Everyone knows films are conceived with dollar signs in the eyes of studio executives, but most at least have the common decency to hide their blatant cash grabs. Producer Dino De Laurentiis (King Kong) had no such interest when he came up with his “brilliant” idea to trick people into seeing his film Million Dollar Mystery in 1987. If there is one thing we know about Americans, it is that we want to make as much money as possible as fast as possible with as little effort as possible. This is why the lottery has always been so popular. With no artistic ambition in mind, De Laurentiis figured if you enticed people with the prospect of winning money, they would flock to your feature in droves. All he needed to do was reheat the script for Stanley Kramer’s It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, partner with Glad trash bags – too on the nose in regards to quality? – and promise people they could possibly win a million dollars. What could go wrong? Notably, barely anyone showed up, and those who did mostly disliked the film. This film was a failure on all accounts, but here we are ready to give it another evaluation to see if it deserves the hate.
The film is not all bad. These scavenger hunt-type movies usually have one thing in common; a colorful cast of characters to help drive the material. Most of these performers are not what would be considered grade-A talent even during this period of time, but most of them put in a fine effort in the face of a threadbare script. The most consistently amusing of the main ensemble are brother and sister Tugger (Royce D. Applegate, Stir Crazy) and Dotty (Pam Matteson), the owners of the diner in Arizona where our story gets started. Tom Bosley (Happy Days) makes a brief but essential appearance as Sidney Preston, a man who upon his dying breath at the diner claims to have hidden $4 million in four different locations to which he provides a clue which the onlookers must solve in order to find the money. After confirmation from local news reports about the validity of his crazy story, the race is on as these various groups hop into action.
I will admit I am usually a sucker for these types of films; It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World is a comedy classic and even Rat Race holds a special nostalgic charm in my heart. Million Dollar Mystery just feels pretty lazy when compared to these two. Even with good performers inhabiting the roles, most of the characters are not written to be particularly distinctive amongst one another. The previously mentioned brother and sister have some personality when they are bickering, and the addition of deranged ranger Slaughter Buzzard (Rich Hall) to their dynamic only increases the laughs. The only other notable group are nerdy newlyweds Rollie and Lollie (Eddie Deezen and Wendy Sherman), who are very much interested in finding the money but are more interested in being able to consummate their marriage – admittedly a gag that yields some big chuckles. It is the remaining groups that just seem to be white noise amongst the chaos. The family on a cross-country vacation and a cocky singer with a trio of backup singers mostly exist to allow time for you to check your phone.
This film provides some decent laughs every once in a while, but if you have seen similar types of film in the past there will be even less. Proper credit should be given to the stuntmen who perform some really impressive work that provides some minor thrills amongst the insanity. This is also a film that happens to stumble its way into having stunning cinematography thanks to the beautiful filming locations and hiring an old pro like Jack Cardiff (War and Peace) to shoot your film. If this film is going to steal judiciously from Mad World, it at least spares the audience the gargantuan runtime in favor of a fairly lean 95 minute experience. Many of the attempts at humor will make you cringe from embarrassment for the writers, but there are moments that you see what could have been if some more care was put into the script rather than just trying to build up to a real-life contest that has long been forgotten. There is a bit more bad than good here, but if you have an affection for these types of films you might find some elements to like.
Video Quality
Million Dollar Mystery makes its Blu-Ray debut courtesy of Kino Classics with a digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1 that is derived from a pretty beautiful master of unknown origins. Instances of print damage such as nicks and scratches, and even one blatant vertical line, occasionally pop up, but overall clarity and detail is excellent. The picture can run a bit soft in long shots, but colors are well saturated with the warm hues of Arizona coming through. Skin tones are natural and consistent with subtle facial features easily noticeable in closeup. Black levels hold up well with very little in the way of crush. The presentation is beautiful throughout most of the runtime with image stability and delineation being top notch. This transfer maintains the natural film grain of the presentation with only minor instances of it seeming a bit thick. This presentation is an excellent effort that should please fans.
Audio Quality
This new Blu-Ray comes with a lossless DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix that sounds pretty dynamic throughout this quick paced narrative. The dialogue holds up wonderfully, coming through clearly without being stepped on by the music or sound effects. The environmental effects are delineated nicely from the car crashes that make up the film to the nature sounds that come from Arizona expanse. This is a film that utilizes music well, including an upbeat song selection that packs a punch without hijacking the experience. This and all of the other music is presented with great clarity and a pleasing fidelity as they come through the room. The track avoids most instances of age related wear and tear or distortion. This is a track that represents the film in a solid manner. Optional English subtitles are provided on this disc.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Entertainment journalist and author Bryan Reesman provides an information-packed commentary track that discusses the film’s origins, the careers of all of the performers in the film, the shooting locations, the real life giveaway associated with this film and more. Reesman also had a chance to sit down with one of the stuntmen from the film before recording this track, so he relays many of their interesting stories from filming. This is a great supplement.
- Trailers: The two-minute trailer is provided for Million Dollar Mystery which plays up the contest at the end. There are also trailers provided for Honky Tonk Freeway, Moving Violations, Running Scared and Bank Shot.
Final Thoughts
Million Dollar Mystery is a pretty blatant cash grab that does not rise above with an undeniable comedic presence. At best, there are a handful of laugh out loud moments in this narrative that is pretty ridiculous and filled with recycled material. The cast puts in solid enough performances and the film looks way more beautiful than it has any right to be thanks to the cinematography of Jack Cardiff. Kino Classics has provided this one with a Blu-Ray that features a strong A/V presentation and an informative commentary track. If this one happens to hold a special place in your heart, you should be pleased with the release.
Million Dollar Mystery is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
