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The Hasbro board game Cluedo/Clue and the associated 1985 film Clue contains six murder suspects, five of whom survive into the new 2002 edition of the game. The typically represent "types" or stock characters of European and American high society, as typified in the murder mysteries pioneered by Dame Agatha Christie. The characters have also become stock types in pop culture, and served as the basis for an Australian advertising campaign by photographer Richard de Chazal, with each character being photographed with one of the weapons and in one of the rooms from the game.

Characters in the English versions of the game

Colonel Mustard

Colonel Mustard is the stock character of a Great White Hunter and colonial buffoon. He a military man with a European heritage and a tendency for botching things, both dignified and dangerous. As with many of the male characters, the Colonel is rumored to have a liaison with Miss Scarlet in some sources. Mustard is sometimes portrayed as a rival to Mr. Boddy. In one scenario, Mustard was paid a vast sum of money to write an autobiography of his adventures in the Punjab, from which he was mustered out. He has not gotten very far in the book, but has quite gone through most of the money. He travels to Mr. Boddy from halfway across the world to speak with him on a matter of grave importance, and tends to sleep with a revolver under his pillow. There is a rumor from the movie that he made a sum of money stealing radio parts during the war and selling them on the black market.

Mustard frequently is given the first name of Michael. In Master Detective his first name is given as Algernon and in the original book series his name is Martin. he has also been called Ivor in the Cluedo Armchair Detective book, and Lewis in the computer game. He is seldom seen in the United States as a young man, though he is in some foreign versions. He frequently wears typical African safari clothes and a monocle and has a bushy moustache.

He was played by Martin Mull in the 1985 film.

Miss Scarlett

Miss Scarlett (Miss Scarlet in the "Clue" edition of the game) is the stock femme fatale character. She is typically portrayed as a young, sinister, and beautiful. When the game was made in 1949, she was a glamourous blonde. A 1972 redesign of her features led to speculation that she was of Asian ethnicity. In 1996, Miss Scarlet became a saucy brunette with glamourous looks. In a recent version, she is the ditzy step daughter of Mrs. Peacock. The two editions that deal heavily on her characterization are very different. In Master Detective, she is a ruthless "mercenary" who will stop at nothing that would gain her a profit. Her looks are plain but her expression more sinister than others. In 2003 she is described as a childish prima donna with a fondness for dating rich old men. Unfortunately for the recent depiction, her dumb personality and her described interests leave an uncertain motive for her to kill Mr. Boddy/Dr. Black. Her looks in this manifestation are typically glamourous. In the VCR game, her character (again of Asian ethnicity) is a sexy, sinister spy with Col. Mustard as her worthless henchman.

In the series, the character is named Charlotte Scarlet, but she has had many other first names including Evelyn in a Swiss edition, Cynthia, Diana in the computer game, Vivianne, Gloria/Ming in Germany, Josephine in the recent edition, and others.

By tradition, it is wise to play as Scarlet, because she always starts the game.

She was played by Lesley Ann Warren in the 1985 film.

Professor Plum

Professor Plum is the stock character of Absent-minded professor. Often depicted as tall and lanky, with a bow tie and glasses, he is widely seen by many characters as the most intellectual and knowledgable, particularly about poisons. The movie suggests that he is a psychiatrist. Most of the canon states that he is an archaeologist, who has a past he would rather clam up about, including a possible question about his writings. The VCR game gives him the occupation of a college chemistry teacher dealing mostly with poison who is Mr. Boddy's son-in-law. In some editions he is an older man with a moustache (something of an Albert Einstein look-alike), this is prominient in the early British edition and some out-dated American editions. His personality ranges from confused and bumfuzzled to serious and in deep-thought.

He has been given many names including Albert, Peter, Paul in the book series, Jonathan in the computer game and Edgar in Master Detective.

Christopher Lloyd played Plum in the 1985 film.

