MovieChat Forums > Million Dollar Mystery (1987) Discussion > Clues to the last million (WARNING: SPOI...

Clues to the last million (WARNING: SPOILER and SOLUTION below!)

posted 17 years ago by fpratt
13 replies | jump to latest

I had watched the movie several times before, but never figured out where the last $1 million was hidden. It has since been revealed that is was in the bridge of Lady Liberty's nose. I watched the DVD version today, and tried to work backwards by hunting for clues that pointed to the Statue of Liberty. Maybe I'm not allthat bright, but I still had a problem finding a lot clues that would point in the right direction. There are some subtle hints, though. What strikes me the most is that the first million and the third million were hidden in or near major U.S. landmarks (near the Grand Canyon and inside London Bridge, respectively.) This suggests that one should focus the search on major U.S. landmarks. Also, the trio of girls sings "Surfin' on the Bridge to Liberty" while they're hitching a ride on the bus with the Chinese tourists. Lastly, Barbara Briggs makes the comment "...there's more than one type of bridge," just before the group goes to the house boat. Her point is a good one, but nonetheless, the first three $1 million stashes were all hidden underneath the most common type of bridge. Barbara gets the audience to think outside the box, though, which is necessary if you're going to find the last million.

Has anyone else foubd additional clues in the movie? Did anyone here figure it out before the answer was revealed? If so, what clues in the movie tipped you off?

A list of these clues would make a nice addition to the "Trivia" section for this movie. Until this is done, though, I started a FAQ for the movie that has the clues only (I did not include the answer in the FAQ.) I'll add clues to the FAQ as more clues are provided (or, if you're a registered user, please feel free to update the FAQ yourself, if you like.)

[–] MovieMan-88 17 years ago

The fact that the detective named Fred had a bad cold and was always sneezing was a good clue. That is after I too learned that it was hidden in the bridge of the Statue of Liberty's nose.

"How can I move when you've stopped the music?"-me.

[–] fpratt 17 years ago

Ahhh! That was so obvious that I missed it! Thanks!

[–] fpratt 17 years ago

Another thought: London Bridge was initially assembled in England, then disassembled and transported to the United States, just like The Statue of Liberty (albeit the Statue of Liberty came from France.)

I was reading about the movie on Wikipedia. Apparently, there were more clues contained in "specially marked" boxes of Glad bags. It might be fair to say that it would be difficult or impossible to determine the location of the 4th million just by watching the movie. Anyone know what clues were available in these boxes?

For what it's worth, the 4th million is hidden in a big black Glad garage bag. This is obvious if you go back and watch the opening credits after watching the movie. You see Preston separating the money into:

<1> the suitcase (for the bridge in El Puente)
<2> the metal box (for London Bridge)
<3> the white glad bag (for the bridge in the aquarium)
<4> . . .and into a black bag with the cat. Preston literally "let the cat out of the bag," which may imply that he is giving away a secret (okay, that might be a little far-fetched. . . )

[–] buzzybeetle 11 years ago

When I watched the movie the first time, I always thought the last million was hidden in The Bridge Over Troubled Waters boat.

[–] rravens 17 years ago

I was the assistant manager/projectionist at a small town movie theater when this came out. We had a supply of the entry cards/brochures/clue sheets that had additional clues. I sure wish I had kept one of those now. :) We had some quantity, like a few hundred of these to give out to ticket purchasers first come, first served.

I don't know if this info was the same as the clues I understand were distributed with Glad bags, but of the clues I remember from the flyer/entry form:

-- The money is (some number of feet - I think it was 278) above the ground.
The Statue of Liberty is actually only 152 feet tall, so this could have thrown people off, but including the <i>pedestal</i>, it's 306 feet, so the bridge of the nose is probably around 278 feet.

-- "Here at our sea-washed sunset gates...", "The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame." E.L.
These are lines from a poem by Emma Lazarus (E.L.) of which most of us only know (and know well) the last stanza... "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" The poem is called <a href="http://www.libertystatepark.com/emma.htm">The New Colossus</a> and is inscribed at the base of the Statue.

-- There was some clue about having a cold or sneezing or something... can't remember exactly what it was.

Feel free to add this info to your FAQ or the trivia section.

Enjoy :)

[–] dopeyharp0 16 years ago

In the end credits, SIMON & Garfunkle's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" is said to have been in the movie, but I don't recall having heard it.
The name of the paddle boat at the end of the movie was also a clue, because everyong in the search stopped and looked at it like they were going to keep looking. I think. It's been so long since I've this movie.

"What time is Recess?"

[–] Carycomic 16 years ago

I guessed the bridge of Lady Liberty's nose, as well. But, I was never notifiied if I was correct! Leading me to believe there never was a real, hidden million. And, thus, never any winner.

[–] dr-larry-mitchell 16 years ago

"The Bridge" album, 1986, by Billy Joel, was also referenced.

[–] treemarc 15 years ago

I grew up in Lake Havasu where it was partially filmed, and actually saw this in the local theatre. I had the little fl1er with the clues in it, and I was sure it was in the bridge of the nose of the Statue Of Liberty. But I never actually heard the answer anywhere! This is the first time I've heard that I was right!

I don't really remember getting ANY of those clues from the movie. I figured it out from the clues in the flier. It wasn't very hard.

[–] Acceler8 15 years ago

The hint from the flier that gave me the solution was the one that said "Everyone is overlooking an important clue to the solution." Since everyone "overlooks" their nose, that plus the references to the Statue of Liberty gave me the answer.

[–] Studman_Productions 15 years ago

finally i can rest easy!

[–] RSTowers 14 years ago

If the internet had existed in it's current capacity back when this came out, this *beep* would have been solved in a matter of minutes.

[–] Ashley Pomeroy 13 years ago

The spooky thing is that Roger Ebert almost got the answer in his review. "I have no idea where the money is hidden. The movie was produced by Dino De Laurentiis, and perhaps he has a check for a million dollars hidden in his bridgework."

He was on the right track; it would have been unfortunate (and hilarious) if he had accidentally put the correct answer into the review, thinking it was a joke.