Uploaded March 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Here's the complete Late Night Movie presentation of "The Million Dollar Ripoff" as broadcast over WLS Channel 7. Lots of great shots of Chicago during the mid-1970s in this one!
This made-for-TV flick - originally aired on the NBC Network (and thus, in Chicago where this was partly filmed, on WMAQ Channel 5) on September 22nd 1976 - starred Chico and The Man's Freddie Prinze (in what was sadly to be his only film role of any kind) as an electronics genius who masterminds a transit heist with a gang of four women. Also starring Allen Garfield, and (in alphabetical order) Christine Belford, Linda Scruggs Bogart, Joanna de Varona (later to be known as Joanna Kerns of Growing Pains fame), Brooke Mills and James Sloyan, with Bob Hastings (years removed from McHale's Navy).
Includes:
Station ID (with voiceover PSA for Variety Club Children's Charities by Al Parker)
The Late Night Movie open (with voiceover by Al Parker advising that "due to the length of network programming" the originally-scheduled movie (which was "Empire of the Ants") would not air, and instead this will run)
Act I, with opening titles (and a few shots of the Chicago 'L' and 6000-series cars)
Commercials for:
Jeopardy! (promo - voiceover by Ernie Anderson)
Diamond Financial Services (with George Hamilton)
WMAQ 67 (with Pat Cassidy and Doug James up in Amoco Sky Patrol with Captain Joe)
Venture - "Summer on Sale"
Promo for "The Stone Killer" (voiceover by Ernie Anderson)
WLS-TV Editorial Reply from Mark Frankel of Castle Olds & Honda about auto dealership opening on Sundays (opening voiceover by Wayne Atkinson)
Osco Drug - "Hot Buys"
Fuller O'Brien paint rebate (with frogs uttering "Rebate")
Promo for Cubs Sunglasses Day on Friday (voiceover by ??)
People Magazine - May 27th issue (with Bruce Springsteen and Julianne Phillips on cover)
Promo for Eyewitness News special report "The Polish Immigrant: A Labor of Love" (voiceover by Gary Gears)
Act II
Commercials for:
Butcher's Blend dog food (with Michael Vale as butcher)
Center Video Center (with voiceover on latest savings by Janice Gears Kos)
Toyota - "Stop What You're Doing Sell-a-Thon" (with Squire Fridell)
W. Bell & Co.
Promo for Rock On Chicago (voiceover by Al Parker)
PSA from Chicago Fire Department on smoke detectors
Venture - "Million Dollar Paint Sale"
Nissan Deal-a-Thon
Tuscan Pops
Steven's Bedding - Storewide Clearance Sale
Promo for AM Chicago with Oprah Winfrey
Act III
Commercials for:
Osco Drug (repeat)
Courtesy Home Centers
General Foods International Coffees
Venture - "Million Dollar Paint Sale" (repeat)
Promo for Eye on Chicago
Act IV
Commercials for:
Pert shampoo
Celozzi-Ettelson Chevrolet (v.1) - "Where You Always Save More Money"
Open Pit Barbecue Sauce
Jif Peanut Butter
"The Few, the Proud, the Marines" PSA
(extra long "Late Movie" title card, before the station briefly resets the transmitter and loses carrier)
Act V
Commercials for:
Star - May 28th issue (with Don Johnson on cover - and featuring Linda Watkins, better known in New York area as Shop Rite spokesperson)
Era Plus detergent
Maxum exterior coating paint - with offer of free tickets to Six Flags Great America
Sportmart
Act VI
Commercials for:
People magazine (repeat)
The Garden Weasel (with Jim Martindale) (ending voiceover by Al Parker)
Casio sports watches
Celozzi-Ettelson Chevrolet (v.2) - "Where You Always Save More Money"
Act VII
Commercials for:
Diamonel Collection of pearls
Hardy Glass Block Windows
Handy Andy Home Improvement Centers
Schaumburg Toyota
Act VIII - with ending credits
Brief shot of an Empire Carpet commercial with a Trivial Pursuit-type card before recording ends
This aired on local Chicago TV early Thursday, May 23rd 1985 during the 12:10am to 1:59am timeframe.
About The Museum of Classic Chicago Television:
The MCCTv (FuzzyMemoriesTV) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose primary mission is the preservation and display of off-air, early home videotape recordings (70s to early 80s, mostly) recorded off of TV (in Chicago or other cities now too); things which would likely be lost if not sought out and preserved digitally. If you have any old 1970s videotapes recorded off of TV please email: tapes@fuzzy.tv Even though (mostly) short clips are displayed here, we preserve the entire broadcasts in our archives - the complete programs with breaks (or however much is present on the tape), for historical preservation. For information on how to help in our mission, to donate or lend tapes to be converted to digital, please e-mail tapes@fuzzy.tv Thank you for your help!
