Barbara Erni (15 February 1743 – 26 February 1785) was a Liechtenstein woman known for stealing from inns throughout western Europe using a confidence trick. Known in Liechtenstein legend as Golden Boos, Erni was the last person to be executed by Liechtenstein.

Erni was born in Feldkirch to a homeless couple. In 1779, she married Tiroler Franz, a man with a reputation for criminal behaviour.

According to the legend, the Golden Boos was a woman with red-blond hair and great strength who travelled throughout the European countryside with a large treasure chest or backpack. Wherever she rested for the night, she would demand that her chest be locked in the best and most secure room available, since she claimed it contained a fabulous treasure. Once the treasure was locked away and night fell, a small man would emerge from the chest or backpack and would gather the valuables from the best room, after which Erni and the man would flee during the night. The scheme worked well for Erni for a number of years, and she became wealthy. The identity of the male assistant is unknown.

Erni and her male accomplice were arrested at Eschen and imprisoned at Vaduz on 27 May 1784. She was tried by Liechtenstein, and she admitted to seventeen thefts using the confidence trick. On 7 December 1784, the court found Erni guilty of being the Golden Boos and sentenced her to death by beheading. She was beheaded in Vaduz before a public audience of approximately 1000 spectators. The fate of the male assistant is unknown.

No one was executed again by Liechtenstein before it abolished the death penalty in 1987.

References[link]

• Barbara Greene (1967). Liechtenstein: Valley of Peace (Vaduz: Liechtenstein-Verlag) pp. 20–21.
• James Foster Robinson, "The Legend of the Golden Boos", 21 May 2004.

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Barbara Eden
Eden in 1964.
Born	Barbara Jean Morehead (1934-08-23) August 23, 1934 (age 77) Tucson, Arizona, U.S.
Other names	Barbara Huffman
Years active	1956–present
Spouse	Michael Ansara (1958–1974; divorced); 1 child Charles Fegert (1977–1982; divorced) Jon Eicholtz (1991–present)

Barbara Eden (born August 23, 1934) is an American film and television actress and singer who is best known for starring as the title role in the sitcom I Dream of Jeannie.

Early years[link]

Eden was born Barbara Jean Morehead in Tucson, Arizona, the daughter of Alice Mary (née Franklin) and Hubert Henry Morehead. Her parents divorced when she was three; she and her mother Alice moved to San Francisco, where later her mother married Harrison Connor Huffman, a telephone lineman. The Great Depression deeply affected the Huffman family, and as they were unable to afford many luxuries, Barbara's mother entertained the children by singing songs. This musical background left a lasting impression on the actress, who began taking acting classes because she felt it might help her improve her singing.

Her first public performance was singing in the church choir, where she sang the solos. When she was 14 she sang in local bands for $10 a night in night clubs. At age 16 she became a member of Actor's Equity. She studied singing at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and acting with the Elizabeth Holloway School of Theatre. She graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School in San Francisco in the Spring Class of 1949^[1] and studied theater for one year at City College of San Francisco. Then she was elected Miss San Francisco, as Barbara Huffman, in 1951. Barbara also entered the Miss California pageant, but did not win.^[2][3]

TV and film roles[link]

Eden made featured appearances on television shows such as The Johnny Carson Show (as "Barbara Morehead" and "Barbara Huffman"), The West Point Story, Highway Patrol, Private Secretary, I Love Lucy, The Millionaire, Target: The Corruptors!, Crossroads, Perry Mason, Gunsmoke, December Bride, Bachelor Father, Father Knows Best, Adventures in Paradise, The Andy Griffith Show, Cain's Hundred, Saints and Sinners, The Virginian, Slattery's People, The Rogues, and the series finale of Route 66 playing the role of Margo.

She guest starred in four episodes of Burke's Law, playing different roles each time. She was an uncredited extra in the movie The Tarnished Angels with Rock Hudson, in partnership with 20th Century Fox studios. She then starred in the syndicated comedy How To Marry A Millionaire. The show was based on the film of the same name.

Discovery in the Hollywood sense came when she starred in a play with James Drury. Film director Mark Robson, who later directed her in the movie From The Terrace, had come to the play and wanted her for 20th Century Fox studios. Her screen test was the Joanne Woodward role in No Down Payment. Though she did not get the role, the studio gave her a contract. Eden did a screen test for the role of Betty Anderson in the 1957 film version of Peyton Place, though Terry Moore got the role. She had minor roles in Bailout At 43,000, Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? and The Wayward Girl, and then became a leading lady in films and starred opposite Gary Crosby, Barry Coe, and Sal Mineo in A Private's Affair, and had a co-starring role in Flaming Star (1960), with Elvis Presley.

The following year, she played in a supporting role as Lt. Cathy Connors in Irwin Allen's Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. She starred in The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm a George Pal-directed Cinerama film for MGM, and another Irwin Allen production for 20th Century Fox Five Weeks in a Balloon (1962). Eden was also the female lead in the 1962 20th Century Fox comedy Swingin' Along, starring the comedy team of Tommy Noonan and Peter Marshall, in their final joint screen appearance. She did a screen test with Andy Williams for the 20th Century Fox movie State Fair, but didn't get the role.^{[citation needed]}

Her last film for 20th Century Fox was The Yellow Canary (1963). She left Fox studios (due to budget cuts) and began guest-starring in shows such as Saints And Sinners and also doing films for MGM, Universal, and Columbia. She played supporting roles over the next few years, including The Brass Bottle, and the notable, if odd, movie 7 Faces of Dr. Lao, both with Tony Randall. In The New Interns, she co-starred with Michael Callan. Then she signed to become "Jeannie," a genie in a bottle rescued by an astronaut in the television sitcom I Dream of Jeannie. She played this role for five years and 139 episodes. Eden also played Jeannie's sister in eight episodes and Jeannie's mother in at least one.^[4][5][6]

After that, Eden did an unaired pilot, The Barbara Eden Show, and another pilot, The Toy Game. She also began starring in and sometimes producing a string of successful made-for-TV movies, making at least one a year for one of the networks and they all were top-rated.^{[citation needed]} Her first TV movie was called The Feminist And The Fuzz. Although best known for comedy, most were dramas, as when she starred with her "Jeannie" co-star Larry Hagman in A Howling in the Woods (1971). She starred in The Woman Hunter (1972) with Robert Vaughn, an earlier co-star from Gunsmoke. In The Stranger Within (1974), Eden plays unwitting housewife Ann Collins, who becomes one of many earthling women who are extraterrestrially impregnated. Like the mother-to-be in Rosemary's Baby, Ann develops unusual prenatal cravings (in this case, coffee grounds instead of blood-rare meat). The screenplay was written by Richard Matheson and directed by Lee Philips.

