The Millionaire 1955 - 1960

Marvin Miller as Michael Anthony



The Millionaire is a television drama anthology series that aired on CBS from January 19, 1955 to June 8, 1960, originally sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive. The series explored the ways unexpected wealth changed life for better or for worse. The show became a five-season hit, thanks in large part to a twist that also made it a bit of a cult classic in the years that followed its life in the so-called "Golden Era" of U.S. television. The show centered around the stories of unknown people who were given, seemingly out of nowhere, one million dollars from a benefactor who insisted they never know him – with one exception.


The benefactor

The millionaire of the title was John Beresford Tipton, Jr. Viewers saw only his right arm as he reached for a cashier's check for one million dollars, each week, and handed it to his executive secretary, a mild-mannered, good-humored, but no-nonsense man named Michael Anthony. It was Anthony's job to travel and deliver that check to its intended recipient, staying only long enough to present the gift and then, customarily, leaving the recipient's life forever.

On the show, the fictional Tipton was never shown fully, just enough of him to show that he was actually in the room. His voice was heard making somewhat ironic observations, then giving Michael Anthony his instructions for that week and handing him the million dollar check that he was to give to the designated person. After Anthony gave the person the check (and disappeared from the episode entirely), the rest of the week's episode dealt with how the recipient handled his new-found wealth.

The cast

Invariably, The Millionaire (also known as If You Only Had a Million in initial syndicated repeats), began with a very brief opening theme fanfare behind the ascending title frame, followed by the camera training directly upon Michael Anthony, played by veteran character actor and radio/television announcer Marvin Miller. (His credits to that point included small roles in numerous films, announcing for radio legend The Bickersons, filling in for Bill Foreman as the voice of the radio mystery hit, The Whistler, and playing Mr. Proteus/Captain Quick for thirteen episodes of the early TV hit, Space Patrol.) The unseen John Beresford Tipton was played by another veteran character actor and voice artist, Paul Frees.

Miller was the only cast member that 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 cashier's checks were drawn; and Ed Herlihy, a veteran announcer (Kraft Music Theater, and later The Jack Paar Show), as the announcer for The Millionaire.

Here we have the Largest Collection Available  - 134 Episodes in Broadcast Order