# Name three movies depicted on the US dollar bill **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 1, 2008, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-three-movies-depicted-on-the-us-dollar-bill/439693 "2008-03-01T00:34:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2008, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-three-movies-depicted-on-the-us-dollar-bill/439693/1 "2008-03-01T00:34:22Z")
In another thread I read [post=9525518]this[/post]: [QUOTE=Will Repair] Attended a school in Denver, Colorado with a couple of Air Force sergeants. First week of school during a break we were telling jokes and gags when one sergeant (I’ll call him Blackie) asked another (I’ll call him Blondie) to pull out a dollar bill and show three movies depicted on it. Blondie didn’t know the answer to Blackie took the dollar bill and quickly got to the punch line which is to tear the dollar bill in two, blow at the pieces and say, “Gone With The Wind”. [/QUOTE] If someone ever tries to play that trick on me, I want to be able to quickly come up with three movies depicted on the dollar bill. But it should be movies that the average Joe would know. What should they be? For reference, pictures on the dollar bill: [US $1 bill: obverse](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:United_States_one_dollar_bill%2C_obverse.jpg) [US $1 bill: reverse](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:United_States_one_dollar_bill%2C_reverse.jpg) The pyramid on the back is easy: any Biblical epic, Stargate (the movie), etc. But I think to be fair you shouldn’t have all three movies based on the pyramid. George Washington - I can’t think of any recent popular movie where George Washington plays a prominent role. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2008, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-three-movies-depicted-on-the-us-dollar-bill/439693/2 "2008-03-01T00:38:30Z")
[QUOTE=Arnold Winkelried] George Washington - I can’t think of any recent popular movie where George Washington plays a prominent role. [/QUOTE] _1776!_ ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2008, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-three-movies-depicted-on-the-us-dollar-bill/439693/3 "2008-03-01T00:41:03Z")
[QUOTE=friedo] _1776!_ [/QUOTE] Actually, come to think of it, it’s mostly George Washington complaining via letter in that movie. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2008, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-three-movies-depicted-on-the-us-dollar-bill/439693/4 "2008-03-01T00:47:21Z")
National Treasure? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2008, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-three-movies-depicted-on-the-us-dollar-bill/439693/5 "2008-03-01T00:49:14Z")
Option 1: [Dead Presidents](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112819/). Option 2: [Bill](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0790623/). (I’ve never heard of it, but it stars Jessica Alba, so maybe it’s bigger than I thought). You could also point to the “ted” in “United” to get a “Bill and Ted” joke off. The “L” inside the seal could be turned into a “Hello,” if you can find a “Dolly” anywhere to take up the slack. I’m not sure if there’s anything with “Spear” or “Olive” (other than an obscure movie by that name). Daniel ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2008, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-three-movies-depicted-on-the-us-dollar-bill/439693/6 "2008-03-01T00:54:55Z")
Pyramid = National Trasure Washington = Dead Presidents ONE = The Matrix 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2008, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-three-movies-depicted-on-the-us-dollar-bill/439693/7 "2008-03-01T00:56:22Z")
With all that Masonic imagery, my first thought was The Magic Flute. Is there a film version of that? Or perhaps the all-seeing eye could be a reference to Big Brother in [1984.](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087803/) ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2008, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-three-movies-depicted-on-the-us-dollar-bill/439693/8 "2008-03-01T00:58:19Z")
George Washington = Father of Our Country = Birth of A Nation? ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2008, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-three-movies-depicted-on-the-us-dollar-bill/439693/9 "2008-03-01T01:01:43Z")
Take it out of his hand and say “Snatch.” Put it in your pocket and say “Other People’s Money.” Run off and say “Gone, Baby Gone!” ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2008, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-three-movies-depicted-on-the-us-dollar-bill/439693/10 "2008-03-01T01:09:59Z")
[QUOTE=pravnik] Take it out of his hand and say “Snatch.” Put it in your pocket and say “Other People’s Money.” Run off and say “Gone, Baby Gone!” [/QUOTE] Pursuit of dollar by owner: “The Paper Chase.” ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2008, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-three-movies-depicted-on-the-us-dollar-bill/439693/11 "2008-03-01T01:11:29Z")
You know, one of my first thoughts was National Treasure because the ad campaign made it seem somehow related to the dollar bill from what I could remember; but I haven’t seen the movie and when I read the [full synopsis at IMDb](http://imdb.com/title/tt0368891/synopsis) (warning: spoilers) I didn’t see how it tied in with anything pictured on the dollar bill. Dead Presidents is a good one. ONE for the Matrix is also a good idea. Long shots: [ul][li]1776 - is that the musical? I don’t remember Mr. Washington in it. If George Washington didn’t actually appear in it, and was present only in an epistolary fashion, then it wouldn’t count.[/li][li]That Bill one with Jessica Alba seems like a stretch.[/li][li]There is at least one movie version of The Magic Flute (filmed by Bergman) but it doesn’t feature an all-seeing eye or a pyramid so that would be kind of a stretch too.[/li][li]Birth of a Nation: I think it would fit more with the $2 bill which has the signing of the Declaration of Independence on the back. The $1 bill, not so much.[/li][/ul]But keep the ideas coming! Maybe we can have 10 movies pictured on the $1 bill. pravnik, 5-4 Fighting: 🙂 most excellent ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2008, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-three-movies-depicted-on-the-us-dollar-bill/439693/12 "2008-03-01T01:17:31Z")
