Cluedo is a game that was invented by Anthony E. Pratt in 1943 and manufactured in 1949 by Waddingtons in the United Kingdom. Known as Clue in the United States, the number of characters, rooms, and weapons has varied, but the basic premise stayed the same. It’s a murder mystery and it will need your best detective work to solve it. The rights to turn the game into a film were acquired by Debra Hill. The idea for different endings came from John Landis.
It is 1954 and six people have been invited to a mansion in the middle of nowhere.
They are greeted by the butler, Wadsworth (Tim Curry), and he is a very proper butler … or is he?! Everyone has got something to hide in this movie as they are all being blackmailed. And some are being blackmailed for some very old fashioned things (everything old is new again!) like homosexuality, and being in love with a SOCIALIST!
Because this is a murder mystery, the lights go out and a shot rings out. When the lights return there has been a muuurder. Now a series of finger pointing and fantastic slapstick occurs.
This is the kind of putting together of a film that sounds like it should be a huge failure. “Based on a board game” from 1985 just screams this is gonna be some hot garbage. And it did not originally do well at the box office. But it did gain a cult following that allowed it to gain the respect it deserved.
The reason it deserves respect is because of the cast. Those comedic geniuses we’ve lost like Tim, Madeline, and Eileen. And those that are still here. There is even an appearance by Jane Wiedlin. But the character of Wadsworth is truly the one that holds it all together, and Tim Curry’s performance of quick dialog and physical humor makes the whole movie so much more fun.
You know a movie is a classic when it spawns such a perfect gif as flames on the side of my face.
Tim Curry of course is known for all the wonderful characters he portrayed in film and voice acting in animation; but he was also an amazing singer who put out several albums, I owned some of them!
Have you ever wondered about the kitty that appears in all the Movie Night posters?
That is Axl, Movie Night mascot, and this was his first appearance as Clue was originally our tenth Movie Night selection. His person is 2Cats2Furious; as a tiny kitten Axl was discovered in a car engine and 2Cats kept us all informed as his rescue played out during a Movie Night. His removal from that engine and finding a forever home lifted us all up and he found a place among Wonkette’s illustrious group of beloved pets.
Clue stars Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Lesley Ann Warren, Colleen Camp, Eileen Brennan, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Martin Mull, and Lee Ving. Directed by Jonathan Lynn.
Clue is available with subscription on MGM+, Paramount+, and Hulu; $4.99 in the usual places.
To make requests and see the movie lists and schedules, go to WonkMovie.
The animated short is The Lost Thing by Shaun Tan.
On Monday will be the Wonkette Labor Day Matinee with Norma Rae starting at 3 p.m. ET. Available for free on Vimeo and OKRU.
Next week we kick off vampire movie month with The Hunger. Free with ads on Tubi; $3.99 in the usual places.
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BONUS TRIVIA:
In an example of attention to detail, the secret passages in this movie lead to the same rooms they do in the board game: the kitchen leads to the study and the conservatory leads to the lounge.
In another example of attention to detail, all of the rooms are in the correct order as they are in the board game, (clockwise) hall, lounge, dining room, kitchen, ballroom, conservatory, billiard room, library, and study, as well as a cellar (a non-suspected area in the game). There are also several new rooms not seen in the game, including a bathroom, master bedroom, attic, and nursery.
The color of each character's car is the same color as their playing piece in the game, and is introduced as follows: Colonel Mustard drives a yellow 1954 Cadillac Series 62, Mrs. White drives a black-and-white 1950 MG TD convertible, Mrs. Peacock drives a blue 1952 Packard 200 Deluxe club sedan, Mr. Green drives a green 1951 Plymouth Cranbrook, Ms. Scarlet drives a 1946 red Lincoln Continental, and Professor Plum drives a purple 1949 Pontiac Streamliner Station Wagon.
BONUS TRIVIA:
According to an interview with writer and director Jonathan Lynn, after a screening on the 25th anniversary of this movie's release, Carrie Fisher was originally cast as Miss Scarlet, until she ended up in rehab for drug addiction four days before filming started. Fisher called Lynn and agreed to a work furlough, which received approval of her clinicians and the producers, but was vetoed by the production's insurance company, forcing Lynn to dismiss her from the project. Lesley Ann Warren was cast as a last-minute replacement.