Eden played Liz Stonestreet, a former policewoman now private detective investigating the disappearance of a missing heiress in a critically acclaimed TV movie Stonestreet: Who Killed The Centerfold Model? (1977) co-starring Louise Latham, James Ingersoll, Elaine Giftos, Ann Dusenberry. and Sally Kirkland. She played Lee Rawlins, a woman who worked at a department store, in the ABC TV movie The Girls in The Office (1979) and starred in and co-produced with her own production company (MI-Bar Productions) the NBC TV movie romantic comedy The Secret Life Of Kathy McCormick (1988) about "a simple grocery clerk, finds her way into her local high society and the life of a wealthy suitor who thinks she's a stockbroker." In addition, she starred in and produced the romantic comedy TV movie Opposites Attract (1990) co-starring John Forsythe, their first joint screen appearance since her guest-starring role in a 1957 episode of his Bachelor Father TV series.

[edit] I Dream of Jeannie

Eden as Jeannie. The famous "Jeannie Costume" was created for the show and had to be designed so that it would not expose Eden's navel.

In 1965, Eden signed a contract with Sidney Sheldon to star on his up-and-coming fantasy sitcom I Dream of Jeannie that would air on NBC. She was first passed over for the role because of her small stature and blonde hair, because Sheldon at first wanted a tall brunette for the role. However, she was later given the role after several brunettes tested for the part unsuccessfully. Eden played Jeannie, a beautiful genie set free from her bottle by astronaut and USAF captain (later major) Anthony Nelson, played by Larry Hagman. Hoped to be a blockbuster, like its rival-show Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie was only a mild ratings success, topping off its first year at #27, tying with Lassie. The series spent its second, third, and fifth seasons out of the top thirty programs. Season four proved to be the sitcom's most successful year, ending at #26.

In the series, Eden wore her legendary "Jeannie Costume", a costume that was designed to hide the actress's navel. However, her navel is glimpsed in a few season four and season five episodes, much to the dislike of the censors. After four years of dating, Jeannie and Anthony got married in the show's fifth season, a decision that was forced to come about by the network. Eden complained to the network about the two marrying, claiming that this change in the plotline would take away from the show's humor and the sexual tension between Jeannie and Anthony. However, even after the change, the network had grown tired of the series by the end of the 1969-1970 television season and canceled the show after five seasons and 139 episodes. The series became hugely popular during decades of syndication and has had two spin-off reunion movies. The first, I Dream of Jeannie: 15 Years Later a 1985 television movie, starred all the original cast excluding Larry Hagman, who declined the chance to return. The role of Anthony was played by Wayne Rogers, for this film only. The second television movie spin-off movie of the series aired in 1991 and was called I Still Dream of Jeannie, in which Hagman was still absent. Anthony doesn't appear in this film at all. In recent history, several mentions of a third I Dream of Jeannie movie has come to attention; however, no projects have been cast or even written.

Later career[link]

She continued to appear regularly on stage starring in the play Blithe Spirit and in television specials like Telly...Who Loves Ya Baby? with Telly Savalas and The Best Of Everything with Hal Linden and Dorothy Loudon.

In 1978 she starred in the feature film Harper Valley PTA based on the popular country song. This led to a namesake television series in 1981; in both the movie and the TV series, she played the show's heroine, Stella Johnson. The show won 11 of its 13 time slots during its first season. It was a comedy version of Peyton Place with Anne Francine playing wealthy villain Flora Simpson Reilly. In one episode Stella dressed in a blue and gold genie costume and in another she played both Stella and her cousin Della Smith (similar to Jeannie's evil twin-sister character). The show Harper Valley PTA began January 16, 1981, and was renamed simply Harper Valley when the show began its second season on October 29, 1981. The show ran until August 14, 1982, producing 29 episodes for NBC and Universal MCA, which were rerun in 2000 by TV Land.

Eden in 1987 at a United Services Organization (USO) show aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Okinawa

From April 3 through September 16, 1984, Eden starred in the Lee Guber and Shelly Gross national production of the John Kander and Fred Ebb Tony Award-winning musical comedy Woman Of The Year, playing the role of Tess Harding Craig, alongside Don Chastain (as Sam Craig), and Marilyn Cooper (as Jan Donovan, reprising her Tony Award-winning role on Broadway).

In 1990, Eden had a recurring role of a billionairess seeking revenge against J.R. Ewing in five episodes of the final season of Dallas, playing the captivating character Lee Ann De La Vega, reuniting her with her I Dream of Jeannie co-star Hagman. In her final episode the character admits that her maiden name was "Lee Ann Nelson," which was a production gag as "Nelson" was the surname of Hagman's character, and Eden's character's married name in I Dream of Jeannie.^{[citation needed]}

In 1991 she starred in the stage play Same Time, Next Year with Wayne Rogers, and reprised her role of Jeannie in a television movie of the week. In 1993 she starred in an 11 city national tour of the play Last Of The Red Hot Lovers with Don Knotts. She also made three guest appearances in the last few seasons of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch as the evil family matriarch, Great Aunt Irma.

Eden has starred in such musical comedies as Nite Club Confidential (playing the role of Kay Goodman, in 1996), The Sound Of Music, Annie Get Your Gun, South Pacific with Robert Goulet, The Pajama Game with John Raitt, and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes playing Lorelei Lee. She has been a musical guest star in many variety television shows, including 21 Bob Hope specials, The Carol Burnett Show, The Jonathan Winters Show, The Jerry Lewis Show, This is Tom Jones show, Tony Orlando and Dawn, and Donny and Marie. She released an album entitled Miss Barbara Eden in 1967, for the record label Dot Records. She recorded three songs in 1978 for the Harper Valley P.T.A. Soundtrack.

