Jean Renoir’s 1932 film adaptation of the French play Boudu sauvé des eaux inspired the plot of the 1986 American comedy film Down and Out in Beverly Hills. Down and Out in Beverly Hills, distributed by Disney’s Touchstone Films, is the studio’s first film to be given a R classification by the Motion Picture Association of America. Dreyfuss’s career was revived by the picture, which was his first major success since his well-publicized drug issues.
Direct by: Paul Mazursky
Starring: Nick Nolte, Bette Midler and Richard Dreyfuss
Revenue: $62.1 million
Synopsis:
The story centers on a wealthy but dysfunctional family who end up saving the life of a homeless man who was planning to end his own. Little Richard makes a cameo appearance as a neighbor and plays “Great Gosh A’Mighty” during a party.