The Fortune (1975) & Ruthless People (1986)

I'm solo this week providing a quick look at two films featuring somewhat similar plots with very different results. 

Podcast may contain minimal profanity.

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Transcript

Sean 0:03

Welcome once again to Scenes from the Screen, where we talk about all types of films: obscure, forgotten, prestigious, rotten... big screen and small, we cover it all. Who knows, you might discover a new gem or be reintroduced to an old favorite. My name is Sean, and I'll be your host.

Sean 0:16

Well, you lucky people, it's just me this week because I gave everyone else the week off, and I think any of my guests, including and especially Hollie, will be extremely happy, as no one would have appreciated sitting through the first film. I know I didn't.

Sean 0:30

But to give you a little background on why I chose the first film, a few months back, Powerhouse Films out of the UK had a fantastic sale, and some of the films are region-free, meaning they'll play on US machines. So if you're ever looking for DVDs or Blu-rays, I'd highly recommend taking a look at them because they're just a great company. Anyway, nearly everything was heavily discounted, so I decided to reach across the pond and invest in like seven movies for $70 or so, including shipping. Out of the seven, I had not seen six of them. So I decided to pop one in, and it just happened to be The Fortune.

Sean 1:05

Now, on paper and in theory, this had everything going for it. Jack Nicholson and Warren Beatty, in a Mike Nichols comedy? You'd think that would have spelled box off ice gold and resulted in a timeless comedy classic.

Sean 1:15

If you thought that, you'd be incredibly incorrect.

Sean 1:18

The film actually opens with a title card explaining the Mann Act, which is a federal law making it a felony to engage in foreign or domestic transportation of quote unquote, "any woman or girl for the purpose of prostitution or debauchery, or for any other immoral purpose". Nicholson and Beatty play, respectively, Oscar Sullivan and Nicky Wilson, two bumbling con men who plan to separate sanitary napkin heiress Freddie Bigard, played by Stockard Channing, from her inheritance. Now Freddie loves the already married Nicky, so in order for him to get her out of the state legally, he arranges for her to be married to Oscar, aka Dix, also eager to get out of town due to embezzling money from a bank.

Sean 1:58

The trio travel cross country, and after reaching LA, the two men try to decide how they're going to get Freddie's fortune. Freddie's suspicious and declares that she's going to give everything to charity, leading the men to step up their game and think about murdering her.

Sean 2:14

Funny stuff? Well, yeah, it could be, but not in this case. With The Fortune, you can't necessarily lay the blame at just one person's feet. A flop like this requires a group effort.

Sean 2:23

I once heard that you can make a bad movie out of a good script, but you can't make a good movie out of a bad script. Well, the script itself isn't great, but it's not altogether terrible, so that's just the beginning of this jumbled mess. Carole Eastman and Selene Elizabeth Bryce had a good idea, but turned out a flawed story. Making the two main characters in ept is always a good idea for a screwball caper like this, but to make them continually adversarial from the beginning and the beginning to the end, it just wasn't a wise choice. The ongoing friction doesn't work because what should have started off as a friendly agreement and plan... really didn't...as Beatty's Nicky pretty much hates Nicholson's Dix from the get-go. It doesn't, it just doesn't fit the tone of the film for some reason.

Sean 3:05

There is one really great scene where the two are trying to dispose of Freddy's body on a seemingly desolate bridge in the dark of night, and said bridge suddenly turns into a major thoroughfare. It was actually executed well and made me laugh out loud. I also credit Stockard Channing with turning in the best performance in the film. Her Freddy is vibrant and full of life. She more than holds her own in the first major film role, against heavyweights Nicholson and Beatty. The only issue with her character again stems from the script, which asks her to be both somewhat savvy and downright stupid whenever the plot calls for it. I'd say this was a spoiler alert coming up, but I'm going to do you a favor so you never have to watch this movie yourself. The two morons dispose of Freddie's body, but it turns out she's very much alive. The two con men inexplicably confess their actions to the police, and Freddie comes waltzing back into their lives at the same time. When she hears what happens, she doesn't believe it and stays with the two men. Then the credits roll. I actually had to backtrack this. Is it still cool to say rewind? I don't even know. If it's on DVD, I guess you can, but anyway, I had to rewind it to see if I missed something. Well, nothing in the movie itself, but it turns out just an hour and a half of my time.

Sean 4:16

Everything just seems off about this film. Nicholson kind of plays a simpleton at first, and at certain points throughout the movie, which results in an inconsistent character. Like Channing's Freddie, he changes based on the needs of the plot. Beatty is actually completely miscast, and his Nicky is an unlikable character. Unlikable characters work, but they're only as good as the words on the page and the actor inhabiting the role. In this instance, both fail. And it's kind of believable, unbelievable, I should say, thinking the male leads would be bumbling, as Nicholson and Beatty never strike you as being stupid. I mean the people themselves, not, you know, the characters.

