Clue (film)

Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox film Clue is a 1985 American black comedy mystery film based on the board game Clue (Cluedo outside North America). It was written and directed by Jonathan Lynn, who co-wrote the story with John Landis. It features an ensemble cast, including Eileen Brennan, Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Martin Mull, and Lesley Ann Warren.

The film has multiple different endings. Each of three possibilities were screened at different theaters, and home media releases include all of them. The film initially received mixed reviews and performed poorly at the box office, grossing $15 million in the United States against a budget of $15 million, but later developed a cult following.<ref name="2015-12-10 Buzzfeed" /><ref name="HuffPost2015">Template:Cite web</ref>

Plot

In 1954, six strangers are invited to a secluded New England mansion. Each guest is greeted by the butler Wadsworth and the maid Yvette and receives a pseudonym to maintain confidentiality: "Colonel Mustard", "Mrs. White", "Mrs. Peacock", "Mr. Green", "Professor Plum", and "Miss Scarlet". During dinner, they discover they all hold government influence before being joined by Mr. Boddy, who has been blackmailing everyone for some time. Wadsworth has called the police to arrest Boddy, but Boddy threatens to expose everyone's secrets if they turn him in. He then presents the six guests with weapons—a candlestick, rope, lead pipe, wrench, revolver, and dagger—and suggests someone kill Wadsworth to protect their secrets before turning out the lights. After a gunshot rings out, Boddy is found on the floor, seemingly dead.

As the guests investigate Boddy's death, Wadsworth explains how he became indentured to Boddy and summoned the guests, hoping to force a confession from the group and turn one of them over to the police. As the group suspect the cook, only to find she was fatally stabbed with the dagger, someone discovers Boddy is alive before killing him with the candlestick. Wadsworth locks the weapons in a cupboard, but before he can throw away the key, a stranded motorist arrives, and Wadsworth locks him in the lounge before throwing a key out the front door. The group draw lots to pair up before searching the manor. However, someone burns the blackmail evidence, unlocks the cupboard, and kills the motorist with the wrench. Discovering a secret passage, Mustard and Scarlet find themselves locked in the lounge with the motorist's corpse. When they scream for help, Yvette shoots the door open with the revolver. The group deduces that Wadsworth threw out the wrong key and the murderer pickpocketed the cupboard key from him.

A cop investigating the motorist's abandoned car arrives to use the phone. The mansion receives a call from FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover, which Wadsworth takes alone. After successfully distracting the cop and concealing the bodies, the group resumes their search until someone turns off the electricity. In the darkness, Yvette, the cop, and an arriving singing telegram girl are murdered with the rope, pipe, and revolver, respectively. Wadsworth restores the power and gathers the group, having deduced what happened. Recreating the night's events and amidst a brief interruption from an evangelist, he explains how the other five victims were Boddy's informants who are each connected to one of the guests, which dovetails into one of three possible outcomes.

"How It Could Have Happened"

Yvette murdered the cook and Boddy under orders from Scarlet, who then killed Yvette and the other victims. Intending to sell the guests' secrets, Scarlet prepares to use the revolver to kill Wadsworth, who argues there are no bullets left before disarming her just as law enforcement raid the manor and the evangelist is revealed to be the chief of police. Wadsworth further reveals he is an undercover FBI agent before accidentally firing the last bullet in the revolver at a chandelier, which narrowly misses Mustard as it falls.

"How About This?"

Peacock killed all the victims to prevent her exposure for taking bribes from foreign powers before holding the others at gunpoint to escape. To the others' confused relief, Wadsworth reveals he is an undercover FBI agent. Peacock is arrested outside before law enforcement raid the manor and the evangelist is revealed to be the chief of police.

"Here's What Really Happened"

Apart from Green, everyone committed one murder: Peacock killed the cook, Plum killed Boddy, Mustard killed the motorist, Scarlet killed the cop, White killed Yvette, and Wadsworth killed the singing telegram girl. Holding the guests at gunpoint, Wadsworth reveals he is the real Boddy, Plum killed the real butler, and announces his intent to continue blackmailing them. However, Green draws his own revolver and kills Boddy. He then reveals he is an undercover FBI agent sent to investigate Boddy before letting in law enforcement and the evangelist, who is revealed to be the chief of police, to arrest everyone.

