History Main / PowderTrail

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* Also done with a fuse in ''Film/TheProfessionals''.

* As indicated by the page quote, in ''Film/TheProducers'', the protagonists come to regret using one of these.
** Although that is an actual fuse rather than a powder trail. The end result is the same.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfTintin'' features this. Sir Francis Haddock sets it off, Red Rackham snuffs it out, repeat, repeat...

* In ''Film/TheBunker'', the paranoid Schenke empties the powder from an artillery shell to create a powder trail that he uses as a fuse to ignite a fire to set off the rest of the ammo and collapse the tunnel.

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* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfSpyro'', the first two game had an occasional case of powder trails leading to massive stashes of explosives set there by either the Apes or the Skavengers, depending on the game. Spyro can ignite the powder with his fire breath to cause a massive explosion.

* In the climax of ''WesternAnimation/BonanzaBunny,'' this occurs as Bugs takes an Army knife to the bottom of a small bag containing gunpowder. As Jacque runs off with what he thinks is his gold, Bugs lights it up. KABOOM!!!

* ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfTinTin'' features this. Sir Francis Haddock sets it off, Red Rackham snuffs it out, repeat, repeat...

* Franchise/{{Batman}}, disguised as Matches Malone, ignites one he had prepared earlier to escape from [[MurderInc the League of Assassins]] CarnivalOfKillers in '' Batman, Incorporated'' #4.

* In the movie ''Film/TheReturnOfTheMusketeers'', the powder fuse is used to blow up a ship.

* BMovie ''Ator The Invincible'' ("Film/CaveDwellers" on ''[[Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000 MST3K]]'') had a character do this with rock dust. Cue the guys: "She's making flash powder out of her own filth!"

* In ''Film/CutthroatIsland'', the MexicanStandoff in the tavern between Dawg's men and Morgan's men is broken when Shaw removes the cork from an enemy pirate's powder-horn. Bowen sees him do this and tosses him a lit candle. The other pirate takes a few steps away, and Shaw drops the candle, literally starting off the ensuing fight scene with a bang.

* In ''Film/ItsAMadMadMadMadWorld'', this is one of the many methods by which the Crumps attempt to escape from the hardware-store basement in which they have been accidentally locked.
* Leon (Anthony Quinn) uses a powder trail to blow the dam and drown the attacking Indians in ''Film/GunsForSanSebastian''.
* In ''Film/CarryOnHenry'', Guy Fawkes lays a trail of gun powder to the kegs of gunpowder to blow up Parliament. The fuse goes out inches from the kegs, until, of course, the conspirators go close to see what went wrong. "OH [[LastSecondWordSwap FAWKES]]!" was the exclamation when the kegs blew up at just that moment.
* FilmSerial ''S.O.S. Coast Guard'' had an initial fuse hanging blow a trap door. When it was lit, it ignited a gunpowder trail, which in turn lead to explosives that would blow up the warehouse the bad guys were escaping from. The plan was to kill the members of the coast guard as they were raiding the warehouse, and caused the classic end-of-episode cliffhanger with the main characters in the building (who simply survived without explanation.)
* Used to blow up the bridge at the end of ''Film/TheHorseSoldiers''.

* Rambo lays one in ''Film/FirstBlood'', to blow up the sporting goods store with a pile of ammo and lighter fluid from the store's camping and hunting merchandise.
* ''Film/TheIsland1980'': While the pirates are out of their settlement, Maynard breaks open a barrel of gunpowder and lays a trail out of the powder store. He then ignites the powder trail with a MolotovCocktail and blows up the magazine.
* Five'll get you ten that any time Franchise/TheThreeStooges have access to anything even remotely explosive and capable of leaving a trail, this will be the result.
* In the prologue to ''Film/VampireCircus'', the villagers plant barrels of gunpowder throughout the Count's castle and use a powder trail to set them off simultaneously.

* A staple on the various ''{{Franchise/Zorro}}'' TV series.

* ''Series/MissFishersMurderMysteries'': In "Framed for Murder", the murderer uses a long line of celluloid film like a powder trail to ignite a huge pile of unspooled film he is planning to use to burn his victim to death.
* ''Series/FrontierCircus'': Used by Ben and Tony as part of their plan to break out of the mine in "Patriarch of Purgatory".
* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'': In the episode "Civil Defense," Sisko, Jake, and O'Brien use this with a cart of unprocessed ore to blow open a door that was locked down due to the computer thinking a coup was taking place on the station (long story).

* ''WesternAnimation/JonnyQuest'' TOS episode "Riddle of the Gold". After a villain ties up the Quest team and lays a trail of gunpowder to a barrel full of the stuff, Bandit saves the day by putting out the flame with his...err, tail. Race [[LampshadeHanging hangs a lampshade]] on it even then: "Isn't that a bit of an old routine?"