Million Dollar Mystery

Sidney Preston, a disgruntled White House aide, steals $4 million belonging to the government and vanishes. His sudden theft triggers pursuit by government spies Fred and Bob and sets the entire manhunt in motion. He escapes with the money, leaving confusion in his wake.

While on the run, Sidney pulls into a roadside diner in Arizona and samples their world-famous chili. He flirts with the waitress Dotty, keeping his money close and his plans unclear. The encounter adds humor amid the growing sense of pursuit.

Two bumbling government spies, Fred and Bob, are dispatched to track down Sidney. They trace his route from the diner and follow a growing trail of clues. Their presence turns the escape into a comedy of errors as the crowd of onlookers gets swept up in the chase.

Sidney suffers a fatal heart attack in the diner and dies while imparting a final clue to Dotty. Before passing, he hints that the first million is hidden in the city of the bridge. The revelation ignites the treasure hunt for the crowd.

The Briggs family, Rollie and Lollie, Crush and his backup dancers, Tugger and Dotty, and other locals learn of the clue after Rollie switches on a TV news report. They decide to chase the money, driven by a mix of greed, curiosity, and comedy. The group quickly becomes an improvised scavenger team.

Rollie turns on the diner TV and a news broadcast reveals Sidney's life and that he was born in El Puente, Arizona. The revelation spurs the onlookers to speed toward El Puente to claim the hidden fortune. The atmosphere shifts from casual pursuit to a full-on treasure dash.

The crowd locates the first million hidden inside El Puente's famous bridge. In a comic twist, Slaughter Buzzard accidentally dislodges the money and it slides into the canyon below. The group scrambles, but the trail to the next fortune remains alive.

Following a new clue, the scavengers reach Sidney's houseboat where the second million is found. Their luck turns when the money is shredded by Sidney's table-sized paper shredder, destroying their windfall. The hunt resumes, undeterred by the loss.

A final clue points to a greedy aeronaut who appears to be guarding the third million. As the group closes in, the money slips from his hands and falls away, eluding capture. Frustrated and worn out, the crowd begins to give up the chase.

With the three million either claimed or lost and no clear winner, the group gives up the chase as the movie heads toward its finale. The characters drift apart, and the promised fortune remains unresolved for the moment. The film ends on a note of playful disappointment rather than triumph.

During the closing credits, Bob informs the audience that there is still one million dollars somewhere in the US and invites viewers to follow specially marked Glad-Lock bags for a chance to win $1 million. The tease turns the film into a puzzle that audiences can participate in after the credits. The message leaves a wink at the audience about ongoing scavenger hunt.