The Millionaire's Life - Recap

Lionel is at the park having lunch and reading a Mark Savage mystery. A boy, Joey, steals his alarm clock and runs off, and Lionel gives chase. When he finally catches Joey, the boy claims that Lionel hit him, and the local picnickers stare. Lionel pulls Joey away and tries to convince him not to steal. When the boy breaks into tears and claims he hasn't eaten for two days and his mother abandoned him, Lionel gives him money in return for a promise not steal.



E.L. and his partner, Mike, meets with Chase Davenport and as part of his newest scam, offers to feature him on the cover of a millionaire’s magazine.

Lionel continues reading and eating his lunch at the park... and notices Joey stealing again. He's shocked that the boy broke his promise.

E.L. offers to promise Davenport a Millionaire of the Year award, and Davenport notes that he donates heavily to charity. He offers to buy 20 pages in the magazine and Mike and E.L. agree, asking for $1,000 in account. Davenport offers them a company penthouse apartment, and has his assistant Mark Trousdale give them the keys. Outside, Mike wonders why E.L. backtracked and only asked for $1,000 when they agreed to $15,000 beforehand, and E.L. admits he doesn't want Lionel to know, but the business needs the cash. E.L. tells him to be at the agency promptly at 2 o'clock to hire Lionel using the scam money. If E.L. shows up with the money, Lionel will realize he scammed it and will reject it as a matter of principal.



At the park, Lionel is measuring skid marks with a footage counter when Mike and E.L. arrive nearby. Mike points out Lionel and is amused, but agrees to go through with E.L.'s deal and be there at 2 o'clock. They're unaware that a man follows Mike as he drives away. Meanwhile, E.L. talks to Lionel, who is obsessed about the accident he's investigating. E.L. tries to get him to drop the piecework and take on a major case, but Lionel insists that they need the money and refuse to let the business go down the drain. His partner attempts to convince him that according to their horoscopes, they should have a major client waiting for them at the office. Lionel realizes that E.L. likes him and the conman sheepishly admits it. As they leave, Lionel notices Joey getting into a car with his mother and realizes he lied.

Back at the office, the partners discover their landlord Bushnagel is showing off their office to an accounting firm. E.L. and Lionel run a scam claiming that the office next door is releasing toxic fumes and then go inside. Lionel admits that they're doomed, and Bushnagel storms in to complain they screwed up his new clients. E.L. tells him they have two days left and sends him off, but Lionel is too depressed and figures no one would hire them. There's a knock on the door and a trenchcoat-wearing Mike comes in, claiming to be a writer named McGill. Lionel seizes on the new case, which involves him doing research on Chase Davenport. However, when he discovers that Mike wants dirt on Chase, Lionel refuses on the grounds that it's corrupt. E.L. has no choice but to play along and help kick Mike out. However, he then confirms that Lionel would take the case if Mike or Davenport were on trouble.



Right on cue, Mike calls back from a nearby phone booth and threatens Lionel if he takes the case. Lionel is then eager to take the case, figuring that they need to protect the writer from Davenport. E.L. catches Mike outside, brings him back, and he pays Lionel to take the case. Mike leaves and the same man from earlier follows him.

E.L. goes to the penthouse apartment that Davenport loaned him and makes himself at home. Two thugs come in and tell him that he won't be doing any articles on Davenport and plan to beat him to make their case. E.L. agrees to let them hit him in the ribs.

E.L. goes back to the office to warn Lionel, but he's left a note saying he has a lead. Next, E.L. calls Mike but doesn't get an answer. He gets an idea and leaves,

Lionel returns to his old accounting firm to meet for lunch with Timothy Fanning, a researcher. His old co-workers are impressed to see that he's now a detective. He even gets a friendly kiss from one of the female workers, Sally. Timothy arrives with the information that Lionel asked him for. They go to lunch and Timothy reveals that he's tracked down rumors that Davenport's company is a Mob subsidiary, and a man named Stanley Korman set things up. Davenport picked up some space contracts six years ago, and the government ended their criminal investigation rather than risk the contracts falling through. As Lionel leaves, Timothy invites him to join him for a basketball game in the VIP seats, and admits it's good to see him.



E.L. tracks down Lionel at a garage where he's getting his car checked, and suggests that they drop the case and go back to piecework. Lionel is more interested in explaining that Davenport is involved with the Mob, and can't understand why E.L. has changed his mind. E.L. insists that they should drop the case, and claims that McGill is a con artist running a millionaire’s magazine scam on Davenport. Lionel decides to go to the police but E.L. objects, and says he'll take care of the $1,000. However, Lionel insists on going along with E.L. As they arrive at Mike's address, Lionel wonders why Mike hired them if he was running a con. E.L. tries to redirect him, but Lionel begins to reconsider and wonders if E.L. is up to something. They get there and find the two thugs that attacked E.L. earlier. They beat up the partners and leave, and Lionel admits he couldn't fight back with karate until he gave them his warning, and they interrupted. Mike staggers out, badly injured.



A police officer questions the partners, and E.L. claims that they're Christian solicitors who don't know Mike. He goes on until the officer is convinced they don't know anything, and tells them to come down to the station later. They go back to the office and Lionel forces E.L. to explain. E.L. admits he was wrong, but he did it for Lionel and hopes he'll understand he was trying to be friend. The con man admits that he's feeling guilty for getting Mike hurt. Lionel tries to make him feel better by saying they should take the case and arrest the Mob, and they take off.



E.L. and Lionel go to Davenport's manor and the con man has Lionel wait in the car. He then goes in and accuses Davenport of having a crooked past. Davenport and Trousdale come clean and have their two thugs come in to take him away to be killed. As they come out, Lionel spots them and follows to the lemon grove where they plan to dispose of E.L. He goes to a phone booth and calls in the police, and then goes after his partner. Trousdale prepares to have the two thugs shoot E.L., but Lionel drives his car off the road as a distraction. E.L. punches out Trousdale and one of the thugs, while Lionel gets his warning out and subdues the last one with karate. The police arrive... and keep on driving on another case.



Later, E.L. and Lionel go to the park and enjoy a paddleboat ride. Davenport is threatening to sue the agency, and the newspaper have reported that Lionel has stated they're going to fight evil wherever it raises its ugly head. Lionel is busy finishing his novel. Once he's done, Lionel assures E.L. that they'll win because they're on the side of good. E.L. is skeptical, but Lionel figures that he understands. His partner admits that he does... and Lionel notices Joey stealing again and insists on paddling after him.



Share this article with your friends