Billion Dollar Limited

Infobox Hollywood cartoon
cartoon_name = Billion Dollar Limited
series = Superman


caption = Title card from "Billion Dollar Limited"
director = Dave Fleischer
story_artist = Seymour Kneitel
I. Sparber
animator = Frank Endres
Myron Waldman
voice_actor = Bud Collyer
Joan Alexander
Julian Noa
musician = Sammy Timberg
producer = Max Fleischer
studio = Fleischer Studios
distributor = Paramount Pictures
release_date = January 9, 1942 (USA)
color_process = Technicolor
runtime = 9 min. (one reel)
preceded_by = "The Mechanical Monsters" (1941)
followed_by = "The Arctic Giant" (1942)
movie_language = English
imdb_id = 0034247

"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. [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034515/ Billion Dollar Limited (1942) ] ]

Plot

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 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 engine, throwing the engineer and a guard overboard, but falling off themselves as well. Lois, hearing the commotion, climbs to the engine car 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. 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 set of 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. Superman manages to pull Lois out just before the engine explodes and both it and the coal car fall off the track. 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 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 Collyer as Superman/Clark Kent/Gangster
*Joan Alexander as Lois Lane
*Julian Noa as Narrator/Gangster

References

External links

* [http://www.archive.org/details/billion_dollar_limited Full video]
* [http://cinemaniacal.com/video/superman-billion-dollar-limited Billion Dollar Limited] at [http://cinemaniacal.com Cinemaniacal.com] - In Flash, and other formats.
*imdb title|id=0034515|title=Billion Dollar Limited