Prior to the release of Eden's 2011 autobiography, Eden then appearing on the Bob Hope NBC Christmas Special in December 1985, made an unofficial announcement for the publication of her autobiographical book, Barbara Eden: My Story, that was scheduled to be released in 1989. Although issued ISBN number 978-0025349308 for cataloging, Barbara Eden: My Story, was not mass-produced. One reason may be due to content disputes between the publisher and Eden.

She received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in the spring of 1990 from the University of West Los Angeles School of Law. On November 17, 1988, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame sidewalk for her contributions to television at 2003 Hollywood Boulevard.

From 2000 until 2004, Eden starred in the national touring production of the play, The Odd Couple ... The Female Version, playing the role of Florence Unger opposite Rita MacKenzie as Olive Madison.

In March 2006, Eden reunited with her former I Dream Of Jeannie co-star Larry Hagman for a publicity tour in New York City to promote the first season DVD of I Dream Of Jeannie. They appeared together on such shows as Good Morning America, The View, Martha, Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight, and Showbiz Tonight. In March 2006, Hagman and Eden also reunited, this time onstage in New York, for Love Letters at the College of Staten Island and at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. This was Eden's first visit to the Academy since appearing in The West Point Story in 1956.^[7]

Eden's most recent work was starring in the play Love Letters with Hal Linden, and a guest-starring role on the Lifetime series Army Wives, written and produced by her niece, Katherine Fugate. In December 2008 she began filming the TV Movie Always and Forever for the Hallmark Channel that was shown in October 2009.^[8] In April 2009 she began hosting a national touring production of Ballroom With A Twist, a live theater show from Louis van Amstel of Dancing with the Stars.

[edit] Jeannie Out of the Bottle

Eden wrote a memoir, Jeannie Out of the Bottle, released April 5, 2011, about her personal life. The book includes intimate details about her two failed marriages and her "emotional breakdown" following the death of her only child, her son, Matthew Ansara, from a drug overdose.^[9]

Filmography[link]

• Back from Eternity (1956) (RKO) (Debut) (Role "Blonde College Girl From School Paper)
• Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (1957) (20th Century Fox) (as "Miss Carstairs")
• A Private's Affair (1959) (20th Century Fox) (Role "Katey Mulligan")
• Twelve Hours to Kill (1960) (20th Century Fox) (Role "Lucy Hall")
• Flaming Star (1960) (20Th Century Fox) (Role "Ros")
• From the Terrace (1960) (20th Century Fox) (Role "Clemmie Shreve")
• Swingin' Along (1961) (20th Century Fox) (Role "Carol Walker")
• Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961) (20th Century Fox) (Role"Lt.Cathy Collins")
• The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm (1962) (MGM) (Role "Greta Heinrich")
• Five Weeks in a Balloon (1962) (20th Century Fox) (Role "Susan Gale")
• Swingin' Along (1962) (20th Century Fox) (Role "Carol Walker")
• The Yellow Canary (1963) (20th Century Fox) (Role "Lissa Paxton")
• 7 Faces of Dr. Lao (1964) (MGM) (Role "Angela Benedict")
• The Brass Bottle (1964) (Universal)(Role "Sylvia Kenton")
• The New Interns (1964) (Columbia Pictures) (Role "Laura Rogers")
• Ride the Wild Surf (1964) (Columbia Pictures) (Role "Augie")
• Harper Valley PTA (1978) (April Fools Productions) (Role "Mrs Stella Johnson")
• Chattanooga Choo Choo (1984) (April Fools Productions) (Role "Maggie Jones")
• A Very Brady Sequel (1996) (cameo role) (Paramount)

Selected television appearances[link]

• The West Point Story (1956) Episode: A Tough Decision
• Private Secretary (1957) Episode: The Big Shot
• Highway Patrol (1957) Episode: Hostage Copter
• I Love Lucy (1957) Episode: Country Club Dance
• The Millionaire (1957) Episode: The Ted McAllister Story
• Crossroads (1957) Episode: A Green Hill Faraway
• Perry Mason (1957) Episode: The Case of the Angry Mourner
• Gunsmoke (1957) Episode: Romeo
• Bachelor Father (1957) Episode: Bentley and the Revolving Housekeepers
• December Bride (1957) Episode: The Other Woman
• How to Marry a Millionaire (1957–1959) (52 episodes)
• Father Knows Best (1958) Episode: The Rivals
• Adventures in Paradise (1961) Episode: Inheritance
• The Andy Griffith Show (1962) Episode: The Manicurist
• Target: The Corruptors (1962) Episode: Babes in Wall Street
• Cain's Hundred (1962) Episode: Savage in Darkness
• Saints And Sinners (1962) Episode: Daddy's Girl
• Burke's Law (1963) Episode: Who Killed Harris Crown?
• Burke's Law (1964) Episode: Who Killed The Paper Dragon?
• Route 66 (1964) Episode: Where There's A Will, There's A Way (1)
• Route 66 (1964) Episode: Where There's A Will, There's A Way (2)
• The Virginian (1964) Episode: The Brazos Kid
• Burke's Law (1964) Episode: Who Killed Cornelius Gilbert?
• Burke's Law (1965) Episode: Who Killed The Man On The White Horse?
• Slattery's People (1965) Episode: Question: When Do We Hang The Good Samaritan?
• The Rogues (1965) Episode: Wherefore Art Thou, Harold?
• I Dream of Jeannie (1965–1970) (139 episodes)
• This is Tom Jones (2 episodes)
• The Woman Hunter (1972) (TV Movie)
• The Stranger Within (1974) (TV Movie)
• Out to Lunch (1974)
• Harper Valley PTA (1981–82; 29 episodes)
• I Dream of Jeannie: 15 Years Later (1985) (TV Movie)
• The Stepford Children (1987) (TV Movie)
• The Secret Life of Kathy McCormick (1988) (TV Movie)
• Your Mother Wears Combat Boots (1989) (TV Movie)
• The Magical World of Disney: A Brand New Life (1989–1990; 7 episodes)
• Dallas (1990–1991) (5 episodes)
• I Still Dream of Jeannie (1991) (TV Movie)
• Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1998)
• Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (2002–2003; 3 episodes)
• The George Lopez Show (2006)
• Army Wives (2007) Episode: Truth and Consequences
• Always and Forever (2009) (TV Movie)

