Ruthless People

Ruthless People
theatrical release poster
Directed by	Jim Abrahams David Zucker Jerry Zucker
Produced by	Michael Peyser
Written by	Dale Launer
Starring	Danny DeVito Judge Reinhold Helen Slater Bette Midler
Music by	Michel Colombier
Cinematography	Jan de Bont
Edited by	Gib Jaffe Arthur Schmidt
Production company	Touchstone Films Silver Screen Partners II
Distributed by	Buena Vista Distribution
Release date	June 27, 1986 (1986-06-27)
Running time	93 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$9 million
Box office	$71.6 million

Ruthless People is a 1986 American black comedy film written by Dale Launer, directed by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker, and starring Danny DeVito, Bette Midler, Judge Reinhold, Anita Morris, and Helen Slater, with Bill Pullman in a supporting role in his film debut.

The film is the story of a couple who kidnap their ex-boss's wife to get revenge and extort money from him. They soon realize he does not want her back and was planning to kill her himself. Meanwhile the boss's mistress plans a blackmail attempt on him which also does not go as planned.

Although it has been perceived that Ruthless People was influenced by O. Henry's story The Ransom of Red Chief, writer Dale Launer claims that it was inspired by the kidnapping of Patricia Hearst and that the similarities between the film and the earlier story were a coincidence.

Millionaire Sam Stone (Danny DeVito) hates his wife Barbara (Bette Midler). He plans on murdering her to gain control of her $15 million family fortune and run off with his mistress Carol (Anita Morris). He goes home to murder his wife, but he can't find her. The phone rings and he answers. An anonymous man tells him that Barbara has been kidnapped and if Sam informs the media, the police or any of their detailed demands are not met - they will kill his wife.

Overjoyed, Sam informs the media, the police and deliberately disobeys all of the kidnapper's demands, believing this will ensure his wife's death. However...