Cast

File:Clue 1985 film cast.jpg

Miss Scarlet (Lesley Ann Warren), Colonel Mustard (Martin Mull), Mrs. White (Madeline Kahn), Mr. Green (Michael McKean), Wadsworth (Tim Curry), Professor Plum (Christopher Lloyd), and Mrs. Peacock (Eileen Brennan)

• Eileen Brennan as Mrs. Peacock, the wife of a U.S. senator who has been accepting bribes from foreign powers. In Ending B, she kills Mr. Boddy, Yvette, and Mrs. Ho, her former cook who became Mr. Boddy's cook, as well as a passing motorist, cop, and singing telegram girl to prevent her secrets from being exposed. While the others discover her crimes, Peacock attempts to escape, only to be arrested on her way out. In Ending C, she only kills Mrs. Ho before she is exposed and arrested.
• Tim Curry as Wadsworth, a butler who was forced to work for Mr. Boddy and seeks justice for his wife. In Endings A and B, he is revealed to be an undercover FBI agent. In Ending C, he is revealed to be the real Mr. Boddy before he is shot by Mr. Green.
• Madeline Kahn as Mrs. White, the widow of a nuclear physicist and four previous men, all of whom died under suspicious circumstances. In Ending C, she kills Yvette out of jealousy upon discovering that she had an affair with one of her previous husbands before being exposed and arrested.
• Christopher Lloyd as Professor Plum, a disgraced former psychiatrist for the World Health Organization who now works for the United Nations after losing his medical license for having an affair with one of his patients. In Ending C, he seemingly kills Mr. Boddy, only to learn that he was actually Boddy's butler, before he is exposed and arrested.
• Michael McKean as Mr. Green, a closeted homosexual State Department employee who is concerned that his secret might cost him his job. In Ending C, he is revealed to be a married, heterosexual, undercover FBI agent working to expose Mr. Boddy.
• Martin Mull as Colonel Mustard, an army officer guilty of war profiteering during World War II who later became involved in a top secret fusion bomb project. In Ending C, he kills a passing motorist after recognizing him as his former driver before he is exposed and arrested.
• Lesley Ann Warren as Miss Scarlet, a sassy Washington, D.C. madam who runs an underground brothel. In Ending A, she orders Yvette to kill Mr. Boddy and Mrs. Ho before murdering her, a cop she was bribing, and a passing motorist and singing telegram girl before she is exposed, subdued and arrested. In Ending C, she only kills the cop before being exposed and arrested.
• Colleen Camp as Yvette, a voluptuous young French maid who formerly worked as a call girl for Miss Scarlet, during which she had Colonel Mustard as a client and pursued an affair with one of Mrs. White's late husbands. Initially considered a suspect, she is later murdered in the billiard room with the rope by Miss Scarlet, Mrs. Peacock, or Mrs. White in Endings A, B, and C respectively. Moreover, in Ending A, she additionally murders Mr. Boddy and Mrs. Ho on Scarlet's orders before she is killed.
• Lee Ving as Mr. Boddy, a man who has been blackmailing the six guests and Wadsworth's wife until he is murdered in the hall with the candlestick. In Ending A, he is murdered by Yvette on Miss Scarlet's orders. In Ending B, he is murdered by Mrs. Peacock. In Ending C, he is murdered by Professor Plum and later revealed to be the real butler.
• Bill Henderson as The Cop, a police officer whom Miss Scarlet had been bribing. After seemingly arriving at the mansion to investigate the motorist's abandoned car and make a phone call, he is later revealed to have been invited by Wadsworth before being murdered in the library with the lead pipe by Miss Scarlet in Endings A and C or Mrs. Peacock in Ending B.
• Jane Wiedlin as The Singing Telegram Girl, a former patient of Professor Plum, with whom she had an affair. After arriving at the mansion to deliver a message, she is shot with the revolver by Miss Scarlett in Ending A, Mrs. Peacock in Ending B, or Mr. Boddy in Ending C.
• Jeffrey Kramer as The Motorist, Colonel Mustard's middle-aged driver during World War II who comes to the mansion after his car breaks down and is murdered in the lounge with the wrench by Miss Scarlet in Ending A, Mrs. Peacock in Ending B, or Colonel Mustard in Ending C.
• Kellye Nakahara as The Cook (Mrs. Ho), Mr. Boddy's cook who used to work for Mrs. Peacock. Mrs. Ho is murdered in the kitchen with the dagger by Yvette on Miss Scarlet's orders in Ending A and Mrs. Peacock in Endings B and C.

Additionally, Howard Hesseman makes an uncredited appearance as the Chief of Police who works undercover as an evangelist.

