A notorious flop during its initial release, it was the third and last pairing of Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner, and sadly her last film. It's basically a spoof of the Red Skelton "Whistling" series, casting Wilder as a cowardly host of a 1940's radio mystery show who ends up involved in murder himself. He's heading home with fiancée Radner where the greedy family awaits and family matriarch Dom de Luise fears for "her" life. It's another road to the old dark house where every cliché dating back to the silent era is used to create chills and laughter, including the original "The Cat and the Canary".
While de Luise won awards for "Worst Actress", he's actually very funny, performing an amusing version of "Balling the Jack" with Gilda who never got that one film role to rise above standard comedy. Radner is likable, perky and untraditionally attractive. Why Mel Brooks or Woody Allen never grabbed her up is a mystery in itself. Add on Jonathan Pryce as a sinister members of the family and other looking eccentrics, and you've got the recipe for old fashioned popcorn movie. For fans of"Downton Abbey", that is indeed Jim Carter ("Carson") as the sinister looking guest with the glowing eyes. Ann Way, hysterically funny as the feisty housekeeper, is instantly recognizable from "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie".
Delightfully atmospheric, this is a perfect companion piece to period comedy mysteries such as "Murder By Death" and "Clue". It has a nostalgic feel to it with it's radio background, period costumes and jazzy musical score. No modern classic, but not the disaster that it has been labeled as.
While de Luise won awards for "Worst Actress", he's actually very funny, performing an amusing version of "Balling the Jack" with Gilda who never got that one film role to rise above standard comedy. Radner is likable, perky and untraditionally attractive. Why Mel Brooks or Woody Allen never grabbed her up is a mystery in itself. Add on Jonathan Pryce as a sinister members of the family and other looking eccentrics, and you've got the recipe for old fashioned popcorn movie. For fans of"Downton Abbey", that is indeed Jim Carter ("Carson") as the sinister looking guest with the glowing eyes. Ann Way, hysterically funny as the feisty housekeeper, is instantly recognizable from "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie".
Delightfully atmospheric, this is a perfect companion piece to period comedy mysteries such as "Murder By Death" and "Clue". It has a nostalgic feel to it with it's radio background, period costumes and jazzy musical score. No modern classic, but not the disaster that it has been labeled as.