$1000 bills in movies and on television

WillieBoyd2

The only United States $1000 bills I have seen have been at coin show exhibitions and in museums.

They used to circulate, however, and occasionally turn up in motion pictures and on television programs.

Sometimes the bills are explicitly stated to be $1000 bills, such as in the two versions of "The Maltese Falcon".

The Maltese Falcon (1931)

A man gives detective Sam Spade $10,000 in ten $1000 bills. Later the woman gets them. The $1000 bills are portrayed by real US $10 bills.

The Maltese Falcon (1941)

A man gives detective Sam Spade $10,000 in ten $1000 bills. Later one bill disappears and reappears. The $1000 bills are portrayed by the common imitation Mexican "prop" notes.

Other films:

In John Steinbeck's novel East of Eden and the subsequent 1955 film Cal Trask (James Dean) attempts to prove to his father that he can earn money by showing him $14,000 in $1000 bills which he had to order from the Federal Reserve.

In William Lindsay Gresham's novel Nightmare Alley and the subsequent 1947 film Stanton Carlisle, a stage mentalist, hands over $150,000 in $1000 bills to Dr. Lilith Ritter to hold for him. Later he gets the money back from her but finds that she has replaced the money with $1 bills. The bills are portrayed by the common imitation Mexican "prop" notes.

In some films the $1000 bills are only implied, such as in the 1943 film "Shadow of a Doubt" where "Uncle Charlie" goes into a bank, states that he has $40,000 to deposit and hands the bank manager a small stack of bills. He does not say that they are $1000 bills but smaller notes would make a much larger stack.

There must be many more books, film, and television programs which feature $1000 bills as part of their stories.

Steve_in_Tampa

Cool story. I’m not familiar with the back of the $1,000 notes being held up in the photo @WillieBoyd2 . Are you able to post a photo of a real $1,000 note with that back design ? This is the back of my 1934 $1,000 note.

Serial_no_8

"The $1000 bills are portrayed by the common imitation Mexican "prop" notes."

Can you please explain what you mean by '_Mexican prop note_s' WillieBoyd2? Interesting post but you referred to the 'common Mexican prop note' twice without elaborating what that means.

WillieBoyd2

For some reason, film companies like to use Mexican Revolutionary note designs for their imitation or "prop" notes.

This one such note:

Mexico Revolution Sonora 10 pesos note

TitusFlavius

Interesting stuff. I don't recall seeing any $1000 bills in films or shows before. I did see an old episode of "Let's Make A Deal" where one of the prizes was a real $500 FRN.

CaptHenway

I remember seeing some B-grade gangster movie (I am pretty sure was from the post-war 40's) where early on in the movie one of the main characters (think stereotypical Hollywood lovable but slightly crooked character) tells an underling that Grover Cleveland was on the $1,000 bill. Near the end of the movie there is a big knock-down brawl between the good bad guys and the bad bad guys over a bunch of money, which gets scattered all around the room in the brawl. The underling gets knocked down, and while on his hands and knees picks up a bill and exclaims "Grover Cleveland!" I cannot remember what kind of prop money was used.

CaptHenway

@TitusFlavius said:
Interesting stuff. I don't recall seeing any $1000 bills in films or shows before. I did see an old episode of "Let's Make A Deal" where one of the prizes was a real $500 FRN.

Back during the golden age of "Let's Make a Deal" I read an article about the show that said that because they only had so many of them, whenever a contestant won a $500 or $1000 bill on the show they had to trade it back to the show for smaller bills after the show was over.

Elmhurst

I think one was featured in an episode of Mannix

sellitstore

The Secret Service has been very sensitive to the use of ANY images of genuine U.S. currency including those on film. This is the main reason why movie prop money exists and the use of designs roughly similar to foreign notes avoids any legal issue with the U.S. Gov't.

Enforcement has been inconsistent, at best, and out of use types seems to be tolerated these days.

Steve_in_Tampa

Showtime’s Boardwalk Empire had scenes with some realistic looking large-size currency featured along with an old pack of Lucky Strike cigarettes.

synchr

Matt Damon handed Will Smith a $5 USN in "Bagger Vance"

mvs7

There is a money belt that changes hands in Midnight Run (1988; starring Charles Grodin/Robert De Niro) with $300k in thousand dollar bills...

mvs7

There's also a crapload of $1000 bills as a main plot device in Cliffhanger (1993; starring Sylvester Stallone).

WillieBoyd2

This looks like an interesting television program:

Alfred Hitchcock Presents, "Services Rendered", broadcast 1961
A man can't remember who he is, but has a $1000 bill and an address of a doctor.

carabonnair

The TV show Maverick often used a $1000 bill as a plot device. https://mavericktrails.com/thousand-dollar-bill.html

WillieBoyd2

A cable channel ran the 1961 "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" television program episode titled "Services Rendered" which features a $1000 bill as part of the story.

A man walking on the sidewalk is hit on the head by a falling board from a construction site. He claims to be all right and heads for a bar accompanied by another man.

At the bar he discovers that he has amnesia and can not remember who he is. He buys drinks and then discovers that he has no wallet but has a $1000 bill and a note with a doctor's address.

Here are two pictures of the bill:

The bill

The bill

The bartender refuses the $1000 bill and throws the man out.

The man heads for the doctor's office and the doctor looks him over and tells him his amnesia is temporary and that soon he will be all right.

The episode has a predictable ending.