Here's the complete Late Night Movie presentation of "The Million Dollar Ripoff" as broadcast over WLS Channel 7. Lots of great shots of Chicago during the mid-1970s in this one!
This made-for-TV flick - originally aired on the NBC Network (and thus, in Chicago where this was partly filmed, on WMAQ Channel 5) on September 22nd 1976 - starred Chico and The Man's Freddie Prinze (in what was sadly to be his only film role of any kind) as an electronics genius who masterminds a transit heist with a gang of four women. Also starring Allen Garfield, and (in alphabetical order) Christine Belford, Linda Scruggs Bogart, Joanna de Varona (later to be known as Joanna Kerns of Growing Pains fame), Brooke Mills and James Sloyan, with Bob Hastings (years removed from McHale's Navy).
Includes:
Station ID (with voiceover PSA for Variety Club Children's Charities by Al Parker)
The Late Night Movie open (with voiceover by Al Parker advising that "due to the length of network programming" the originally-scheduled movie (which was "Empire of the Ants") would not air, and instead this will run)
Act I, with opening titles (and a few shots of the Chicago 'L' and 6000-series cars)
Commercials for:
Jeopardy! (promo - voiceover by Ernie Anderson)
Diamond Financial Services (with George Hamilton)
WMAQ 67 (with Pat Cassidy and Doug James up in Amoco Sky Patrol with Captain Joe)
Venture - "Summer on Sale"
Promo for "The Stone Killer" (voiceover by Ernie Anderson)
WLS-TV Editorial Reply from Mark Frankel of Castle Olds & Honda about auto dealership opening on Sundays (opening voiceover by Wayne Atkinson)
Osco Drug - "Hot Buys"
Fuller O'Brien paint rebate (with frogs uttering "Rebate")
Promo for Cubs Sunglasses Day on Friday (voiceover by ??)
People Magazine - May 27th issue (with Bruce Springsteen and Julianne Phillips on cover)
Promo for Eyewitness News special report "The Polish Immigrant: A Labor of Love" (voiceover by Gary Gears)
Act II
Commercials for:
Butcher's Blend dog food (with Michael Vale as butcher)
Center Video Center (with voiceover on latest savings by Janice Gears Kos)
Toyota - "Stop What You're Doing Sell-a-Thon" (with Squire Fridell)
W. Bell & Co.
Promo for Rock On Chicago (voiceover by Al Parker)
PSA from Chicago Fire Department on smoke detectors
Venture - "Million Dollar Paint Sale"
Nissan Deal-a-Thon
Tuscan Pops
Steven's Bedding - Storewide Clearance Sale
Promo for AM Chicago with Oprah Winfrey
Act III
Commercials for:
Osco Drug (repeat)
Courtesy Home Centers
General Foods International Coffees
Venture - "Million Dollar Paint Sale" (repeat)
Promo for Eye on Chicago
Act IV
Commercials for:
Pert shampoo
Celozzi-Ettelson Chevrolet (v.1) - "Where You Always Save More Money"
Open Pit Barbecue Sauce
Jif Peanut Butter
"The Few, the Proud, the Marines" PSA
(extra long "Late Movie" title card, before the station briefly resets the transmitter and loses carrier)
Act V
Commercials for:
Star - May 28th issue (with Don Johnson on cover - and featuring Linda Watkins, better known in New York area as Shop Rite spokesperson)
Era Plus detergent
Maxum exterior coating paint - with offer of free tickets to Six Flags Great America
Sportmart
Act VI
Commercials for:
People magazine (repeat)
The Garden Weasel (with Jim Martindale) (ending voiceover by Al Parker)
Casio sports watches
Celozzi-Ettelson Chevrolet (v.2) - "Where You Always Save More Money"
Act VII
Commercials for:
Diamonel Collection of pearls
Hardy Glass Block Windows
Handy Andy Home Improvement Centers
Schaumburg Toyota
Act VIII - with ending credits
Brief shot of an Empire Carpet commercial with a Trivial Pursuit-type card before recording ends
This aired on local Chicago TV early Thursday, May 23rd 1985 during the 12:10am to 1:59am timeframe.
About The Museum of Classic Chicago Television:
The MCCTv (FuzzyMemoriesTV) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose primary mission is the preservation and display of off-air, early home videotape recordings (70s to early 80s, mostly) recorded off of TV (in Chicago or other cities now too); things which would likely be lost if not sought out and preserved digitally. If you have any old 1970s videotapes recorded off of TV please email: tapes@fuzzy.tv Even though (mostly) short clips are displayed here, we preserve the entire broadcasts in our archives - the complete programs with breaks (or however much is present on the tape), for historical preservation. For information on how to help in our mission, to donate or lend tapes to be converted to digital, please e-mail tapes@fuzzy.tv Thank you for your help!
