Blue Money

This is a ‘little’ TV film with a big heart, starring the fabulous Tim Curry as ‘Larry Gormley’, an Irishman who hopes to make it big in London and fulfil his dream of becoming a successful actor/singer. Fate, however, isn’t that kind to Larry who’s forced to take on an additional job as a taxi driver… until a briefcase full of money changes everything - though not necessarily for the better.

Larry Gormley sure has got a voice and the talent to match… not to mention ambition in spades. However, auditions don’t come exactly rolling in, thus Larry is forced to croon in miserable pubs to an audience that’s barely even visible. Occasionally he shares the ‘stage’ with girlfriend Pam Hodge (Debby Bishop), also a talented singer who waits for her break. Meanwhile, and to make ends meet, Larry works as a taxi-driver. Oh, he also needs to look after his religious sister and his kids. Then there’s his buddy, another Irishman called Brogan (Dermot Crowley) who’s a small time crook and tries to convince Larry that he’s a hopeless dreamer.

Suddenly the opportunity arrives to audition for a huge musical production. Larry even gets the part but as sod’s law has it, the producer dies of a heart attack immediately after the audition… meaning there will be no production. And so it’s back to the taxi for poor Larry. One of his regular passengers is a shady South American called Ramirez (George Irving) – he hates it when Larry tries to make conversation or play music. One evening, while stepping out of the car to place a call and get something in a nearby store, Larry notices a briefcase on the backseat. Curiosity gets the better of him and upon realising that a huge sum of cash is inside the case he drives off and for the next three days or so lives the high life while pretending to his friends that he got the part in the musical.

Soon though he has to face the music, and that’s not the music on stage! Larry and Pam decide to flee to Dublin in their car. En route to Holyhead they offer a bonkers Scotsman called Des (Billy Connolly) a lift, but quickly regret the decision… Brogan is also on their heels and so is the mob. After a detour via Liverpool, Larry and Pam finally arrive in Dublin but their real troubles are only about to begin…

Plenty of cool music and some deadpan sense of humour add to the charm of this entertaining tale from 1985. Tim Curry is of course pure dynamite and even gets to perform a fair bit of songs – his ‘Oirish’ accent isn’t half bad either! The supporting roles are just as fun though shame that Billy Connolly’s psychotic Glaswegian hitchhiker Des has only a few scenes. This is a wonderful addition for all you Tim Curry fans out there!