» characters · Thurston Howell III
Thurston Howell III, portrayed by Jim Backus, is the millionaire. Backus was already a well known actor when he took the part. The origin of the super rich Howell character dates back to 1949 radio when Backus portrayed "Hubert Updike III" on The Alan Young Show. Also, in the inaugural 1962/63 season (episode 31) of The Beverly Hillbillies Backus basically plays the same character, this time it's the eccentric millionaire Martin von Ransohoff. In the 1963 movie It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World Backus played Tyler Fitzgerald, a boozy and rich airplane owner who briefly gets caught up in the race for the money. He was perhaps best known as the voice of the cartoon character Mr. Magoo. He reused some of the voice inflections and mannerisms of Magoo in the role. He was well known for his ad-libs on the set. The character Howell was a Harvard graduate, a Republican, and a multi-billionaire until his losses in the Great Depression left him a multi-millionaire.