<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4/A</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2015-03-20</periodOfReport>

    <dateOfOriginalSubmission>2015-03-24</dateOfOriginalSubmission>

    <notSubjectToSection16>1</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000895422</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>BOULDER TOTAL RETURN FUND INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>BTF</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001247995</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>EVERGREEN ATLANTIC LLC</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>2344 SPRUCE STREET</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>SUITE A</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>BOULDER</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CO</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>80302</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001246903</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>HOREJSI STEWART R</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>200 SOUTH SANTA FE</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>SALINA</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>KS</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>67401</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001247999</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>SUSAN L CICIORA TRUST</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>1029 WEST 3RD AVENUE, SUITE 400</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>ANCHORAGE</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>AK</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>99503</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001247997</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>STEWART WEST INDIES TRUST</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>2344 SPRUCE STREET</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>SUITE A</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>BOULDER</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CO</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>80302</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2015-03-20</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>343749</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>0</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Disposed of on March 20, 2015 pursuant to an Agreement and Plan of Reorganization between the Issuer and Boulder Growth &amp; Income Fund, Inc. (BIF) and two affiliated funds in exchange for BIF common stock at a conversion rate of 3.121182 shares of BIF common stock (net asset value $10.73 per share) for each share of Issuers common stock (net asset value $33.50 per share).</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">The manager of Evergreen Atlantic LLC (&quot;Evergreen Atlantic&quot;) is Stewart R. Horejsi. The members of Evergreen Atlantic are the Susan L. Ciciora Trust and the Stewart West Indies Trust. Mr. Horejsi may be deemed to control Evergreen Atlantic and may be deemed to possess indirect beneficial ownership of the Shares held by Evergreen Atlantic.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Trusts, persons and entities affiliated with Evergreen Atlantic, including the Lola Brown Trust No. 1B, the Ernest Horejsi Trust No. 1B, the Stewart West Indies Trust and the Susan L. Ciciora Trust, owned an aggregate of 5,215,262 Shares of the Issuer prior to the reorganization of the Issuer on March 20, 2015.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Stewart R. Horejsi, Manager</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2015-03-24</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Susan L. Ciciora Trust, Member</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2015-03-24</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Stewart West Indies Trust, Member</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2015-03-24</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
