"Bowes collected many honorary titles in his life: his real title, "major," was often suspected of being a trump-up, but it was genuine enough--he had held that rank in the U.S. Army Reserve during World War I. In retrospect, the show produced few stars of the first magnitude (Beverly Sills, Frank Sinatra, and Robert Merrill were the best-known Amateur Hour winners). "To be sure, minor talents have been discovered," Radio Guide conceded. "But even the best half-dozen performers who have moved up in the entertainment world through the Amateur Hour still are not averaging more than $100 a week. Compare this figure with Major Bowes' own income of something like $40,000 a week, and compare that with the $40-60 earned by players in his units. It's something to think about."