By Cori Domschot featuring a Q and A with Lesley Ann Warren at the Pantages Theater in Tacoma Washington for the 40th anniversary Screening of Clue
This movie is such an integral part of me, and how I view film. I’ve thought about this movie so much, I assumed I’d already written about it. This movie is one of my famous, “Oh, I watched that with my dad!” movies. A movie based on a classic board game, designed to be immersive. This film will take turns of having you rolling on the floor laughing, and having you view it critically with a whodunnit’ eye.
At its very core, Clue is a dinner party gone wrong.
While the cook didn’t forget about anyone’s allergies, murder does tend to ruin an experience. Everyone has a motive, but only one person knows the whole truth. While everyone’s secrets are put on display, sparing no humiliation, everyone becomes increasingly suspicious of each other as the body count rises.
The setting is New England 1954. It’s the height of the Red Scare. While communism may be a red herring, it certainly is broadly discussed during the film. Everyone is important in this film. Where people are placed in a room is no accident. Jonathan Lynn was very meticulous in every aspect of the film. The running gags in this keep you giggling in what would otherwise be an extremely suspenseful film. Jonathan Lynn aided in the writing of the script based on a story created by himself and John Landis. Landis is attributed to our multiple endings, while Lynn did a large part of the adaptation from a board game to a screenplay. In order of appearance, you have: Wadsworth The Butler (Tim Curry), Yvette The Maid (Colleen Camp), Mrs. Ho The Cook (Kellye Nakahara), Colonel Mustard (Martin Mull), Mrs. Blanche White (Madeline Kahn), Miss Scarlet (Lesley Ann Warren), Professor Plum (Christopher Lloyd), Mrs. Peacock (Eileen Brennan), Mr. Green (Michael McKean), and Mr. Boddy by Lee Ving, The Motorist (Jeffrey Kramer), The Cop (Bill Henderson), The Singing Telegram Girl (Jane Wiedlin), and Religious Zealot (Howard Hesseman). Just like in a game of Clue the boardgame every clue leads to more questions.
With interruptions from a stranded motorist, a police officer investigating some abandoned cars, J. Edgar Hoover, a singing telegram girl, and a door-to-door religious zealot, you never know what will happen next!
This cast was brought together specifically for their ability to do comedic film. I do not think a better cast could’ve been found. The costume designer, Michael Kaplan, paid careful attention to the time period, profession of the role, and the knowledge of the dinner party to make their costumes. The set designers (Les Gobruegge, Gene Nollman, Steven Schwartz, William B. Major, Cate Bangs under set director Thomas L. Roysden) did a fabulous job of bringing a board game to life, including secret passage ways and the iconic parquet flooring. The music director/composer John Morris did a fabulous job of creating the movie theme song, heard over the opening credits and throughout the film, it was designed to “…enhance the film’s frantic, theatrical comedy, often matching the action with rapid tempo changes and dramatic, sweeping strings. The theme deftly weaves wit, slapstick, mystery and suspense with a masterful touch.”, as stated in the product overview for CLUE: THE MOVIE: 40th ANNIVERSARY LIMITED EDITION RE-ISSUE Soundtrack released by LA-LA-LAND RECORDS. John Morris balanced his score with popular music from the 1950’s like “Sh-Boom” by The Crew Cuts and “Shake, Rattle and Roll” by Bill Haley and the Comets.
Don’t forget the premise of the game is to find out Who killed Mr. Boddy, Where, and With What.
Q and A with Lesley Ann Warren LIVE at the Pantages Theater in Tacoma Washington
*Please note not all of these questions are my own, or posed by Media Magpies, this was a moderated event. All answers are adapted for clarity and are not a word for word retelling.
What was the most challenging scene to do? (Question posed at the event and by Media Magpies’ own Cameron Ward)
The gun scene with the math. 1+1+2+1 and all of its iterations.
What is your favorite ending? (Question posed by the moderator and Media Magpies’ own Tristan J Nankervis)
The ending where Miss Scarlet did it.
*Further explanation of answer given by Lesley Ann Warren
We didn’t know we were doing that [filming multiple endings] until about the last two weeks of shooting. Which is good. We were all suspicious of each other.
Not directly asked but brought up during moderation is Media Magpies’ own Bridgett Taylor’s question; When did she [Lesley Ann Warren] realize the movie was going to get a second chance at life with a VHS release?
We did not expect this following. We had lots of fun making it, we drove the director insane, he said it was like herding cats. So, we were you know, disappointed that it had a lot of success at opening, but nothing like what we had thought it would. And then, we look around today and we celebrate.
