Tim Curry's Pennywise performance in 1990's IT is legendary but drops off in quality during part 2 of the miniseries. To many movie buffs, Curry is a beloved figure, a man who's played various memorable roles and excelled at all of them. From Satan-esque villain Darkness in Ridley Scott's Legend to seductive alien Dr. Frank N. Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, all the way to even the sneering concierge in Home Alone 2, Curry is a performer of many gifts and a clear love for the strange.
To horror devotees, though, Curry will always be best known for his portrayal of Pennywise the Dancing Clown in ABC's 1990 miniseries adaptation of IT. A certified TV event at the time, IT 1990 finally brought what had quickly become one of Stephen King's most treasured novels to the screen. While broadcast content standards and a fairly low budget prevented the miniseries from truly capturing King's massive book, there was one aspect most viewers seemed to agree on: Curry was the best part.
Even today, after the release of two semi-successful IT feature films, many would still argue that Curry's Pennywise bests that of Bill Skarsgard. Unfortunately, those people might be either looking back at his performance through the tinted lens of nostalgia or only remembering his best scenes. While Curry was indeed the best part of the miniseries during part 1, his work in part 2, whether due to bad writing, bad direction, or both, fails to measure up to what Curry is known to be capable of.
Why Tim Curry's Pennywise Is Legendary
While Stephen King didn't invent the concept of a killer clown in fiction - or in reality, thanks to infamously creepy serial killer John Wayne Gacy - it seems fair to say that Pennywise in IT is probably the most recognizable killer clown out there. Even in just the four years between IT's publication in 1986, and the release of the miniseries adaptation in 1990, Pennywise had already entered the conversation concerning King's greatest villain. In other words, Tim Curry had huge shoes to fill when accepting the Pennywise role in IT, both literally and figuratively.
Yet, Curry's Pennywise left such an impression that an entire generation of kids allowed to watch the miniseries were left with a lifelong fear of clowns due to his performance. That's not to say adults weren't affected too, as, at his best, Curry's Pennywise was so terrifying that he could leave even the most jaded viewers having nightmares. IT was a massive hit for ABC, drawing some of the best ratings ever for a Stephen King miniseries and becoming a true pop culture event of the time. Curry's Pennywise, despite only appearing in one project, and is so etched into the minds of anyone who's seen IT that he's never really gone away. While the 2017 IT movie from director Andy Muschietti may have reignited Pennywise's following, merchandise immortalizing Curry's clown was never hard to find, even decades after he first greeted Georgie from inside a storm drain.
Tim Curry's Pennywise Saves Part 1 Of It 1990
Even by the biggest fans of the 1990 IT miniseries, it's commonly acknowledged that both parts are not created equal. Even director Tommy Lee Wallace, who also made the Michael Myers-less Halloween 3, believed that. He later revealed on the IT DVD commentary track that he made lots of late rewrites to the original part 2 script by Lawrence D. Cohen while making only a few changes to part 1. Whether or not one thinks Wallace succeeded in his narrative rescue attempt, IT part 1 is definitely the stronger of the two miniseries installments. That said, it still has its flaws. Like many TV movies of the time, IT looks pretty cheap, with flat lighting, bland cinematography, and some really subpar special effects work. Its pacing is also iffy, and the format of every Losers' Club member getting their own act leads to the miniseries feeling more like a series of disconnected episodes than a cohesive whole.
Yet, all those flaws melt away instantly whenever Curry's Pennywise appears onscreen. Curry's performance is sometimes oddly inviting but mostly utterly horrifying, especially when his razor-sharp teeth come out to play. The early scene between Pennywise and Georgie is deservedly iconic, and Curry commands the screen, with viewers unable to look away, even though they know it can't possibly end well for Georgie. Even Pennywise's silliest part 1 line, "Here I am, wheezy," works, as it comes off like Pennywise is sadistically attempting to humiliate Eddie before he scares him. The acting of the child Losers is also excellent, and that helps, but Curry is why part 1, and thus the miniseries is so fondly remembered by most, despite IT's second half not being as good.
But Pennywise Sinks Part 2 Of The It Miniseries
As previously mentioned, part 2 of the 1990 IT miniseries has many problems surrounding the finished product. For one, the ensemble cast of the adult Losers' Club members gives almost uniformly bad performances, with the late John Ritter as adult Ben Hanscom being the only major exception. Of course, even a cast full of great actors probably couldn't save IT 1990 part 2 from its awful script. To be fair, part 2 draws some of its worst material straight from King's book, which itself is far from flawless. However, what really sinks IT part 2 is what it does to Tim Curry's formerly excellent Pennywise. In part 1, Curry's gravely voice, sinister laugh, and creepy grin were enough to make viewers' blood run cold. In part 2, Pennywise becomes a clown, and not in the killer way. While lots of blame does need to go to the script, Curry's Pennywise is almost like a different character in part 2.
He's rarely scary and instead comes off like a buffoon. The scene in the library in which Pennywise taunts Richie Tozier with hackneyed jokes is almost painful to watch, as what is a figure of fear and menace only one night prior is now twirling props and talking about having Prince Albert in a can. Curry goes even further over the edge into self-parody when Pennywise later pretends to be Beverly Marsh, begins making out with Ben, then turns back into a clown, exclaiming "Kiss me, fat boy!" with smeared lipstick in a silly way unlikely to even scare a child. The Pennywise who proclaimed himself the eater of worlds and children in part 1 has vanished, and in his place is a monster so lame it's sometimes cringe-worthy. Curry definitely deserved better than IT part 2's script, but at the end of the day, his Pennywise went from the savior of part 1 to one of many reasons part 2 doesn't hold up.