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Scott Tipton David Tipton Chris Johnson Biography & Facts

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. It told the stories of people who were given one million dollars ($11.4 million in 2023 dollars) from a benefactor who insisted they must never know his identity, with one exception. The series 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. In syndication, it was known by two titles: The Millionaire and If You Had a Million. The Benefactor The benefactor was named John Beresford Tipton. Viewers heard his voice, making observations and giving instructions; they generally 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. The voice of the unseen John Beresford Tipton was played—uncredited—by veteran character actor and voice artist Paul Frees. (Frees was seen on camera playing other roles in two episodes.) In the closing credits of each episode, the actors and the roles they played would be listed, invariably ending with "and John Beresford Tipton", implying that he was a real person playing himself. The character's name was actually derived from the birthplaces of Millionaire producer Don Fedderson and his wife Tido: they were born in Beresford, South Dakota and Tipton, Missouri, respectively. The Executive Secretary 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 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:My name is Michael Anthony, and until his death just a few years ago, I was the executive secretary to the late John Beresford Tipton. John Beresford Tipton, a fabulously wealthy and fascinating man, whose many hobbies included his habit of giving away one million dollars, tax free, each week—to persons he had never even met. From there, the camera faded to a brief tour of the grounds on which Tipton's home stood, as Anthony continued speaking:This is Silverstone, John Beresford Tipton's 60,000 acre estate. From here, he spent the later years of his life pursuing many hobbies, often tied to his fascination with human nature and behavior. Mr. Tipton was a man of so many wide interests, that when called into his presence, one never knew just what to expect. The camera then showed Anthony entering Tipton's presence, with Tipton frequently engaged in another one of his many wide-ranging hobbies. Anthony invariably greeted him with, "You sent for me, sir?" Tipton spoke for a moment to Anthony (always referring to him as "Mike"), chatting about his doings and explaining what prompted him to choose "our next millionaire", before he actually handed Anthony the envelope containing the check, sometimes adding, "I'll want a full report." Though "Tipton" was heard in every episode, Miller was the only cast member who was seen in every episode. He was usually only seen in the first few minutes of any given story, returning very briefly to directly address viewers at the episode's end (often promoting the story in next week's episode). These closings are often cut in syndicated airings. Others The only other recurring supporting actor was Roy Gordon as banker Andrew V. McMahon, on whose Gotham Trust Bank the anonymous Tipton's cashier's checks were drawn. In a few of the very earliest episodes, recipients had to pick up their check at the bank and it was McMahon (not Michael Anthony) who interacted with the recipients of Tipton's money and outlined the conditions of acceptance. Fairly quickly, this was altered to having Anthony personally deliver the check (and outline the conditions of acceptance), rendering the McMahon character superfluous. Accordingly, McMahon was seen in about half the episodes from the first season, and in the first two episodes of the second season—then was dropped. Later episodes showed a close up of a cashier's check drawn from the "First Molkefstorming Bank". Ed Herlihy was the announcer for The Millionaire throughout the run. Not a cast member—but seen in a cameo appearance in virtually every episode as a prominently featured extra—was Tido Fedderson. The beneficiaries Following the commercial break, Anthony, back in the present and behind his desk, would introduce the week's millionaire. Exactly how Tipton chose whom to make an instant millionaire was never necessarily disclosed, although Tipton made it plain in the show's first episode exactly what his intentions were. Saying that he wanted to set up a new kind of chess game, "with human beings," Tipton told Anthony: I'm going to choose a number of people for my chessmen, and give them each a million dollars. No one is ever to know that I am the donor. After showing the beneficiary in a typical situation for a few minutes at the beginning of the episode, Anthony would arrive, deliver the check, and have the beneficiary sign a legal statement binding him or her never to reveal the source of this million-dollar gift except to a spouse (if the recipient was single, Anthony would add, "... should you marry"), under penalty of forfeit. Once the document was signed and the thanks were given, Anthony disappeared from the beneficiary's life, never to return. The remainder of the episode showed how the gift affected the beneficiary. The beneficiaries were not always poor but could be from any social class or occupation, from secretaries, salespeople, and construction workers to professionals like doctors, lawyers, even writers. Nor were they always likely to find their lives changed for the better because of their sudden wealth. In one episode, "The Jerry Bell Story", Charles Bronson played a once-lonely writer who first invests some of his unexpected fortune in the surgery to restore his blind fiancée's (Georgeann Johnson) eyesight, only to disappear at the moment her bandages were removed, fearful she would reject him because of his plain looks. The series ran for 207 episodes, and Tipton made 206 millionaires. (One recipient returned the money.) However, the amount Tipton invested in his hobby was much more than $206 million, since, as Anthony told the recipient each week, "The taxes have already been paid." The exceptions Tipton did meet one beneficiary, a man condemned to be executed for a crime he never committe.... Discover the Scott Tipton David Tipton Chris Johnson popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Scott Tipton David Tipton Chris Johnson books.