TV Cream

Films: D is for...

Down and Out in Beverly Hills

So Bette Midler and Richard Dreyfus are dead miserable in their Beverley Hills mansion with their neurotic kids, constant sunshine, tonnes of nosh, swimming pool and quirky dog. Boo hoo, you’re breaking my heart. We’ve always found this film intensely annoying and commented before that only in America* could you have a film about a homeless man coming amongst the super rich to commit suicide and have the rich ones be the victims. But, there are some nice moments anyway and the dog is always worth watching.

* – Or, er, possibly 1930s France, from whence the original of this film originated. Which rather scuppers our bluster, admittedly, but the point still – just about – holds.

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0 Comments

  1. Dominic Small

    July 17, 2009 at 3:43 pm

    I have a particularly peculiar D&OIBH memory. One year in the mid-90s, ITV was airing a Hogmanay special from Scotland. The TV mag stated that one of my favourite bands – Mansun, as it goes – were appearing. I tuned in to catch the boys, only to find that they were only on the full version of the show – being broadcast to Scotland – whilst English viewers opted out part-way through for the movie. Damn you, STV!

  2. Cindylover1969

    August 30, 2009 at 10:00 am

    “only in America could you have a film about a homeless man coming amongst the super rich to commit suicide and have the rich ones be the victims.”

    What about France, what with this being a remake of a French film?

  3. TV Cream

    August 30, 2009 at 11:55 am

    You’re not wrong. Duly amended. Damn you, Boudu!

  4. Matt Patton

    April 2, 2010 at 1:50 am

    French film in question being Jean Renoir’s 1932 comedy BOUDOU SAVED FROM DROWNING–and in that version, the family are sort of the victims of their houseguest–believe me, Michel Simon is one HELL of a lot scarier than Nick Nolte (except in that mugshot of him from a few years back).

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