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Barbara Eden

• Official website
• Barbara Eden Online
• Official Barbara Eden Twitter
• Official Barbara Eden FaceBook Profile
• Barbara Eden at the Internet Movie Database
• Barbara Eden—Archive of American Television Interview
• Interview with Barbara Eden- Elvis Australia

Regis Philbin
Philbin at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival
Born	Regis Francis Xavier Philbin[1][2] (1931-08-25) August 25, 1931 (age 80) New York City, New York, United States
Education	Cardinal Hayes High School
Alma mater	University of Notre Dame
Occupation	TV presenter Talk show host Game show host Actor Singer
Years active	1961–present
Spouse	Catherine "Kay" Faylen (1955–1968) Joy Senese (1970–present)
Children	Amy, Joanna, J. J. Philbin, Daniel
Parents	Francis Philbin, Filomena (née Boscia)
Website
www.regisphilbin.com

Regis Francis Xavier Philbin^[1][2] (pronounced /ˈriːdʒɨs ˈfɪlbɨn/; born August 25, 1931) is an American media personality, actor and singer, known for hosting talk and game shows since the 1960s.^[3] Philbin is often called (somewhat tongue-in-cheek and alternately attributed to James Brown) "the hardest working man in show business"^[4][5] and holds the Guinness World Record for the most time spent in front of a television camera.^[6] His trademarks include his excited manner, his New York Bronx accent, his wit, and irreverent ad-libs. He is most widely known for Live with Regis and Kelly (which rose to fame as Live with Regis and Kathie Lee),^[7] Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,^[7] Million Dollar Password,^[8] and for hosting the first season of America's Got Talent.^[9]

On January 18, 2011, Philbin announced plans to leave Live with Regis and Kelly at the end of his contract.^[10] His final episode of Live aired on November 18, 2011.^[11]

Early life and career[link]

Philbin was born in New York City. His father, Francis "Frank" Philbin, a U.S. Marine who served in the Pacific, was of Irish heritage.^[12] His mother, Filomena "Florence" (née Boscia), was of Arbëreshë (an Albanian minority population from southern Italy) heritage. They lived at 1990 Cruger Avenue in the Van Nest section of The Bronx.^[13] Philbin was raised Roman Catholic.^[12] He was supposedly named "Regis" because his father wished him to attend the prestigious Regis High School. It was long believed that Philbin was an only child, but on the February 1, 2007, broadcast of Live with Regis and Kelly, Philbin announced that he did have a brother, Frank M. Philbin (March 1, 1951 – January 27, 2007), who had died from non-Hodgkin lymphoma several days earlier.^[14] He said that his brother, 20 years younger than he, had asked him to not speak of him on television or in the press.^[15]

Philbin attended Our Lady of Solace grammar school in the Bronx.^[16] He went on to graduate from Cardinal Hayes High School^[1] in the Bronx in 1949 before attending the University of Notre Dame, where he graduated in 1953 with a sociology degree.^[14] He later served in the United States Navy as a Supply Officer, then went through a few behind-the-scenes jobs in television and radio before moving into the broadcasting arena.^[14]

In his earliest show business work, Philbin was a page at The Tonight Show in the 1950s.^[17] Later, he wrote for Los Angeles talk show host Tom Duggan, and nervously filled in one night when the hard-drinking Duggan didn't show up.^[17][18] He also was an announcer on The Tonight Show in 1962.^[3]

His first talk show was The Regis Philbin Show^[1] on KOGO-TV (now KGTV) in San Diego, California.^[19] For budgetary reasons, he had no writing staff, leading him to begin each show with what has become his hallmark, the "host chat" segment (influenced by Jack Paar), where he engages his audience (and later on, his co-host) in discussions about his life and the day's events. Infamous wrestler Classy Freddie Blassie was a frequent guest on the KOGO show.

Philbin gained his first national exposure in 1967 as Joey Bishop's sidekick on The Joey Bishop Show^[20] on television (1967–1969). In a Johnny Carson-Ed McMahon vein, Bishop would playfully tease Philbin and Philbin would take the barbs in stride. Philbin, however, got his feelings wounded when he learned from the network grapevine that ABC executives were dissatisfied with his work and his thick accent. In response, Philbin, during the opening of one of the programs in 1968, suddenly stopped the show with an unplanned diatribe about 'not being wanted and letting down" the program and abruptly quit on air. A few nights later, assured by Bishop that all was well and the barbs were not personal, Philbin returned, in perhaps one of the oddest developments in live late night television history. When The Joey Bishop Show was canceled, Bishop returned the favor and walked off the show on the air unannounced, leaving Philbin to successfully carry the night on his own.

Talk show career[link]

In 1964, Philbin took over hosting the late night Westinghouse Tonight Show from Hollywood when Steve Allen left the show.^[21] The audience did not accept Philbin as a replacement for the zany antics of Allen and the appearance lasted only a few weeks due to dismal ratings. Johnny Carson was too strong in the ratings for the same time slot. Carson was an inspiration for Philbin, according to his own words (PBS, 2008, Pioneers of Television).

From 1975–81, he co-hosted A.M. Los Angeles, a local morning talk show on KABC-TV,^[22] first with Sarah Purcell (1975 to 1978), then with Cyndy Garvey (1978 to 1981).^[22] Philbin's presence brought the show from the bottom of the local ratings to No. 1.^[23]

During the early 1970s, Philbin also commuted each weekend to St. Louis, where he filmed Regis Philbin's Saturday Night in St. Louis^[22] on KMOX-TV (now KMOV).

A 1978 book called The Great 1960s Quiz, authored by Dan Carlinksy (pub. Harper & Row), asked, "Who was Regis Philbin?" (p. 7) The answer was "Joey Bishop's sidekick on his late night show." (p. 124) Philbin's seemingly "trivial" national media presence would soon be revived.

