In this 1986 black comedy, millionaire Sam Stone (Danny DeVito) plans to murder his loud, overweight wife, Barbara (Bette Midler), but she is kidnapped before he gets the chance. It seems Sam only married Barbara for her family’s fortune, and while he made quite a bit of money on his own over the years, it doesn’t compare to what he would inherit from his wife. After receiving a phone call from Barbara’s kidnappers demanding a large ransom for her safe return, Sam thinks he’s found an out — his wife is gone, yet his hands are clean of the crime. But the kidnappers, a married couple who were swindled out of their savings by Sam, are in no hurry to murder Barbara. In fact, they continually lower the ransom in a desperate attempt to get Sam to pay. Needless to say, confusion, drama and humorous antics ensue. The Touchstone film was directed by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker, the filmmaking trio behind such comedy gems as Airplane!, Top Secret!, and The Naked Gun.