Sean 4:51

And I know he's revered, but seeing director Mike Nichol name is always a mixed bag for me, as his films have always been a hit or, hit or miss. He might be best known for 1967's The Graduate, a film I think is way overhyped and overrated. And 1996 's The Birdcage, which is at the other end of the spectrum, absolutely hysterical. 1990's Postcards from the Edge is another high point, while 1994's Wolf, one of several other co-collaborations with Jack Nicholson, is an extremely low point, and worse than The Fortune, if you can believe that. The Fortune is supposed to be a mixture of slapstick, black comedy, romance, and crime, and literally fails on all levels. It's like someone heard about the Mann Act and decided, "hey, a period piece set in the 20s and involving human trafficking and murder" would be a winner. Well, it could have been. Anything taboo can be if done right, and Mel Brooks is one person who has proved this time and time and again that things like that could succeed.

Sean 5:46

If there's something else that's interesting about The Fortune, it's the character actors that pop up throughout, like Florence Stanley, John Fielder, Dub Taylor, Scatman Crothers, and Richard B. Shull. But not only Florence Stanley has the most screen time as the landlady once they get out into LA. There's also a scene with the blink and you miss him, Christopher Guest, who's trying to get it on with a girl in the back of his car.

Sean 6:07

For me, The Fortune is in no way rewatchable. I honestly can't believe I never saw this before, as it would have had to have been on HBO in the late 70s. But maybe it wasn't. Maybe this turd was even shunned by them and for good reason. I could just see an HBO executive back then saying, "Who the hell's going to watch this shit?" I was so bored, I actually scrolled through my phone during some portions of the film. It's not even up to the level of Ishtar, another Beatty misfire, where it became normal to make fun of.

Sean 6:33

Now, if you want to watch a good film which shares some similar elements without the human trafficking aspect of it, try 1986's Ruthless People.

Sean 6:44

With a sharp script by Dale Launer, who also wrote another favorite of mine, My Cousin Vinny, and direction by the airplane team of Zucker, Abrahams, and Zucker, Ruthless People fires on all cylinders.

Sean 6:55

Danny DeVito plays Sam Stone, a man who married the boss's daughter, and who now wants his wife's fortune, so he plans to murder her. However, she's kidnapped by Ken and Sandy, played by Judge Reinhold and Helen Slater, because Sam stole Sandy's designs and became a millionaire. They think Sam will fork over a ransom, but it turns out he doesn't give a shit and obviously doesn't want her back, so he strings them along in the hopes that they'll kill her, as they keep claiming they will, all the while continue to lower the ransom amount out of desperation. Being too nice, the pair are now saddled with Barbara, Sam's absolute shrew of a wife, played to perfection by Bette Midler.

Sean 7:32

Ruthless People is an extremely clever film with twists and turns you don't see coming, featuring a world inhabited by all types: ruthless, nice, dumb, conniving, and credible. Yet none of them ever feel like caricatures, including the complete idiot Earl, hysterically portrayed by Bill Pullman, who, along with Anita Morris, starring as Sam's mistress, plans to blackmail Sam.

Sean 7:54

Needless to say, nothing goes as planned, as the local police and even a bedroom killer terrorizing the area get pulled into the orbit of all the main characters. The result is one of the best screwball comedies of all time. In lesser hands, the film may not work nearly as well, but Launer's lean original screenplay in the hands of Zucker, Abrams, and Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker, I should say, make this a gem not to be missed. It's not only an incredibly smart story, but there are some fantastic visual gags peppered throughout in addition to several snappy one-liners.

Sean 8:24

As is the case with most movies of that decade, top talent in the music industry like Billy Joel, Mick Jagger, and Luther Vandross, just to name a few, contributed to an amazing and fun soundtrack.

Sean 8:34

Ruthless People is a highly rewatchable film. I saw it when it came out at the theater and probably around a dozen other times since. This is one that if it came on at any time, I'd easily be glued to the set. In fact, I just saw it again and it still felt fresher and funnier than most comedies today. I really wish they had a special edition or even a Blu-ray available, but sadly, other than the current other than currently streaming on Amazon Prime, it's only available on regular DVD, which is a travesty considering shit like Armageddon has not only multiple format releases, but a Criterion edition. If you need a good laugh or just want to see a well-constructed movie, give Ruthless People a chance. You will not be disappointed.

Sean 9:13

That wraps up another episode, so make sure you hit like, subscribe, download, whatever it takes to be the first to know when new episodes become available on your favorite podcast platform. For Scenes From the Screen, I'm Sean, and thanks for listening.