Other People’s Money (1991)
In the late 80’s, early 90’s, I attended a performance of Jerry Steiner’s play Other People’s Money at the Hartford Stages is CT. Steiner’s play had been a huge hit Off-Broadway here in NYC and while I missed Kevin Conway (Mystic River, Gettysburg), who originated the role of corporate raider (buying up companies and selling off their assets) Larry the Liquadator Off-Broadway, I was treated to the great Jon Polito, who you may recognize from the Coen Brothers’ Miller’s Crossing and Barton Fink. At the performance I saw, Mr. Polito was riveting….profane, honest, real….the role fit him like a glove. When it was announced that legendary film director Norman Jewison was going to make a film version of Steiner’s play, I hoped in my heart of hearts that Polito would be propelled to stardom and given a chance to reprise his excellent stage performance. But, Hollywood doesn’t work that way and while Polito went on to have succeses with the Coen’s, as well as with Homicide: Life On The Street and countless other projects, Hollywood and Norman Jewison went with Danny DeVito in the leading role of Lawrence Garfield and while DeVito scores his points in the role, the performance is simply a rehash of his memorable character from the television series Taxi. Imagine if Louie DePalma made it rich and that’s what you get here, which is not a bad thing. DeVito has always been a thoroughly interesting actor to watch and even if Louie DePalma creeped in a little from time to time, the role, as it did for Polito, fit DeVito like a glove as well.
The film version of Other’s People Money was released in 1991 and I was curious to see it, as Jewison had long been one of Hollywood’s most underrated film directors, even after directing such classics as In The Heat Of The Night, Moonstruck, The Cincinatti Kid and many more.
It was also a chance to see the great Gregory Peck on screen again, well cast here as a well liked, folkey owner of the struggling New England Wire and Cable Company, Garfield’s next target for take over. It Garfield takes over, it could greatly affect the small town in Rhode Island where the company operates.
Late in the film, both Peck and DeVito give compelling arguments about the merits of old-fashioned business versus corporate takeovers. It’s the most effective part of the entire film.
Sadly, the film focuses mostly on a subplot involving Penelope Ann Miller, who plays an attorney (and step daughter of Peck’s character) brought in to deal with Garfield, who’s more interested in going to bed with her. While DeVito is very funny and sharp in these sequences, the scenes falter as Miller is whoefully miscast as a tough as nail attorney. This is someone who needs to go head to head, tit for tat, with DeVito’s Garfield and Miller comes off as she does in all of her film performances, meek and mousy. This role needed Mercedes Ruehl, the actress who originated the role opposite Conway Off-Broadway. It would have been great to see Ruehl and DeVito go head to head.
I can still recommend the film for fans of DeVito and Peck. It’s also worth noting that Disney favorite Dean Jones also scores here, in perhaps the best role of his career, as a trusted colleague of Peck’s who decides to sell out the company when he becomes fearful that he’ll end up with nothing if the takeover happens. Piper Laurie, while underused, is also on point in her brief appearances as Miller’s mother.
____________________________________________________________________
OTHER PEOPLE’S MONEY; produced by Warner Brothers; directed by Norman Jewison; adapted for the screen by Alvin Sargent, based on the play by Jerry Steiner. Starring: Danny DeVito, Gregory Peck, Penelope Ann Miller, Piper Laurie and Dean Jones.
