By 1951 John Nelson was announcing the NBC TV program "Live Like a Millionaire" on Television but it began as a radio program sponsored by General Mills. It began in 1950 with the catch phrase 'How would you like to live like a millionaire?" This is nothing like Regis Philbin's Who wants to Be a Millionaire. This was not a game show. This was a variety show. *that image above is lifted from an actual flyer. The program was based on the more popular Arthur Godfrey Program "Talent Scouts."Live Like a Millionaire took the basic talent scout format and narrowed the focus to children. No the talented people weren't children, the children where pitching their own parents. Godfrey had pushed only his own picks. On Live Like a Millionaire childless couples need not apply.
The parents sang, danced, played musical instruments, did stand-up comedy, and were judged by the studio audience. the prize was not a million dollars, or a recording contract, or a promotions deal. It was a night out. The winner got a night in New York
complete with swanky dinner, a chauffeur, a limo, dinner and tickets to a Broadway show. That's just two tickets.. the kid that sold them wasn't invited.The program ran uninterrupted on TV and radio until 1952 winning and losing their date with the high life on an applause meter. Two months later ABC picked up the radio series and re-shopped it for a sponsor. They didn't find one. Host Jack McCoy did a little work for NBC-TV but faded into obscurity. Nelson went on to MC quiz programs and eventually ended up managing 106.1 KPLM-FM in Palm Springs, CA.
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I just happened across an old, old 78 rpm record of my parents, my brother, and me from our appearance on "Live Like a Millionaire." It's dated August 11, 1953.
ReplyDeleteApparently, contestants were given a record of their appearance. That's the only explanation I can offer.
Judging from our own appearance on the show the kids weren't expected to "sell" their parents explicitly, but to perform in some way themselves. My then-four-year-old brother sang "Ba Ba Black Sheep" and I, an eight year old, recited a poem I had written earlier the previous school year when my cat was very sick.
My mother, who was a professional singer with a regional band in the Midwest, sang "I Get a Kick Out of You." Her accompaniment seems to have been a jazz organ player -- probably a studio employee.
The record is badly scratched up and was further damaged by a hurricane in 2004. One side (the two of us boys) is fairly good, considering -- but right at the beginning it skips over the MC's intro where he gives his name.
The other side of the record is worse; it skips quite a bit, although there are several places in the song where you can hear sixteen bars or so of my mother's wonderful singing quite well.
This record was in our house when I was growing up, though not really played. I inherited it when my mother died. I'm amazed it survived at all in any condition, frankly. I thought for sure Hurricane Ivan had taken it in 2004. But what I thought was a box of old LPs that somehow survived the storm surge through our garage -- which I never bothered to check out after the storm but sijply put in storage -- turned out to incloude this treasure.
Imagine! The record is almost 60 years old. I suppose everyone on it is gone, now, except me. What the heck should I do with it?
We could post the audio here! and/or store it at archive.org for use by radio researchers!
ReplyDeletePeople sometimes under-rate the importance of artifacts like that.. for all we know that could be the ONLY existing recording of that program.
ReplyDeleteMy goodness, I have been looking for some information about this radio show for some time.
ReplyDeleteI appeared on the show with my father in 1951-52? I was 13 or 14 and noticed that if I had been a cute little kid, it might have been better for my father. I don't remember getting a recording, wish I had one.
My father was a singer, he sang with the Big Bands and in 1945 he was in the Durango Kid movies and his voice was used for the "singing" cowboy Tex Harding. He didn't get any credit.
I do remember that we received a 45 record player and we each received a very nice watch for being on the program.
I remember walking down the hall of the radio station and seeing Mickey Rooney.
I didn't remember that the hosts name was "Nelson" which is strange as that was our family name also.
