Million Dollar Mystery (1987)

A disparate group of travelers is eating in an isolated restaurant when a man drops dead of a heart attack. Before he dies, they discover that he is wanted for stealing several million ... See full summary »

Director:

Richard Fleischer

Writers:

Rudy De Luca, Tim Metcalfe,

Stars:

Jamie Alcroft, Royce D. Applegate, Penny Baker

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jamie Alcroft	...	Bob
Royce D. Applegate	...	Tugger
Penny Baker	...	Charity
Eddie Deezen	...	Rollie
Mack Dryden	...	Fred
Douglas Emerson	...	Howie Briggs
Tawny Fere	...	Faith
H.B. Haggerty	...	Awful Abdul
Rich Hall	...	Slaughter Buzzárd
LaGena Hart	...	Hope
Mona Lyden	...	Barbara Briggs
Pam Matteson	...	Dottie
Daniel McDonald	...	Crush
Gail Neely	...	Officer Gretchen
Rick Overton	...	Stuart Briggs

Storyline

A disparate group of travelers is eating in an isolated restaurant when a man drops dead of a heart attack. Before he dies, they discover that he is wanted for stealing several million dollars, and he tells them that he has hidden a million dollars in each of four different locations, and gives them clues as to where the locations are. They all then take off and try to get to the hidden treasure before any of the others do.

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Plot Keywords:

audience participation | vietnam veteran | wrestler | pipe | bridge | 

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Taglines:

There are millions hidden somewhere nearby, and these wild and crazy people will do almost anything to find it.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 June 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

Money Mania

Filming Locations:

Bisbee, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$989,033 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Veteran stuntman Dar Robinson was killed executing a motorcycle stunt for this movie. The film is dedicated to him (as was Lethal Weapon, which he completed prior to shooting this).

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Goofs

The green car that Mr. & Mrs. Briggs steal is a Ford LTD, but in interior shots of the car, a Lincoln emblem is on the steering wheel.

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Quotes

Tugger: Why did he have a paper-shredder this big anyway?
Stuart: Well, he worked for the government, didn't he.

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Connections

Referenced in Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy (2010)

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Soundtracks

"Rich, Young and Pretty"
Performed by Silent Rage
Written by E.J. Curcio, Tim Rally, Mark Hawkins and Paul Sabu
Produced by Paul Sabu

User Reviews

May use standard dash-for-the-cash comedy devices, but it's still quite funny. (spoilers)

Nevermind that Gladbags sponsored this film, as one viewer has already pointed out in previous comments. Actually, a better indicator of quality here is the appearance (in a more minor role) of Eddie Deezen. Not for the brilliance of his performance or anything, but because if you've seen previous Deezen b-grade comedies that usually go unnoticed on the video shelf (such as the cult favorite, Surf II), then you've noticed that he sticks with a pretty stable selection of these comedies. That's not to say that Million Dollar Mystery was bad, because by any measure, I actually found it to be surprisingly funny (and you needn't take something so silly so seriously...never with movies like these). But, it is what I would at least consider Deenzen's typical choice in comedies. So, at least you know what kind of comedy you're in for (although minus the gratuitous nudity.

Million Dollar Mystery was originally a movie sponsored by Glad Bags and DeLaurentiis Entertainment. But, offering more than just a standard movie-viewing experience, the sponsors asked that its audience also participate in a real-life hunt for a secret stash of cash (see the trivia page).

Million Dollar Mystery borrows heavily for its plot from the 1960s comedy classic It's a Mad Mad Mad World and the 1980s Cannonball Run. Guests at a middle-of-nowhere restaurant (conveniently all at the same time) arrive just as a man (Tom Bosley, Glad Bag's old spokesman), wanted for stealing a large sum of money, drops dead of a heart attack. But, before he dies, he explains to his guests that there are four locations in which he has hidden one million dollars each. The details are scant and the guests hurry in their dash for the cash. So naturally, they first team up to track down the money before their greed gets the best of them, and they endure one misadventure after another trying to beat each other to their rich destinations. Although, it follows most of the standards of this dash-for-the-cash genre, with all the added slapsticky misadventure and running gags we'd expect, it is funny, nonetheless, and well worth a lazy 'noon viewing.