Clue (film)



"Wadsworth: That's what we're trying to find out! We're trying to find out who killed him, and where, and with what!

Professor Plum: There's no need to shout!

Wadsworth: I'M NOT SHOUTING! ... ALL RIGHT I AM. I'M SHOUTING I'M SHOUTING I'M SH- >CLUNK<"

Possibly the best movie based on a board game ever made, Clue is a murder mystery/comedy film based on the board game Clue (or Cluedo, depending on where you live).

The movie justifies a large mansion full of people with silly names trying to solve a murder mystery by turning all of the characters from the board game into blackmail victims using predetermined aliases. The six guests have been invited to the mansion by Wadsworth (Tim Curry) in order to expose his employer, Mr. Boddy, as a blackmailer. When the lights go out, Mr. Boddy is killed -- and since everyone has a motive to kill Mr. Boddy, everyone is a suspect in his murder. The group opts to solve the case themselves rather than call the police; Hilarity Ensues -- but in a good way. The movie was made in The Eighties, but set in The Fifties (and in New England).

Clue bombed in theaters, and part of the blame lies with the hype surrounding the movie's Multiple Endings. In theaters, the solution to the murders changed depending on where you saw the movie -- in other words, there was no real way to deduce the murderer from the clues presented, as other options had to be viable in order to accomodate the other endings. (Apparently, the studio didn't know a screwball zany comedy isn't supposed to be a real mystery, and many reviewers felt the same way.) On the VHS and TV version, all three endings are shown, with the first two endings marked as "how it could have happened", while the third ending is "how it really happened". On the DVD, the film can play one ending at random or the VHS version (with all three endings).

Although it did poorly in theaters, Clue is now something of a Cult Classic: it's a solid comedy with a mix of clever dialogue and slapstick, and the various solutions to the murders all (mostly) hold up on repeat viewings.

This should not be confused with the UK adaptation of the board game (which, unbelievably, was a Game Show).

"Cop: I'll book you for false arrest, and wrongful imprisonment, and obstructing an officer in the course of his duty, and murder!
 * Absolute Cleavage / Of Corsets Sexy: Yvette, and how.
 * Affectionate Parody
 * All Women Are Lustful: Miss Scarlet. The fact at least part of this is attributed to her blackmailable life as a brothel madam only compounds the issue, since presumably one in that line of work needs to maintain some degree of division between their personal and professional lives. Used to justify her making out with Professor Plum when trying to hide the bodies of the murdered informants from the cop. (See Of Corpse He's Alive.)
 * Led to quite the gem in the Novelization, however: in the scene in the kitchen, where Mrs. White reveals her Black Widow nature, her recitation of how men are like Kleenex is corrected by Miss Scarlet thusly: "Their slogan is Soft, Strong, and Pops Up, Too."
 * And Then What?: Every Big Bad in each ending is asked this by someone (usually Green) after admitting guilt. They always suggest, more or less, the same thing:  -- and that the rest of them will all , although not necessarily for the same reasons.
 * Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: Inverted when the cop starts listing their transgressions.

Wadsworth: (opening the door and chuckling nervously) What do you mean...murder?

Cop: I just said that so you'd open the door."

"Miss Scarlet: Oh, we'll-- we'll-- we'll get him a car!
 * Invoked with the crimes that the various people got blackmailed for: theft, prostitution, bribery, murder and being homosexual.
 * Or, "worst of all", being ... socialist.
 * Justified, it was set in The Fifties during the Red Scare.
 * Attack! Attack! Retreat! Retreat!: Colonel Mustard and Ms. Scarlet are locked in the lounge with the dead motorist. Wadsworth, Prof. Plum and Mr. Green are trying to open it from the other side:
 * Audible Gleam: The soundtrack actually does one of these when, during The Summation, Wadsworth imitates Yvette smiling. (Which she doesn't actually ever do.)
 * Awesomeness By Analysis: Wadsworth attempts this in the first ending, claiming that he has kept track of how many times the revolver has been fired, and that the killer is holding an empty gun..
 * Bad Liar: Mrs. Peacock.
 * Battle Butler: Wadsworth doubles as both this and Mr. Exposition.
 * Be Quiet Nudge: When the policeman inspects the body of the Motorist and says he's in no shape to drive:

Professor Plum: A long black car!

