Academy Awards, USA 1983
| Nominated Oscar | Best Actor in a Leading Role Peter O'Toole |
MGM/UA
Directed by Richard Benjamin
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Turner Classic Movies)
A nostalgic look at 1954 through the eyes of a young assistant on a live TV comedy show in NYC. When a swashbuckling movie star with a reputation for booze and women is scheduled to appear on the show, he is given the task of making sure he shows up on time for rehearsals and the show itself. The two become unlikely friends and learn some hard lessons along the way. Peter O'Toole is perfect as the movie matinee idol, careening from full-on drunkard to suave gentleman with ease. His costar Mark Linn-Baker is less sympathetic, an aspiring comedian in love with another staff member. The attempts at comedy are not funny and the film probably would have worked better as a nostalgia-twinged drama. Nonetheless, there are some wonderful character vignettes, particularly Linn-Baker's Brooklyn family.
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