Other People's Money
Encyclopedia
Other People's Money is a 1991
drama
/romantic comedy
film
starring Danny DeVito
, Penelope Ann Miller
and Gregory Peck
. It is based on the play
of the same name by Jerry Sterner
. The director
was Norman Jewison
and the screenplay
was credited to Alvin Sargent
.
Trying to stave off the hostile takeover, Jorgy hires his stepdaughter, Kate, a lawyer. Before long, Larry becomes involved in a complicated game of cat-and-mouse in which he and Kate each struggle to maintain the upper hand. Jorgy's right-hand man, Bill Coles approaches Garfield and makes a deal giving him the right to vote Cole’s 100,000 shares. In return, Coles will receive $1 million if they make a difference and a half million dollars if they don’t. Kate's mother offers Larry greenmail in the amount of one million dollars from her trust fund. NEWC would also buy back Larry’s shares at $13 per share which is the average cost of the shares he has purchased. Bea offers this bribe because she is driven by her love for Jorgy. Her offer offends Garfield who says that he makes money for widows and orphans and that he does not take money from them.
As he closes in on his goal — taking over New England Wire and Cable, which he intends to sell off in parts and shut down operation — Larry has to decide which he lusts after more: money or Kate.
An exchange of speeches between Garfield and Jorgenson at the company's shareholders' meeting precedes the stockholders' decisive vote. Jorgenson delivers an impassioned speech reminding the shareholders of how many local jobs the company is responsible for, and that the company produces some of the best wire in the country. The stockholders react favorably to this, and thus are surprised when Garfield begins his speech by acknowledging all of these points. However, Garfield goes on to compare the company to the last buggy whip manufacturer: while it probably produced the best buggy whip in the country, eventually it closed down because its product was obsolete. Garfield concludes by saying that business plans shouldn't be based on emotions, and that because his goal is to make money for all the shareholders, himself included, "I'm not your best friend, I'm your only friend."
When the vote is held, enough shareholders sell for Larry to gain a controlling interest in the company. Kate makes a last minute plea to Garfield that he not close down the company, acknowledging the feelings between them at the same time. Though touched, Larry states that he cannot run the company at a loss, then leaves.
Some time later, Larry is surprised to receive a call from Kate. She quickly tells him that she has discovered a new use for New England Wire and Cable's: a metal support of vehicle airbag
s for a Japanese company. Kate goes on to say that he no longer has to sell the company, as he can now operate the business profitably.
1991 in film
The year 1991 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*April 28 - Bonnie Raitt marries actor Michael O'Keefe in New York* Terminator 2: Judgment Day, became one of the landmarks for science fiction action films with its groundbreaking visual effects from Industrial Light & Magic.*November...
drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
/romantic comedy
Romantic Comedy
Romantic Comedy can refer to* Romantic Comedy , a 1979 play written by Bernard Slade* Romantic Comedy , a 1983 film adapted from the play and starring Dudley Moore and Mary Steenburgen...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
starring Danny DeVito
Danny DeVito
Daniel Michael DeVito, Jr. , better known as Danny DeVito, is an American actor, comedian, director and producer. He first gained prominence for his portrayal of Louie De Palma on the ABC and NBC television series Taxi , for which he won a Golden Globe and an Emmy.DeVito and his wife, Rhea Perlman,...
, Penelope Ann Miller
Penelope Ann Miller
Penelope Ann Miller , sometimes credited as Penelope Miller, is an American actress...
and Gregory Peck
Gregory Peck
Eldred Gregory Peck was an American actor.One of 20th Century Fox's most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1960s, Peck continued to play important roles well into the 1980s. His notable performances include that of Atticus Finch in the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird, for which he won an...
. It is based on the play
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
of the same name by Jerry Sterner
Jerry Sterner
Jerry Sterner was an American businessman and playwright, best known for the play Other People's Money.Born in the Bronx, he sold tokens on the night shift where he wrote several plays. In 1966 he married Jean Sterner...
. The director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
was Norman Jewison
Norman Jewison
Norman Frederick Jewison, CC, O.Ont is a Canadian film director, producer, actor and founder of the Canadian Film Centre. Highlights of his directing career include In the Heat of the Night , The Thomas Crown Affair , Fiddler on the Roof , Jesus Christ Superstar , Moonstruck , The Hurricane and The...
and the screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
was credited to Alvin Sargent
Alvin Sargent
Alvin Sargent is an American screenwriter. He has won two Academy Awards for his screenplays and has been involved in the writing of all movies to date in the Spider-Man film series.-Life and career:...
.
