Expert: Mel - 7/9/2007

Question
I saw a movie when I was a kid and can't remember what it was called.  Here's the general plot:  A guy gets on a game show that's sorta like Jeopardy.  Anyway, the point of the show was you can keep going as long as you keep getting correct answers.  You can also opt to stop and take your winnings or continue to risk them and win more.  The guy keeps winning and winning, more and more and the studio gets nervous.  they start bringing in theologians and physicists and scientists to try to stump this guy so they don't have to pay him.  He beats them all and the movie winds up with the show owing him so much money they give him the network (or maybe just the show).  the love interest that was developing the entire movie asks him what he did before the show (which he was cryptic about before) and he says he was a janitor in a library for 20 years and spent a lot of time reading.  I've never met anyone who knew what this movie was.  any help would be appreciated!

Answer
Hello Andrew,

It really would have been a great help if, instead of saying "when I was a kid", you had given me a couple of dates to work with.

Anyway, with the help of my crystal ball, I've come up with a film from 1950 called "Champagne For Caesar". It starred Ronald Colman, Celeste Holm and Vincent Price. Colman played the role of the contestant on the game show "Masquerading for Money" who kept on winning, Beauregard Bottomly, while Price played the role of the TV company executive, Burnbridge Waters.

Here's a link with more information:

http://www.moviediva.com/MDJr_root/MDjr/MDjrChampagneforCaesar.htm

If 1950 is too early for your childhood years, then please let me know and I will search around for a different film.

Glad to be of help. Cheers........Mel.