(FORTUNE Magazine) – We went to see Other People's Money, the hot new Warner Brothers picture starring diminutive Danny DeVito and curvaceous Penelope Ann Miller, with one question in mind: Would this filmic feature faithfully render the University of Chicago economic logic put forward in the off-Broadway play of the same name two years ago? The story line in the play was astoundingly faithful to economic theory. It had Larry the Liquidator not only carrying the day, taking over ailing New England Wire & Cable, firing its work force, and selling off its assets, but also winning and wedding toothsome Mercedes Ruehl. Wait. We still haven't mentioned the wildest part. Before defeating the lovable old chairman who will do anything to save his company and community and the employees' jobs, Larry gets a chance to explain the economic rationale for his proposal -- to tell the audience why society and the economy are better off when sick companies get the ax and investment flows to the most productive enterprises. All this in a production in New York's dirigiste Greenwich Village. Alas, Hollywood flinched when it came to Friedmanite logic. Oh, sure, Larry (Danny DeVito) still carries the day with the stockholders. But he never gets to fire the workers and kill the company. Foiling economic logic is a switcheroo ending in which we suddenly learn about Japanese investors mysteriously wishing New England Wire & Cable to rebuild its plant and produce air bags for them. Why the canny Pacific Rimmers would specify a rundown cable company in New England for this assignment is providentially not explained, but the bottom line is that Larry gets bought out at a huge profit, the workers keep their jobs, and everybody is happy except members of the audience rooting for an optimal allocation of resources. They never had a chance.