In 1981, Philbin and Mary Hart co-hosted a national morning variety series for NBC. The show lasted 18 weeks.^[24]

Garvey left Los Angeles and moved to New York City in 1982.^[22] Philbin rejoined Garvey on The Morning Show,^[22] on WABC-TV.^[22] At the time, the 9 am time slot for WABC suffered from low Nielsen ratings due in part to its competition; WNBC-TV was airing Donahue while WCBS-TV countered with a game show block featuring The Joker's Wild and Tic Tac Dough. After Garvey left again, and Ann Abernathy briefly shared co-hosting duties, Philbin was paired with Kathie Lee Johnson (later Gifford), in June 1985, and ratings improved significantly. The show became nationally syndicated in September 1988 as Live with Regis and Kathie Lee^[22] and the success continued. The program would replace A.M. Los Angeles upon its cancellation in 1991 and was eventually picked up by all of the ABC owned-and-operated stations except for WLS in Chicago, which aired The Oprah Winfrey Show in that timeslot and had done so since the show's debut as A.M. Chicago. (Live is carried by the local WGN feed in Chicago; it is not fed to WGN America.)

In the 1980s, Philbin hosted Lifestyles with Regis Philbin on the Lifetime television network.^[25]

When Gifford departed in 2000,^[26] the show was temporarily named Live with Regis.^[26] Philbin would always have a guest co-host until an official replacement was found.^[26] Philbin won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host in 2001.^[26] Kelly Ripa was chosen as the permanent co-host in 2001, and the show was renamed Live with Regis and Kelly.^[26] Their chemistry proved to be successful as the show continued to enjoy high ratings.

Philbin set a Guinness World Record for "Most Hours on Camera" on his August 20, 2004, Live show (replacing Hugh Downs), which gave him a total of 15,188 hours on television.^[6] On the September 14, 2006, episode of Live, his record was updated to 15,662 hours.^[27] His on-air time continues to accumulate.

Regis Philbin in 2009

It was announced on the September 17, 2009, episode of Live with Regis and Kelly during their World Record Breaker week, that Philbin's Guinness Book World Record for most time spent in front of a TV camera had reached 16,343 hours.

In 2008, Philbin's contract with ABC was renewed through to 2011.^[28] Under this new contract, Philbin reportedly earns more than US$21 million, but the terms and conditions significantly restrict his ability to negotiate deals with networks other than ABC. However, he received a similar contract with CBS (due to Philbin's hosting of Million Dollar Password).^[28]

Game show career[link]

Philbin was also a game show host. He hosted The Neighbors, a short-lived game show on ABC in late-1975/early-1976. The premise of the show had two female contestants guessing which of her three women neighbors said gossipy things about her.^[3] In 1976, he was a "field reporter" for ABC's Almost Anything Goes, an American adaptation of the British game show, It's a Knockout. Both shows suffered from poor ratings.

Philbin's more recent game show hosting duties have been much more successful. He was the original host of the U.S. version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, another ABC game show that had its roots in Britain. Millionaire was a big ratings success in its 1999 debut, when it was intended as an occasional special series. ABC aired Millionaire as a regular series with frequent episodes, but its viewership slowly declined. After Millionaire was canceled, it was retooled in 2002 as a syndicated series hosted by Meredith Vieira, which continues today. ABC brought back Millionaire in 2004 with Philbin, retitled Who Wants to Be a Super Millionaire, a related series that was aired on a more limited basis. Philbin had appeared in 11 episodes of a special edition of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, which started on August 9, 2009, celebrating the 10th anniversary of the show.^[29] He also was a celebrity contestant in this version. Millionaire, in its syndicated format, uses guest hosts for selected weeks during the season and Philbin also hosted a week of episodes that aired in November 2009, coinciding with his 2009 surgery.

Philbin won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host in 2001, as host of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.

In November 2005, ABC announced that Philbin would host the network's revival of This Is Your Life. In August 2006, he reported that his option on the contract for the show had lapsed and he declined to renew it.^[30]

Philbin hosted the first season of America's Got Talent, a Simon Cowell-produced amateur talent search show on NBC, during the summer of 2006. He flew between New York City and Los Angeles many times during that time period, in order to participate in both Live with Regis and Kelly and AGT. His difficulty with commuting between the two cities was an issue, as were his health problems from the past. Therefore, he was replaced in 2007 by talk show host Jerry Springer.^[31] In regards to filling Philbin's spot, Springer noted that "no one fills in for Regis. He's the best there ever was at this so you pay homage to him."^[32]

However, Philbin's affiliation with FremantleMedia started to develop. He hosted a revival of the Password franchise entitled Million Dollar Password, which premiered June 1, 2008, and ended in 2009.^[33]

Other television appearances[link]

On December 31, 2004, Philbin filled in for Dick Clark on ABC's Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve, as Clark was recovering from a stroke. Philbin (who is a year and a half younger than Clark) lightheartedly claimed to have interrupted his previously planned vacation to do the show.^[34] During CNN's New Year's Eve special, hosted by Anderson Cooper and broadcast on both CNN and CNN International, revelers in Times Square told CNN reporter Jason Carroll that Philbin was "all right" filling in for Clark, though they had Cooper and Carroll.^[35]

Philbin was also the host of the finale of The Apprentice 2 on December 16, 2004,^[36] and the official 30-minute red carpet arrivals at the 80th Academy Awards ceremony on February 24, 2008.^[37]

Philbin hosted the 37th Daytime Emmy Awards on June 27, 2010.^[38]

Guest appearances[link]

Philbin makes regular guest appearances on Late Show with David Letterman, where he gives David Letterman no great help in controlling the show—being simultaneously his usual urbane self and the "guest from hell" (being a fellow TV host)—though they show a heartfelt respect for each other.^[39] He is often introduced by Letterman as "Regis Lee Philbin", a play on his former morning co-host, Kathie Lee Gifford. He has also appeared on other late night talk shows, such as Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

Philbin has appeared on the sitcoms Spin City, How I Met Your Mother, Mad About You, Hope & Faith, Seinfeld, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, as well as the sketch comedy program, The Dana Carvey Show, and The Larry Sanders Show.

Perhaps to bring good luck, some premiering talk shows, such as The View and The Tony Danza Show, had signed Philbin to be their first guest.