Production

Development

Producer Debra Hill initially acquired the rights to adapt the game from Parker Brothers and intended to distribute through Universal Pictures.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref> As early as 1981, Hill mentioned plans to adapt the game into a movie, with P. D. James reported to be writing the screenplay with multiple endings.<ref name="TSR">Template:Cite news</ref>

Screenplay

The multiple endings were developed by John Landis, who had initially been set to direct, and who claimed in an interview to have invited playwright Tom Stoppard, writer and composer Stephen Sondheim, and actor Anthony Perkins to write the screenplay. The script was ultimately finished by Jonathan Lynn, who was invited to direct as a result.<ref name="2015-12-10 Buzzfeed" /><ref name=":0" />

A fourth ending was written for the film; according to Lynn, "It really wasn't very good. I looked at it, and I thought, 'No, no, no, we've got to get rid of that.'"<ref name="farr20120313">Template:Cite web</ref> In it, Wadsworth committed all the murders, and reveals he poisoned the champagne, leaving no witnesses when the six guests soon die. The officers arrive and capture Wadsworth, but he breaks free and steals a police car, though his escape is ultimately thwarted when three police dogs lunge from the back seat.Template:Sfn

Casting

Carrie Fisher was originally cast to portray Miss Scarlet, but withdrew to enter treatment for drug and alcohol addiction; she was replaced with Lesley Ann Warren.<ref name=ewbad>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Jonathan Lynn's first choice for Wadsworth was Leonard Rossiter, but he died before filming commenced.<ref name="jackson">Template:Cite web</ref> The second choice was Rowan Atkinson, but it was decided that he was not sufficiently well known at the time, so Tim Curry was cast.<ref name="jackson"/> The entire cast received the same salary and billing, despite their different levels of notability at the time.<ref name=":0" />

Filming

Clue was filmed on sound stages 17 and 18 at the Paramount Pictures film studios in Hollywood.<ref name="Fayetteville Mafia Press">Template:Cite book</ref> The set design is credited to Les Gobruegge, Gene Nollmanwas, and William B. Majorand, with set decoration by Thomas L. Roysden.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Better source needed To decorate the interior sets, authentic 18th- and 19th-century furnishings were rented from private collectors, including the estate of Theodore Roosevelt.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After completion, the set was bought by the producers of Dynasty, who used it as the fictional hotel The Carlton.

All interior scenes were filmed at the Paramount lot, except the ballroom scene. The ballroom and two driveway exteriors were filmed on location at a mansion in South Pasadena, California. This site was destroyed in a fire on October 5, 2005.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The driveway and fountain were recreated on the Paramount lot and used for most shots, including the guests' arrivals. Exterior shots of the South Pasadena mansion were enhanced with matte paintings to make the house appear much larger; these were executed by matte artist Syd Dutton in consultation with Albert Whitlock.Template:Citation needed

Jonathan Lynn screened His Girl Friday for the cast as inspiration for how to deliver their lines.<ref name=":0" /> Madeline Kahn improvised her monologue about "flames."<ref name="2015-12-10 Buzzfeed" />

Release

The film was released theatrically on December 13, 1985. Each theater received one of the three endings, and some theaters announced which ending the viewer would see.<ref name="ebert"/>

To mark the film's 40th anniversary, a three-day theatrical exhibition in August 2025 screened a different ending each day.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Novelizations

The novelization based on the screenplay is by Michael McDowell. Landis, Lynn, and Ann Matthews wrote the youth adaptation Clue: The Storybook. Both adaptations were published in 1985, and feature a fourth ending cut from the film:Template:Sfn in a variation on the-butler-did-it trope, Wadsworth explains how he killed Boddy and the other victims, then reveals to the guests that they've all been poisoned, leaving no witnesses to his perfect crime. As Wadsworth proceeds to disable the phones, the police chief (having previously posed as an evangelist) returns with a squad of officers who disarm Wadsworth. He nonetheless manages to escape, and attempts to get away in a police car, only to crash after Dobermanns attack from the back seat.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Sfn

Home media

The film was released to home video for both VHS and Betamax videocassette formats in Canada and the United States on August 20, 1986, and to other countries on February 11, 1991.<ref name="Fayetteville Mafia Press"/> It was released on DVD by Paramount Home Entertainment on June 17, 2000,<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref> and on Blu-ray by Paramount Home Media Distribution on August 7, 2012.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Shout! Factory released a 4K UHD Blu-ray collector's edition of Clue on December 12, 2023, including new interviews with director Jonathan Lynn and production manager Jeffrey Chernov.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Home video, television broadcast, and digital streaming releases include all three endings shown sequentially, with two characterized as possible endings and the third being the accurate account. DVD and Blu-ray versions offer viewers the option to watch a single ending (chosen randomly) or the "home entertainment version" with all three endings stitched together.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Soundtrack

La-La Land Records released the John Morris score as a limited-edition CD soundtrack in February 2011.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> For the film's 30th anniversary in 2015, Mondo issued a limited-edition 180-gram vinyl pressed on six different character-themed color variants.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A vinyl reissue from Enjoy The Ride Records followed in 2022.