Plot
Corporate raider Lawrence Garfield, a.k.a. "Larry the Liquidator", always looking for the next big score, puts his sights on New England Wire and Cable, a publicly traded company that is run by old codger Andrew "Jorgy" Jorgenson and is a major employer in a small Rhode Island town.Trying to stave off the hostile takeover, Jorgy hires his stepdaughter, Kate, a lawyer. Before long, Larry becomes involved in a complicated game of cat-and-mouse in which he and Kate each struggle to maintain the upper hand. Jorgy's right-hand man, Bill Coles approaches Garfield and makes a deal giving him the right to vote Cole’s 100,000 shares. In return, Coles will receive $1 million if they make a difference and a half million dollars if they don’t. Kate's mother offers Larry greenmail in the amount of one million dollars from her trust fund. NEWC would also buy back Larry’s shares at $13 per share which is the average cost of the shares he has purchased. Bea offers this bribe because she is driven by her love for Jorgy. Her offer offends Garfield who says that he makes money for widows and orphans and that he does not take money from them.
As he closes in on his goal — taking over New England Wire and Cable, which he intends to sell off in parts and shut down operation — Larry has to decide which he lusts after more: money or Kate.
An exchange of speeches between Garfield and Jorgenson at the company's shareholders' meeting precedes the stockholders' decisive vote. Jorgenson delivers an impassioned speech reminding the shareholders of how many local jobs the company is responsible for, and that the company produces some of the best wire in the country. The stockholders react favorably to this, and thus are surprised when Garfield begins his speech by acknowledging all of these points. However, Garfield goes on to compare the company to the last buggy whip manufacturer: while it probably produced the best buggy whip in the country, eventually it closed down because its product was obsolete. Garfield concludes by saying that business plans shouldn't be based on emotions, and that because his goal is to make money for all the shareholders, himself included, "I'm not your best friend, I'm your only friend."
When the vote is held, enough shareholders sell for Larry to gain a controlling interest in the company. Kate makes a last minute plea to Garfield that he not close down the company, acknowledging the feelings between them at the same time. Though touched, Larry states that he cannot run the company at a loss, then leaves.
Some time later, Larry is surprised to receive a call from Kate. She quickly tells him that she has discovered a new use for New England Wire and Cable's: a metal support of vehicle airbag
Airbag
An Airbag is a vehicle safety device. It is an occupant restraint consisting of a flexible envelope designed to inflate rapidly during an automobile collision, to prevent occupants from striking interior objects such as the steering wheel or a window...
s for a Japanese company. Kate goes on to say that he no longer has to sell the company, as he can now operate the business profitably.
Cast
- Danny DeVitoDanny DeVitoDaniel Michael DeVito, Jr. , better known as Danny DeVito, is an American actor, comedian, director and producer. He first gained prominence for his portrayal of Louie De Palma on the ABC and NBC television series Taxi , for which he won a Golden Globe and an Emmy.DeVito and his wife, Rhea Perlman,...
as Lawrence Garfield - Gregory PeckGregory PeckEldred Gregory Peck was an American actor.One of 20th Century Fox's most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1960s, Peck continued to play important roles well into the 1980s. His notable performances include that of Atticus Finch in the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird, for which he won an...
as Andrew Jorgenson - Penelope Ann MillerPenelope Ann MillerPenelope Ann Miller , sometimes credited as Penelope Miller, is an American actress...
as Kate Sullivan - Piper LauriePiper LauriePiper Laurie is an American actress of stage and screen known for her roles in the television series Twin Peaks and the films The Hustler, Carrie, and Children of a Lesser God, all of which brought her Academy Award nominations...
as Bea Sullivan - Dean JonesDean Jones (actor)Dean Carroll Jones is an American actor. Jones is best known for his light-hearted leading roles in several Walt Disney movies between 1965 and 1977, most notably The Love Bug.-Early years:...
as Bill Coles - R.D. Call as Arthur
- Mo GaffneyMo GaffneyMaureen E. "Mo" Gaffney is an American actress, comedian, writer and activist.-Biography:She hosted two of her own television talk shows: Women Aloud! and The Mo Show...
as Harriet - Tom AldredgeTom AldredgeThomas Ernest "Tom" Aldredge was an American television, film and stage actor.-Life and career:Aldredge was born in Dayton, Ohio, the son of Lucienne Juliet and W. J. Aldredge, a colonel in the United States Army Air Corps...
as Ozzie
External links
- Movie Review - Other People's Money
- Movie Review - Other People's Money
- AmericanRhetoric.com audio and text of Jorgy Jorgenson's (Gregory Peck) speech to NE Wire and Cable shareholders' meeting
- AmericanRhetoric.com video and text of Larry "The Liquidator" Garfield's (Danny DeVito) speech to NE Wire and Cable shareholders' meeting