For over 30 years, starting in the early 1960s, Monty Hall hosted "Let's Make a Deal," one of the most popular game shows in television history. He was not only the show's impresario, he created and produced it, and today, at 91, he is still involved with its creative evolution.
But while Hall has fond memories of the thousands of "deals" he made on his show, when I met him for lunch the other day at the Hillcrest Country Club, he had other deals in mind.
In particular, he told me about a deal he made more than 75 years ago with a Jewish man named Max Freed.
Hall had dropped out of college after his first year because he couldn't afford to continue. He was living with his family in Winnipeg, a city of long winters in western Canada that attracted many Jews from Ukraine. The Hall clan spent many years struggling financially and living in close quarters.
Max Freed, on the other hand, was anything but struggling. He was a 29-year-old playboy with a thriving clothing company who wore fancy suits and had a reputation around town for living the good life.
One fateful day, Freed bumped into Hall's father, a kosher butcher, and asked him: "Was that your boy I saw yesterday washing the floors of a warehouse?" The father responded that yes, that was his son.
"Well," Freed said, "tell him to come by my office tomorrow."
When Hall showed up the next day, Freed made him an offer. If Hall returned to college, Freed would pay for all his schooling expenses, but with three conditions.
One, Hall's grades had to be B-plus or higher. Two, Freed wanted a monthly report on his progress. And three, Hall had to promise that one day he'd do the same for another kid. (Freed also asked him to keep the deal confidential, a request Hall gladly ignored nearly 75 years later at our lunch.) Hall, with the support of his family, jumped at the deal, so Freed asked him to get back to him with a budget.
As Freed reviewed the budget, which included tuition and living expenses, he noticed that Hall had put in only 25 cents for lunch. "Don't you want a drink with your lunch?" he asked. "Go ahead and add 5 cents for a Coke, and throw in something for haircuts, too."
Once they agreed on the budget, Hall promptly resumed his studies at the University of Manitoba.
For the next three years, Hall thrived. He was the first Jewish student to become president of the student body, a prestigious position. He had excellent grades and reported regularly to Freed, who kept a close eye on his progress.
