| The Man of the West | |
| Director: | Frederick A. Thomson |
| Producer: | Carl Laemmle Independent Moving Pictures |
| Starring: | John R. Cumpson |
| Distributor: | Motion Picture Distributors and Sales Company |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | Silent English intertitles |
A Millionaire for a Day is a 1912 American silent comedy short film starring John R. Cumpson. It was produced by the Independent Moving Pictures (IMP) Company of New York.[1]
The story is based on a real-life incident reported in newspapers across the United States in January 1912.[2] A John Jay McDevitt of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, sold an accidental nomination for county treasurer for $2500 and traveled to New York City with an entourage (a doctor, a secretary, a valet and about 20 guests) on a special train, making speeches to appreciative audiences at stops along the way and arriving with only $72.40 left. There he fulfilled his ambition of acting the way he believed a millionaire would, spending and tipping lavishly.[3] [4]
Mechanic Fred Dudley goes to New York City and squanders his entire inheritance in a day. Then, broke but wiser, he returns home to Wilkes-Barre.[5]
According to one source, George Eastman House has three film frames in its collection.[6]
The Meridian Daily Journal noted that the film was a "screaming comedy".[7] The Calumet News also covered the film, reviewing it favorably.[2]