"Film Flam" is the first episode of season 4 of The Powerpuff Girls and the 75th episode overall.
The episode was completed on November 17, 2000 [1] but didn't premiere on Cartoon Network in the United States until April 20, 2001 as part of Cartoon Cartoon Fridays.
Plot[]
A big-name film director comes to Townsville to make a movie about The Powerpuff Girls. However, the Professor becomes suspicious of his intentions and soon realizes that the movie is a hoax and the director just wants to steal money from the bank.
Synopsis[]
Following a routine robbery call, the Powerpuff Girls are promised a part in a film of a motion picture by Hollywood filmmaker and auteur Bernie Bernstein. His pitch for a Powerpuff Girls Movie is quickly fed over a deluxe lunch to the Professor and the Girls themselves; he mentions that he wants to have a trio of stars rather than a duo, and that he was inspired by their heroics during the bank heist that made news headlines. Despite the Professor's own reservations, he allows the girls to perform in the film, and they are quickly starstruck at the prospect of what Hollywood fame and fortune could bring.
Meanwhile, Bernstein is hustling the Mayor for filming permits in places as sensitive as the local bank and replacing actual staff with cast actors. While everyone in town is taken aback at the idea of a film shot in Townsville proper, little does the public know is that there really is no movie and that entire production is just a fake. Only a few people such as the Professor are suspicious of Bernie Bernstein and pick up hints of his con artistry, having witnessed for himself that a movie pitch was all part of Bernstein's biggest score.
When Professor Utonium finds out about this, he is heartbroken and determined to tell the Girls the truth. He goes to find police for help, only to find that there are only actors portraying police officers and no real cops to be seen for a few miles. He tries several futile attempts and he finally gets in as a leading lady for the movie. Meanwhile, the "shoot" is underway, featuring the Mayor playing himself in a hostage situation. Even the girls are wary of the use of a breakaway wall and a hammy script. The film production is interrupted several times and the Professor claims that Bernstein is just a fraud and is trying to take Townsville's money. The entire cast finds this hard to believe until he accuses Bernstein of not having a film in the camera or having an actual script. The systematic crumbling of his scheme leads to Bernstein holding the Mayor hostage at gunpoint with an actual gun, as well as a high-speed car chase. While Bernstein focuses on the Girls rather than the road, he crashes into a fire hydrant and loses his chance of victory. The girls try to approach the director calmly, but he tries to keep them back while seconds from losing his cool, when the Mayor (who thinks this was part of the film) cuts the scene thinking Bernie wasn't putting enough feeling into the action. As he shows how a real standoff act works, Bernie tries to escape only to get caught by the Professor, who beats him up for exploiting his girls and letting them do all the acting for nothing. The whole ordeal, he says, also could inspire a movie about the making of the so-called Powerpuff Girls movie featuring him delivering the finishing blow. This ends the episode as the Professor is shown to have saved the day with a handbag around his left shoulder, to which the narrator responds by saying he looks just like his mother.
Characters[]
Major Roles[]
- The Powerpuff Girls
- Bernie Bernstein
- Donnie
- Stanley Whitfield
- Robbers
- Professor Utonium
- The Mayor of Townsville
Minor Roles[]
- Sara Bellum
- Talking Dog
- Mojo Jojo (Non-Speaking Cameo)
- The Amoeba Boys (Non-Speaking Cameo)
- The Gangreen Gang (Non-Speaking Cameo)
- Ace (Non-Speaking Cameo)
- Lil' Arturo (Non-Speaking Cameo)
- Narrator
- Citizens of Townsville
Trivia[]
- The fake bank robber's eyes are red at first in the production scene of the bank robbery, but during most later parts of the scene, his eyes change from red to white.
- Despite being produced by Cartoon Network Studios instead of Hanna-Barbera, it shows the latter's logo at the end.
- This is one of the episodes ending with the narrator saying his catchphrase differently: "Oh, brother! So, once again, I guess the day is saved, thanks to the smart guy in a dress. Wow, he looks just like my mom!".
- Various real villains take part in the movie (Mojo Jojo, Amoeba Boys, and the Gangreen Gang).
- This episode is the last one to use the November 1998 variant of the 1998-2001 3D star explosion and the November 1998 variant of the 1998-2001 golden star shower.
- Professor Utonium's woman disguise is a reference to Dustin Hoffman's character from the 1982 film Tootsie.
- This is the first time in which a crew member of the show did some voices. Here, Don Shank provided the voice for Bernie's assistant, Donnie.
- Bernie Bernstein is named after famous Hollywood agent Bernie Brillstein, who had among his clients Jim Henson and John Belushi.
Production Notes[]
- Although this episode premiered in the United States on April 20, 2001, it was actually produced in 2000 according to the credits.
- This episode was completed on November 17, 2000.[2]
- Whenever this episode airs, a dedication to Hanna-Barbera Productions executive William Hanna is shown after the credits. Hanna died on March 22, 2001, a month before this episode premiered.