The Million-Dollar Movie Marketing Campaign That Failed Spectacularly

The Big Picture

• Million Dollar Mystery was a complete disaster, both critically and commercially, earning only $500,000 at the box office and failing to cover its $1 million sweepstake.
• The film’s marketing campaign promised viewers the chance to win $1 million by uncovering clues scattered throughout its runtime, but the concept ultimately fell flat.
• The failure of Million Dollar Mystery led to Dino De Laurentiis’ production company filing for bankruptcy and tarnished his reputation in the industry.

Sometimes, a film comes along where the circumstances surrounding its development are more interesting than the final product. Million Dollar Mystery — a 1987 crime comedy spearheaded by famed producer Dino De Laurentiis — is one such example. To a casual viewer, Million Dollar Mystery is nothing more than a mediocre comedy destined to be forgotten within a week of its debut, but in reality, it was only a small part of something far more extravagant. Those intrigued about learning more should direct their attention to the film’s unparalleled marketing campaign that sought to entice viewers with the promise that, by uncovering a series of clues scattered throughout its runtime, they could land themselves a first-class ticket to an astonishing $1 million cash prize. It was an incredible concept that should have elevated Million Dollar Mystery into the annals of cinematic history. Just a shame that it turned out to be a complete and utter disaster.

What Is ‘Million Dollar Mystery’ About?

The unique nature of Million Dollar Mystery makes discussing the film itself borderline pointless, but given that it is the foundation from which everything else grew, a brief overview is worthwhile. Our story begins with Sidney Preston (Tom Bosley), an embittered employee of the United States government currently on the run after stealing $4 million from his boss. After taking refuge in a roadside diner, he suddenly dies of a heart attack, but not before divulging clues to the money’s whereabouts to a parade of onlookers so eccentric they wouldn’t look out of place in a Wes Anderson film. And thus, the stage is set for a ludicrous road trip that sees our flamboyant heroes fighting their way through one misadventure after another in a bid to emerge victorious. It’s a farce, pure and simple – an outcome that might have been entertaining if it wasn’t just a shameless remake of the infinitely superior It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. Ultimately, Million Dollar Mystery lacks the comedic talent that made Stanley Kramer’s film such a delight, cementing it as an unengaging rehash that will leave most audiences wishing they were watching its predecessor instead.

But Million Dollar Mystery was never about the film itself, something that can be grasped from the moment it was conceived. One day, De Laurentiis – his mind grappling with his production company’s growing financial troubles – was walking through Manhattan when he encountered a long queue of people. He presumed they were waiting to see a film, but his friend explained that they were waiting to buy a lottery ticket. De Laurentiis’s response was immediate: “You mean people wait in line to win a million dollars? There’s got to be a movie in this!” Work began promptly, with De Laurentiis confident it would be the lifeboat that would salvage his company. His passion was not shared by all. Many employees at DEG were apprehensive about spending vast sums of money on a risky venture, but De Laurentiis would not hear it. On occasion, he would point to the local theaters and declare “In one you’ve got this piece of shit playing, in another you’ve got that piece of shit playing. Except with this piece of shit, I’m giving away $1 million. Which piece of shit you think they’ll see?” And so, the work continued.

The premise was simple: during Million Dollar Mystery’s closing scene, government agent Bob (Jamie Alcroft) informs the viewer that, concealed throughout the film, are clues to the location of a nondescript bag containing $1 million. In actuality, most of these clues were found in specifically marked Glad bags that viewers could purchase in general stores (The Glad Products Company being a vocal sponsor for the promotion, to the extent that one of their bags takes up most of the poster), undercutting the entire reason why audiences should see Million Dollar Mystery. Amateur detectives were encouraged to decipher these clues, then fill in the appropriate form and mail it to the De Laurentiis Entertainment Group office, after which a winner would be decided. To ensure the film obtained blockbuster allure, veteran filmmaker Richard Fleischer (whose prolific body of work included 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Fantastic Voyage, Doctor Dolittle, and Tora! Tora! Tora!) was hired to direct, in what would become his final release before his retirement. De Laurentiis had enormous hopes for the concept, but as many producers can attest, there are no safe bets in Hollywood.

‘Million Dollar Mystery’ Was a Critical and Box Office Bomb

It didn’t take long to realize that Million Dollar Mystery was a catastrophe. The film earned a mere $500,000 in its opening weekend, a pitiful result that Spy magazine theorized could be a record low for such a wide release. Its final takings came to $989,033, a number so horrendous that it didn’t cover the $1 million sweepstake, let alone its $10 million budget. Estimates for the film’s total losses ranged as high as $15.5 million, equivalent to around $42 million today – no petty cash for a company already in the red. Reviews were similarly dire, encapsulated by Roger Ebert ending his one-star judgment by suggesting that De Laurentiis’ next film “could offer viewers their choice of an interest-free loan for the ticket price, or an instant rebate.” Jump forward ten months, and Million Dollar Mystery was scooping up nominations at the Golden Raspberry Awards, including three for Worst Supporting Actor (Bosley, Alcroft, and Mack Dryden). The lifeboat had blown a puncture and was sinking before a crowd of bemused shareholders, all the while its creator was frantically trying to assemble another one before their own ship followed suit. Not exactly the outcome he’d been expecting.

Surprisingly (or perhaps because legal reasons compelled them to do so), De Laurentiis Entertainment Group followed through on its $1 million pledge. Of the 356,306 entrants who inferred that the money was hidden in the Statue of Liberty’s nose, fifteen-year-old Alesia Lenae Jones of Bakersfield, California, was randomly selected as the winner. Jones received a check for the full amount upon visiting DEG’s headquarters in Los Angeles in April 1988, alongside a complimentary limousine tour of Hollywood. When asked what she intended to do with the money, she announced plans to buy a horse, get braces, and purchase a home for her family (in that order), before putting the rest in a trust fund… not a bad result for watching a rubbish film and then filling in a sheet of paper. If only every high school sophomore could be so lucky.

The Failure of ‘Million Dollar Mystery’ Contributed to the Studio Filing for Bankruptcy

Million Dollar Mystery may have had a happy ending for someone, but that someone certainly wasn’t Dino De Laurentiis. It, alongside other high-profile flops like King Kong Lives and Crimes of the Heart, led to the studio filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in August 1988, but not before De Laurentiis had already sailed away on the last seaworthy raft. One of his final orders was for his name to be removed from the company to mitigate his tarnished reputation – an order that was fulfilled. Not that he was going to let a little thing like financial ruin keep him down. The ever-tenacious producer remained a noteworthy force for many years after, working on a variety of films like Army of Darkness and Bound, but the mistakes of Million Dollar Mystery left an irreparable stain on his legacy. His $10 million bet had backfired spectacularly, sending out a warning that continues to echo in the minds of like-minded producers. No studio has come close to attempting such a bold marketing strategy in the decades since. Considering how poorly it turned out the first time, that’s probably for the best.

Million Dollar Mystery is available to rent on Kino Now.

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