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Gremlins, Ruby Deagle (Polly Holliday)

Site Rating: 89%
(ratings: 7)
Editor Rating: 95%
Writeup Rating: 80%
(ratings: 3)
Film: Gremlins (1984)
Deceased Character: Ruby Deagle (Polly Holliday)
Archetype: Baddy (Minor)
Killed by: Gremlins
Killed with: Hotwired stairlift


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Written by Mr. Mouseburger 2nd Apr 2006

Kindly submitted by Pyro

Kingston Falls' resident rich cat lady, with a mean streak a mile wide, finally gets her comeuppance in a way that few ever would have seen coming. Gremlin leader Stripe and a few of his spawn come across Mrs. Deagle's large mansion. Stripe decides it the perfect location to stir up some trouble.

Meanwhile inside, Mrs. Deagle slowly descends her massive staircase on an electric chair that rides along a banister, and upon reaching the main floor, goes to feed her numerous pet cats, not remotely as aware as the cats are that a gremlin has just snuck in through the pet door.

Shortly after, Mrs. Deagle hears carolling voices outside. The mean, crotchety old bat that she is, Mrs. Deagle hates the Christmas spirit in a fashion that would put Ebenezer Scrooge to shame. Grabbing a bucket of icy water, she proceeds to the door to douse her visitors...

...only to discover, much to her shock and horror, that the carollers are gremlins! Their ghastly appearance is only rivalled by their singing and, terrified, Mrs. Deagle retreats into her mansion, thinking that demons have come for her. Hurrying over to her electric chair to go upstairs and hide, Mrs. Deagle has no idea that the gremlin that had snuck in earlier has tampered with it.

Switching the chair on, sparks suddenly come flying out and Mrs. Deagle rockets up the winding stairway at 80mph, screaming in terror as she zips uncontrollably further upstairs with no sign of slowing down.

Cut to outside, the gremlins watch in amusement as the electric chair, with Mrs. Deagle still on it, bursts from the top window at high speed and crashes into the middle of the road in front of a parked police car; making for easily one of the most greatest movie deaths ever.



4 categories : Death Trap, Falling, Monster, Machinery

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Other Death Reviews for Gremlins (1984)

Ruby Deagle (Polly Holliday)
Stripe (Frank Welker (voice))
Sheriff Frank Kelly (Scott Brady)

Last Updated: 16th Nov 2006
This review has 5 comments. Reply to the comments
Comment 1 by 'Cybercat' (reply to this comment)
Innocent Bystander? Seems to me she qualifies as at least a Minor Baddy. She is a real bitch in the movie, bullying everybody - remember the scene in the bank involving the broken snowman?
Comment 2 by 'Pyro' (reply to this comment)
Not to mention the mother and children outside the bank. "Well now you know what to ask Santa for, don't you?"

We find out in a deleted scene she's responsible for the job losses(including the husband of the woman mentioned above) going around for making the factory close down. She did this so everyone would lose their jobs, that way she could evict them all out of Kingston Falls and sell the land to a chemical corporation that wanted to build a processing plant there and was willing to pay her a rather large sum for the property.
Comment 3 by 'old bluffer' (reply to this comment)
I agree, I remember her as being a nasty piece of work. I've therefore "upgraded" her status accordingly.
Comment 4 by 'DarkSaber' (reply to this comment)
Maybe the 'Unique' category could be applied to this? I don;t know about anyone else, but a certainly haven't seen a scene even remotely similar to being launched high-speed off the top of a stair-lift!
Comment 5 by 'Kooshmeister' (reply to this comment)
By the by, Mrs. Deagle's first name is given as "Ruby" in the credits of the film.