Mr. Green/Reverend Green

Reverend Green has two very different manifestations. As Reverend Green, he is the stock type of snake oil salesman, a hypocritical evangelist. By all accounts, he is not really a graduated reverend. He donned the ways of the cloth, but uses them to fleece the flock as a traveling evangelist. He appears to have stopped travelling at last, being named as a Reverend in Hampshire, where the game of Clue takes place most of the time. It is here where he has made contact with the extraordinarily wealthy Mr. Boddy, and this is quite a lucrative prospect for him.

The English Reverend Green is different from the above owing to different stereotypes in English culture. On the one hand, snake oil salesmen and travelling evangelists are less common in England, while the English, being a less religious nation than Americans, are less cautious about mocking organised religion. Accordingly, in England the Rev. Green is an Anglican vicar (parish priest). In the original board game he has a bland face and red ears and looks rather 'soft', but as they say 'still waters run deep' he may have a dark secret that he is willing to go to desperate lengths to protect. On the Cluedo game show he has been portrayed as everything from a bumbling do-gooder who becomes wild when his favourite cause is threatened to a crafty old cleric who may well know some of the church's dirtiest secrets.

Until 2002, he was known simply as Mr. Green in North American versions of the game. His new stock character became that of mobster, with a cigar, greasy suit, and sweaty sort of paunch. Allusions to the mafia have remained until the 2002 version.

Rev. Green has had the many names of Jonathan, Colin in the computer game, Horatio, Gerald in the book series and Thallo in Master Detective.

He was played by Michael McKean in the 1985 film.

Mrs. White

Mrs. White has also had a couple divergent characterizations. The movie portrays Mrs. White as a serial husband-killer, a Black Widow type. More frequently, Mrs. White is regarded as the housekeeper at Boddy Manor, appearing in a traditional maid's costume. The only difference between the games is that sometimes she is young, as in the Franklin Mint edition or the 1985 release. More commonly, she is an elderly lady. She is often seen to have been Mr. Boddy's illicit lover, and to have known all his secrets. This characterization is given a tongue-in-cheek humor by having Smithers cast as Mrs. White in the Simpsons version of the game, with Mr. Burns as the deceased host. Most sources agrees that Mrs. White is colorblind. Supposedly, she shares this flaw with Sgt. Gray.

White bears the first name Blanche in nearly all versions except for the computer game where her name is Anna, the Armchair Detective game where her name is Beryl and the Clue book series where her name is Wilhelmina and Wilma.

She was played by Madeline Kahn in the 1985 film.

Mrs. Peacock

Mrs. Peacock is the stock character of grande dame. She has had the first names of Prunella, Elizabeth, Henrietta and Patricia. She represents an elder woman, who maintains her dignity in almost all cases and almost all versions. She is the owner of Arlington Grange in Cluedo. According to post-2002 Clue games, she is the mother of Miss Scarlet, who drags Scarlet along for the ride which leaves questions as to Scarlet's motive to kill Boddy/Black. True to her characterization, Mrs. Peacock is often portrayed as obsessed with breeding, "good society", gossip, manners, and wealth. Clue Master Detective reveals that she is an ornothologist, president of the 'Peacock salvation society,' of which she is founder and sole member, having single-handedly saved the logger-headed shrike. In the VCR game, she is given a more sinister personal as a kleptomaniac who kills off her husbands as a hobby.

She has been given names of Henrietta in Master Detective, Samantha in the computer game, Elizabeth pre-2002, Patricia post-2002, and Penolope.

She was played as a corrupt Senator's wife by Eileen Brennan in the 1985 film.

Mr. Boddy/Dr. Black

Boddy/Black is the owner of Boddy Manor. In the games he is the one murdered. In the film, he was supposedly disguised as the butler. His personality is not known but most likely not well liked as he gets killed often. In America and Canada he is known as Mr. Boddy while other places refer to him as Dr. Black. In the book series, his name is Reginald, in America his name is commonly John, and in Britain, he is mostly named David.

