‘Jeopardy!’ fans are debating whether this ‘Final’ clue was wrong or not

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There’s a bit of debate going on about a Final “Jeopardy!” clue — with some viewers claiming the show made a mistake, while others saying the clue was accurate.

• The clue in question was in the category “Oscar Winning Films.”
• The clue: “The first words spoken in this 1970 Best Picture Oscar winner are ‘Ten-Hut! Be seated.’”
• The response the show was going for was “Patton.”
• Some people were quick to point out, however, that the 1970 Best Picture Oscar was “Midnight Cowboy.”
• “Patton” won in 1971.
• However, according to multiple sources, “Patton” was released in 1970 but it was eligible for the 1971 Oscars.
• The way the clue was written doesn’t distinguish between the release date vs. the date it won, though the writers certainly could have been a bit more clear by distinguishing that fact.
• Of course, “Midnight Cowboy” also doesn’t start with the dialogue in the clue.
• So, technically, the way the clue is written, “What is ‘Patton’?” is correct.
• It’s also worth pointing out that many contestants likely would have known the general time period “Patton” was released, but not necessarily the exact year, so the affect the year had on the clue is debatable.
• The date 1970 didn’t stump two contestants — who both responded with “Patton.”
• The third (and wrong) contestant answered “The Bridge on the River Kwai” — which, while winning Best Picture, was released in 1957, so that response is off by several decades.
• It’s also worth noting the contestant who gave the wrong response only had $10,400 compared to the leader with $25,200, so even if he could claim the date confused him, he could not have won the game.
• In general, “Jeopardy!” will have contestants back if an error in material could have affected the outcome of the game.