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In
order to explain why this is here, I need to produce an article.
This article is from Publishers Weekly, No. 16, Volume 225, dated
April 20, 1984:
WARNER OFFERS
$500,000 PRIZE FOR TREASURE
A scupted
horsecontaining more than 35 ounces of 24 karat gold is buried
somewhere in the continental United States. Within the belly of this
gold horse is a compartment containing the key to a safe deposit box.
Inside the safe deposit box is a certificate redeemable for
$500,000--the largest prize offered for a contest of this kind,
according to Warner.
The horse and
the $500,000 will go to the first person to solve Treasure
(paper $12.95), a treasure hunt puzzle created by Dr. Crypton, a
science writer named "the smartest man in the world" by Chicago
magazine. IntraVision/Warner Books will publish Treasure
by Sheldon Renan and Dr. Crypton in September. Jean-Francois Podain
has illustrated the book, which contains a complete set of clues to
finding the buried treasure. First printing of the book will be 100,000.
Treasure
tells the story of a little girl whose father gives her an Arabian
stallion named Treasure. Since she is too small to ride her pet, her
blacksmith father casts a solid gold statue of the animal in
miniature. "One stormy night, her idyllic world bursts
apart," writes Warner. "Her father, her statue and her
Treasure all vanish." For 13 years, she dreams of being able to
search for them, setting off across America following obscure trails,
mysterious maps and clues from curious strangers. She finds her
father's grave, but Treasure is found alive.
The location
of the actual horse is a site accessible to the public 24 hours a
day, seven days a week, says Warner. The solution, the publisher
assures, "cannot be 'number crunched' or accidentally stumbled
upon," as happened to the treasure in Kit William's Masquerade.
Only three people know where the treasure is buried, one of whom is
a representative of D. L. Blair, the company contracted to write the
game's rules and to act as referee. Dr. Crypton estimates that it
will take the winner at least one full year to solve the riddle and
find the treasure. (If, however, the gold horse is not found by May
26, 1989, the treasure will be awarded to one or more national charities.)
IntraVision,
"a multimedia producer and packager," came up with the
concept and will offer the $500,000. Warner will distribute the book
in this joint deal, but there will also be a video cassette, a cable
television show, a record album and a combination of board, computer
and video games. The video cassette will be distributed by Vestron
Video, a large company in the home video market, and music for the
record album (for which no distribution deal has yet been signed) is
by Vangelis,
the Oscar-winning composer of "Chariots of Fire."
Treasure
will have a $250,000 advertising and promotion budget. Dr. Crypton
will make local and national television appearances, Warner says. For
booksellers, Treasure
is a special treat: at the ABA, Dr. Crypton will offer a contest
entitling a bookseller to win $5,000.
<end>
So one day, I
was going through a bunch of laserdiscs at some dusty shop, and I see
this gem of a laserdisc, still sealed! Something in my mind clicked.
I went home without buying it, and decided to try and figure out why
this disc "clicked". Then I remembered this article. I
rushed back to the store, paid my whopping $5 for this beauty, and
rushed home to take a listen! Who knew, maybe this was another
forgotten Vangelis item, waiting for me to discover it! I thought I
had just discovered treasure! Of course, it was not to be. It was a
synth score, but not a good one. Oh well...
As for the
gold horse, that story is indeed interesting! The treasure was not
found before the May 26th date. Nobody cracked the mystery! But, two
people claimed to have solved it shortly afterwards. If you want to
read their story, click here [disabled]. |