Break the Bank is an American quiz show which aired variously on Mutual Radio and ABC, CBS and NBC television from 1945 to 1957.  From October 1956 to January 1957, NBC Television aired a short-lived prime-time version called Break the $250,000 Bank.

Sponsored by Vicks, the series began on radio October 20, 1945, heard Saturdays on Mutual until April 13th, 1946.  Initially, it featured different hosts each week, including John Reed King and Johnny Olson.  Bert Parks became the full-time host in 1946.  With Vitalis Hair Tonic as the sponsor, the series returned Friday, July 5th, 1946, on ABC for a run until September 23rd, 1949. Bud Collyer and Bob Shepherd were the announcers, and Peter Van Steeden provided the music.

The questions were written by Joseph Nathan Kane, the author of Famous First Facts, who hand-delivered the sealed envelopes to the radio studio.  Jack Rubin directed for producers Walt Framer and Ed Wolfe.  On October 5th, 1949, the series moved to NBC, continuing until September 13th, 1950.  It was heard weekdays on NBC in 1950-51 and weekdays on ABC (1951–53).  With Miles Laboratories as the sponsor, it moved back to weekdays on NBC (1953–55), overlapping with a weekdays series on Mutual (1954–55).  Contestants were drawn from the studio audience and brought up on stage to play a quiz game.  The contestant was asked a series of questions, each worth progressively more money.  The goal was to provide enough correct answers (eight, later seven) before making two mistakes.  The final question was the “break the bank” question worth all the money in the bank, which began at $1,000.  The first incorrect answer returned the player to the previous cash level, and a second miss ended the game and the contestant kept his or her current winnings.  The same amount would then be added to the bank.  At first, the question values before the bank were $10, $20, $50, $100, $200, $300, and $500.  By the mid 1950s, the first right answer won the contestant $25, and the values increased to $50, $100, $200, $300, $500, and finally the bank.  On the short-lived daytime edition, the values were $10, $20, $30, $50, $100, $200, $300, and the bank which started at $500.