considered priesthood. instead he worked the railroad until a bad accident put him out of a job and out of a paycheck. >> he started going on game shows. he went on "jeopardy!." >> reporter: hutton would go undefeated and later be invited back for the show's tournament of champions. the winnings, along with $145,000 settlement with new york central railroad, allowed the family to leave america for australia, in part so mel's brother could escape the vietnam draft. >> although his father was in world war ii and even got a purple heart, he was very much against the vietnam war. he said, my sons aren't going to go. >> reporter: 12-year-old mel would have to fight his own battle in school. >> he's a yank, with the american accent. and the kids, you know, tease him and they don't really accept him so easily. >> reporter: one of gibson's coping mechanisms was humor. >> he sort of clowns around a lot, you know. his father tells him, you know, the one thing you'll never do,