Brewster's Millions (1985)

"Monty pitches and I catch. The money won't change us."

Director

Walter Hill

Cast
Richard Pryor - Montgomery Brewster

John Candy - Spike Nolan

Stephen Collins - Warren Cox
Lonette McKee - Angela Drake

Pat Hingle - Edward Roundfiel
Jerry Orbach - Charlie Pegler
Jerome Dempsey - Norris Baxter
David White - George Granville
Hume Cronyn - Rupert Horn

With all the reboots, remakes, and long, long, long awaited sequels hitting theaters the last 15 years, audiences generally think this a result of a creativity shortage in Hollywood. Maybe that's true to a large degree, but there's a lot of writers out there, and there's a lot of sublime and excellence movies coming out that don't often get the same attention as the more anticipated movies do. 

As far as all the remakes and reboots, my normal retort is that these movies are as old as the movie industry itself. There's a lot of classic and well-beloved movies that are remakes of earlier films. "The Wizard of Oz" from 1939 comes directly to mind. 

The 1985 comedy, "Brewster's Millions" with Richard Pryor and John Candy is a perfect example of how movie remakes are nothing new in Hollywood. 

I knew about this movie for decades, but I've never watched it until a few nights ago for a movie night with my wife. She somehow earned a code from Roku and was able to pick a free movie to download on the "My Movies" app. So, this is was the most appealing from the movies we could choose from.

I wanted to get to "Brewster's Millions" while I've been on a John Candy movie binge lately, as I've mentioned in my previous John Candy movie reviews. 

In this movie, Richard Pryor plays Montgomery 'Monty' Brewster who pitches for the minor league team, the  Hackensack Bulls.

He's pals with the Bulls catcher, Spike Nolan (John Candy). After a post-game stop at the local bar, the two get into a big bar brawl and wind up in jail.
They're visited by a stranger named J. B. Donaldo who offers to cover their bail, but they have to plead guilty. 

Once they're out of the slammer, he takes them back to the law firm of Granville & Baxter out in Manhattan. There, Monty is tossed into a meeting with an executor, Edward Roundfield. 

Much to Brewster's shock and surprise, his great-uncle Rupert Horn (Hume Cronyn) suddenly died. Monty didn't even know he had a great-uncle Rupert. What's more shocking is that Rupert is an insanely rich white dude...or, was an insanely rich white dude. And what's even more shocking is that Monty is his only living relative. So, upon Rupert's death, there's no one to inherit his $300 million fortune except Monty. 

Richard Pryor as Monty Brewster in "Brewster's Millions."

However, he's not going to get that fortune without a little catch. He's got two choices. Monty can either take $1 million right away. The law firm would then become the lawful executor of great-uncle Rupert's estate and will collect a service fee, while the rest of the millions will be given to charity. 

Or, he can have $30 million upfront and spend every cent of it within 30 days. 

If he picks the second option, the catch is that despite all the required spending, when the 30 days is up, Brewster cannot own any assets other than what he doesn't already own. If he hires anybody and uses part of the $30 million to pay them, he has to utilize the services he hires them for. 

Brewster cannot destroy or damage any of the items he might purchase. He's permitted to give five percent away to charity, and he can only gamble another five percent. In other words, he can't just give the millions away, nor can he squander all of it on gambling. 

Finally, he cannot tell anyone about this challenge. Not even Spike. If he can spend the entire amount and stick to the rules, he'll inherit the entire $300 million. If he fails, he forfeits all of it and gets nothing. 

Brewster picks the $300 million and doesn't waste a minute in spending his millions. 

Though "Brewster's Millions" has an original feel to it, it's obviously not an original story as I mentioned. 

It's based on the 1902 novel written by George Barr McCutcheon. It was also a Broadway production in 1906 starring Edward Abeles.

The earliest movie based on McCutcheon's book is the 1914 silent comedy movie of the same name directed by none other than Cecil B. DeMille along with Oscar Apfel.

