Ruthless People
Encyclopedia
Ruthless People is a 1986 black comedy
written by Dale Launer
, starring Danny DeVito
, Bette Midler
, Judge Reinhold
and Helen Slater
. It also features Bill Pullman
as a supporting role in his film debut.
A couple kidnap their ex-boss's wife to get revenge and extort money from him. They soon realise he does not want her back and was planning to kill her himself. Meanwhile the boss's mistress plans a blackmail attempt on him which also does not go as planned.
The film was directed by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams
, and Jerry Zucker
, best known for the zany Airplane!
and Naked Gun
comedies. This film, by contrast, is a straight comedy bordering on farce, with very few of the innumerable sight gags
, puns and jokes of the other movies.
his hated wife, Barbara (Midler) in gain control of her family fortune and run off with his mistress
Carol.
However he is pre-empted by a phone call from an anonymous man announcing that Barbara has been kidnapped and that Sam must pay a ransom
or she will be killed. Overjoyed, Sam deliberately disobeys all of the kidnapper's demands believing this will ensure his wife's death, failing to pay, calling the press
and speaking to the police
.
The kidnappers are Ken (Reinhold) and Sandy Kessler (Slater), who want revenge on Sam for stealing Sandy's fashion design along with the Kesslers' life savings. Barbara is imprisoned in the Kessler's basement
, where she proves a handful to the amateur kidnappers. When Sam doesn't show up with the ransom on several occasions it becomes obvious to Ken that Sam doesn't want his wife back, and would rather she were dead.
Carol secretly intends to blackmail Sam with the help of her handsome but dim-witted boyfriend Earl (Bill Pullman
). Knowing Sam plans to dump his wife's body in the Hollywood Hills
at night, Carol has Earl lie in wait with a video camera. He mistakenly films a rendezvous between a prostitute and her client performing noisy sex. Earl, hearing the woman's screams, thinks the murder is happening right in front of him. Without watching the tape, Carol sends an anonymous copy to Sam, who sees the sex act and thinks Carol has sent it to him as a titilating birthday present. Carol sends another anonymous copy to police chief Henry Benton (William G. Schilling
) — who happens to be man featured in the video. When Carol calls him, Benton, thinking that he is being blackmailed, asks for her demands and she tells him to arrest Sam Stone for murdering his wife.
Benton orders a search of Sam's house, planning to plant evidence in it, but real evidence turns up; a bottle of chloroform
Sam intended to use to sedate his wife and pictures of Sam with Carol. The kidnapping investigation, which has led to Ken by now, is immediately called off and Sam is arrested. Sam now faces the dilemma of having to get his wife back in order to prove his innocence.
Taking up exercise to relieve her boredom Barbara loses 20 pounds. She and Sandy bond unexpectedly over this and Sandy lets Barbara wear some of her dress designs to show off her new figure. Barbara loves them and offers to go into business with Sandy, so Sandy decides to let Barbara go. Barbara leaves the house, but comes back as soon as she finds out from the newspaper about Sam's mistress and realizes he wanted her dead. She returns and is attacked by a notorious
local serial killer
, The Bedroom Killer, who falls down the basement steps and dies.
Barbara, Ken and Sandy plot revenge on Sam. Now desperate to prove his wife is alive, Sam offers to pay the ransom the moment Ken calls him again. Armed with Barbara's inside knowledge, they have increased the ransom to precisely equal Sam's own net worth: over $2 million. Sam is outraged, but has no choice. He withdraws the cash, but begs the police to watch the drop site.
Carol realizes Earl's mistake, and that Barbara really was kidnapped. She calls Sam and learns the time and place of the ransom drop.
At the ransom drop, Sam waits with the cash (his life savings). Ken arrives in disguise
, but then so do scores of hidden police, and Earl with a gun. In the ensuing confusion, Earl is captured and Ken drives his car off the end of Santa Monica
pier
with the ransom cash inside. The police search the water and bring up the car, with the body of the Bedroom Killer inside, dressed in Ken's clothes. Only a few thousand dollars of money are recovered from the sea
.
