t.
Chris: Nope. Try to get my original name. Was it Colonel Yellow, Sergeant Pepper or General Hotdog?
Trusty: Hmm. Well Sergeant Pepper is someone else who hadn’t been invented yet.
Jena: Ladies and gentlemen, The Beatle
Trusty: General hotdog doesn’t exactly fit the color theme of the other characters. So, I’m guessing you were Colonel Yellow.
Chris: Well done Sir. Anthony Prat originally had 10 characters in his game, all named after colors. So, players could easily keep track of which piece represented them.
[Ah]
There was Dr. Black, Mr. Brown, Mr. Gold, the Reverend, Mr. Green, Ms. Gray, professor Plum, miss Scarlet, Ms. White, Mrs. Silver, and Colonel Yellow.
Jena: Obviously not all the characters survived the process of simplifying the game and whittling it down to the six beloved characters you know today.
Trusty: But if all the characters are colors, why change yellow to mustard?
Chris: Because the word yellow is military slang for cowardly. And the last thing you want is a cowardly Colonel. I’m supposed to be a war hero for peace sake
[Ah]
Trusty: And a football hero.
Chris: Oh, and that’s another touchdown for mustard.
Jena: Let’s not forget about Mrs. White.
Trusty: Oh no. What happened to poor Mrs. White?
Chris: I’m afraid she’s no longer with us.
Trusty: Is she dead?
Chris: In a sense, Hasbro, the toy company that bought Parker Brothers in the 1990s decided they needed a fresh take on the maid character. So, in 2016 they terminated Mrs. White and replaced her with Dr. Orchid, a woman with a PhD in plant toxicology who was raised by Mrs. White.
Trusty: Of course, orchids are white.
Chris: Clever boy, this Trusty.
Trusty: That’s right, Colonel. Speaking of… I know it was you in the kitchen with the trophy.
Chris: Brilliant my boy. You got me [laughter]
Outro
A big shout out to super smarty fan Gwen in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. Thanks so much for listening to Who’s Smarted. We’re so glad you like learning stuff in a fun way, something we always try to do here on Who’s Smarted. Happy smarting Gwen. This episode Clue was written by Jason, Mr. Green Williams and voiced by Chris- Colonel Mustard Akala, Jenna-Ms. Scarlet Hovd, Adam- professor Plum Davis and Jerry Culver, technical Direction, and sound design by Josh Hall Hans. Who Smarted is recorded and mixed at the Relic Room Studios. Our associate producer is Max Conservatory Kaminski. The theme song is by Brian- Peacock Suarez, with lyrics written and performed by Adam Kitchen Davis. Who Smarted was created and produced by Adam ‘Tex’ Davis and Jerry Culver. This has been an Atomic Entertainment production.
[Music]
Who Smarted
Recent Episodes
