Dirty Money

The directorial debut of one Carl (Chuck) Workman, whose later career would see him editing TV specials of the annual Academy Awards, The Money, to reveal the film's original title, is a somewhat unusual, moderately-paced drama-cum- thriller, with a transparent ‘money corrupts’ message. Taking its time to build up character portraits and motives, it’s a film which could only have been green-lighted in the era of progressive 70s cinema. This one comes recommended to the more untiring viewer, whose patience will be rewarded with a delicious twist ending at New York’s famous Chelsea Hotel.

Unemployed opportunist and general ne'er-do-well Roland (Graham Beckel) lives out of a grotty, rubbish strewn hotel room from where he sets out on a daily routine generally amounting to nothing more than petty theft.

An opportunity for getting rich and leaving his miserable existence behind him falls into his lap, when he accompanies his nurse girlfriend Lucy (Regina Baff) on a babysitting job for Ellen Banks (Elizabeth Richards; Rolling Thunder), a wealthy divorcee with two young children. After tying up Lucy and locking her in a room, he absconds with the two toddlers, holing up in a dingy out-of-town hotel.

Ellen returns home, aghast to find the children gone, and sends for her estranged husband Richard (Laurence Luckinbill) — a desperately in-debt property developer. Later that evening, Roland calls in and demands $200, 000 in cash from Richard, in exchange for the safe return of the two children. Tricking his rich ex-wife into raising the money, he unscrupulously uses $190,000 of it as collateral against his hefty business debts; when he meets Roland at the designated rondezvous point, he has only ten grand left with which to barter for his own children.

Danny DeVito has a small rôle as a poolside bartender.