Although he has lost his money Sam holds out hope that Barbara will now definitely be killed. But Barbara shows up, telling the police that her kidnapper (the serial killer) was schizophrenic, believing himself to have accomplices, and so she was able to escape as soon as he left. The police walk away in satisfaction. Sam meanwhile is taken aback by how thin Barbara is. As they embrace she beats him up, tells him that she wants a divorce and pushes him into the water.
On a beach not far away, Ken emerges from the water in scuba gear, carrying the briefcase with the ransom cash. Sandy runs to meet him and embraces him lovingly. They are joined by Barbara.
, Daryl Hall
and Eurythmics co-member Dave Stewart
and performed by Jagger. Assuming the song would be a hit, "Weird Al" Yankovic
requested (and received) permission from Jagger to record a parody
version, "Toothless People
", for his upcoming Polka Party!
album. When Jagger's song failed to crack the Top 40, Yankovic considered not recording his version; because Jagger had "authorized" the parody, however, he decided failing to produce it would be an insult to the artist and recorded it. Another song that was featured in the soundtrack which became moderately successful was Modern Woman
by Billy Joel
.
The movie version features different lyrics from the single version.
This movie contains one of Roger Ebert
's favorite lines in movies in 1986. When Midler's character discovers that the kidnappers keep having to drop the ransom amount to the bargain basement amount of $10,000, Midler says while crying, "I've been kidnapped by Kmart
!"
The film was later loosely remade in India
twice: as the Telugu
film Money
(1993), as the Hindi film Mujhe Meri Biwi Se Bachaao
(Save Me From My Wife) in 2001.
It was also remade in Hong Kong
as Mo deng pu ni ti in 1996.
All of these versions are based (however loosely) on the O. Henry story, "The Ransom of Red Chief
".
Black comedy
A black comedy, or dark comedy, is a comic work that employs black humor or gallows humor. The definition of black humor is problematic; it has been argued that it corresponds to the earlier concept of gallows humor; and that, as humor has been defined since Freud as a comedic act that anesthetizes...
written by Dale Launer
Dale Launer
Dale Launer is an American comedy screenwriter. His best known films include Ruthless People, Blind Date, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and My Cousin Vinny....
, starring Danny DeVito
Danny DeVito
Daniel Michael DeVito, Jr. , better known as Danny DeVito, is an American actor, comedian, director and producer. He first gained prominence for his portrayal of Louie De Palma on the ABC and NBC television series Taxi , for which he won a Golden Globe and an Emmy.DeVito and his wife, Rhea Perlman,...
, Bette Midler
Bette Midler
Bette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...
, Judge Reinhold
Judge Reinhold
Judge Reinhold is an American actor, perhaps best known for co-starring in movies such as Beverly Hills Cop, Ruthless People, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and The Santa Clause trilogy.-Early life:...
and Helen Slater
Helen Slater
Helen Rachel Slater is an American actress and singer-songwriter.She appeared in the title role in the 1984 film Supergirl. In the following years she starred in several very successful comedy-drama films such as Ruthless People, The Secret of My Success, and City Slickers...
. It also features Bill Pullman
Bill Pullman
William James "Bill" Pullman is an American film, television, and stage actor. Pullman made his film debut in the supporting role of Earl Mott in the 1986 film Ruthless People. He has since gone on to star in other films, including Spaceballs, Independence Day, Lost Highway, Casper and Scary Movie 4...
as a supporting role in his film debut.
A couple kidnap their ex-boss's wife to get revenge and extort money from him. They soon realise he does not want her back and was planning to kill her himself. Meanwhile the boss's mistress plans a blackmail attempt on him which also does not go as planned.
The film was directed by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams
Jim Abrahams
Jim Abrahams is an American movie director and writer.Abrahams was born in Shorewood, Wisconsin, to a Jewish family, and attended Shorewood High School...
, and Jerry Zucker
Jerry Zucker (film director)
Jerry Zucker is an American movie director known for his role in directing comedy spoof films, and the hit film Ghost....
, best known for the zany Airplane!
Airplane!