Miss Scarlet: (punches him in the stomach) A limousine!"

"Wadsworth: Your first husband also disappeared.
 * Bizarre and Improbable Ballistics: It isn't physically possible that a bullet fired from inside the study could have grazed Mr. Boddy's ear and shattered a vase on a mantelpiece on the other side of the room from where Mr. Boddy was standing.
 * It is possible, however, that after shutting off the lights Mr. Boddy started walking across the room, thus putting him between the murderer and the fireplace.
 * Black Widow: Mrs. White. "Husbands should be like kleenex. Soft, strong, and disposable."
 * "His head had been cut off...and so had his...you know."
 * * Crosses legs*
 * Blackmail: This is the driving force behind the plot, as all the guests were being blackmailed.
 * Blatant Lies: Mrs. White's explanation for what happened to her first husband.

Mrs. White: But that was his job. He was an illusionist.

Wadsworth: But he never reappeared!

Mrs. White: He wasn't a very good illusionist."

"Mr. Green: I didn't do it!"
 * Brain Food: Monkey brains is apparently popular as a dish in Cantonese cuisine.
 * Brick Joke: Colonel Mustard quotes Kipling, "The female of the species is more deadly than the male."
 * The Butler Did It: In the third ending,.
 * During his summation of the murders, Wadsworth reveals that he's known about the secret passages in the house, so Mr. Green says Wadsworth could be the murderer. His reply to the accusation? "Don't be ridiculous. If I was the murderer, why would I reveal to you how I did it?"
 * But, even with that, he
 * And in point of fact, he didn't do any of the things he was explaining,
 * Butt Monkey: Mr. Green.
 * Colonel Mustard at times.
 * Call Back: Mrs. White threatens Wadsworth if they're ever alone together to which he replies no man in his right mind would be alone together with her. Later the two are put alone together to search the house.
 * Actually, everyone got paired up with the worst partner imaginable for that scene. Arguably, Yvette and Mr. Green are perfect.
 * "I didn't do it!"
 * The Cameo: Nurse Kellye and the rhythm guitarist of The Go-Gos are murder victims, while Dr. Johnny Fever puts in an uncredited appearance as a Jehovah's Witness.
 * Canon Foreigner: Wadsworth.
 * Also Yvette, the cook, the motorist, and the cop.
 * Casting Gag: Mr. Boddy won't be staying with us for very long. In fact, he's just Lee Ving.
 * Professor Plum was played by Christopher Lloyd, who played Doctor Brown in Back to The Future.
 * Catch Phrase


 * Call Back

"Scarlet: No, it's not true.
 * Chekhov's Armory: Like you wouldn't believe. Even the bit with the Jehovah's Witness, which seems like a Big Lipped Alligator Moment, is important later.
 * The Chessmaster:
 * Chewing the Scenery: Mrs. Peacock seems to do this nearly every time she opens her mouth.
 * Wadsworth's exposition delves into this as well. Subverted with  in the third ending in a rambling, stumbling speech.
 * Closed Circle: Once the characters get to the house, they can't leave. Not only is there a storm outside, but there's angry dogs loose near a couple possible exits, Wadsworth has all the keys, and if anyone leaves, they'll be blamed for the murders.
 * Cold War: The politics of the '50s plays a part in the story, although mainly so the writers could make it look like there's a political conspiracy behind the murders and actually have a backstory for the film. But Communism was just a Red Herring
 * When Wadsworth enters the kitchen, there's a television set with the McCarthy inquiry playing, which took place June 6, 1954. Shown Their Work indeed.
 * Comically Missing the Point: "Like the Mounties, we always get our man!" "Mrs. Peacock was a man?" (cue Dope Slap)
 * Confusing Multiple Negatives: particularly when Mustard tries to hide his indiscretions. Which becomes a Double Entendre:

Green: So it is true!

