5 Design Secrets from the Set of Clue

"In 1985, this beloved board game got the silver screen treatment, with a film and set design dramatizing its intrigue and mystery. Critics at the time may have found it, in the words of the Chicago Tribune, "gimmicky," but the film version of Clue has endured as a cult classic that reimagines the whodunit board game as a playful black comedy."

"Audiences find different pleasures in Clue, from its over-the-top plot to its zany characters. There are the campy performances from stars including Tim Curry (as The Butler) and Eileen Brennan (as Mrs. Peacock), which reach a new level of slapstick. Then there's the witty repartee-such as the oft-repeated "Husbands should be like Kleenex: soft, strong, and disposable," said by Mrs. White-that elicits laughs despite the movie's darker themes of Cold War paranoia."

"And, of course, there is Clue's set design, namely the luxurious-but-creepy mansion, which is almost a character in itself. Hill House boasts grand rooms and Baroque style, making for one opulent backdrop. Now, on the film's 40th anniversary, AD zeroes in on the famous setting, revealing secrets about Clue's set design and the Easter eggs hidden within Hill House. Here, five under-the-radar design cues of Clue."

Clue (1985) adapts the board game's whodunit into a playful black comedy featuring campy performances and sharp one-liners amid darker Cold War anxieties. The film centers on Hill House, a luxurious-but-creepy Baroque mansion that functions as a character through opulent rooms and layered decor. Production relied heavily on Paramount's Lot 18 rather than on-location shooting, linking the film to cinematic history where Hitchcock once built his Rear Window set. Designers embedded subtle Easter eggs and under-the-radar cues throughout the set to reward attentive viewers. The stylized design and theatrical performances helped secure the film's cult status.

Read at Architectural Digest