Billion Dollar Limited
Encyclopedia
Billion Dollar Limited is the third of the seventeen animated Technicolor
short films based upon the DC Comics
character Superman
. Produced by Fleischer Studios
, Billion Dollar Limited centers around a train carrying one billion dollars in gold to the US mint, which is sabotaged by robbers before Superman intervenes. The short was released by Paramount Pictures
on January 9, 1942.
The film starts with an image of the front page of the Daily Planet
, reporting the shipment of a billion dollars of gold to the US mint. A train is being loaded with hundreds of bars of gold, guarded by several armed police officers. Further ahead, in a passenger coach, Lois Lane
boards with help from Clark Kent
, who says he wishes he could come, but he has another story to cover. As the last of the gold is loaded, a car a few hundred yards away turns on its lights, and the men inside put on robbers' masks and arm themselves. The mysterious car follows the train.
Later, a few of the robbers board the train from the back, climb to the middle, and separate several cars carrying guards from the front, leaving them stranded. Two other robbers attack the locomotive, throwing the engineer and a guard overboard, but falling off themselves as well. Lois, hearing the commotion, climbs to the engine's cab and is immediately machine-gunned from the robber's car, keeping pace with the train to the side. Lois grabs the machine gun and returns fire, only to have the bullets bounce harmlessly off of the armored car. The train continues to speed down the track, completely out of Lois' control and continually followed by the robbers. A stationmaster notices this when the train does not stop at the next station, and sends out a telegraph as signalmen change the warning lights to red, and for a railroad drawbridge to close. Finally, Clark hears the news report through the Planet's telegraph, and discreetly enters the building's storage room, changing into his Superman costume.
He arrives on the scene just as the robbers have forced the train onto a track leading to a boxcar filled with explosives. Superman manages to rip the track from the ground and guide the train back to its main course. The robbers then demolish a bridge further ahead, causing the train to fall. Superman catches the train and places it back on the track. Finally, the robbers throw a bomb into the engine's boiler. Superman manages to pull Lois out just before the boiler explodes and both the locomotive and its tender car derail and crash to the ground. Superman catches the lead car as it begins to roll backwards, and pulls the train up the hill himself, only to have the robbers toss several cans of tear gas at him. Coughing, Superman momentarily loses control, but regains it, marching steadily up the hill despite the robbers' continued machine gun fire.
Superman pulls the train at full speed over several miles before bringing it to a safe stop at the US Mint. The Daily Planet reports the successful delivery of the money and the capture of the robbers. Reading the article, Clark says, "Uncanny how Superman turns up just when you need him." Lois replies, "I didn't even get a chance to thank him." Clark smiles.
Technicolor
Technicolor is a color motion picture process invented in 1916 and improved over several decades.It was the second major process, after Britain's Kinemacolor, and the most widely used color process in Hollywood from 1922 to 1952...
short films based upon the DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
character Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
. Produced by Fleischer Studios
Fleischer Studios
Fleischer Studios, Inc., was an American corporation which originated as an Animation studio located at 1600 Broadway, New York City, New York...
, Billion Dollar Limited centers around a train carrying one billion dollars in gold to the US mint, which is sabotaged by robbers before Superman intervenes. The short was released by Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
on January 9, 1942.
Plot
Daily Planet
The Daily Planet is a fictional broadsheet newspaper in the , appearing mostly in the stories of Superman. The building's original features were based upon the AT&T Huron Road Building in Cleveland, Ohio...
, reporting the shipment of a billion dollars of gold to the US mint. A train is being loaded with hundreds of bars of gold, guarded by several armed police officers. Further ahead, in a passenger coach, Lois Lane
Lois Lane
Lois Lane is a fictional character, the primary love interest of Superman in the comic books of DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1 ....
boards with help from Clark Kent
Clark Kent
Clark Kent is a fictional character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Appearing regularly in stories published by DC Comics, he debuted in Action Comics #1 and serves as the civilian and secret identity of the superhero Superman....
, who says he wishes he could come, but he has another story to cover. As the last of the gold is loaded, a car a few hundred yards away turns on its lights, and the men inside put on robbers' masks and arm themselves. The mysterious car follows the train.
Later, a few of the robbers board the train from the back, climb to the middle, and separate several cars carrying guards from the front, leaving them stranded. Two other robbers attack the locomotive, throwing the engineer and a guard overboard, but falling off themselves as well. Lois, hearing the commotion, climbs to the engine's cab and is immediately machine-gunned from the robber's car, keeping pace with the train to the side. Lois grabs the machine gun and returns fire, only to have the bullets bounce harmlessly off of the armored car. The train continues to speed down the track, completely out of Lois' control and continually followed by the robbers. A stationmaster notices this when the train does not stop at the next station, and sends out a telegraph as signalmen change the warning lights to red, and for a railroad drawbridge to close. Finally, Clark hears the news report through the Planet's telegraph, and discreetly enters the building's storage room, changing into his Superman costume.
He arrives on the scene just as the robbers have forced the train onto a track leading to a boxcar filled with explosives. Superman manages to rip the track from the ground and guide the train back to its main course. The robbers then demolish a bridge further ahead, causing the train to fall. Superman catches the train and places it back on the track. Finally, the robbers throw a bomb into the engine's boiler. Superman manages to pull Lois out just before the boiler explodes and both the locomotive and its tender car derail and crash to the ground. Superman catches the lead car as it begins to roll backwards, and pulls the train up the hill himself, only to have the robbers toss several cans of tear gas at him. Coughing, Superman momentarily loses control, but regains it, marching steadily up the hill despite the robbers' continued machine gun fire.
Superman pulls the train at full speed over several miles before bringing it to a safe stop at the US Mint. The Daily Planet reports the successful delivery of the money and the capture of the robbers. Reading the article, Clark says, "Uncanny how Superman turns up just when you need him." Lois replies, "I didn't even get a chance to thank him." Clark smiles.
Cast
- Bud CollyerBud CollyerBud Collyer was an American radio actor/announcer who became one of the nation's first major television game show stars...
as Superman/Clark Kent/Gangster - Joan AlexanderJoan AlexanderJoan Alexander was an American actress known for her role as Lois Lane on radio's The Adventures of Superman from the early 1940s to 1951.-Early life and career:...
as Lois Lane - Julian Noa as Narrator/Gangster
External links
- Watch "Billion Dollar Limited"
- Billion Dollar Limited at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
- Billion Dollar Limited at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...