Wadsworth: A double negative!

Mustard: Double negative? You mean you have photographs?"

"Mrs White: Husbands should be like Kleenex. Soft, strong, and disposable.
 * Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass/Obfuscating Stupidity:
 * Curtain Camouflage
 * Death As Comedy: And how.
 * Demoted to Extra / Out of Focus: Not for the characters, but the rooms. While the six characters and six weapons all play equal roles and get equal screen time, very little time is spent some of the nine rooms. Most of the action takes place in the Hall, Lounge, Study, Dining Room and Library, with additional scenes in the Billiard Room and Kitchen. The Conservatory is featured in just two scenes, and the Ballroom gets The Cameo.
 * Dies Wide Open:
 * Boddy dies with his eyes open, which bothers Mustard while he's trying to develop a plan, so he closes them.
 * The cook apparently dies with her eyes closed, so forcefully so that Peacock has to keep them pried open.
 * Distinguished Gentleman's Pipe: Professor Plum.
 * The Ditz: Colonel Mustard.
 * Does Not Like Men
 * Does Not Like Men

Miss Scarlet: I think most men could use a little practice."

"Plum: What are you afraid of?! A fate worse than death?!
 * Dramatic Curtain Toss
 * Drawing Straws: Used with fireplace matches to determine who gets paired up with whom while searching the house.
 * Eek! A Mouse!: Mrs. Peacock in the cellar, which causes her to attack a heating pipe.
 * Eureka Moment: Played with. Mr. Green has two, but one is immediately exposed as false and the other  turns out to be a Red Herring.
 * Col. Mustard. "So... whoever knew the cook was involved... killed her?" looking very pleased with himself, except he's being Captain Obvious.
 * Everyone Is a Suspect: This is true throughout the entire film, but only the takes the trope to its full extent.
 * Extremely Short Timespan: The whole movie takes place in one evening. Possibly Real Time.
 * Eye Poke: Boddy vs. Mustard.
 * Faking the Dead:
 * Falling Chandelier of Doom: Colonel Mustard is almost killed by one when Yvette accidentally shoots it down. At the end of the first ending, it happens again.
 * Fate Worse Than Death: Namechecked by Plum.

Peacock: No, just death, isn't that enough?!"

"Wadsworth: "Ours is not to know why; ours is but to do and die.""
 * Faux Yay:  Maybe.
 * Femme Fatale:
 * The Fifties: The communism (though in all three endings it's just a "Red Herring"), nuclear arms race, J. Edgar Hoover and homosexuals-not-being-allowed-to-hold-government-jobs part of the Fifties, in particular.
 * Foreign Queasine: The contents of the dinner is an important clue tying  . When the other guests find out what it is, they react with disgust and horror.
 * In the novelization (3 times, it's part of all the endings). "Is that what we ate?" Said Mr Green, green.
 * Foreshadowing: Colonel Mustard's quoting Rudyard Kipling. The women in the house are significantly more dangerous and threatening than the men..
 * A rather more blatant example occurs several lines earlier when Wadsworth is quoting Alfred, Lord Tennyson:

"Wadsworth: And to make a long story short--
 * Also Colonel Mustard looks up at the chandelier
 * Mr. Green reveals he's a homosexual, Wadsworth reacts with shock, staring at him and the notes he was about to read, implying that what Green said was not what he expected. This foreshadows the third ending with.
 * The Cook (innocently) points a large knife at Wadsworth when he asks if everything is alright. She is killed with The Knife.
 * French Maid: Yvette  Currently the page picture.
 * Gag Boobs: Yvette.
 * Gainaxing: A rare live action example courtesy of Yvette.
 * Get a Hold of Yourself, Man!: "Well, I had to stop her screaming."
 * Get On With It Already: At the end of the movie, the murders are explained in excruciating detail by Wadsworth, prompting the other characters to yell this several times.

