Beauregard Bottomley is a true all-rounder living in Hollywood, a polymath who seems to know something about every subject yet can’t stick with a steady job. He shares a home with his piano‑teacher sister, Gwenn Bottomley, and together they navigate a world that rewards clever minds but not consistent employment. Their calm is disrupted when they stumble onto a TV quiz show called Masquerade for Money, a glossy spectacle hosted by the cheerful Happy Hogan and sponsored by Milady soap. Contestants arrive in costumes, and the questions grow harder as the prize money climbs from a modest $5 to a potential windfall of $160. The rules are clear: quit whenever you want, but a wrong answer wipes out everything you’ve earned. Beauregard, who routinely refuses conventional work, is unimpressed by the show’s gimmick—even as it pulls him in.
A break comes when a Milady employment representative invites Beauregard to interview for a job. He meets Burnbridge Waters, Milady’s flamboyant owner, who disapproves of Beauregard’s humor and intellect and rejects him on the spot. Seeking revenge, Beauregard returns as a contestant, this time dressed as an encyclopedia so the host can quiz him on any topic. He breezes through the questions, amassing a substantial lead—yet he declines the prize and hints that he’ll be back the following week. Waters sees the value in the spectacle and invites Beauregard back for a six‑week publicity stunt, offering one question per show. The arrangement pays off: Masquerade for Money becomes a ratings juggernaut, driving Milady soap sales and boosting Waters’s profile.
As the weeks unfold, Waters ups the ante. When Beauregard reaches the $10 million mark, a new distraction is brought in: Flame O’Neill, a blonde temptress whose charm is designed to derail him. The ploy nearly works, as Beauregard succumbs to Flame’s ruses and even falls for her. In a pivotal moment, Beauregard reveals to Flame that he never truly mastered Albert Einstein’s spacetime theory, a claim that makes the looming $20 million question all the more perilous. The pair’s dynamic becomes a contest of trust and deception, with Flame’s faith in Beauregard tested as she realizes the truth of his message. The twist comes when the genius Einstein himself phones the studio to confirm that Beauregard’s answer is correct, forcing Happy to acknowledge the truth on air. Beauregard’s honesty about Flame and his own feelings complicates the situation, but he confesses that he has fallen in love with her even as he suspects she may be playing him.
The finale looms: Waters hosts a star‑studded broadcast at the Hollywood Bowl, and both Happy and Gwenn openly wonder whether the other’s affection is genuine or merely a ploy to secure money or prestige. Beauregard and Flame seem poised for a future together, yet the specter of motive lingers—are they together for love or the promise of secure gains? The two frontrunners ride a wave of uncertainty, each weighing what the other truly wants.
In a climactic turn, Beauregard drops a bombshell during a moment of quiet celebration: Waters has offered a deal—Beauregard would throw the next round in exchange for his own radio show, a stake in some stock, and other incentives. It’s a test of Flame’s true feelings, since Beauregard has long suspected that her affection could be tied to wealth or fame. He also drops a personal confession that he doesn’t even know his own Social Security number, a revelation that reframes the entire contest as a test of character rather than mere luck. The revelation lands just as Waters, Gwenn, and the others converge at Beauregard’s home, where their misadventures are punctuated by the return of a familiar, dipsomaniac parrot, Caesar, who recognizes Waters from college days. With the party underway and plans to marry on the horizon, Beauregard and Flame set out for Las Vegas, while Beauregard insists on exploring the truth of Flame’s feelings beyond the glitter of television and money, and confirms that his primary motive in the deal was to probe the sincerity of their bond. In the end, the enigmatic polymath admits that his understanding of people—more than numbers—defines his life, and he steps toward a future that may finally be free of the endless loop of televised contests and temptations.
Q8
Why didn't Beauregard know his own Social Security number?
When asked to name his Social Security number for the final $50,000 question, Beauregard intentionally gave the wrong answer. The reveal that he didn't even know this basic piece of personal information reframed his entire run on the show, not as a money-making scheme but as a test of character and authenticity for both himself and those around him.