Ruthless People Behind The Scenes

Bette Midler was the perfect fit for Barbara Stone, but before this movie entered production, she wasn't who Disney (owner of Touchstone Pictures) had in mind for the role of the woman so horrible. A few clues as to who they wanted for the role: 1) She's 13 years younger than Bette Midler 2) Her career was far better than the Divine Miss M's at the time 3) With one of her biggest hits, she seemed perfect for the role.... Okay, you don't like guessing games, so I'll tell: MADONNA! Yes, folks, believe it or not, Disney wanted the Material Girl for "Ruthless People". She was asking for a million dollars at the time (Oh, how 16 years can change the price) and Disney didn't want to shell out the smackers, so they got Midler to take a 4K pay cut and essay the role. End result: A brilliant characterization... but oh, what possibilities!

Martin Noble's novelization contains several scenes that didn't make it into the final movie. Among them: -More masks for the Kesslers, including a Darth Vader mask. -Scenes of Sandy at her job as a diner waitress. -Carol on an airplane to Tahiti without Earl, with the bonus of the final "Haiti" gag. -An alternate ending at a Paris fashion show where Sandy gets kidnapped by Sam, ending in a cliffhanger for Ken and Barbara. -Several more ribald lines would've been included as well.

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