Col. Mustard: Too late."

"Wadsworth: I'm getting there! I'm getting there!"
 * Once they even do it as a chorus.

"Green: WILL YOU STOP THAT!
 * Good Looking Privates: One of the pictures burned is of Colonel Mustard and his driver  in full US Army dress uniform.
 * Groin Attack: Administered to Mr. Boddy by Mrs. White. Normally-prim Mrs. Peacock cheers.
 * Hand of Death: Black gloves allow the identity/sex of the murderer to remain anonymous until the endings.
 * Head-Tiltingly Kinky: "Oh my. Nobody can get into that position."
 * Here We Go Again: Mr. Green being tossed around by Wadsworth during The Reveal.

Wadsworth: No."

"Wadsworth: Monkey's brain, though popular in Cantonese cuisine, are not often to be found in Washington, DC.
 * He's Dead, Jim: Subverted, as Plum gets it wrong. Zigzagged in the third ending.
 * Hypocritical Humor: A running gag is Mrs. Peacock's moral outrage at the discovery of the other guests' indiscretions, even though she herself is guilty of taking bribes on behalf of her husband.
 * I Ate What?: In the second and third ending, Wadsworth revealed what they ate earlier in the film.

Mr. Green: That's what we ate? (covers his mouth and runs to the bathroom)"

"Evangelist: Repent! The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!
 * I Need a Freaking Drink: Not the cognac - just in case.
 * I Resemble That Remark: "What do you mean, don't deny it? I'm not denying anything."
 * I'M NOT SHOUTING!
 * Idiot Ball: In what may be the most stunningly foolish move in the history of cinema, Mr. Boddy hands lethal weapons out to a half dozen people he's been blackmailing into poverty for years (at least one of whom he already knows to be a murderer), turns out the lights, and expects them to use the weapons on the guy who's trying to help them out of their fix.
 * For that matter: Yvette,
 * Instant Death Bullet: See Killed Mid-Sentence just below. Inverted in the 3rd ending when  is fatally shot, but keeps on talking.
 * Killed Mid-Sentence: The Singing Telegram Girl.
 * Also the motorist who is bludgeoned while talking on the phone, just before revealing which one of the guests is his old boss.
 * Inverted when the cop's killer hangs up his phone call before killing him.
 * , in the third ending, who doesn't manage to get out the last word of his sentence before dying.
 * Knocking On Heathens' Door: Appears as a throwaway gag during Wadsworth's summation.
 * , in the third ending, who doesn't manage to get out the last word of his sentence before dying.
 * Knocking On Heathens' Door: Appears as a throwaway gag during Wadsworth's summation.

Scarlett: You ain't just whistlin' Dixie!

Evangelist: Armageddon is almost upon us!

Plum: I've got news for you; it's already here!

Peacock: Go away!

Evangelist: But your souls are in danger!

Peacock: Our lives are in danger, ya beatnik! (slams door)"

"Mustard: Am I right in thinking there is no one else in this house?
 * This is
 * Large Ham: See Tim Curry, below. Especially during The Summation, which could be summed up as "Wadsworth reenacts the entire movie by himself, but in the silliest way possible."
 * Mrs. Peacock too.
 * Left Hanging / Aborted Arc: Of a sort. While the movie is... decent at consistently making sure all the points of each ending work, there is one that doesn't: before she dies, Yvette the Maid has a very ominous, suspicious conversation with her killer that makes absolutely no sense unless you get a specific ending, . Without that ending, it instead becomes a plot point that is never elaborated on.
 * Yvette, however, is surprised by the identity of the person she's speaking to ("It's you!"), so she thought it was someone else.
 * There was a fourth ending written and shot, but ultimately left out in the final cut.
 * Let's Split Up, Gang!: Invoked by Colonel Mustard.
 * Logic Bomb: The questions Mustard asks Wadsworth in the library are self-inverted as to be effectively unanswerable, which leads to a comedic interchange.

