Six strangers having a bloody dinner with a mysterious host is the plot of the board game Clue, which was made into a film 40 years ago.
When the movie Clue was released in 1985, it was not considered a box office success. But over the years he gained loyal fans.
“It's really amazing,” Lesley Ann Warren, the actor who plays Miss Scarlet, told CBS Mornings about the status of the film, which has now become a cult classic.
The film explores the mystery of who killed Mr. Boddy, who was blackmailing his dinner party guests. Warren is part of the film's ensemble cast, which includes Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Eileen Brennan, Christopher Lloyd, Martin Mull, Michael McKean and Colleen Camp.
Miss Scarlett is a sultry madam from Washington, D.C., who collects the secrets of the city's elite.
“What I love about Miss Scarlett is that she doesn’t put up with any crap,” Warren said. “It was a great chance to study all these behaviors.”
Camp plays Yvette, Miss Scarlet's maid informant.
“It was fun, a good time,” Camp said of his participation in the ensemble. “We watched each other in scenes. We applauded each other. We were a real family.”
The film has a campy atmosphere, relying on one-liners and quick banter throughout the film. It has three endings, each with a different outcome to the murder mystery.
The actors were not aware of the multiple endings until filming was close to completion, causing tension among the actors themselves.
Mixed reviews and renewed popularity
In his initial critique of the film, Roger Ebert wrote, “I have to say, there's a lack of fun here.”
But about a decade after its release, “Clue” gained new popularity, thanks in part to cable television and eventually streaming services.
“Martin Mull called me on the phone and said, 'Are you getting a lot of fan mail from Clue, a crazy amount of fan mail?' said Warren. “And I thought, 'Yeah, what's going on?'
Camp also noticed the renewed attention, saying, “Years later, I suddenly heard people's reactions to the movie, and they were obsessed with it.”
The cult led to counterfeits. Some actors also attend special screenings to meet fans.
For Warren, who just completed the first leg of a nationwide tour and hits the road again in January, the legacy of “Clue” brings joy to people.
“It makes them laugh,” she said. “They like tension, and I think it just created a life that now lives on its own.”