Philbin was a celebrity guest at WrestleMania VII in Los Angeles in 1991, commentating on the main event between Hulk Hogan and Sgt. Slaughter.

On December 25, 2000, Philbin appeared as a panelist on the first season championship game of the ESPN game show 2 Minute Drill.

On February 28, 2004, Philbin also guest starred in a Lilo & Stitch: The Series episode called "Drowsy".

On May 15, 2006, Philbin appeared as a special guest, alongside Howie Mandel, for a 2-hour special episode of Deal or No Deal on NBC.

Philbin has appeared three times on Celebrity Jeopardy!, the most appearances for any competing celebrity on the game show Jeopardy!. He played for Cardinal Hayes High School, his alma mater. In November 2006, he won his competition and earned $50,000 for the school.^[40]

Philbin appeared as a contestant on Celebrity Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? in November 2007. He again played for his alma mater, Cardinal Hayes High School. He dropped out of the game and went home with $175,000 for the school.

In September 2008, Philbin guest starred as himself on How I Met Your Mother,^[41] and Ugly Betty.^[42] On Mother, Philbin joined the cast of the show in the search for New York's best hamburger. He was revealed to work out at Barney's gym, and has his picture hung in the "Best Burger" restaurant, and also in every other suspected best burger restaurant, such as Corner Bistro and Veggie Heaven; this was most likely for irony, as the Regis Philbin picture was the only detail Marshall Eriksen remembered about the restaurant, besides the neon burger sign and green door. In the show, he hosted a "show within a show" called Million Dollar Heads or Tails, which referenced both Million Dollar Password in name and Millionaire (in that a game element featured "polling the audience," which came out evenly split, "50/50", the names of two of the lifelines in that game).

On December 25, 2009, Philbin attended Christmas Mass with Father Edward L. Beck and Timothy Dolan, the current Archbishop of New York, at The Sunday Mass^[43] and gave a special interview discussing how being a Catholic has influenced his life.^[44]

In February 2011, Philbin made an appearance on Take Two with Phineas and Ferb, taking on as the host. On July 3, 2011, Philbin was a celebrity guest on the The Marriage Ref, alongside Tracy Morgan and Susie Essman.

On May 29, 2012, Philbin returned to television for one full hour, first time since leaving "Live with Regis & Kelly", as one of hosts of CNN's Piers Morgan Tonight during the show's Guest Host Week. Philbin's exclusive guest was a long-time friend and fellow television host David Letterman.

Written and musical works[link]

In addition to being a television personality, Philbin is also an author and singer, drawing on the success of his talk show.

Philbin's two autobiographies (with co-author Bill Zehme), I'm Only One Man! (1995) and Who Wants To Be Me? (2000), are written in the conversational or anecdotal style of his host chats. The former book follows a year (1994–1995) in his life recalling, among other things, his personal life, his memories with celebrities, and work on Live with Regis and Kathie Lee. The latter book is a response to the success of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and deals with more antics about the show and his life.

As a singer, Philbin can best be described as a crooner in the style of his favorite singers: Dean Martin, Perry Como, and Frank Sinatra. He tested the musical waters with his 1968 pop vocal release, It's Time For Regis! After receiving poor reviews, Philbin was reluctant to record another studio album, but he occasionally sang on Live, usually duetting with another person. After 36 years, he recorded When You're Smiling (2004), a more mature-sounding pop standards album. The Regis Philbin Christmas Album was released September 2005 according to Amazon.com but was made widely available that November in time for the holiday season. This album features several duets, with close friend Donald Trump ("Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"), Steve Tyrell ("Marshmallow World"), and wife Joy ("Baby, It's Cold Outside" and "Winter Wonderland"). A special edition of the album was produced with tracks recorded with the Notre Dame Glee Club.^[45] He is said to enjoy the music recording experience more now than on his first recording. Philbin is signed on to Hollywood Records.

Personal life[link]

Philbin and his wife Joy in New York City, 2009

Philbin has been married twice and has four children. He was married to Catherine "Kay" Faylen, daughter of actor Frank Faylen, from 1955–1968, and he has been married to interior decorator Joy Senese since 1970. His children are Amy, Daniel (both with Faylen), Joanna, and Jennifer "J. J." (both with Senese). Joy Philbin occasionally co-hosts with her husband Regis. On Live, he often mentions Joy, and to a lesser degree, Joanna, J.J., Amy, and Danny. When Danny was born, he didn't have some vertebrae and he was missing some muscles in his leg.^{[citation needed]} He had to spend his childhood at the Angel View Crippled Children's Foundation in California. During the September 11 attacks, Philbin noted on air that he was very worried about Danny, who worked at The Pentagon and uses a wheelchair. Danny emerged from the terrorist attack safe, and since the tragedy Regis has joined Danny at Walter Reed Army Medical Center to visit injured troops.^{[citation needed]} In August 2007, Regis and Joy Philbin announced that their daughter J. J. and her husband, Michael Schur, were expecting their first child in February 2008. William Xavier Schur was born on February 18, 2008. He weighed 6 lb. 5 oz., and was 19 inches in length. William Xavier is named after Regis, Xavier being his confirmation name. He is also nicknamed "Mr. Trouble" by Regis and often referred to as such on Live. At 7:54 p.m., on July 14, 2010, J.J. gave birth to a daughter, Ivy Elizabeth, in California.^{[citation needed]} Philbin spends time between his home in Greenwich, Connecticut, and apartment on the Upper West Side of Manhattan across from the WABC-TV studios.

Philbin follows the professional sports world extensively, enjoying baseball as well as football. He is an avid fan of the New York Yankees and a proud supporter of his alma mater, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish – so proud, in fact, that Philbin narrated the two audio CDs that accompanied Joe Garner's book, Echoes of Notre Dame Football: Great and Memorable Moments of the Fighting Irish. Philbin played on the Notre Dame tennis team, (putting his recent statements in an ad where he claimed to have learned tennis from second wife Joy, in doubt). Notre Dame football coaches, such as Charlie Weis, Tyrone Willingham, and Lou Holtz have appeared on Live. Along with being a Yankees fan, Regis is also "keeping an eye on the Florida Marlins."^[46] On May 5, 2009, he delivered the first pitch at a Marlins game. He has also supported the Pittsburgh Pirates in recent years as well.^[47] During his Southern California years, he was a regular at parties at Hugh Hefner's Playboy Mansion.

