Themes: Big Break, Suburban Dysfunction, Servants and Employers
Main Cast: Nick Nolte, Richard Dreyfuss, Bette Midler, Little Richard, Tracy Nelson
Release Year: 1986
Country: US
Run Time: 103 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Down and Out in Beverly Hills is an updated remake of the 1932 Jean Renoir film Boudu Saved From Drowning. Philandering businessman Dave Whiteman (Richard Dreyfuss) rescues scraggly tramp Jerry Baskin (Nick Nolte) from drowning himself in Dave's swimming pool. Much against his will, Jerry is invited to enjoy the hospitality of Dave, his social-climbing wife Barbara Bette Midler, and their sexually ambivalent son Max (Evan Richards). The hapless hobo bonds only with the family dog Matisse, which fascinates Barbara to the point that she's willing to share her bed (and a few other things) with him. Dave is twice cuckolded when Jerry makes out with the maid (Elizabeth Pena), with whom he has been carrying on a torrid--and noisy--affair. He plans to wreak revenge on the tramp, but several plot twists result in Dave and Jerry becoming bosom companions. Little Richard appears as the family's easily irritated next door neighbor. Down and Out in Beverly Hills was the R-rated film which compelled the Disney Company to create its adult-oriented Touchstone Films division. The property was later cleaned up for TV consumption and converted into a short-lived Fox Network sitcom. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
Renoir's Boudu Saved From Drowning is the ostensible source of Paul Mazursky's hilarious satire of Beverly Hills affluence, but it seems much more like a comic version of Pasolini's Teorema. The story centers on Jerry (Nick Nolte), a homeless man who is prevented from drowning himself in a Beverly Hills swimming pool by its owner Dave Richard Dreyfuss. Dave takes in the stranger, and it soon appears that Jerry is the answer to every family member's prayers. Mazursky's dissection of upper crust anomie is surprisingly good-natured, suggesting that those in its grip are far worse off than a bum. Nolte's bewilderment at his hosts' embrace is quickly replaced by an instinctive sense of exactly how he fits into their lives, but Dreyfuss steals the movie as a man whose boredom with his lucrative business makes him comically grateful for this new diversion. Bette Midler also has an amusing turn as a shopper of world-class talents. ~ Michael Costello, All Movie Guide
Elizabeth Peña - Carmen; Evan Richards - Max Whiteman; Donald F. Muhich - Dr. Von Zimmer; Paul Mazursky - Sidney Waxman; Valerie Curtin - Pearl Waxman; Alexis Arquette - Band Member; Michael Blue - Cop; Jack Bruskoff - Mel Whiteman; Eloy Casados - Tom Tom; Eugene Choy - Chinese Delegation; Bill Cross - Helicopter Pilot; Neil Cunningham - Security Guard; Geraldine Dreyfuss - Sadie Whiteman; Salvador R. Espinoza - Caterer's Assistant; Michael Greene - Ed; Darryl Henriques - Geraldo; Lew Hopson - Paramedic; Sandy Ignon - Barry; Sue Kiel - Roxanne; Ken Koch - Patrick; Allan Malamud - Caterer; Betsy Mazursky - Stylish Jogger; Mike the Dog - Matisse; Felton Perry - Al; Andre Philippe - Party Guest; Bill Primus; Nick Ullett - Nigel; Michael Yama - Nagamichi; Barry Primus - Lou Waltzberg; Dorothy Tristan - Dorothy; Irene Tsu - Shiela Waltzberg; Jason Williams - Lance; Donald V. Allen - Security Guard; Carolyn Allport - Girl Feeding Kerouac; Ranbir Bahi - Ranbir; Reza Bashar - Iranian Neighbor; Carlton Cuse - Water Man; Bobby Good - Security Alarm Dispatcher; Dr. Toni Grant - Herself; Pearl Huang - Translator; Mae Koh-Ruden - Chinese Delegation; Joseph Makkar - Iranian Boy; Margrit Ramme - Sandra Goodnight; George Sasaki - Chinese Delegation; Yung Sun - Minister Chan; Michel Voletti - Maurice; Leland Sun - Chinese Delegation; Raymond Lee - Yamato
Credit
Todd Hallowell - Art Director, Albert Wolsky - Costume Designer, Paul Mazursky - Director, Richard Halsey - Editor, Andy Summers - Composer (Music Score), Bob Mills - Makeup, Pato Guzman - Production Designer, Donald M. McAlpine - Cinematographer, Paul Mazursky - Producer, Geoffrey Taylor - Producer, Jane Bogart - Set Designer, Ken Speed - Special Effects, Paul Mazursky - Screenwriter, Leon Capetanos - Screenwriter, Rene Fauchois - Play Author, Rene Fauchois - Short Story Author
Down and Out in Beverly Hills is a 1986 Americancomedy film, based on the FrenchplayBoudu sauvé des eaux, which had previously been adapted on film in 1932 by Jean Renoir. Down and Out in Beverly Hills was directed by Paul Mazursky, and starred Nick Nolte, Bette Midler and Richard Dreyfuss. The film is about a rich but dysfunctional couple who save the life of a suicidal bum. Flamboyant musician Little Richard also makes an appearance, and contributed the song "Great Gosh a'Mighty" to the soundtrack. The song's success led to a revitalization of his career.
Released by Touchstone Pictures, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company, Down and Out in Beverly Hills has the distinction of being the first R-rated film ever released by Disney. The R rating is due to profanity as well as a brief scene showing a maid in bed having sex on top, another first for Disney. However, countless R-rated films have since received distribution by the Disney Company, under subsidiaries such as Touchstone, Miramax Films and Hollywood Pictures. Walt Disney Pictures, the flagship family-oriented brand, has yet to release a film with a rating stronger than PG-13.
The movie was a financial success, on a budget of $14,000,000, the film grossed $92,000,000 in the US alone. Although no further records exist with inflation the film grossed $178,344,413[1]
Location of Whiteman House
The house used as the Whiteman's house is in the real Beverly Hills and is at 802 N. Bedford Drive off Sunset Boulevard. However, the alley in the back of the house was filmed at 722 N. Rexford Drive, one block north of director Paul Mazursky's house on Alpine Drive.
Television series
In 1987, Down and Out in Beverly Hills was remade as a 30 minute television series for the fledging Fox network, airing from July 25 to September 12. It has the distinction of being the first ever show to be cancelled by Fox; only 13 episodes were produced.[2]
The cast included Hector Elizondo as Dave Whiteman, Anita Morris as Barbara Whiteman, Eileen Seeley as Jenny Whiteman and Tim Thomerson as Jerry Baskin. Evan Richards and Elizabeth Pena were the only two cast members of the film to reprise their roles for TV.