Airplane! is a 1980 American satirical comedy film directed and written by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker and released by Paramount Pictures...
and Naked Gun
The Naked Gun (film series)
The Naked Gun is a series of crime comedy films written and produced by the comedy filmmaking trio Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker and distributed by Paramount Pictures. All three films were based on their short-lived 1982 ABC television series Police Squad!, which was cancelled after six episodes...
comedies. This film, by contrast, is a straight comedy bordering on farce, with very few of the innumerable sight gags
Visual gag
In comedy, a visual gag or sight gag is anything which conveys its humor visually, often without words being used at all.There are numerous examples in cinema history of directors who based most of the humour in their films on visual gags, even to the point of using no or minimal dialogue...
, puns and jokes of the other movies.
Plot
Millionaire Sam Stone (DeVito) intends to murderMurder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
his hated wife, Barbara (Midler) in gain control of her family fortune and run off with his mistress
Mistress
Mistress may refer to:* Mistress , a woman, other than the spouse, with whom a married individual has a continuing sexual relationship* Schoolmistress, or female school teacher...
Carol.
However he is pre-empted by a phone call from an anonymous man announcing that Barbara has been kidnapped and that Sam must pay a ransom
Ransom
Ransom is the practice of holding a prisoner or item to extort money or property to secure their release, or it can refer to the sum of money involved.In an early German law, a similar concept was called bad influence...
or she will be killed. Overjoyed, Sam deliberately disobeys all of the kidnapper's demands believing this will ensure his wife's death, failing to pay, calling the press
Press
Press may refer to:-Media:* News media, the section of the mass media industry that focuses on presenting current news to the public* Publisher, a company that produces or disseminates literature or information* Press TV, the Iranian television network...
and speaking to the police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
.
The kidnappers are Ken (Reinhold) and Sandy Kessler (Slater), who want revenge on Sam for stealing Sandy's fashion design along with the Kesslers' life savings. Barbara is imprisoned in the Kessler's basement
Basement
__FORCETOC__A basement is one or more floors of a building that are either completely or partially below the ground floor. Basements are typically used as a utility space for a building where such items as the furnace, water heater, breaker panel or fuse box, car park, and air-conditioning system...
, where she proves a handful to the amateur kidnappers. When Sam doesn't show up with the ransom on several occasions it becomes obvious to Ken that Sam doesn't want his wife back, and would rather she were dead.
Carol secretly intends to blackmail Sam with the help of her handsome but dim-witted boyfriend Earl (Bill Pullman
Bill Pullman
William James "Bill" Pullman is an American film, television, and stage actor. Pullman made his film debut in the supporting role of Earl Mott in the 1986 film Ruthless People. He has since gone on to star in other films, including Spaceballs, Independence Day, Lost Highway, Casper and Scary Movie 4...
). Knowing Sam plans to dump his wife's body in the Hollywood Hills
Hollywood Hills
The Hollywood Hills is an affluent and exclusive neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, in the southeastern Santa Monica Mountains. It is bound by Laurel Canyon Boulevard to the west, Vermont Avenue to the east, Mulholland Drive to the north, and Sunset Boulevard to the south.-Hollywood Hills...
at night, Carol has Earl lie in wait with a video camera. He mistakenly films a rendezvous between a prostitute and her client performing noisy sex. Earl, hearing the woman's screams, thinks the murder is happening right in front of him. Without watching the tape, Carol sends an anonymous copy to Sam, who sees the sex act and thinks Carol has sent it to him as a titilating birthday present. Carol sends another anonymous copy to police chief Henry Benton (William G. Schilling
William G. Schilling
William Garrison Schilling is a retired American actor of film and television who is best known for his role as Dr. Harold Samuels in Head of the Class between 1986 and 1991.- Acting career :...
) — who happens to be man featured in the video. When Carol calls him, Benton, thinking that he is being blackmailed, asks for her demands and she tells him to arrest Sam Stone for murdering his wife.
Benton orders a search of Sam's house, planning to plant evidence in it, but real evidence turns up; a bottle of chloroform
Chloroform
Chloroform is an organic compound with formula CHCl3. It is one of the four chloromethanes. The colorless, sweet-smelling, dense liquid is a trihalomethane, and is considered somewhat hazardous...
Sam intended to use to sedate his wife and pictures of Sam with Carol. The kidnapping investigation, which has led to Ken by now, is immediately called off and Sam is arrested. Sam now faces the dilemma of having to get his wife back in order to prove his innocence.
