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Million Dollar Mystery

  • 19871987
  • PGPG
  • 1h 35m
IMDb RATING
5.0/10
495
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Million Dollar Mystery (1987)
  • Comedy
  • Mystery
A relentless chase for money is the result of simple lunch at a remote diner.A relentless chase for money is the result of simple lunch at a remote diner.A relentless chase for money is the result of simple lunch at a remote diner.
IMDb RATING
5.0/10
495
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Richard Fleischer
  • Writers
    • Tim Metcalfe(screenplay)
    • Miguel Tejada-Flores(screenplay)
    • Rudy De Luca(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Eddie Deezen
    • Wendy Sherman
    • Rick Overton
Top credits
  • Director
    • Richard Fleischer
  • Writers
    • Tim Metcalfe(screenplay)
    • Miguel Tejada-Flores(screenplay)
    • Rudy De Luca(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Eddie Deezen
    • Wendy Sherman
    • Rick Overton
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 8User reviews
    • 17Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 nominations

    Photos17

    Million Dollar Mystery (1987)
    Million Dollar Mystery (1987)
    Million Dollar Mystery (1987)
    Million Dollar Mystery (1987)
    Million Dollar Mystery (1987)
    Million Dollar Mystery (1987)
    Million Dollar Mystery (1987)
    Rich Hall and Rick Overton in Million Dollar Mystery (1987)
    Tom Bosley, Eddie Deezen, Douglas Emerson, Mona Lyden, and Rick Overton in Million Dollar Mystery (1987)
    Douglas Emerson, Mona Lyden, and Rick Overton in Million Dollar Mystery (1987)
    Million Dollar Mystery (1987)
    Million Dollar Mystery (1987)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Eddie Deezen
    Eddie Deezen
    • Rollieas Rollie
    Wendy Sherman
    • Lollieas Lollie
    Rick Overton
    Rick Overton
    • Stuart Briggsas Stuart Briggs
    Mona Lyden
    • Barbara Briggsas Barbara Briggs
    Douglas Emerson
    Douglas Emerson
    • Howie Briggsas Howie Briggs
    Royce D. Applegate
    Royce D. Applegate
    • Tuggeras Tugger
    Pam Matteson
    • Dottyas Dotty
    Daniel McDonald
    Daniel McDonald
    • Crushas Crush
    Penny Baker
    • Charityas Charity
    Tawny Fere' Ellis
    Tawny Fere' Ellis
    • Faithas Faith
    • (as Tawny Feré)
    LaGena Hart
    • Hopeas Hope
    Tom Bosley
    Tom Bosley
    • Sidney Prestonas Sidney Preston
    Mack Dryden
    • Fredas Fred
    Jamie Alcroft
    • Bobas Bob
    Rich Hall
    Rich Hall
    • Slaughteras Slaughter
    Gail Neely
    Gail Neely
    • Officer Gretchenas Officer Gretchen
    Kevin Pollak
    Kevin Pollak
    • Officer Quinnas Officer Quinn
    H.B. Haggerty
    H.B. Haggerty
    • Awful Abdulas Awful Abdul
    • Director
      • Richard Fleischer
    • Writers
      • Tim Metcalfe(screenplay)
      • Miguel Tejada-Flores(screenplay)
      • Rudy De Luca(screenplay)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Glad Bags and DeLaurentiis Entertainment co-sponsored a real-life million-dollar "treasure hunt" to coincide with this film's release. At the end of the movie, the cash is still missing, and moviegoers were invited to find the location of the hidden stash, using clues provided in the film. The sponsors also emphasized that the money wasn't PHYSICALLY hidden anywhere, lest anyone injure themselves or damage property while searching for the loot. The audience just had to GUESS where the money was hidden. Ticket buyers were even given game cards shaped like American currency, with a big photo of Dino De Laurentiis where the President should be. (The money was hidden in the bridge of the Statue of Liberty's nose.) In the end, it was a big disaster for the studio. The film was one of the major flops of the 1980s, barely grossing a million dollars at the box office, which the studio wound up forking over to the contest winner: a woman in Bakersfield, California.
    • 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.
    • Quotes

      Tugger: What in the holy hell was he doing with a paper-shredder this big?

      Stuart: Well, he worked for the government, didn't he?

    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Predator/Million Dollar Mystery/The Believers/Salvation (1987)
    • Soundtracks
      Million Dollar Mystery
      Written by Barry Mann and John Lewis Parker

      Performed by New Money feat. James House

    User reviews8

    Review
    Top review
    6/10
    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.
    helpful•7
    0
    • vertigo_14
    • Dec 9, 2005

    FAQ1

    • SPOILER: Clues that point towards the last $1 Million

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 12, 1987 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Money Mania
    • Filming locations
      • Glen Canyon, Arizona, USA
    • Production company
      • De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $10,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $989,033
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $513,731
      • Jun 14, 1987
    • Gross worldwide
      • $989,033
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 35 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

    Related news

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