Paul Frees: John Beresford Tipton

Quotes 

• Michael Anthony : [Directly facing the viewers from his office]  My name is Michael Anthony. There are 2,400,000,000 people in this world. Nineteen of them are worth $500,000,000 or more. I worked as Executive Secretary for one of these men. His name was John Beresford Tipton. He was a bachelor. He was a billionaire. You never heard of John Beresford Tipton. He avoided publicity - bought and paid for privacy. He is now dead.

  [Camera pans the extensive gardens of the Tipton estate grounds. Workman are raking, weeding, hoeing and planting] 

  Michael Anthony : This is Silverstone, the 60,000 acre estate from which John Beresford Tipton ran his world-wide empire. Again, seclusion.

  [Anthony is again in his office] 

  Michael Anthony : These reports,

  [Anthony holds up several folders] 

  Michael Anthony : which could only be revealed after his death, are complete. Each one tells the story of what happened when John Beresford Tipton gave someone $1,000,000. That's right - $1,000,000. I'll never forget one day when I was called into the Old Man's study. He was toying with an ivory chessman.

  [Anthony enters the study and discovers Tipton seated in a high backed chair at his desk, with a chessboard before him. Tipton is smoking a cigar. Only Tipton's right arm is visible to the viewers] 

  Michael Anthony : You called me, sir?

  John Beresford Tipton : You know, Mike, these chessman were the first luxury I allowed myself.

  Michael Anthony : [Smiles]  An excellent relaxation, sir.

  John Beresford Tipton : I've just decided to make my hobby a chess game - with human beings.

  Michael Anthony : [Startled]  Human beings, sir?

  John Beresford Tipton : I'm going to choose a number of people for my chess game and give each one $1,000,000.

  Michael Anthony : A million dollars?

  John Beresford Tipton : The bank will issue the checks. I've told McMahon at the bank he'll hear from you. No one is to ever know that I am the donor.

  Michael Anthony : What about McMahon? He'd know.

  John Beresford Tipton : McMahon is president of the bank and he'll only know what I want him to know. I want a complete report on what happens to each person's life - in writing. I don't care how you get it. Now, here are the rest of the instructions.

  [Tipton hands the instructions to Anthony] 

  John Beresford Tipton : Here's chessman #1 -

  [Tipton chuckles] 

  John Beresford Tipton : she gets $1,000,000.

  Michael Anthony : [Back in his own office]  To this day, I don't know how Mr. Tipton selected his chessman. The first was a woman - Amy Moore.