Taking up exercise to relieve her boredom Barbara loses 20 pounds. She and Sandy bond unexpectedly over this and Sandy lets Barbara wear some of her dress designs to show off her new figure. Barbara loves them and offers to go into business with Sandy, so Sandy decides to let Barbara go. Barbara leaves the house, but comes back as soon as she finds out from the newspaper about Sam's mistress and realizes he wanted her dead. She returns and is attacked by a notorious
Notorious
Notorious is a 1946 American thriller film directed and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman and Claude Rains as three people whose lives become intimately entangled during an espionage operation...
local serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
, The Bedroom Killer, who falls down the basement steps and dies.
Barbara, Ken and Sandy plot revenge on Sam. Now desperate to prove his wife is alive, Sam offers to pay the ransom the moment Ken calls him again. Armed with Barbara's inside knowledge, they have increased the ransom to precisely equal Sam's own net worth: over $2 million. Sam is outraged, but has no choice. He withdraws the cash, but begs the police to watch the drop site.
Carol realizes Earl's mistake, and that Barbara really was kidnapped. She calls Sam and learns the time and place of the ransom drop.
At the ransom drop, Sam waits with the cash (his life savings). Ken arrives in disguise
Disguise
A disguise can be anything which conceals or changes a person's physical appearance, including a wig, glasses, makeup, costume or other ways. Camouflage is one type of disguise for people, animals and objects...
, but then so do scores of hidden police, and Earl with a gun. In the ensuing confusion, Earl is captured and Ken drives his car off the end of Santa Monica
Santa Mônica
Santa Mônica is a town and municipality in the state of Paraná in the Southern Region of Brazil.-References:...
pier
Pier
A pier is a raised structure, including bridge and building supports and walkways, over water, typically supported by widely spread piles or pillars...
with the ransom cash inside. The police search the water and bring up the car, with the body of the Bedroom Killer inside, dressed in Ken's clothes. Only a few thousand dollars of money are recovered from the sea
Sea
A sea generally refers to a large body of salt water, but the term is used in other contexts as well. Most commonly, it means a large expanse of saline water connected with an ocean, and is commonly used as a synonym for ocean...
.
Although he has lost his money Sam holds out hope that Barbara will now definitely be killed. But Barbara shows up, telling the police that her kidnapper (the serial killer) was schizophrenic, believing himself to have accomplices, and so she was able to escape as soon as he left. The police walk away in satisfaction. Sam meanwhile is taken aback by how thin Barbara is. As they embrace she beats him up, tells him that she wants a divorce and pushes him into the water.
On a beach not far away, Ken emerges from the water in scuba gear, carrying the briefcase with the ransom cash. Sandy runs to meet him and embraces him lovingly. They are joined by Barbara.
Cast
- Danny DeVitoDanny DeVitoDaniel Michael DeVito, Jr. , better known as Danny DeVito, is an American actor, comedian, director and producer. He first gained prominence for his portrayal of Louie De Palma on the ABC and NBC television series Taxi , for which he won a Golden Globe and an Emmy.DeVito and his wife, Rhea Perlman,...
– Sam Stone - Bette MidlerBette MidlerBette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...
– Barbara Stone - Judge ReinholdJudge ReinholdJudge Reinhold is an American actor, perhaps best known for co-starring in movies such as Beverly Hills Cop, Ruthless People, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and The Santa Clause trilogy.-Early life:...
– Ken Kessler - Helen SlaterHelen SlaterHelen Rachel Slater is an American actress and singer-songwriter.She appeared in the title role in the 1984 film Supergirl. In the following years she starred in several very successful comedy-drama films such as Ruthless People, The Secret of My Success, and City Slickers...
– Sandy Kessler - Anita MorrisAnita Morris-Career:Among many roles, Morris's most prominent film role was as Carol Dodsworth, the mistress to Danny DeVito, in Ruthless People and for her sensual performance as Carla in the musical Nine opposite Raul Julia. While nominated for a Best Featured Actress Tony Award as Carla, she lost to Liliane...
– Carol Dodsworth - Bill PullmanBill PullmanWilliam James "Bill" Pullman is an American film, television, and stage actor. Pullman made his film debut in the supporting role of Earl Mott in the 1986 film Ruthless People. He has since gone on to star in other films, including Spaceballs, Independence Day, Lost Highway, Casper and Scary Movie 4...
