Other People's Money (1991)

Director:

Norman Jewison

Writers (WGA):

Jerry Sterner (play)
Alvin Sargent (screenplay)

Release Date:

18 October 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Meet Larry the Liquidator. Arrogant. Greedy. Self-centered. Ruthless. You gotta love the guy.

Plot:

A corporate raider threatens a hostile take-over of a "mom and pop" company. The patriarch of the company enlists the help of his wife's daughter...

Plot Keywords:

Corporate Raider | Violin | Satire | Factory | Money

Cast

Danny DeVito	...	Lawrence Garfield
Gregory Peck	...	Andrew Jorgenson
Penelope Ann Miller	...	Kate Sullivan
Piper Laurie	...	Bea Sullivan
Dean Jones	...	Bill Coles
R.D. Call	...	Arthur
Mo Gaffney	...	Harriet
Bette Henritze	...	Emma
Tom Aldredge	...	Ozzie
Leila Kenzle	...	Marcia
Cullen O. Johnson	...	Gus
William De Acutis	...	Pfeiffer
David Wells	...	Granger
Stephanie White	...	Angeli
Jeff Hayenga	...	Klein (as Jeffrey Hayenga)

Also Known As:

Riqueza ajena (USA: Spanish title) (video title)

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | Australia:M | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Connecticut, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The factory shown in the shots from across the river WAS located in Georgetown, Connecticut (part of Wilton/Redding/Ridgefield CT), and was vacant for years after operating as a brass and wire plant for over 100 years and a local landmark. The skeleton of the plant is still standing and is in the process of being developed as a large commercial and residential development.

Quotes:

Andrew Jorgenson: I want you to look at him in all of his glory: "Larry the Liquidator." The entrepreneur of post-industrial America, playing God with other people's money. The robber barons of old at least left something tangible in their wake- a coal mine, a railroad...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Other People's Honey (1991) (V)

Engaging and intelligent

In no way whatsoever does this film compare to the play upon which it was based. That having been said, however, it stands very nicely on its own if one does not have any expectations going in. Danny DeVito, one of my all-time favorite character actors, brilliantly and flawlessly portrays Larry Garfield, corporate raider, known to those in the trade as "Larry the Liquidator". If you are reading this, chances are you have read other reviews which recap the plot points, so in lieu of boring you I will just add my recommendation that you will not go unrewarded if you give this one a try.

Certain other elements, like the controversial casting of Penelope Ann Miller, the near-absence of Piper Laurie's character, and most seriously, the total absence of other key plot elements from the play which contributed to the overall emotional impact of the piece, leave something of a regret in one's mouth after watching the film is over...you see glimmers of what might have been, see the hint of the masterpiece that might have been created, and wonder what sacrifices had to be made by the filmmakers at the studio level in order to make this film at all.

Worth seeing for DeVito's masterful, lovingly crafted and enthusiastically delivered performance.