In 1921, another silent movie adaptation, also called "Brewster's Millions," was released. It stars the legendary Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle. 

Over in the U.K., they made their own movie based on the novel in 1935 also called "Brewster's Millions." Their version is a musical comedy directed by Thornton Freeland

Back in the U.S., another remake, again called "Brewster's Millions," was released in 1945 and stars Dennis O'Keefe. And that takes us to the 1985 comedy. 

Richard Pryor, Rick Moranis, and John Candy.

There's a buddy chemistry between Richard Pryor and John Candy. It's unfortunate these two comedians didn't do more movies together.

For a movie starring two of the best comedians in the industry, there's not enough comedy in "Brewster's Millions." In other words, their collective comedic talent isn't used to the fullest extent. Candy and Pryor work well with what their given. But there's so much more room in the premise for more comedy from these guys. And with that buddy chemistry I mentioned, "Brewster's Millions" could have been a decent starting-off point for some more comedies from these guys. 

That's not to say the movie doesn't earn some laughs. There's even a cameo from Rick Moranis.   

Otherwise, "Brewster's Millions" is a story which I can't really compare to any other story though there's a lot of movies about regular people who suddenly strike it rich through some out-of-the-ordinary circumstance, or through a million-to-one stroke of amazing luck. But adding the element of the protagonist being required to spend millions to get millions makes an intriguing and unique comedy.

I previously reviewed the film "Waking Ned Devine" about a jackpot lottery win in a small Irish village. Also the 1954 British comedy, "The Million Pound Note" starring Gregory Peck and based off a story by Mark Twain, led to the 1983 comedy "Trading Places" with Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd. Both are about sudden wealth with main characters who are like fishes out of the water with their fortune. 

In 1979, the "MAD Magazine Board Game" was introduced. In this game, each player starts off with $10,000. And in true MAD Magazine form, satirizing "Monopoly," each player rushes around the board trying to lose all their money. The first loser is the winner. That's the closest thing I can compare the movie to. 

Despite how much more humor from Candy and Pryor that could have been used, the movie is still a fun, fast yet well paced story. Not to mention the moral of the story that money really isn't everything. It's more of a burden than it is a blessing. 

Even so, I can't think of another movie or story that makes its audience want to be in the protagonists spot any more than "Brewster's Millions." 

Delirious (1991)

"This stranger knows no danger. I'm much stranger than you think."

Director
Tom Mankiewicz

Cast
John Candy - Jack Gable
Mariel Hemingway - Janet DuBois/Louise
Emma Samms - Rachel Hedison/Laura Claybourne
Raymond Burr - Carter Hedison
David Rasche - Dr. Paul Kirkwood/Dennis
Charles Rocket - Ty Hedison
Dylan Baker - Blake Hedison
Jerry Orbach - Lou Sherwood
Renée Taylor - Arlene Sherwood

John Candy is a comedic talent that's still sorely missed among fans even 30 years after his death. 

 I love his movies! I have a list of John Candy films I am searching for wherever I might happen to find them. Specifically, I'm looking for the Candy films that don't seem to get the same sort of attention as his more popular movies. Movies such as "Only the Lonely," "The Clown Murders," "Brewster's Millions," "Once Upon a Crime," "Going Berserk," "Armed and Dangerous," and "Canadian Bacon" are the ones I want to get to but can't seem to find fast enough. I happened to find his 1991 romance comedy "Delirious" on the streaming app, Tubi.

I've already reviewed his movies, "Nothing but Trouble," "Summer Rental," and Who's Harry Crumb?" not too long ago on this platform. 

"Delirious" is one of his comedies that should stand out above the rest primarily because of Candy's performance, though the film as a whole was poorly received upon its release. In fact, it was a flop. However, Candy's performance alone deserves a lot of attention. It's a rare gem in that he takes on a romantic lead, albeit not as romantic a lead like he did in the John Hughes movie "Only the Lonely" in which he co-stars with Ally Sheedy and Maureen O'Hara. I cannot wait to get to that movie! 