Reception

Critical response

The film initially received mixed reviews. Janet Maslin of The New York Times panned it, writing that the beginning "is the only part of the film that is remotely engaging. After that, it begins to drag".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Similarly, Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune gave the film 2.5 out of 4 stars, writing, "Clue offers a few big laughs early on followed by a lot of characters running around on a treadmill to nowhere."<ref name=siskel>Template:Cite news</ref> Siskel particularly criticized the decision to release the film to theaters with three separate endings, calling it a "gimmick" that would distract audiences from the rest of the film, and concluding, "Clue is a movie that needs three different middles rather than three different endings."<ref name=siskel />

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 2 out of 4 stars, writing that it has a "promising" cast but the "screenplay is so very, very thin that [the actors] spend most of their time looking frustrated, as if they'd just been cut off right before they were about to say something interesting".<ref name="ebert">Template:Cite news</ref> On Siskel & Ebert & the Movies, both agreed that the "A" ending was the best while the "C" ending was the worst.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 73% based on 40 reviews, with an average rating of 6.4/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "A robust ensemble of game actors elevate Clue above its schematic source material, but this farce's reliance on novelty over organic wit makes its entertainment value a roll of the dice."<ref name=":1" /> On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 41 out of 100 based on 17 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Box office

Clue has grossed $14.6 million in North America, just short of its $15 million budget.<ref name="Clue 1985">Template:Cite web</ref>

Remake

Previous plans for a remake or reboot have languished for years. Initially Gore Verbinski was developing a new Clue film in 2009,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> which was dropped by Universal Studios in 2011.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Hasbro Studios moved the project to 20th Century Fox by August 2016, envisioned as a "worldwide mystery" with action-adventure elements, potentially establishing a franchise with international appeal.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Ryan Reynolds optioned a three-year first-look deal in January 2018, planning to star in the remake, with a script by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Jason Bateman was briefly attached to the film in September 2019,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> followed by James Bobin attached as director in February 2020,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> with Oren Uziel hired to rewrite the script in August 2022.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Hasbro Entertainment sought new rights arrangements for Clue in 2024,<ref name="Bolt2024">Template:Cite web</ref> and established deals with TriStar Pictures and Sony Pictures Television for new screen adaptations of the board game.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Screenwriter Shay Hatten has been in talks for the new film script.<ref name="KOsep18">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="JRsep23">Template:Cite web</ref>

Stage adaptations

Template:Main The screenplay was adapted from film to stage in 2017 by the original screenwriter Jonathan Lynn.<ref name="2015-12-10 Buzzfeed" /><ref name= "Variety">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Clue: On Stage premiered in 2017 at Bucks County Playhouse, adapted by Hunter Foster with additional material by Eric Price. It was directed by Foster and starred Sally Struthers and Erin Dilly.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A revised adaptation by Sandy Rustin, incorporating material from Foster and Price, was first performed in 2020. Rustin's adaptation was described as "a welcome throwback to an era of physical comedy".<ref name=NYTimes>Template:Cite news</ref> The stage adaptations have been performed widely.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

A national tour of the mystery-comedy play launched in 2024, directed by Casey Hushion.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Rabinowitz2024">Template:Cite web</ref>

In other media

The 2013 Psych episode "100 Clues" features Clue stars Martin Mull, Christopher Lloyd, and Lesley Ann Warren as suspects in a series of murders at a mansion. The episode, in addition to many jokes and themes in homage to the film, includes multiple endings in which the audience (separately for East and West Coast viewership) decides who is the real killer. The episode was dedicated to the memory of Madeline Kahn.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Warren guest starred on a 2019 episode of Mull's sitcom The Cool Kids as a love interest for his character. Her role announcement in November 2018 was initially touted by the press as a Clue reunion, though only Mull and Warren appear.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Bibliography

• Template:Cite book

External links

• Template:IMDb title
• Template:Mojo title
• Template:Rotten Tomatoes
• Template:TCMDb title
• Template:AFI film
• An oral history of mystery classic Clue (2023)