**In God We Trust** (Above ONE) — Either _Oh, God Part II_ or _Miracle on 42nd Street_ (1994). Both of those films reference that phrase on that bill. **The Department of the Treasury** (Seal) — _The Untouchables_. Both versions. Okay, for nitpickers, it is true that the treasury agents in the movie would have actually been justice department agents (through the … no, I’m not kidding … Bureau of Prohibition), but that doesn’t matter. They’re refered to in the movie as treasury agents. And besides, the whole IRS assault on Capone was headed by a treasury agent, [Frank Wilson](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_J._Wilson), and a character from the movie (Wallace) is directly based on him. **MDCCLXXVII** (Pyramid Base) — _1776_, of course. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2008, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-three-movies-depicted-on-the-us-dollar-bill/439693/13 "2008-03-01T01:27:53Z")
George Washington, the Latin mottos = **Memento**. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2008, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-three-movies-depicted-on-the-us-dollar-bill/439693/14 "2008-03-01T01:54:49Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] **The Department of the Treasury** (Seal) — _The Untouchables_. Both versions. Okay, for nitpickers, it is true that the treasury agents in the movie would have actually been justice department agents (through the … no, I’m not kidding … Bureau of Prohibition), but that doesn’t matter. They’re refered to in the movie as treasury agents. [/QUOTE] The Bureau of Prohibition was, indeed, a Treasury Department office from 1919 to 1930 (coinciding with the early part of Elliot Ness’s career there.) It was then transfered to the Justice Department where it was absorbed into what is now the FBI, although J. Edgar Hoover operated the two groups separately. After the repeal of prohibition, it was moved back to Treasury, initially as a unit of the IRS, and then becoming the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (also known as the Bureau of a Fun Weekend in Vegas.) ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2008, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-three-movies-depicted-on-the-us-dollar-bill/439693/15 "2008-03-01T02:06:05Z")
[The Color of Money](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090863/) [George Washington](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0262432/) [Dead Presidents](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112819/) ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2008, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-three-movies-depicted-on-the-us-dollar-bill/439693/16 "2008-03-01T04:54:52Z")
[QUOTE=Arnold Winkelried] You know, one of my first thoughts was National Treasure because the ad campaign made it seem somehow related to the dollar bill from what I could remember; but I haven’t seen the movie and when I read the [full synopsis at IMDb](http://imdb.com/title/tt0368891/synopsis) (warning: spoilers) I didn’t see how it tied in with anything pictured on the dollar bill. [/QUOTE] _National Treasure_ has a _Da Vinci Code_-esque plot about the Freemasons, who left their symbol- an eye on a pyramid- everywhere to show their power, including the back of the one-dollar bill. (Although this is a common legend, the [Masonic Service Association of the United States](http://www.msana.com/eyeinpyramid.asp) states “The eye in the pyramid is not nor has it ever been a Masonic symbol.” Although the Freemasons do use a floating eye to represent a higher power, this choice was a coinicidence.) ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2008, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-three-movies-depicted-on-the-us-dollar-bill/439693/17 "2008-03-01T05:42:45Z")
[The One](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0267804/) with Jet Li (IMDb also lists a lot of movies simply called “One”) [$](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068152/) with Goldie Hawn [Thirteen](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt328538/) with Evan Rachel Wood (13 arrows, 13 stars, 13 stripes, 13 levels in the pyramid, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2008, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-three-movies-depicted-on-the-us-dollar-bill/439693/18 "2008-03-01T05:57:39Z")
How about _The Eagle has Landed_ or _Broken Arrow_? Or _The Seventh Seal_ ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2008, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-three-movies-depicted-on-the-us-dollar-bill/439693/19 "2008-03-01T06:55:26Z")
Well, I guess I’ll have to show off my sophisticated and cultured background. :rolleyes: The way I heard this joke wasn’t find three movies. It was, “on a dollar bill, locate the name of a US President, a kind of drink and the name of a movie”. This presentation has a much smoother rhythm and prevents the person from making wild guesses about 3 movies. Instead, the person easily finds George Washington and then spends an inordinate amount of time and effort looking for the drink. In this way, the joke goes much smoother, as opposed to their guessing “1776”, “Stargate” or whatever. So, for the big conclusion, the prankster can announce “George Washington” “Half and half” (while simultaneously ripping the bill in half) and “Gone With the Wind” (while throwing the 2 pieces into the air). ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2008, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-three-movies-depicted-on-the-us-dollar-bill/439693/20 "2008-03-01T07:48:20Z")
[QUOTE=friedo] The Bureau of Prohibition was, indeed, a Treasury Department office from 1919 to 1930 (coinciding with the early part of Elliot Ness’s career there.) It was then transfered to the Justice Department where it was absorbed into what is now the FBI, although J. Edgar Hoover operated the two groups separately. After the repeal of prohibition, it was moved back to Treasury, initially as a unit of the IRS, and then becoming the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (also known as the Bureau of a Fun Weekend in Vegas.) [/QUOTE] Woohoo! Thanks. 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-three-movies-depicted-on-the-us-dollar-bill/439693.md?page=2)