Thanks, Roberta Nelson
My father, my sisters and I were on this radio show twice. The winners of each of the four shows Mon.- Thurs. came back and competed against one another on Friday. My father, Carlos Sherman, an operatic baritone, won both the weekday and Friday competitions singing "the Song of the Open Road". All contestants were introduced as though they were amateurs - my father worked for Railway Express be tween singing jobs- but all were professionals looking to get more jobs. My sisters and I sang a version of "This Old Hammer" we learned at a YMCA camp. We were all given prizes - I received an Argus 75 camera, my older sister a portable radio and my younger sister a Saucy Walker doll much to her chagrin as she no longer played with dolls. To live like a millionaire we were given the use of a new car and half a week at Oak and Spruce Lodge in Lee, Massachusetts . It was a half week because we were three children, it would have been a whole week had we been just one we were told. We still have the record from the show and it plays fairly well. Several other singers my father was friends with went on the show and sang the same song and won. It proved very popular with the audience. Our short trip to Oak and Spruce lives in our memories as it was one of the few trips we ever had as a family and the only one that didn't mean visiting relatives. The song my father sang had the lines, " life is short they say, It may be for me, so let me be free" sadly prophetic as he died five years later at the age of 45. Louise Sherman.
ReplyDeleteThat recording really should be digitized and shared.. this is what the internet is for!
ReplyDeleteAfter appearing on Arthur Godfrey's
ReplyDeleteTV Show (being introduced by Hy Gardner's (famous columnist)secretary he then was able to appear on Live like a millionaire
show two years (1951 & 1952)
I was six and seven years old at the time and introduced my father
who was a vocalist by singing my own rendition of "How Long is Forever" the first year and "You'll never get away" the second year. My father must have had a record of the appearances but the only thing a had left was an old casette, which must have been recorded from the actual record. Unfortunately I can't find it but it was a real treasure. The interview preceeding our performances was unbelievable and I wish I could find that tape listening to my young voice over 60 years ago was incredible.
By the way my father won the daily prize but lost the end-of-week top prize.Years later he told me aside from the applause meter to determine the winner it was all fixed. He knew the Director of the show but the eventual top winner knew the Producer so even though his applause was greater the fix was in against him. The show felt so bad (because the applause was actually in his favor) that they sent him a check in the mail for $300 which was part of the grand prize of interest on a million dollars for one week. My father, however, being honest and thinking this a mistake sent the check back to the radio station. Oh well, at least I got a brand new Schwin bike the first year and a nifty pair of shoe-type roller skates for my performances. Great memories though.
If you do find it... let me know I can digitize and post the audio.
ReplyDeleteMy Father, Edward Capolongo, myself, Neil Capolongo and two of my brothers, Albert and Edward Jr. appeared on the show in 1953. We still have the acetate recording of the show. I have made a video which you can see on YouTube. I have edited 8 mm home movies of my Dad and his family over the audio from the show! Check it out at this link! Thanks! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjWo-EOtxRE
ReplyDeleteMy mother and brother were on that in 1952
ReplyDeleteMy mom and grandmom (both deceased now) were on the show in 1952 twice. While my mom was only 6 at the time she went on to become a professional singer and my grandmom sang professionally for her entire adult life. My mom told me they won a car and some other things on the show. I would do anything to find the video footage. I have the audio on cassette tape (one of my aunts has the actual record) but it is a very rough recording. Does anyone know if anyone has the video archives somewhere?
ReplyDeleteI don't know about video archives, but I can recommend people who can make a digitized copy of that recording. (I have some equipment myself too) I advise that you preserve what you have lest that be lost as well.
ReplyDeleteIs there no library of these radio shows? I have a recording of my father, uncle and grandfather. My father was a budding songwriter/singer who was also on the Arthur Godfrey show and I wish we could find these old recordings in better form somewhere,
ReplyDeleteAmerican copyright law makes it challenging to make content like this available. In theory a program from the 1950s would be public domain. But it could have been renewed, or contain music or contact that's still under copyright. It's a minefield. And all that is predicated on the idea that 70 years ago someone had the sense to record a transcription disc and store it properly. It's amazing that any of these programs exist.
ReplyDeleteYes, my older brother at the age of 4, and my mother were on this show in 1952 We have the recording of the show two times on a 78 rpm record. It has been transfered to a cd and on my computer. I have posted my mother singing her song on my Fb page This past mothers day.
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