Safe Crackers

Safe Crackers is a game where the contestant has to find the right combination of a giant safe to win. The game is played for two prizes - one worth between $120 and $980, the other worth more than $2,000. Occasionally a car is offered as the larger prize (usually when this happens, it's one of three pricing games played for a car on the show), or, on one occasion during Season 44's Big Money Week on October 13, 2015 (#7242K, aired out of order on October 16, originally rescheduled to air on October 14), a cash prize of $10,000.

Gameplay[]

The contestant is shown two prizes, both of which are locked inside a giant safe. The three-digit price of the smaller item represents the combination of the safe. The digits in the price of the smaller prize are shown on each of three dials; each digit appears only once in the price. The contestant must set the dials to the price of the three-digit prize to open the safe and win both prizes.

History[]

Early in the game's history, the game often had a full six possible combinations for the three-digit item's price. Since the mid-1980s, however, the three-digit price has virtually always ended in zero, making the game an either-or proposition of choosing the first two numbers if the contestant is aware of this fact. At the very least, if the combination contains a zero, there are only four possible combinations, since zero cannot be the first digit in a price.
While she was on the show, Dian Parkinson was always the model who would open the safe to show the prize and close the safe after its prize package was presented. According to Bob on one episode, this is because he thought she was the strongest of the three.
On December 8, 1981 (#4302D), the Open sign lit up instead of the Lock sign but quickly changed, as the price of the barbecue was $584 and contestant Janice guessed $548.
From the game's introduction, the game's signature tune was "The Pink Panther Theme", composed by Henry Mancini. Due to the licensing costs, it has since been replaced by two different sets of stock music, in both cases being carried over from syndicated nighttime versions. The first of these stock cues was first used on the 1985-86 nighttime version with Tom Kennedy before carrying over to the daytime show by January 31, 1992 (#8285D). The game's current think cue was originally used on the version with Doug Davidson before its daytime debut on April 27, 1995 (#9564D). (The Australian and German versions were still using "The Pink Panther Theme" by this time, though.)
In addition to the initial use of the daytime show's current think cue, the Doug Davidson version also staged the game differently. The safe only contained the main prize while the smaller prize whose price was used for the combination of the safe was placed outside the safe and talked about after the safe was locked.
Starting in Season 34, the door that contains the Safe Crackers game is already open as the winning One Bid contestant comes on stage. Drew Carey also removes the correct price marker from the envelope, regardless if the contestant won or lost the game while Bob Barker only revealed the marker if the contestant lost. Originally, if the game was lost, one of the models dialed the correct digits and opened the safe.
On December 18, 2007 (#4162K), February 17, 2017 (#7815K), January 20, 2022 (#9684K), November 7, 2023 (#0362L), and February 8, 2024 (#0484L), the losing horns were played.
On the The Price is Right $1,000,000 Spectacular on February 29, 2008 (#025SP, aired out of order on April 11), Safe Crackers was featured as the Million Dollar Game. After the main prize (a car) was won in addition to the 3-digit prize, the contestant could risk the prizes won to play for $1 million. The setup had 5 dials at the price of the car, with the possibility of repeating numbers. Contestant Domus Go opted not to play for the million and kept the prizes he already won.
On October 13, 2015 (#7242K, aired out of order on October 16, originally rescheduled to air on October 14), during Price's Big Money Week, a cash prize of $10,000 was offered as the larger prize and it was won.
On December 7, 2016 (#7713K), Rachel didn't open the safe then it did open afterward by offering an Alaskan Tour Cruise and the glasses and the contestant winning it.

Trivia[]

Safe Crackers always offers 2 prizes. The first one is the combination of the safe and the 2nd one is either a car or a prize that's less or more than $10,000.
The one prize that is less than $1,000 cannot have any repeating numbers, but the grand prize can have some repeating numbers.
The most number of times this game was played in any season was 49 (season 7), while the least number of times this game was played in any season was 7 (season 48 and 49).
The safe's locking mechanism is a rod inserted into a clip on the door. A backstage stagehand removes the rod if the safe is cracked. The only purpose of spinning the safe's wheel is to give the stagehand additional time to remove the rod if needed.
Mathematically, there are 6 possible combinations for the three digits. However, one of the numbers is always a 0, and so since the first number cannot be a 0, and the 0 is always used for the last number, there are only 2 of those combinations that are likely to be used.
Safe Crackers was one of seven pricing games seen on the third taping session of Season 36, which was seen on October 17, 2007 (#4043K, aired out of order on November 13), October 25, 2007 (#4054K, aired out of order on January 3, 2008), October 29, 2007 (#4061K, aired out of order on December 13), November 6, 2007 (#4072K, aired out of order on October 17), November 15, 2007 (#4084K, aired out of order on November 7), and November 23, 2007 (#4095K, aired out of order on October 26).
During the 1970s and 1980s, a foghorn sounded if the safe remained locked. It was changed to a buzzer in the 1990s.
When the Safe Crackers was played, the Pink Panther Theme Tune was used. This was heard in its premiere playing up to 1991.
There was an unsold game show pilot in 1975 also called Safecrackers hosted by Geoff Edwards.

International versions[]

On the UK Joe Pasquale version, Safecrackers used a real safe and only offered the three-digit prize.
On Hãy Chọn Giá Đúng, the game was titled "Két Sắt" (Safe). The game was the same as the one used in the US, except that each of the dials had a different set of digits, making it more difficult.

Gallery[]

To view the gallery, click here.

YouTube Videos[]

Safe Crackers played for a Car (Season 15 Premiere, September 8, 1986) (#6171D)
Safe Crackers played for a Car and a WILD contestant
A Safe Crackers Primetime Playing

1970s Pricing Games

Active Pricing Games