Beverly Hills Cop' star Judge Reinhold sees career resurgence after 'executive murder plot' sidelined him

 

Judge Reinhold starred in several successful films in the 1980s

'Beverly Hills Cop' star Judge Reinhold sees career resurgence after 'executive murder plot' sidelined him

.Judge Reinhold • Beverly Hills Cop • Eddie Murphy

Judge Reinhold, a name synonymous with 1980s teen comedies like "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" and the "Beverly Hills Cop" franchise, had the potential to become a major Hollywood leading man. However, a series of unfortunate events and behind-the-scenes studio battles derailed his trajectory.

Early Hustle and Unexpected Breaks

Reinhold's journey began humbly. His first feature film, a low-budget thriller titled "Running Scared" (also known as "Desperate Men"), released in 1980, showcased his early hustle. Despite the film's shoestring budget, Reinhold reportedly beat out a young Dennis Quaid for the lead role. Recalling the film's production, Reinhold shared an anecdote about the director's budget constraints: "[The director] told me, 'Look, we don't have enough money to really finish, we just have a threadbare budget. Can we pay you when we get back to LA?'"

With a shrewdness that belied his "green" status, Reinhold negotiated a unique payment method. "There was a '59 Cadillac that I drove in the movie," he explained. "I said, 'You give me that car, I'm yours.'" He secured the car, which ultimately proved to be a double-edged sword. While in Los Angeles auditioning for Robert Redford's "Ordinary People," his mother back in Florida accidentally wrecked the car, later discovered to be stolen.

Learning the Ropes and Sharing the Screen with Comedy Legends

Undeterred, Reinhold landed a small role in the 1981 comedy "Stripes" alongside comedic giants Bill Murray, John Candy, and Harold Ramis. This experience not only honed his comedic timing but also introduced him to a valuable technique – physical self-restraint. "I would put my hands in my pockets and squeeze my thigh really hard to the point where it would be bruised at the end of the day, just to keep from laughing," he revealed, highlighting the infectious comedic energy on set.

The following year, a fortuitous living situation propelled him into another iconic film. Sharing a duplex with "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" director Amy Heckerling and dating her assistant gave him an edge in landing the role. Heckerling's initial choice, Nicolas Cage, was deemed too young for the part at the time.

Judge Reinhold during a photo shoot, Los Angeles on April 14, 1986.

Beverly Hills Cop and the Promise of Stardom

By 1984, Reinhold's career was on an upward trajectory. Partnering with Eddie Murphy in the blockbuster "Beverly Hills Cop" cemented his status as a comedic force. His role as Detective Rosewood, a straight man to Murphy's flamboyant Axel Foley, displayed a perfect comedic balance.

The "Executive Murder Plot" and the Derailment of Vice Versa

Reinhold's next project, "Vice Versa" (1988), seemed poised to launch him into leading-man territory. The body-swap comedy, starring Reinhold and Fred Savage, had the potential to be a box office success. However, according to Reinhold, a behind-the-scenes power struggle significantly impacted the film's fate.

He attributed the film's underperformance to the arrival of David Puttnam as CEO of Columbia Pictures in 1986. Puttnam's vision, which involved lowering lead actors' salaries while offering them backend profits, clashed with established industry practices. Reinhold believed in Puttnam's model but lamented, "[He] wasn't, unfortunately, around long enough to prove that formula" due to what he called an "executive murder plot."

Reinhold elaborated on Puttnam's short tenure: "He went public with his disdain for how high the salaries were and what he wanted to do, and he pissed a lot of people off. By the time we were ready to be released… He didn't know, but the guillotine had been set. People didn't like him, so they wanted him out."

Judge Reinhold was once paid for a movie with a stolen car. 

Adding insult to injury, "Like Father, Like Son," another body-swap comedy starring Dudley Moore and Kirk Cameron, was released months before "Vice Versa." Although "Like Father, Like Son" went into production after "Vice Versa," the earlier release date gave it a significant advantage. Reinhold claimed the studio further hampered "Vice Versa" by pulling it from theaters prematurely, preventing it from capitalizing on the Easter break window.

A Look Back and a Look Forward

Despite the disappointment surrounding "Vice Versa," Reinhold acknowledges the film's significance. "I'm proud of the film," he stated. "It was my first time with my name above the title." However, the film also serves as a reminder of the