By the way, speaking of Ally Sheedy, I didn't realize until five minutes ago that she has a cameo in "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York." I completely missed that! But I digress. 

Looking at his filmography, John Candy had quite a year in 1991. He appears in five movies released that year - "Nothing But Trouble," "Career Opportunities," "Only the Lonely," 'Delirious," and Oliver Stone's "JFK." The latter is a cameo in which Candy takes on a serious role. 

In "Delirious" Candy plays the head writer of a soap opera, "Beyond Our Dreams" named Jack Gable. The series takes place in the fictional town of Ashford Falls.

He's deeply immersed in his writing and is attracted to the self-absorbed show's head actress, Laura Claybourne (Emma Samms) who plays the lead role, Rachel Hedison.

When he arrives to work on a rather business-as-usual morning, he bumps into another actress, Louise (Mariel Hemingway) who's there to audition for the role of Janet DuBois. 

Janet is a character Jack is adamantly opposed to. When he catches wind of this character's debut, he takes the issue to the show's co-producers, Lou Sherwood (Jerry Orbach) and Arlene Sherwood (Renée Taylor). 

The Sherwoods respond to Jack's protest by telling him they don't care much, if at all, for his ideas for the series' upcoming season. One of his ideas is to introduce a new character called Jack Gates who'll be a self-centered rich yahoo. 

The late, great John Candy as Jack Gable in "Delirious."

In fact, they want to kill off the lead character, Laura Claybourne. This doesn't make sense. Their decision is based completely on Rachel's ridiculous contract demands. And to ensure they get what they want, Lou and Arlene hire Jack's nemesis in the field, Arnie Fetterman (Milt Oberman) who'll basically do whatever they tell him. The Sherwoods are very set in their ways. 

That weekend, Jack has plans to take a vacation to Vermont. 

Before leaving, Laura calls him crying about breaking up with her boyfriend, Dennis (David Rasche), who happens to play the character, Dr. Paul Kirkwood on "Beyond Our Dreams." She insists on tagging along with Jack on his trip. 

Of course, Jack is all for it since he has feelings for her.

As he tries to pile her luggage into his trunk, he catches her making out with Dennis. It didn't take long for them to make up. 

The trunk then closes on his head pretty hard. Still, he takes off for his trip, and then crashes his car. 

When he wakes up, Jack finds himself in Ashford Falls Hospital. He recognizes the set right away. Dr. Kirkwood is standing over him. Of course, Jack thinks it's a joke, until he leaves the hospital and finds himself in the actual town of Ashford Falls. 

While outside wrapping his head around the situation, he bumps into Janet DuBois. He recognizes her from the office, but she thinks he's actually Jack Gates looking for a weight-loss formula her father developed. Jack insists he's the show's writer which she doesn't believe.

They get into a frustrated argument which ends with her telling him to write his way out of his situation. 

So, that's what he does. Jack pulls out his typewriter and writes a scene for the show in which the local mechanic calls him to say his damaged car is now fixed. As soon as he does, the mechanic calls and tells him his car is fixed. 

In no time, Jack realizes that whatever he writes on his typewriter quickly becomes reality. He can control the flow of events and the actions of the characters around him by simply typing out scenarios. So, Jack uses this incredible gift as a way to pursue Rachel in as epic a way as he can. But the reality he writes out only lasts as long as the scene is written. 

However, it works, and Rachel falls for him despite having a boyfriend. 

Meanwhile, Jack starts developing an attraction to Janet and uses his typewriter to help her avoid some schemes which the wealthy brothers, Blake (Dylan Baker) and Ty Medison (Charles Rocket) are plotting in an attempt acquire the weight loss formula at the behest of their dad, Carter Medison (Raymond Burr). 

The family owns and operates a huge pharmaceutical company which explains why they want this weight loss formula. So, Jack is forced to keep writing scenes to ensure everything plays out the way he deems best. 