– Earl Mott
Reception
The movie was a smash hit grossing $71,600,000 in box office receipts. Ruthless People received mostly positive reviews from critics and currently holds a 90% rating on review aggragator Rotten Tomatoes based on 21 reviews.Influence
The film's theme song was co-written by Mick JaggerMick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
, Daryl Hall
Daryl Hall
Daryl Hall is an American rock, R&B and soul singer, keyboardist, guitarist, songwriter and producer, best known as the co-founder and lead vocalist of Hall & Oates . Hall scored several Billboard chart hits in the 1970s and early 1980s, and is regarded as one of the best blue eyed soul singers...
and Eurythmics co-member Dave Stewart
David A. Stewart
David Allan Stewart , often known as Dave Stewart, is an English musician, songwriter and record producer, best known for his work with Eurythmics. He is usually credited as David A. Stewart, to avoid confusion with other musicians named "Dave Stewart".-Early life:Stewart was born in Sunderland,...
and performed by Jagger. Assuming the song would be a hit, "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
requested (and received) permission from Jagger to record a parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
version, "Toothless People
Toothless People
Toothless People is a song by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It is a parody of "Ruthless People" by Mick Jagger. It is mostly about older people who are missing their teeth.-Permission and recording:...
", for his upcoming Polka Party!
Polka Party!
Polka Party! is the fourth studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic, released in 1986. The album is the third of Yankovic's to be produced by former The McCoys guitarist Rick Derringer...
album. When Jagger's song failed to crack the Top 40, Yankovic considered not recording his version; because Jagger had "authorized" the parody, however, he decided failing to produce it would be an insult to the artist and recorded it. Another song that was featured in the soundtrack which became moderately successful was Modern Woman
Modern Woman
"Modern Woman" is a song performed by Billy Joel from his album The Bridge.The song was the first single off the album and was also featured on the soundtrack to the film Ruthless People....
by Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
.
The movie version features different lyrics from the single version.
This movie contains one of Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
's favorite lines in movies in 1986. When Midler's character discovers that the kidnappers keep having to drop the ransom amount to the bargain basement amount of $10,000, Midler says while crying, "I've been kidnapped by Kmart
Kmart
Kmart, sometimes styled as "K-Mart," is a chain of discount department stores. The chain acquired Sears in 2005, forming a new corporation under the name Sears Holdings Corporation. The company was founded in 1962 and is the third largest discount store chain in the world, behind Wal-Mart and...
!"
The film was later loosely remade in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
twice: as the Telugu
Telugu cinema
The Cinema of Andhra Pradesh, also referred to as Telugu Cinema or Tollywood, is the Telugu film industry in India. The Telugu language film industry is known for being one of the three largest in terms of no.of films produced yearly in India. The Prasads IMAX theatre in Hyderabad is one of the...
film Money
Money (1993 film)
Money is a 1993 Telugu hit film directed by Shiva Nageswara Rao. The film stars J. D. Chakravarthy, Chinna, Jayasudha, Renuka Shahane, Paresh Rawal, Bramhanandam, Sharat Saxena, and Tanikella Bharani. The film was produced by Ram Gopal Varma. In 2001, the film was remade into Hindi as Love Ke Liye...
(1993), as the Hindi film Mujhe Meri Biwi Se Bachaao
Mujhe Meri Biwi Se Bachaao
Mujhe Meri Biwi Se Bachaao is a 2001 Indian film directed by Harry Baweja.It stars Rekha and Naseeruddin Shah.This film is a remake of the 1986 American comedy Ruthless People starring Danny DeVito and Bette Midler....
(Save Me From My Wife) in 2001.
It was also remade in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
as Mo deng pu ni ti in 1996.
All of these versions are based (however loosely) on the O. Henry story, "The Ransom of Red Chief
The Ransom of Red Chief
"The Ransom of Red Chief" is a 1910 short story by O. Henry. It follows two men who attempt to kidnap and ransom a wealthy Alabaman's son; eventually, the men are driven to distraction by the boy and end up having to pay the boy's father to take him back....
".