The Happiest Millionaire [excerpt]

Summary

1957 BBC presentation of an excerpt from Kyle Crichton’s play The Happiest Millionaire, televised from the Cambridge Theatre, London.

Theatre play

The Happiest Millionaire by Kyle Crichton [more information]

Play synopsis

The play was suggested by the book My Philadephia Father by Cordelia Drexel Biddle and Kyle Crichton. The Biddle family is rich: the comedy turns on the decision of the daughter to leave home. Her suitor is crushed by her father but then welcomed back with open arms when it transpires he is a judo master (the father is a fan of boxing). There are several other social clashes between the the Biddles and his family.

Date of transmission

Thursday 28 November 1957

Time

8.45pm (45 mins)

Channel

BBC Television

Production company

BBC

Credits

Director

Wallace Douglas

Television Presentation by

John Vernon

Playwright

Kyle Crichton

Sets / Settings

George Jenkins

Costumes

Anthony Holland

Cast

Lisa Barnett	Emma
Robert Beatty	Anthony J. Drexel Biddle
Alan Browning	joe Mancuso
Jacqueline Ellis	Cousin Lucy
Marjory Hawtrey	Aunt Mary Drexel
Desmond Jeans	Spike O’Malley
Leonard Maguire	Livingstone Biddle
Daniel Massey	Angier Duke
Vaughan Scott	Tony Biddle
Maureen Swanson	Cordelia Biddle
John Wentworth	John Lawless
Gwynne Whitby	Mrs ANthony J. Drexel Biddle

Additional details

Play tags

America, as theme or setting; comedy

Print sources

Title

Radio Times, 22 November 1957 (Magazine)

Linking notes

article on p. 5; listing on p. 21

Title

The Happiest Millionaire (Newspaper review)

Reference

The Times, 16 November 1957, p. 10

Linking notes

n.b. this is a review of the stage production, not the televised excerpt.