Emma Samms and John Candy.

John Candy takes on a romantic lead alongside his funny buddy type of humor and persona. 

His characters are generally easy for audiences to connect with. Candy is just likeable. There's no reason to say it all fancy-like. That's why I've been searching for a bunch of his not-so-talked about movies and watching them when I can. His performance in "Delirious" is no different. 

I was barely interested in everything going on outside of Candy's screen time. 

Everything else, especially the acting, needs polishing. Lots of it. Then again, it's soap opera acting. In that regard, the cast nailed it!

I did get a few laughs out of the jokes both from Candy and from other the actors. 

The movie has potential to be much more memorable than it is. It feels more like a dress rehearsal than a fun, well made comedy. 

Despite what it lacks in the performances, line delivery, and enthusiasm from some of the other actors, "Delirious" barely passes as a movie that deserves an audience, or at least a heart filled cult following. 

Otherwise, the rest of the comedy falls flat too often. 

John Candy really does his Candy best to carry this thing to the end, working with what he's given and with as much enthusiasm and energy as he can. 
It becomes absurd at times which actually works for a comedy like this. But it still strikes me as forced, such as when he gets upset and tosses his typewriter against the wall. 
"Delirious" also feels like a unique twist on the premise seen in "Groundhog Day" which was released in 1993. 

Aside from John Candy, "Delirious" has a respectable cast of notables such as Mariel Hemingway, Raymond Burr, Dylan Baker, Jerry Orbach, Robert Wagner, and an uncredited cameo from Margot Kidder. 
Like I said, some of the jokes got a laugh out of me. The other times, I wondered "what the hell kind of writing is this?" Then again, that's the who point of the movie.

The Little Rascals (1994)

"Then the clouds opened up and God said, 'I hate you, Alfalfa'!"

Director
Penelope Spheeris

Cast

Travis Tedford - Spanky McFarland
Bug Hall - Alfalfa Switzer
Brittany Ashton Holmes - Darla Hood
Kevin Jamal Woods - Stymie
Ross Bagley - Buckwheat Thomas
Jordan Warkol - Froggy Laughlin
E.G. Daily - voice of Froggy Laughlin
Zachary Mabry - Porky
Sam Saletta - Butch
Blake Jeremy Collins - Woim
Blake McIver Ewing - Waldo Johnston III
Courtland Mead - Uh-huh
Juliette Brewer - Mary Ann
Heather Karasek - Jane

I've never seen the 1994 movie "The Little Rascals" until a few weeks ago. That's kind of odd for me given that I'm a fan of the Hal Roach comedies which includes the "Our Gang" comedy shorts, also known as "The Little Rascals." It also includes the comedies of Laurel and Hardy, Charley Chase, and Thelma Todd and ZaSu Pitts. In fact, I recently wrote a post about Pitts and Todd (later Todd and Kelly) comedies which took me over a year to put together. 

But "The Little Rascals" was one of many movies I've had on my to-watch list.

I've not only wanted to see it because of its being a remake of Hal Roach's "Our Gang" brand, but also because of another Hal Roach brand remake that was released straight to video and doesn't get much attention, if any at all. That movie is "The New Adventures of Laurel and Hardy in For Love or Mummy." It was released in 1999 and stars Bronson Pinchot as Stan Laurel alongside Gailard Sartain as Oliver Hardy. Before I get to that one, I wanted to watch this movie first. 

What's more fascinating about that Laurel and Hardy reboot is that Oscar winning actor F. Murray Abraham also stars in it. Abraham is no small name in Hollywood. He had a masterful performance as Salieri in "Amadeus" and also stars alongside Al Pacino in "Scarface."

In the meantime, I decided to finally watch "The Little Rascals" one Sunday afternoon with my kids after stumbling on it on some streaming app; I don't remember which one. 

