YET ANOTHER COPYRIGHT WARNING ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwS93LkVUFk

How to Beat the High Cost of Living is a 1980 American comedy heist film starring Susan Saint James, Jane Curtin, and Jessica Lange. Set in the aftermath of the economic recession of the 1970s, the film follows three women in suburban Oregon who, each facing personal and financial crises and desperate for money, devise a plan to steal a large amount of cash from a giveaway event in the local shopping mall. The film features supporting performances by Dabney Coleman, Fred Willard, Richard Benjamin, Eddie Albert, Scott Elliott, Cathryn Damon, Sybil Danning, and a cameo by Curtin's fellow Saturday Night Live co-star Garrett Morris. The film was produced by American International Pictures (AIP) but released under Filmways in the summer of 1980, as AIP had merged with the latter following the film's completion. It is considered the final AIP production, before its revival by MGM in 2020.[1] Jane, Elaine, and Louise are suburbanites in Eugene, Oregon. These three women, friends since high school, are currently all struggling with money due to a turbulent national economy and high inflation. Jane is divorced, trying to cope with the man she is dating, Robert; her newly single father, who moves in with Jane after his wife leaves him for another woman; and her young children, who need dental work. Jane learns she is pregnant, which makes Robert unhappy since both he and Jane are nearly broke. Elaine's husband, an architect, has left her for a younger woman. He has also left her with no money, no credit cards, and many overdue bills. Louise owns an unsuccessful antiques store, and relies on funds from her veterinarian husband Albert to keep the store open. After her electricity is shut off, a depressed Elaine gets drunk and her car is pulled over by police officer Jack. Elaine makes a pass at him, trying to get out of the ticket. When he accepts, he then reveals he is married, and Elaine smacks him with her purse. Meanwhile, Louise is served a court order and learns that her husband plans on suing her to force her into bankruptcy to wipe away the enormous debt she has incurred. The women become desperate. Elaine has a yard sale to raise money, selling her husband's possessions, including his deodorant. At the peak of their woes, Elaine visits the local mall, where an acquaintance, Natalie, has coaxed her into helping out with staging a community pageant. Elaine stares at a large, clear ball soon due to hold thousands of dollars in a giant cash "give away" and formulates the idea of stealing the money. She calls Jane and Louise to the mall, where they scheme to steal the money by drilling a hole beneath the ball and sucking out as much cash as possible with a high-powered vacuum, then escaping via the river behind the mall. Despite getting caught by officer Jack in the act of stealing items needed for the heist, Elaine again manages to sweet-talk her way out of being taken to jail. As a test run to prepare themselves, the women drive to Medford where they appoint Jane to attempt an armed robbery at a Safeway, but the sheepish Jane's effort fails when the impervious cashier mistakes her pistol for a toy water gun she assumes Jane is purchasing. On the evening of the heist, each woman has an unexpected distraction, but finally find their way to the mall. Jane and Louise go to work beneath the cash ball while Elaine readies herself to throw the switch to the mall's lighting controls, aiding their escape. Unfortunately, a minor occurrence nearly causes mall security to notice the noise caused by Jane and Louise stealing the money. With no other way to distract the guards and shoppers, Elaine begins to rant about the high cost of living and how so many things cost "the shirt off your back – and even that's not enough!" She begins an impromptu striptease, exposing her bosom to the crowd. An indoor light pole falls directly into the ball, sending cash flowing out into the mall, driving people into a frenzy to collect it. During the uproar above, Jane and Louise make their escape to the river with two large trash bags filled with cash, only to have their canoe tip over when Louise stands up. They both fall in, and Louise can't swim, leaving Jane to decide to save the cash or her friend. She saves Louise and the two bags float away. Susan Saint James as Jane Jane Curtin as Elaine Jessica Lange as Louise Dabney Coleman as Jack Heintzel Richard Benjamin as Albert Fred Willard as Robert Eddie Albert as Max Cathryn Damon as Natalie Ronnie Schell as Bill Pike Michael Bell as Tom Sybil Danning as Charlotte Al Checco as Tim Lundy Susan Tolsky as Patty Art Metrano as Gas Station Attendant Garrett Morris ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dap4OWezpCw

... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-DY9ZSJTtw

... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2uapkrygQg