Wadsworth: No.

Mustard: So there is someone else in this house?

Wadsworth: No, sorry, I said no meaning yes.

Mustard: I want a straight answer, is there someone else or isn't there, yes or no?

Wadsworth: Um, no.

Mustard: No, there is? Or no, there isn't?

Wadsworth: Yes."

"Scarlet: Why has the car stopped?
 * Lovable Sex Maniac: Professor Plum tries to put the moves on every woman in the film except Mrs. Peacock and the singing telegram girl
 * Even his hand somehow ends up on the dead cook's ass.
 * Male Gaze: Professor Plum not so subtly gazes at Yvette's cleavage.
 * Also All Men Are Perverts between Boddy and Yvette.
 * Meaningful Name: Mr. Boddy, naturally. All of the other guests (except Mr. Green) have these as well, as their pseudonyms reflect their attire or appearance: Ms. Scarlet has red hair, Professor Plum wears a plum-colored vest, Mrs. Peacock's outfit and headdress are loud and multicolored, Ms. White looking pale and tragic.
 * Minsky Pickup: The singing telegram girl.
 * Ms. Fanservice: Colleen Camp as Yvette.
 * For that matter, Miss Scarlet.
 * Multiple Endings: Three of them. In the order they appear on the "home video" version of the film, they are:
 * 1.
 * 2.
 * 3. (The home video lists this one as "But here's what really happened.")
 * Listed as "Ending A", "Ending B" and "Ending C" in the original theatrical newspaper ads.
 * There was a fourth ending scripted and filmed, but dropped from the final cut. In it, Wadsworth is the killer, and did it out of a sick need for perfection. He reveals he poisoned everyone, then locks everyone inside when the police arrive and tries to escape in a police car, only to discover a Doberman in the back. This ending was not included in the DVD release.
 * The Vanilla Edition DVD version has only one special feature - it will select one of the endings at random if you choose it to before you start the film.
 * Since the film had multiple endings, it was important that each one was actually plausible in order for them to work. If you go back and watch the film with each ending's evidence in mind, noting the absences of certain characters in certain scenes as well as specific character interactions, you'll find that all three are almost completely plausible (and equally implausible).
 * Though notably some of the endings are more plausible than others - in particular,  is the only one to adequately deal with the killer being able to do the equivalent of running a marathon, without the Xanatos Roulette of the  : in this case.
 * Ending C is also the only one with a plethora of flashbacks, and a Mythology Gag in which a character declares who did it, where and with what, just like a player does in the actual game.
 * For one more also, certain characters disappearing at certain times, or finding certain weapons and secret passageways feels ridiculous if Ending C isn't true.
 * My Car Hates Me
 * My Car Hates Me

Plum: It's frightened."

"Mustard: That's not my name, my name is Colonel--
 * Mythology Gag: "If you want to know who killed Mr. Boddy, I did. In the hall, with the revolver."
 * Nasty Party: All the characters are invited to the house to face Mr. Boddy, who (unbeknownst to them) is the person blackmailing each of them. Boddy gives them all weapons, and orders them to kill the butler so that what they're being blackmailed for won't be exposed. This degenerates into psychosis, with more murders over the course of the movie.
 * No Name Given: All of the characters from the game (Mr. Green, Professor Plum, Mrs. White, etc.) are revealed to be going by aliases so as to protect their real identities.
 * LampshadeHung:

Wadsworth: Forgive me, sire, but tonight you may feel obliged... for the use of an alias.

White: Do you know who I am?

Wadsworth: Only that you are to be known as Mrs. White.

