the reason why the banks closed their doors was because they were swamped with withdrawals (the proverbial "bank runs" were not just about cash). banks exist to take in deposit accounts (i.e. savings accounts) and loan the money out to industrial firms and mortgage holders at a higher rate than they pay the savings acct holders. without the money from the savers, they could not loan to the manufacturers for new PP&E, which caused a real economic downturn.
to be blunt, it is idiotic to claim that folks in Indonesia that "survived" did so because of precious metal holdings. if you look into the personal holdings of any of the Asian crime/political families, you will find massive holdings of U.S. T-bills and bonds, which are payable in those "worthless dollars." likewise for the big oil families in the middle east.
if gold were so wonderful, why are Russian mobsters laundering their money into NY banks, whose accounts are denominated in USD? you would think that the Russians would be laundering into gold, given that they have ready access to it.
the USD is the one currency on this planet that is usable, and typically highly desirable, in every country. in a lot of the 3rd world, you get a discount if you pay in USD rather than the local currency.
if the U.S. went back to gold-backed currency, it would require a complete overhaul of the Federal Reserve system, which has been a major factor in our economy becoming the dominant force in the history of human existence. I sure don't want to go back to a 1920 standard of living!