Clue ** (1985, Eileen Brennan, Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Lesley Ann Warren, Martin Mull) – Classic Movie Review 7445

Director Jonathan Lynn’s 1985 black-comedy movie  Clue is surely the first film to be based on a board game, which of course means trouble ahead as there is no story to base the movie on, only characters and a situation.

This daft comedy whodunit features all the characters from Cluedo (or Clue in America). Tim Curry grabs another chance to be engagingly outrageous as Wadsworth the butler (well, did the butler do it?), who welcomes a series of Hollywood’s finest jokers to a Victorian mansion to witness an evening of murder and mayhem.

Six guests are invited to a strange house and must work with the butler and a maid to solve the murder mystery. Inevitably, it becomes an Agatha Christie spoof.

Given that it is based on a board game, Clue is amusing and inventive enough, and the actors are funny, but it is just a pity that Lynn’s writing and directing is so unfocused and uncertain.

Christopher Lloyd, as Professor Plum, thinks he has a Clue.

Eileen Brennan plays Mrs Peacock, Madeline Kahn is Mrs White, Christopher Lloyd is Professor Plum, Michael McKean is Mr Green, Lesley Ann Warren is Miss Scarlet, Martin Mull is Colonel Mustard, Colleen Camp is Yvette the Maid and Howard Hesseman is The Chief.

Also in the cast are Lee Ving, Bill Henderson, Jane Wiedlin, Jeffery Kramer and Kellye Nakahara.

Clue is based on a story by Jonathan Lynn and John Landis. It runs 94 minutes. British TV shows a version with three alternative endings. The original ending version is 87 minutes.

Clue (aka Clue The Movie is directed by Jonathan Lynn, runs 94 minutes, is made by Guber-Peters, PolyGram and Paramount, is released by Paramount, is written by Jonathan Lynn, based on a story by Jonathan Lynn and John Landis, is shot by Victor J Kemper, is produced by Debra Hill, Peter Guber, Jon Peters and John Landis, is scored by John Morris, and is designed by John Lloyd.

Martin Eugene Mull (August 18, 1943 – June 27, 2024).

Martin Mull (August 18, 1943 – June 27, 2024) famously played the role of Colonel Mustard in the 1985 black-comedy movie Clue, inspired by the board game. He played supporting roles in Mr Mom, Jingle All the Way and Mrs Doubtfire, and had a rare lead role in Serial (1980). He made his film debut in the 1978 movie FM.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7,445

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