To be honest, I wasn't expecting anything fantastic. In fact, I was expecting some disappointment despite having heard several times before from random people how much they love this movie. I'm just a harsh critic, I guess. 

〰 Time Out for Lessons 〰

Hal Roach's 'Rascals' in the 1925 silent film, "Your Own Back Yard."

As for the classic "Our Gang" films, from what I found, there are approximately 220 original short films that span from the 1922 pilot short "Our Gang" to their last movie, "Dancing Romeo" from 1944. 

The first 66 films between 1922 to 1928 are silent movies produced by Hal Roach Studios and distributed by Pathe'. 

Often, these shorts were billed as "Hal Roach presents his rascals." They feature the original cast of kids before the shorts with Alfalfa, Spanky, Darla, Buckwheat and all the rest of the commonly known cast of characters popped up on screen which are depicted in this 1994 reboot. 

The original silent "Gang" include characters such as Sunshine Sammy (later replaced with the character "Pineapple"), Farina, Mickey Daniels, Jackie, Peggy, Snowball and Jack Davis. Mickey Daniels, by the way, was the original leader of the gang. 

There was also another member named Sing Joy, played by Sonny Loy - a Chinese kid who would join in these shorts from time to time such as in "Derby Day" (1922) and "The Mysterious Mystery" (1924).

Several silent "Our Gang" shorts between 1927 to 1929 were also produced by Hal Roach Studios and distributed through MGM. 

Finally, the talking films were produced between 1929 to 1944. 

Some of these original young cast members lasted until the early talking "Our Gang" shorts of the 1930s. Farina was one of those original Gang members to star in the early talking "Our Gang" films. And he's often considered one of the best of the child actors to star in these movies. His comedic performance and emotional displays are well respected for being superb.

As the earlier Gang does what kids have a knack for doing - grow up - new child actors where cast for the talking shorts. 

As Roach saw it, kids are naturally imaginative and creative. So, the humor and entertainment they would provide would be, and is, natural. 

1935 marks the year when the characters who are most popular today began making their "Our Gang" appearances. Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer first appeared in the 1935 short, "Beginner's Luck" as "Tom." In the next short released that same year, "Teacher's Beau" he plays the character "Alfalfa." 

Stymie first appears in "Teacher's Beau." And it's worth mentioning that Stymie's over-sized derby hat is actually an old hat that belonged to Stan Laurel.  

A scene from the 1937 short "Glove Taps" in which 
Tommy Bond (2nd from right) debuts as "Butch."

"Porky" first appears in "Little Sinner." And Darla Hood debuts in "The Our Gang Follies of 1936." 

Spanky McFarland joins the gang a little earlier in the 1932 short "Free Eats."  

Also, actress Hattie McDaniel, famous for her role in "Gone with the Wind" portrayed Buckwheat's mother in the "Our Gang" shorts, "Anniversary Trouble" (1935) and "Arbor Day" (1936).

I knew of the later talking "Our Gang" shorts from the mid to late 1930s since before I can remember. However, I was introduced to the silent films thanks to VHS releases from "Cabin Fever" which came in a set. Each tape had an introduction from film critic Leonard Maltin. 

Quite often, Hal Roach actors would cross paths in other movies. For instance, Stan Laurel has a role in the silent flicks "Rupert of Hee Haw" and "Short Kilts," both from 1924 and starring the original "Our Gang." 

Laurel and Hardy have a cameo in the later "Our Gang" film "Wild Poses" (1933).

And several of the "Our Gang" kids appear in the Laurel and Hardy movie "Babes in Toyland." 

Meanwhile, Little Rascal bully Tommy "Butch" Bond has a cameo in Laurel and Hardy's feature movie, "Block-Heads" (1938). And the famous little rascal, Darla Hood, appears in another Laurel and Hardy movie, "The Bohemian Girl" (1936). 

Lastly, as I've mentioned before, Spanky McFarland stars in Thelma Todd and ZaSu Pitts final short together, "One Track Minds" right before Todd began making shorts with Patsy Kelly. And Mickey Daniels stars in the Todd and Kelly short "An All-American Toothache." 