Lesley Ann Warren talked about her roles in Victor/Victoria (1982). She talked about her process in creating back stories for every character she played, not relying solely on information provided by the studio for her part.
She was just, you know, just a chorus girl. She had a mom. You didn’t have an accent. You didn’t have a physical description and I worked on history for her and came up with the idea that she was brought up in a household of 12… And then she was on the Lower East Side, so she had an accent. And then she had to be blond. She worked at Woolworth’s and wanted to be a movie star.
What was it like working with John Davidson, and did you have a real romance? (Question posed by the audience)
Oh, I loved him. I still love him. You know it was so funny because I was doing a Broadway show, 110 in the Shade, and we met there. He asked me out and we went on a date and I, we right away we loved each other. We didn’t continue to date but we were quickly cast in The Happiest Millionaire [1967] and The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band [1968]. My favorite scene was with the horses in the fields and singing “’Bout Time.”
What was your favorite line from Clue? (Question posed by the audience)
Why not? I enjoy getting presents from strange men…A candlestick? What’s this for?
What was it like working for Disney Studios before and after Walt’s passing? (Question posed by Media Magpies’ own Cori Domschot)
It was, and remains the most beautiful and kind studio. When he [Walt Disney] was there he knew each step going on. He knew what the animators were working on and their estimated completion time, he knew what meal was being served in the commissary that day, all the way down to the color of bow I was supposed to wear [in shooting The Happiest Millionaire]. He was on set a lot but you never felt judged or criticized. After he was gone, the mentality was to solider on without him. But it was devastating not having him there.
What helped you prepare for your role as Miss Scarlet? (Question posed by the audience)
I knew her profession. So, I knew that she was comfortable with her sexuality. She was used to using her feminine wiles to get her way.
“Practice makes perfect. Ha. I think most men need a little practice, don’t you, Mrs. Peacock?”-Miss Scarlet
And I had this idea that she was always slightly pissed off at how hard she had to work to do things. And the costume designer [Michael Kaplan] purposely designed my clothes to make it look like they might fall off at any moment. The dress originally did not allow me to run so they made another dress that had a discreet zipper that allowed me to change the length of the dress so I could run with the cast. The first scene we filmed was the dinner scene. We were just getting to know each other. We were suspicious of everything. This imposing place, we were in and why were we all brought here was beautifully brought to us, we were made to feel it.
*Further explanation of answer given by Lesley Ann Warren during an earlier point in the Q and A
An unusual thing that he did [Jonathan Lynn] was, after we were all cast, he invited us up to Paramount and in one of the screening rooms he had us watch His Girl Friday [1940] with Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell. He had us do that because he wanted the same speech timing.
Costuming has become very different. In The Happiest Millionaire there was an outer space, and Mr. Disney, Walt Disney, sat there and it’s a beautiful room; upholstered couch, and there was carpeting, and chandeliers, and you know I was in another room with her [Neva Rames, the costume designer for The Happiest Millionaire], and all of that. And I came out and you showed him [Walt] these costumes. Now you’re lucky if you get a closet to share with four other women.
What were some of your comedic influences? (Question posed by the audience)
I’d say you know, but it was somebody that I really admire, because she had a Carole Lombard combination of being very sassy but also kind of sweetened sort of you know by certain places, and kind of vulnerable but lots of physical humor. Not something that can be taught. Timing can be taught, and delivery sometimes can, but there’s this natural “thing”. Like Sybil I have so many different parts of my nature that I get to utilize.
With that many comedic actors were there any lines that were ad libbed? (Question posed by the audience)
The only line that was ad libbed that made it to the final product was Madeline Kahn’s Flames, Flames line.
Where did you film the movie [Clue]? (Question posed by the audience)
It was a built set on the Paramount lot. They broke the ceiling to have us be able to run up and down the stairs for real.
Was there a moment that really stood out to you as an experience while shooting [Clue]? (Question posed by the audience)
It was relaxed, so much, it was. You know it was really funny to be in that world with those actors. So, there was a scene where Colonel Mustard and Miss Scarlet are trying to get past each other at the same time and on today’s screens you can see me trying not to laugh. We actors did all of the stunts; there were no stunt doubles.
Are you familiar with the stage adaptation [of Clue]? (Question posed by the audience)
I was invited to participate, but didn’t want to see the adaptation. Same experience with Cinderella. I was asked to be Fairy Godmother for a stage production of Cinderella and I declined to keep that moment in my heart. I feel so incredibly blessed that I’ve had such a long and, and, extraordinary career of such great opportunities so many opportunities. Cinderella [1965], Victor/Victoria, Clue, Pure Country [1992], Desperate Housewives [2001-2005].