In March 1984, Philbin opened a Ford dealership in Gilbert, Arizona, as a side investment during his career in television. The dealership, Philbin Ford, suffered due to the already over-saturated auto market in the area, and was closed in late 1988.^[48]

He is known to have trouble handling new technology and is frequently confused when operating electronics (such as remote controls and DVD players). He does not usually use computers (although he did use one for an episode of Live during summer 2008, demonstrating how to find homes online) and did not own a cell phone until September 10, 2008. It is often noted, however, that Philbin does not completely reject the technology; he simply has Joy make calls and send e-mails for him.^[49]

Health[link]

On March 12, 2007, during an episode of Live with Regis and Kelly, Philbin announced that he would undergo triple bypass surgery later that week, as he had experienced chest pains and shortness of breath the previous two weeks and doctors found plaque in his arteries.^[50] He said, "Darn it, I don't want to do it. Nobody wants to do it, I guess. But they tell me. And I had a second opinion, I did all those things [tests for heart disease], and so they [the doctors] are all in agreement that it should be the bypass. And so that's what I'm going to do."^[51] In addition, Philbin talked with David Letterman, for whom Philbin substituted on Late Show with David Letterman during Letterman's own quintuple bypass surgery.^[50] Philbin's heart surgery at Weill Cornell Medical Center on March 14 was successful and he returned to the show on April 26. He previously had an angioplasty in 1993.^[52]

On the November 23, 2009, Live with Regis and Kelly show, Philbin announced that he intended to take some time off to undergo hip-replacement surgery.^[53] "I'm allowed to announce I'm going into hip surgery. I'm going to have my hip replaced. I've been limping around here. It's really painful," he said on Live, which was broadcasting from Las Vegas that week.^[53] The surgery was performed on December 1.^[54] Philbin was expected to take four to six weeks off to recover. It was announced that Regis would return on Monday, January 4, 2010, to his regular hosting duties to kick off the new year.^[55]

On May 14, 2010, it was announced that Philbin would undergo surgery to have a blood clot removed from his calf. He returned the next day.^[56]

Popular culture[link]

He was cast as car salesman, Handsome Hal, on Kelly Ripa's sitcom Hope & Faith. He one played the picalo in this casting

He was chosen as the voice of a minor female character in Shrek the Third: Mabel, the sister of the Ugly Stepsister (played by Larry King).

In the Animaniacs episode "Pigeon on a Roof" (a Goodfeathers musical parody of Fiddler on the Roof), a key plot element involves toppling a statue of Martin Scorsese—and replacing it with one of Philbin.

Also, several Hey Arnold! episodes would feature a talk show that parodied Regis and Kathie Lee. The male host, in addition, would always get extremely excited in a parody of Philbin.

He is mentioned in Christian artist Steven Curtis Chapman's song "Live Out Loud."

[edit] Who Wants to Be a Millionaire

During the successful first run of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Philbin popularized the monochromatic look in men's formalwear that emphasizes color rather than pattern in ties and dress shirts. His look was a suit, shirt and tie coordinated in solid, slightly varying shades of the same, usually dark or muted, color.^[39] A Van Heusen clothing line based on this look, called Regis, was short-lived.^[57]

When Philbin hosted Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, he used the phrase "Is that your final answer?" whenever he had to verify a contestant's answer. Adopted from Chris Tarrant, this became Philbin's catch phrase during his tenure with the show.

In August 2009, Philbin returned for a 2-week stint as host of Millionaire. The 11 shows (Sunday-to-Thursday twice, plus one extra Sunday) started airing August 9 on ABC primetime.

Philbin (along with Steve Harvey and John Henson) were named the 2009–10 guest hosts of the daily Millionaire. Philbin's episodes aired November 30-December 4, 2009, and debuted new rules on the show.

[edit] 2007 Neiman Marcus Christmas Book

In October 2007, Philbin was featured in the 100th anniversary issue of the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book. He was a host of the Classical Superstars Fantasy Concert, which included piano virtuoso Lola Astanova with Russia's Kirov Orchestra led by conductor Valery Gergiev. The super concert for 500 guests was offered for sale at $1.6 million.^[58]

Awards and honors[link]

Regis Philbin's star at the Hollywood Walk of Fame

• May 2001: winner, Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
• May 2001: winner, Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host, Live with Regis (tie with Rosie O'Donnell)
• 2001: TV Guide Personality of the Year
• January 1, 2002: Grand Marshal of Tournament of Roses Parade
• February 2003: winner, Walter Camp Distinguished American Award
• April 10, 2003: receives star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
• August 20, 2004: sets Guinness World Record for "Most Hours on Camera" – 15,188 hours
• July 2005: winner, PR.com "Best Celebrity Nickname"^[59]
• April 2006: winner, Daytime Emmy Award: Outstanding Special Class Special, 2005 Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade (co-host with Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest)
• April 2006: inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame^[60]
• September 2008: Guinness World Record updated to 16,100 hours
• June 2008: Lifetime Achievement Award from the Daytime Emmy Awards^[61]
• 2009: Guinness World Record updated to 16,540.5 hours
• 2010: Golden Mike's Broadcast Legend Award, Radio and Television News Association of Southern California^[62]
• 2011: winner, Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host, Live with Regis and Kelly (tie with Dr. Oz)
• November 18, 2011: Philbin received a key to the City of New York from Mayor Michael Bloomberg to honor his twenty eight year contribution to New York media.

