I remember reading a somewhat short story set around the time of Revolutionary France. I think it was called 'The Million Franc Note'. The plot line was several nobles/rich people made a bet as to whether or not a plain man could live in high society for a week/month? with only a million franc note. It was interesting, I am having an urge to read it again.
I was close, but no cigar. After I posted here I realized I hadn't done my due diligence with DuckDuckGo. I found it immediately. The story was 'The £1,000,00 Note' by our dear friend Mark Twain. It has been a long time since I read any Twain, and am happy to reacquaint myself with his work.
there was a movie made about it but I think was set in England starring Gregory peck I think.in was from 1954
The million pound bank note, by Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain)
There was play based on that. I forget the title.
The Million pound note is the Gregory Peck movie movie based on the play.
Trading Places was based on that.
There was a movie made maybe 10-20(?) years ago or so, some Hispanic comedian was the star, I think. Premise was that he was given a million dollar check but couldn't cash it. He was able to borrow a bunch of stuff based off him having the check in his hand and how it made him better just by having that piece of paper. Can't remember the title or the star, though.
I think the movie Blank Check also had a similar storyline, too.
Brewster's Millions was a different plot. He had to spend $30 million dollars in 30 days in order to get his real inheritance of $300 million. The idea was that he'd be so sick of spending money that he wouldn't blow the big amount once he got it.
Blank Check was a kid got a signed check from a guy who totaled his push bike.
he took the check he filled in to the bank and the manager cashed it for him as the manager was as bent as the guy was who had escaped from prison after getting caught for bank robbery.
kid created a fake person and then bought a house and had fun with the cash while the guy tried to get the cash back and also take over the identity.
Brewster's Millions was a different plot. He had to spend $30 million dollars in 30 days in order to get his real inheritance of $300 million. The idea was that he'd be so sick of spending money that he wouldn't blow the big amount once he got it.
I thought that the idea behind Brewster's Millions was that he'd made a bet that he could spend a million a day and have nothing to show for it at the end of a month, so the guy made that the terms of his will.
Of course, it was a long time; and many, many, many drugs and drinks ago, so I could be misremembering.
I thought that the idea behind Brewster's Millions was that he'd made a bet that he could spend a million a day and have nothing to show for it at the end of a month
I don't recall how the whole thing started. What I remember is the ending. With time running out he uses the last of his money to buy a really expensive collector's stamp and uses it to mail a letter.
The ending? One of the lawyers from the firm that was supposed to get the money if he failed to meet the terms gave him $5000 (or ten or whatever) that was a refund he'd collected from someone, and told him he'd failed, so Pryor decked him. The lawyer rejected the offer of the money as a settlement and announce he'd sue and keep Pryor broke for his entire life, when Pryor used the money to hire another lawyer to defend him from the announced lawsuit, thus spending the last of the money and getting the full inheritance.
Best part? When he ran for mayor, using the slogan "I want to buy your vote" and it looked like he'd win, he withdrew from the race and urged voters to vote "none of the above"... and the write-in campaign actually won.
I thought that the idea behind Brewster's Millions was that he'd made a bet that he could spend a million a day and have nothing to show for it at the end of a month, so the guy made that the terms of his will.
Yes, had to blow through $30m in 30 days, with nothing to show for it, in order to get the big prize at the end. If he couldn't do it, the law firm dealing with the will gets it.
There are a lot of Brewster's Millions movies - couldn't discover exactly how many. The earliest I could find was from 1914- silent, of course. The latest from China in 2018. They're from a novel of the same name by George Barr McCutcheon published in 1902, made into a play, and then the movies. I thought I remembered one starring Joe E. Brown made in the 1930s, but couldn't find any information on it.