〰 'The Little Rascals' 〰

Bug Hall (left) as "Alfalfa" and Sam Saletta as "Butch" in "The Little Rascals."

In this movie, rascal Spanky McFarland (Travis Tedford) and the other young members of the "He-Man
Womun [sic] Haters Club," an "organization" that goes back to the original "Our Gang" series, select Alfalfa Switzer (Bug Hall) to be the official driver of the club's go-cart dubbed "The Blur" in an upcoming soapbox derby. 

They make this decision without Alfalfa's presence. So, when they go to tell him, they find Alfalfa on a romantic outing with a girl named Darla (Brittany Ashton Holmes). This goes against the principles of the He-Man Womun Haters Club.

When Darla and Alfalfa set up a lunch date, which Alfalfa hosts inside the clubhouse, the rest of the gang go out of their way to sabotage it. 

Spanky is the mastermind behind this scheme to split his buddy up with Darla, but Alfalfa doesn't know that.

Their efforts lead to the clubhouse burning down. 

One of the club members leads Darla to believe that Alfalfa no longer cares for her and is, in fact, ashamed of her. 
Stunned and angry, Darla takes an interest in Waldo Johnston III (Blake McIver Ewing), a self-centered rich kid who's trying to win over her affection. 

The other club members then "punish" Alfalfa for spending time with a girl by instructing him to guard "the Blur" until racing day. 

Meanwhile, Alfalfa tries again and again to win Darla's love back, but to no avail. He can't get a break. 

And the other club members have work to do to rebuild their clubhouse. 

They try to come up with money for building materials. They also have to come up with another go-cart after some bullies, Butch (Sam Saletta) and his buddy Woim (Blake Jeremy Collins), steal "the Blur." 

When Alfalfa finds out what Spanky has done to sabotage his romance with Darla, things only get worse...before they get better. 

This is a film that's innocent and, thankfully, family friendly. 

What makes the original "Our Gang" casts stand out is Hal Roach's insistence that their respective characters reflect the real personalities of the actors no matter their class, race, or background. This gives the kids the freedom to meld with each other so well amidst direction. In other words, he

Travis Tedford as "Spanky."

preferred they act like kids instead of trained performers.

I think this movie carries on that legacy to some degree, especially between Buckwheat (Ross Bagley) and Porky (Zachary Mabry) who pal around as a bit of a sideline. Plus, the young actors in this movie perform exceptionally well, and are clearly enjoying what they're doing.

The movie pulls jokes and gags from original "Our Gang" films, primarily "Hearts are Thumps," "Rushin' Ballet," and "Hi'-Neighbor." 

Director Penelope Spheeris has also directed a couple other comedies during the 1990s that have a large fanbase - "Wayne's World" and "Black Sheep." 

She also directed the 1993 movie "The Beverly Hillbillies" based on the TV series. 

This version of "the Little Rascals" is blended amazingly well. Though it's obviously an updated version of the original series, the source material isn't too modernize. It maintains both it's classic nature along side a timeless quality.   

The source material is treated respectfully with a lot of the jokes and gags taken straight from the "Our Gang" shorts plus more updated humor for the time.

This film grabbed the interest of my three oldest children ages five, eight, and nine. So much so, they've taken an interest in the original black and white shorts. Trying to get children interested in old films is nearly impossible. I think the "Our Gang" shorts might be a perfect doorway to introducing kids (at least my kids) to classic films.

The movie also packs in several cameos, including Donald Trump, which I certainly have no problem with. His cameo fits. 

If I have to pick out something negative, I'd say the dialogue sounds scripted here and there, but it's easily forgivable. 

Otherwise, there's such a natural ease in giving this movie a modern feel (for 1994) while maintaining the classic nature of the "Our Gang" brand. It's an innocent and enjoyable experience worth re-watching.