Ruby

Ruby

Year: 1992

Runtime: 110 mins

Language: English

Director: John Mackenzie

DramaActionThrillerCrime

Blending real events with dramatized storytelling, the film follows Jack Ruby and a club dancer named Candy Cane as they become entangled in a shadowy plot surrounding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Fact and fiction intertwine, revealing the gritty underworld that draws the two into a conspiracy to kill the president.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Ruby (1992)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Ruby (1992). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1962–1967

The narrative travels from 1962 Dallas to 1967, tracing Ruby's rise and the escalating web of mob and political intrigue. It intersects the Cuban exile network, the Kennedy era, and covert operations that hint at a larger conspiracy. The timeline culminates with JFK's assassination and Ruby's trial, imprisonment, and death.

Location

Dallas, Havana, New Orleans, Las Vegas

Dallas anchors the story as a gritty nightlife hub where Jack Ruby runs the Carousel Club amid mob influence and police corruption. Havana serves as the volatile nexus for the Cuba operation and Santos Alicante's case. New Orleans is a staging ground for Ferrie and Diego's recruitment of Oswald and the mob's broader schemes. Las Vegas provides a glittering backdrop where mob power intersects with national politics, highlighted by JFK's visit.

🌆 Dallas 🗺 Havana 🏛 New Orleans 🎰 Las Vegas

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:18

Main Characters – Ruby (1992)

Meet the key characters of Ruby (1992), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Jack Ruby

Dallas nightclub owner who navigates mob ties and police corruption while trying to keep his business afloat. He becomes entangled in a larger conspiracy and ultimately shoots Oswald, facing a controversial legal battle and dying of cancer in prison in 1967.

💼 Mob ties 🔫 Violence 🎭 Private life

Candy Cane

Sheryl Ann DuJean, renamed Candy Cane, becomes the Carousel Club's bold new star who captivates the crowd with a fearless act and forms a bond with Ruby. Her rise is tempered by personal danger and an offer that unsettles her, reflecting resilience amid turmoil.

🎤 Performer 💔 Personal turmoil

Santos Alicante

An elderly mobster imprisoned since the 1959 Cuban Revolution, he is freed when Ruby overthrows Vitali. After escaping Cuba, he goes his own way, becoming a central figure the film ties to transnational mob networks.

🗺️ Cuban exile 💼 Mobster

David Ferrie

A Cuban exile contact in New Orleans who helps recruit Oswald for a Cuba job. He travels between New Orleans and Cuba, intersecting with mob and political plots tied to Oswald and the broader conspiracy stream.

🗽 Era figures 🪓 Plotter

Lee Harvey Oswald

The man connected to the Dallas assassination plot who is approached by Ferrie and Diego. He becomes a focal point in Ruby's attempts to uncover a wider conspiracy, culminating in the Dallas shootings.

🔫 Assassin 🗺 US history

John F. Kennedy

President Kennedy, a central historical presence in the Vegas gala and Dallas events. His assassination anchors the film's political stakes and the sense of national crisis surrounding the era.

🎖 Leader 🏛 US politics

Louie Vitali

Ruby's mob associate who urges him toward a Cuba mission, escalating the danger and pulling him deeper into the conspiracy.

💼 Mobster 🔪 Betrayal

Sam Giancana

A powerful mob boss who signals a shift in plans, warning that a Castro-related plot is off in favor of a larger operation, while coordinating with Maxwell behind the scenes.

💼 Mob boss 🕵️ Conspiracy

Proby

Ruby's boss who urges him to drop the investigation, embodying institutional pressures and the politics of keeping quiet in the face of dangerous truths.

🏛 Authority 🧭 Pressure

Hank

Candy Cane's abusive husband, a figure Ruby confronts and overpowers, illustrating personal danger amid the era's volatility.

💔 Domestic abuse 🥊 Violence

Diego

A Cuban exile bartender who anchors the Havana and New Orleans chapters, connecting Santos, Ferrie, and Oswald within a web of expatriate networks.

🌴 Cuban exile 🍹 Bartender

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:18

Major Themes – Ruby (1992)

Explore the central themes of Ruby (1992), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🕵️ Conspiracy

Hidden alliances between mob figures and government agents drive the plot, suggesting hidden hands shaping public events. Maxwell's presence hints at covert surveillance and manipulation behind the scenes. Ruby's suspicions of a larger scheme drive much of the tension and moral ambiguity.

🪪 Identity

Ruby navigates a precarious public persona as a club owner and a figure stirred by unseen powers. Candy Cane's ascent contrasts with personal vulnerability, while Oswald and Ferrie blur lines between ally and instrument. The film explores how individuals adapt or resist in a dangerous, politicized world.

💥 Violence

Brutality punctuates the narrative as a method of control, from the club's brutal jealous husband to the assassination and execution-style killings. The violence exposes how power operates through fear, coercion, and calculated risk. The characters justify extreme actions as necessities in a corrupt system.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:18

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Ruby Summary

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Ruby Summary

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Ruby Timeline

More About Ruby

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Ruby (1992) Plot Summary & Movie Recap

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Ruby (1992) Spoiler-Free Summary & Key Flow