A rags-to-riches movie. Actually five of them. Various versions of this tale have been made from the big screen under the same title. There are versions from 1914, 1921, 1935, 1945, and 1985. Additionally in 1926 there was a Miss Brewster's Millions. While I couldn't verify this I believe all are based on the novel Brewster's Millions by George Barr McCutcheon. The rest of this writeup is about the 1985 version starring Richard Pryor since it is the only one I've seen.

This version was directed by Walter Hill and based on the novel mention above. The script was written by Herschel Weingrod and Timothy Harris. The cast includes Richard Pryor, John Candy, Lonette McKee, Yakov Smirnoff, Rick Moranis, Stephen Collins, Pat Hingle, and more.

Your basic riches-to-rags comedy.

Montgomery Brewster (Richard Pryor) is a minor league baseball player who is for the most part an average guy. He finds out he is related to a very rich man who has just passed away. He is the last remaining relative. But to inherit the money he must pass a test. He has to dispose of $30 million in 30 days to inherit $300 million. One catch is that he have no more assets than he started with. Another catch is that he cannot tell anyone. There are some other catches, but that lays the groundwork for the plot of the movie. If he fails the money goes to two trustees and they want him to fail.

I haven't seen this movie in years. I remember thinking it was pretty funny. So it is at least an enjoyable film. I remember the film using some pretty zany and ingenious ways to dispose of the money. The biggest probably being the Mayoral Campaign "None Of The Above."

The 1985 Monty Brewster found some fairly ingenious ways of spending $30 million. Some of the more memorable include...

  • Buying a rare stamp on which the airplane was printed upside down, then he mails it on a postcard.
  • Buying a 3 inning exhibition baseball game versus the New York Yankees. The opposing team? His own minor league Hackensack Bulls.
  • Speaking of the Hackensack Bulls, Brewster flies them into New Jersey, has then take a helicopter to New York for a welcoming ceremony, then loads the team into a bus for a ride back to New Jersey.
  • Buying lunch for whoever happens to be around ("You all like Le Fete?").
  • Running for mayor and spending millions on the campaign, then dropping out of the race the day before the election.
  • Throwing lavish parties with all sorts of expensive food and drink.
  • Rents quarters to use in pay phones.
  • Buying 60 bottles of rare wine at $10,000 a bottle at auction, then popping open each bottle and distributing glasses of wine among the crowd.

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