White: Yes, it said so in the letter. But why?"

"Green: How did he die?!
 * Non-Indicative Name: Mr. Green is the only guest whose pseudonym does not reflect his appearance or attire. He wears a blue suit, red tie, and white shirt and has blue eyes and brown hair. Subverted in the last ending, since
 * Not That Kind of Doctor: Professor Plum evaluates Mr. Boddy after he.

Plum: I don't know! I'm not a forensic expert!"

""Sorry, I'm a bit accident-prone.""
 * Nothing Is Scarier: There is a genuinely eerie scene where Ms. Scarlet, left alone in the ballroom, nervously checks to see if the mystery killer is hiding behind the curtains. This is made even better by the brief tracking shot over her shoulder, which upon first viewing lends the sensation we're about to see someone come up behind her.
 * Obfuscating Stupidity: Zigzagged with Colonel Mustard in the third ending. On the one hand, he was bright enough to, but on the other hand, he assumes that something perverted is about to happen when declares that, rather than be exposed as the killer, "I choose to expose myself!"
 * in the second ending.
 * Of Corpse He's Alive: When the cop becomes understandably suspicious of the goings-on at Hill House, Mr. Green is commandeered to give a "tour" while the others set up the corpses to "make it look convincing" they're still alive. The results are hilarious, if not half because of the cop and Green's reactions to Mrs. White and Mr. Boddy apparently making out and Colonel Mustard romancing Mrs. Ho (while poor Mrs. Peacock is stuck on her other side on a window ledge). Professor Plum and Miss Scarlet get off the lightest since they get to make out while pretending the motorist is "dead drunk" who will have "a long black car" sent to take him home.
 * Panty Shot: Yvette the Maid.
 * Patriotic Fervor: Mr. Boddy's motivation for the blackmail.
 * Pet the Dog: Mrs. Peacock was concern about the Cook since she wasn't involved in the blackmail conspiracy. But Wadsworth tells her she WAS involved, otherwise why else would she even be in the mansion? She was one of Mr. Boddy's accomplices.
 * Plucky Comic Relief: The cowardly Mr. Green,.

"The Motorist: Where is it?
 * Red Herring: All of the characters have some connection to the government, many of them with ties to the military and the Cold War. However, none of this turns out to be important because, as we're told in all three endings, "Communism was just a red herring".
 * Also, we never learned the cause of the broken window in the ballroom. Though it can probably be assumed it was broken by a tree branch during the storm.
 * Rule of Three: The three endings. Used to full effect in the "home video" version of the film, in which all three endings are shown one after another.
 * Running Gag: Wadsworth steps in dog poop at the beginning of the movie. The first time he speaks to Yvette and each of the guests, they all sniff a few times and check their own shoes.
 * Also, "To make a long story short..." "Too late."
 * "I didn't do it!"
 * Scenery Porn: Shot on location in an authentic New England mansion.
 * Share Phrase: The same lines and gags appear in each ending, transposed to different characters (e.g. "Communism was just a red herring," the line "There's one thing I don't understand." "One thing?"). However when watched together, it comes off as a convincing call back.
 * Share the Male Pain: When Mrs. White indicates that her late husband was castrated during his murder, the three male guests all cross their legs.
 * Shoot Out the Lock: Yvette does this to get Miss Scarlet and Colonel Mustard out of the Lounge.
 * Shout-Out: "Frankly, Miss Scarlett, I don't give a damn."
 * The dinner takes place at Hill House, named after Debra Hill, the film's producer.
 * During The Summation, Wadsworth leads the group running from room to room to explain his suspects. In the game, to suggest a suspect, players must place their pawns in the room they intend to speak about.
 * Shown Their Work: A subtitle proclaims that the film takes place in 1954. The TV broadcast playing in the kitchen as the cook prepares dinner uses real Congressional footage which was aired June 6, 1954.
 * Slapstick Knows No Gender: In the third ending, Wadsworth grabs Mrs. White's hand and leads her up the stairs, only to drop her for no apparent reason.
 * Spiritual Successor: To Neil Simon's Murder By Death -- the movies share a similar setting, sense of humor...and Eileen Brennan.
 * Stealth Pun: At dinner, Professor Plum says that he is employed by UNO (United Nations Organization), at a branch called WHO (World Health Organization). Which means he works for U-NO-WHO.
 * See also Casting Gag.
 * Wadsworth's name. Early firearms used wadding in the barrel to help igniting the black powder. Wadsworth's name implies that he's worth shooting.
 * Straight Gay: Mr. Green, unless
 * So he says.
 * The Summation: All such summations from 80s mystery shows are totally spoofed by the over the top and ultimately unhelpful way Wadsworth does it.
 * Suspiciously Specific Denial