Credits[link]

Television[link]

• The Tonight Show, announcer (1962)
• The Regis Philbin Show (1964–1965)
• The Joey Bishop Show, announcer (1967–1969)
• Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1968)
• It's Happening (1968)
• The Don Rickles Show (1968)
• The Karen Valentine Show (1973)
• The People's Lawyer (1975)
• The Neighbors (1975–1976)
• A.M. Los Angeles, host (1975–1981)
• Almost Anything Goes, co-host (1976)
• SST: Death Flight, as Harry Carter (1977)
• Mad Bull, as Raymond Towne (1977)
• Mirror, Mirror, as TV host (1979)
• Steve Martin: Comedy Is Not Pretty!, as public service announcer (1980)
• True Life Stories, host (1981)
• Battle of the Las Vegas Show Girls, host (1981)
• Password Plus, guest (1981–1982)
• The Regis Philbin Show, co-host (1981–1982)
• The Morning Show (1983–1988)
• California Girls (1985)
• Ryan's Hope, as Malachy Malone (1987–1988)
• The New Hollywood Squares, guest (1987–1988)
• Live with Regis and Kathie Lee (1988–2000)
• Live with Regis and Kelly (2001–2011)
• WrestleMania VII, commentator and interviewer (March 24, 1991)
• Late Show with David Letterman, as himself (1993–2011)
• The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1996)
• Mother Goose: A Rappin' and Rhymin' Special, voice (1997)
• Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (1999–2002)
• 2 Minute Drill, panelist (December 25, 2000)
• Who Wants to Be a Super Millionaire (2004)
• Lilo & Stitch: The Series, guest voice in episode: "Drowsy" (2004)
• This Is Your Life (2006) (unsold pilot)
• America's Got Talent, host (2006)
• Deal or No Deal, guest (May 15, 2006)
• Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (2007)
• How I Met Your Mother, as himself (2008)
• Million Dollar Password, host (2008–2009)
• Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: 10th Anniversary Celebration (2009)
• Take Two with Phineas and Ferb, as himself (February 25, 2011)
• 30 Rock: Episode "100", as himself (April 21, 2011)
• WWE Raw, as himself (May 2, 2011)
• Celebrity Ghost Stories, as himself (June 18, 2011)
• The Marriage Ref, as himself (July 3, 2011)
• Piers Morgan Tonight, guest host (May 29, 2012)

Films[link]

• Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) (1972)
• Sextette (1978)
• The Bad News Bears Go to Japan, as Harry Hahn (1978)
• The Man Who Loved Women (1983)
• Malibu Express, cameo (1985)
• Funny About Love (1990)
• Night and the City (1992)
• The Emperor's New Clothes (1993)
• Open Season (1995)
• Torrance Rises (1999) (short subject)
• Dudley Do-Right (1999)
• Little Nicky (2000)
• See How They Run (2001) (documentary)
• Roberto Benigni's Pinocchio, as the Ringmaster (voice: English version, 2002)
• People I Know (2002)
• Cheaper by the Dozen (2003)
• The Breakup Artist (2004)
• Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (2005)
• Little Miss Sunshine (2006) (voice, uncredited)
• Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project (2007)
• The Great Buck Howard (2008)
• Shrek the Third (2007) (voice)
• New York Street Games (2010)
• Just Laugh! (2010)
• Shrek Forever After (2010) (voice)
• Jack and Jill (2011)

Discography[link]

Studio albums

Holiday albums

Singles

Books[link]

• Philbin, Regis; Gifford, Kathie L.; Albright, Barbara (1993). Cooking with Regis & Kathie Lee. New York: Hyperion. ISBN 978-1-56282-752-6. 
• Philbin, Regis; Gifford, Kathie L.; Albright, Barbara (1994). Entertaining with Regis & Kathie Lee: Year-round Holiday Recipes, Entertaining Tips, and Party Ideas. New York: Hyperion. ISBN 978-0-7868-6067-8. 
• Philbin, Regis; Zehme, Bill (1995). I'm Only One Man!. New York: Hyperion. ISBN 978-0-7868-8911-2. 
• Philbin, Regis (1997). "Foreword". In Faust, Gerry; Love, Steve. Gerry Faust: The Golden Dream. Champaign, IL: Sagamore Pub. ISBN 978-1-57167-118-9. 
• Philbin, Regis; Zehme, Bill (2000). Who Wants to Be Me?. New York: Hyperion. ISBN 978-0-7868-6739-4. 
• Philbin, Regis (2005). "Foreword". In Langford, Jim; Langford, Jeremy. The Spirit of Notre Dame: Legends, Traditions, and Inspiration from One of America's Most Beloved Universities. New York: Doubleday. ISBN 978-0-8245-2542-2. 
• Philbin, Regis (2009). "Foreword". In Lurie, Dan; Robson, David. Heart of Steel: The Dan Lurie Story. Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse. ISBN 978-1-4343-8545-1. 
• Philbin, Regis (2011). How I Got This Way. It Books. ISBN 978-0-06-210975-0. 

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Regis Philbin

Wikinews has related news: Daily Guinness attempts to return on talk show Live with Regis and Kelly

• Official website promoting Regis's albums
• Regis Philbin at the Internet Movie Database
• Works by or about Regis Philbin in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
• "Regis Philbin Avenue" at Forgotten NY
• Official website for Live with Kelly
• Regis appears on Michael Eisner's talkshow on CNBC
• Regis Philbin at NNDB
• Regis Philbin video interview in the Archive of American Television (2006)

Barbara Taylor Bradford OBE (born 10 May 1933) is a best-selling English novelist. Her debut novel, A Woman of Substance, was published in 1979 and has sold over 32 million copies worldwide.^[1] To date, she has written 27 novels -- all bestsellers on both sides of the Atlantic. Her 27th, Letter From A Stranger was released in the UK in September, 2011. It will be published in North America in April, 2012. ^[2]

Biography[link]

Early years[link]

Bradford was born in Leeds, Yorkshire as the only child of Freda and Winston Taylor. She grew up in the Leeds suburb of Upper Armley and after Christ Church, C of E School (where she was in the same class as Alan Bennett) and Northcote School for Girls, she worked in the typing pool at the Yorkshire Evening Post before going into journalism. By the age of twenty she was the fashion editor of Woman's Own Magazine and an editor and columnist on Fleet Street for the London Evening News.

Writing career[link]

Her first novel, A Woman of Substance, became an enduring best-seller and according to Reuters, it ranks as one of the top-ten best-selling novels of all time.^[3] A Woman Of Substance has been followed by 26 others – all best-sellers on both sides of the Atlantic. Bradford's books have sold more than 88 million copies worldwide in more than 90 countries and 40 languages. Ten of her books have been made into television mini-series and television movies, produced by her husband, Robert Bradford.^{[citation needed]}