Clue (film)/Characters

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


Clue (Cluedo outside of the United States and Canada) is a popular board game in which the players adopt the guise of one of six suspects moving around the board to find out who killed Dr Black (Mr Boddy in some versions), where and with which weapon. The six main characters are iconic and have been further characterised in various television series, computer games, novels, and films.



Game version

Miss Scarlet

Characterised as a Femme Fatale, Miss Scarlet is often considered the leading lady of Cluedo lore. Sometimes has an extra "t" in her name.

Colonel Mustard

Big Game Hunter and military hero.

Mrs. White

Characterised as Dr. Black's cook/maid.

Rev. Green/Mr. Green

A Stock type Snake Oil salesman Vicar. He was changed to Mr. Green for the US version and made into a corrupt businessman of dubious legality; players of recent editions can spot the Rev. Green label on the game-piece though.

Mrs. Peacock

Originally characterised as the stock type Grande Dame. Mrs Peacock has also been shown as the Lady of the Manor in the game show, serving as the central link between all the characters.

Prof. Plum

The Absent-Minded Professor stock type.

Dr. Black / Mr. Boddy

The poor sap stuck with the worst role to play in this particular murder mystery.

  • Designated Victim - Black / Boddy is the official victim in the board game.
  • Asshole Victim - In some incarnations, Dr. Black/Mr. Boddy arguably had it coming. In The Movie, he was blackmailing the other characters and sexually harassing his maid, while in the SNES video game it's implied that he had some rather dirty dealings with whomever killed him.
  • He's Just Hiding - In the book series. The books always end with Mr. Boddy's murder, and then the next one always begins with Mr. Boddy explaining how he survived.
    • Meanwhile, in The Movie, the third ending reveals that he had switched places with his butler before the movie started, and since none of his blackmail victims had met him in person before...
  • Horrible Judge of Character - The book series characters are (usually) not too malicious, but they've still (nearly) killed Mr. Boddy about a dozen times, and - as Boddy himself lampshades - he still hangs out with these people.
  • Law of Chromatic Superiority: Inverted: In some versions he's called "Dr. Black".
  • Punny Name: Mr. Boddy.


Movie version

Wadsworth

Portrayed by: Tim Curry

Mrs. Peacock

Portrayed by: Eileen Brennan

Miss Scarlet

Portrayed by: Lesley Ann Warren

Mr. Green

Portrayed by: Michael Mckean

Mrs. White

Portrayed by: Madeline Kahn

Professor Plum

Portrayed by: Christopher Lloyd

Colonel Mustard

Portrayed by: Martin Mull

Mr. Boddy

Portrayed by: Lee Ving

Yvette

Portrayed by: Colleen Camp