<P> Romancing the Stone is a 1984 American action - adventure romantic comedy film directed by Robert Zemeckis . The film stars Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, and Danny DeVito, and was followed by a 1985 sequel titled The Jewel of the Nile . </P> <P> Romancing the Stone earned over $86 million worldwide in box office receipts . It also helped launch Turner to stardom, reintroduced Douglas to the public as a capable leading man, started Zemeckis' frequent collaboration with Alan Silvestri, and gave Zemeckis his first box - office success . Decades later, it retains critical acclaim, with an 87% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes . </P> <P> Joan Wilder (Kathleen Turner) is a successful but lonely romance novelist in New York City whose editor believes she is waiting to meet a romantic hero like the ones she writes about . One day Joan gets a call from her sister Elaine, who has been kidnapped by antiquities smugglers, cousins Ira (Zack Norman) and Ralph (Danny DeVito). As Joan leaves her apartment to meet her editor, Gloria (Holland Taylor), she is handed a letter containing a map, sent to her by her late brother - in - law . Returning to her apartment, she finds it ransacked and the apartment supervisor dead . Joan then receives a frantic phone call from Elaine (held at knife - point by Ira), who instructs Joan to go to Colombia with the map she received; it is Elaine's ransom . </P> <P> Flying to Colombia, Joan is detoured from the rendezvous point by Colonel Zolo (Manuel Ojeda), the man who killed Elaine's husband . He tricks her into boarding the wrong bus, heading deep into the interior of the country instead of to the coastal city of Cartagena, where Elaine is being held . When Joan distracts the bus driver by asking where they are going, the bus crashes into a Jeep, wrecking both vehicles . As the rest of the passengers walk away, Joan is menaced by Zolo but is saved by the Jeep's owner, American exotic bird smuggler Jack T. Colton (Michael Douglas). For getting her out of the jungle and to a telephone, Joan promises to pay Jack $375 in traveler's cheques . </P>

Who played joan wilder in romancing the stone
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