Characters appearing in Cluedo Master Detective and UK Super Cluedo Challenge

Miss Peach

An American Southern Belle type who claims to be Boddy's long-lost stepniece. When pressed, she decided on short notice to take a vacation in the country. Any country. Her favorite flower is deadly nightshade. Nearly every variation and update of Clue has included Miss Peach, leading some to consider her the seventh "canon" guest. Her first name is presumedly Georgia (pun likely intended). She starred in Clue FX as an innocent investigator of the murder of Mr. Meadow-Brooke, which means Mr. Green-Blue. In the British version, Miss Peach is the local schoolteacher, and is usually engaged to either Dr. Black or Mr. Slate-Grey. Her name in Britain is supposedly Emily. She was mentioned in the recent 'Clue Mysteries' book series as Georgia Peach, a friend of Miss Scarlet.

Monsieur Brunette

An art and arms dealer, Monsieur Brunette is the English stereotype of a French artiste. In laters editions, he would be replaced by Prince Azure, M. Brunette nearly made a killing in Paris, producing the missing arms of the Venus D'Milo. His business is in ruins now because Boddy has questioned some of the works of Alphonse Brunette sold him. He is a man of many talents, many accents, and many passports. This is the only board game he appeared in, but he did feature in the VCR Mystery games.

Madame Rose

Madame Rose represents the stock character of fortune teller and medium. The Clue VCR game suggested that she was Mr. Boddy's sister, but the board game states she is his secretary. It is possible that she might, in fact, be both. She resigned from his office and moved to Hungary to set up a shop as a seer, when, in a trance, she saw Mr. Boddy's death. She left her shop a few days later and took a very slow boat back to England, and when she got to Tudor Close, she discovered she was too late. Or was she . . . ? Like Brunette, Rose shares the fate of being exiled from the Clue world, replaced by herbalist and, as one games suggests, spiritualist, Lady Lavender.

Sergeant Grey

Sergeant Grey is less a stock character than most. He appears at first to be a police hero come to save the day, but is later shown to be either a corrupt blackmailer or even an escapee from an insane asylum. Seeing things as either black or white, his approach to solving crime is unimaginative and straightforward. This is Sgt. Grey's only appearance in the Clue board game world. He is replaced by Lord Grey in Clue FX, as well as Mr. Slate-Grey in many Cluedo versions.

Captain Brown

Featured only once, in the Super Cluedo Challenge. Presumably a drunk who thinks he's a ladies man. His name is supposedly Robert.

Mr. Slate-Grey

Also featured only in Super Cluedo Challenge, Graham Slate-Grey has the distinction of being the only character in Britain with only a "mister" in front of his name.

Margart Boddy

The mother of Mr. Boddy and sister of Dr. Black. In the film, her character was replaced by Mrs. Ho ,the cook.In UK Super Cluedo Challenge, She is mentioned but not seen. She was befriended by Mrs. Peacock.

Characters appearing in other language versions

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it.

Characters appearing in Cluedo DVD

This game is prominient in that a murder never takes place. A theft has occurred and you must help Inspector Brown and Ashe the Butler findout WHAT was stolen, by WHOM, from WHERE, and WHEN.

Lady Lavender

An herbalist who possibly poisoned her husband, Lord Lavender, Lady Lavender is an honorable lady who tends to be a slight bit of a trouble-maker at times. Her Oriental heritage is reminisent of the earlier Miss Scarlets (Circa. 1972-1992). In Clue FX, she was an innocent investigator of the death of Mr. Meadow-Brooke.

Mrs. Meadow-Brooke

Wife of the deceased Mr. Meadow-Brooke whose murder investigation was headed by Miss Peach with the aid of Lady Lavender, Prince Azure, and Lord Grey. She is situated on a turquiose base, correlating with her Namesake (Meadow/Green, Brook(e)/Blue)She is the local gossip according to Clue cannon, and she and Mr. Meadow-Brooke were strongly implied to have severe marital problems.

Prince Azure

An art and arms dealer, possible partner to M. Brunette, Azure has both an elusive royal lineage and a knack for cashing in on it. This indicated a master fraud and manipulator. He is known to have a rivalry with Colonel Mustard, and an intense dislike for Mr. Boddy, but he is not a suspect in anybody's deaths thusfar. He is the first black character in official Clue canon.

