The Millionaire (TV series)
| The Millionaire | |
|---|---|
Michael Anthony (Marvin Miller) hands check to Betty Perkins (Inger Stevens) in a 1956 episode
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| Also known as | ''If You Had a Million'' |
| Genre | Anthology drama |
| Starring |
Paul Frees Marvin Miller |
| Composer(s) |
Stanley Wilson Jeff Alexander (6.28) Wilbur Hatch (6.35) William Lava (6.16) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 6 |
| No. of episodes | 206 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Fred Henry |
| Producer(s) | Don Fedderson |
| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Silverstone Films Don Fedderson Productions MCA TV |
| Distributor |
Viacom Enterprises Paramount Domestic Television CBS Paramount Domestic Television CBS Television Distribution |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Picture format | Black-and-white |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original release | January 19, 1955 – June 7, 1960 |
The Millionaire is an American anthology series that aired on CBS from 1955 to 1960. It was originally sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive. The series, produced by Don Fedderson and Fred Henry, explored the ways that sudden and unexpected wealth changed life, for better or for worse, and became a five-season hit during the Golden Age of Television, finishing in the Nielsen ratings at #9 for the 1955-1956 season, #13 in 1956-1957, #17 in 1957-1958 and #30 in 1958-1959. It told the stories of people who were given one million dollars ($8.94 million in 2016 dollars) from a benefactor who insisted they never knew him, with one exception.
The series was known in syndication by two titles, as The Millionaire and as If You Had a Million.
The 1932 film If I Had A Million had a similar plot to this TV show.
The benefactor was named John Beresford Tipton, Jr. Viewers heard his voice, making observations and giving instructions; they saw only his arm as he reached for a cashier's check for one million dollars each week and handed it to Michael Anthony, his executive secretary. It was Anthony's job to deliver that check to its intended recipient.
Invariably, The Millionaire began with a very brief opening theme fanfare behind the ascending title frame, followed by the camera's training directly upon Michael Anthony, played by veteran character actor and radio and television announcer Marvin Miller. The unseen John Beresford Tipton was played by another veteran character actor and voice artist, Paul Frees.
Miller was the only cast member who was seen in every episode. The most regular recurring supporting actors were Roy Gordon, as banker Andrew V. McMahon, on whose Gotham Trust Bank the anonymous Tipton's cashier's checks were drawn; and Ed Herlihy, as the announcer for The Millionaire.
The Millionaire told the stories of Tipton's beneficiaries in flashback, as if from Anthony's case files. Each episode began with Anthony, behind his desk and looking directly into the camera, speaking one or another variation on this theme:
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