Wadsworth: What? The body?

The Motorist: The phone. What body?

Wadsworth: There's no body. Nobody. There's, there's nobody in the study."

"Wadsworth: Professor Plum, you were once a professor of psychiatry specializing in helping paranoid and homicidal lunatics suffering from delusions of grandeur.
 * Take That

Professor Plum: Yes, but now I work for the United Nations.

Wadsworth: So your work has not changed."

"Mr. Boddy: Oh, good shot! *slides down the wall to sitting, looks in his suit at the wound* A very... *dies*"
 * Plum himself joins in, when he is told that it won't help his career to be implicated in six murders. He responds, "You don't know the kind of people we have at the UN - I might go up in their estimation."
 * "Even a psychiatrist can tell the difference between patients who are alive or dead."
 * Throw It In: The famous "Flames! Flames on the side of my face! Breathing...breathle-...heaving breaths..." scene resulted from Madeleine Kahn forgetting her lines and improvising. You can see Tim Curry trying not to laugh, while Martin Mull and ChristopherLloyd are look around wondering who gave her those lines.
 * Trying to Catch Me Fighting Dirty: When Colonel Mustard challenges Mr. Boddy to a fight, Mr. Boddy responds by poking him in the eyes, kicking him in the shin, then kicking him again when he's down.
 * Undercover Cop Reveal: In the first two endings, . In the final ending,.
 * Unusually Uninteresting Sight: When the group walks into the Billiard Room and find Yvette dead with the noose around her neck, they just walk out without a single word as if they were used to all the murders happening around them.
 * What Could Have Been: The director was a fan of Rowan Atkinson and wanted him to play Wadsworth, but the producers said that Atkinson wasn't a big enough name for American audiences. So instead he cast lifelong friend Tim Curry.
 * A fourth ending was filmed, but left out because it is less humorous than the others. In this one, Wadsworth killed all the victims due to his disgust at their behavior and a sick need for perfection, and reveals that he has poisoned the other characters as well. The FBI shows up, and Wadsworth confesses by beginning to reenact the plot again. When he gets to the part where he answers the door for Colonel Mustard, he flees. Wadsworth attempts to get away in a police vehicle, but hears a doberman growling from the backseat, and is attacked.
 * W Hhat Happened To The Mouse: It is never explained why Mr. Green has blood in his hands or how the candlestick got to the top of a door frame.
 * Worthy Opponent: Wadsworth/Mr. Boddy in the third ending, after being shot by Mr. Green


 * Would Hit a Girl: Mr. Green slapping Mrs. Peacock early on (see Get a Hold of Yourself, Man! above). During The Summation, Wadsworth does the same thing.
 * Xanatos Roulette, with a Spanner in The Works: Mr. Boddy presents all of his blackmail victims with a lethal weapon, tells them to kill the guy who isn't blackmailing them, and then turns off all the lights, while still in the room. To the shock of no one, it doesn't end well for him. Of course, depending on the ending,
 * You!: When  spots h  and will-be murderer, he exclaims "It's you!"
 * You Have Outlived Your Usefulness:.