Rusty Naylor

Crusty and old, Rusty is the gardener at Tudor Mansion. He makes his first appearance in Clue FX as a suspect in the murder of Mr. Meadow-Brook(e). He returned in Clue Mysteries and the Clue DVD Game. Not much is known about this character, save minor details hidden throughout the games. It is strongly implied that Rusty, whose last name is given as Nayler, is soon to retire on a pension set aside for him, which may explain why he is not present in the original version of Clue. In the recent 'Clue Mysteries' book series, Mrs. White tells Mrs. Peacock that she is the only servant. It is probable, however, that Ashe and Rusty were hired after this took place.

CLUE Mysteries

Lord Grey

Grey is a hard color for Clue to decide how to use, as MD gave us Sgt. Grey and FX gave us Lord Grey as an investigator who looked more like a director or a journalist. We later learned that he designs water gardens.

Film and DVD

Yvette

A young and rather revealingly-dressed French maid, she appears in the 1985 movie. She speaks English only passably and with an accent. This character was only in the film, i.e. not in any of the games.

Ashe/Wadsworth/Hogarth

Ashe is Mr. Boddy's Butler and trusted friend he has appeared in the 1985 movie just as Wadsworth. He has made other appearances in the DVD game as Ashe and is the narrator of Cluedo SFX/FX. He was called Hogarth in the special Cluedo Super Sleuth and was a suspect.

Inspector Brown

Inspector Brown works for Scotland Yard, and is in three Clue Games. He is in Cluedo SFX, Clue Mysteries, and is a narrator on the Clued DVD Game.

See also

• Clue, computer game

References

Books

Except as noted, the original hardcover books were published by Turtleback, and had various authors. Later paperback reissues are credited "Book created by A.E. Parker", and are published by Scholastic Press. Dates below are for the first publication. ISBNs are for the paperback reissue.

1. Who Killed Mr. Boddy?, by Eric Weiner (1992) ISBN 0-590-46110-9
2. The Secret Secret Passage, by Eric Weiner (1992) ISBN 0-590-45631-8
3. The Case of the Invisible Cat, by Eric Weiner (1992) ISBN 0-590-45632-6
4. Mystery at the Masked Ball, by Eric Weiner (1993) ISBN 0-590-45633-4
5. Midnight Phone Calls, by Eric Weiner (1994) ISBN 0-590-47804-4
6. Booby Trapped, by A. E. Parker and Eric Weiner (1994) ISBN 0-590-47805-2
7. The Picture Perfect Crime, by Jahnna N. Malcolm (1994) ISBN 0-590-48735-3
8. The Clue in the Shadows, by A. E. Parker (1995) ISBN 0-590-48934-8
9. Mystery in the Moonlight, by Marie Jacks (1995) ISBN 0-590-48935-6
10. The Case of the Screaming Skeleton, by Marie Jacks (1995) ISBN 0-590-48936-4
11. Death by Candlelight, by Marie Jacks (1995) ISBN 0-590-62374-5
12. The Haunted Gargoyle, by Marie Jacks (1996) ISBN 0-590-62375-3
13. The Revenge of the Mummy, by Marie Jacks (1996) ISBN 0-590-62376-1
14. The Dangerous Diamond, by Marie Jacks (1996) ISBN 0-590-62377-X
15. The Vanishing Vampire, by Marie Jacks (1996) ISBN 0-590-13742-5
16. Danger After Dark, by Dona Smith (1997) ISBN 0-590-13743-3
17. The Clue in the Crystal Ball, by Dona Smith (1997) ISBN 0-590-13744-1
18. Footprints in the Fog, by Dona Smith (1997) ISBN 0-590-13745-X

Other media

• Jonathan Lynn (Director) (1985). Clue (Film). USA: Paramount.
  • Landis, John (1985). "Clue (script)". AwesomeFilm.com. Retrieved 2006-07-25. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

External links

• Clue official web site
  • Suspect bios (official site)
• Clue the Musical cast
• Extensive Clue Collection and Fan Discussion Forums TheArtofMurder.com

• Game characters
• Cluedo