The Honey Pot (1967)

Director:

Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Writers:

Ben Jonson (play)
Frederick Knott (play)

Release Date:

22 May 1967 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime

Tagline:

You are cordially invited to enjoy a perfectly elegant case of murder!

Plot:

Inspired by a performance of his favorite play, "Volpone," 20th-century millionaire Cecil Fox devises...

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Dumb Waiter | Registered Nurse | Placebo | Fake Illness

Cast

Rex Harrison	...	Cecil Sheridan Fox
Susan Hayward	...	Mrs. Sheridan
Cliff Robertson	...	William McFly
Capucine	...	Princess Dominique
Edie Adams	...	Merle McGill
Maggie Smith	...	Sarah Watkins
Adolfo Celi	...	Inspector Rizzi
Hugh Manning	...	Volpone
David Dodimead	...	Mosca
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Herschel Bernardi	...	Oscar Ludwig (scenes deleted)
Antonio Corevi	...	Tailor (scenes deleted)
Cy Grant	...	Revenue Agent (scenes deleted)
Frank Latimore	...	Revenue Agent (scenes deleted)
Massimo Serato	...	The Pretender (scenes deleted)
Carlos Alberto Valles	...	Assistant Tailor (scenes deleted)

Also Known As:

Anyone for Venice? (USA) (working title)
It Comes Up Murder
Mr. Fox of Venice
The Honeypot (USA) (alternative title)

Runtime:

Italy:125 min | UK:150 min | 132 min (TCM print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | France:U | Italy:T | Sweden:11 | West Germany:12 | UK:A

Filming Locations:

Cinecittà Studios, Cinecittà, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Famous Artists Productions

Trivia:

Anne Bancroft was originally cast as Merle McGill, but she turned it down for a stage role.

Quotes:

NurseWatkins: I don't want to sound like a voice for morality, it makes him angry and you angry. But there are some things...
Fox: What things?
NurseWatkins: Not gold, perhaps, but still precious. Not negotiable, not even legal tender. Just tender.
Fox: Love, for example?
NurseWatkins: You can't even say it, you poor man, you make it sound like hate.

Modern twist on Volpone glows

Coming at the end of a prosperous string of all-star mystery films, THE HONEY POT suffered more from a lame title and timing than anything on screen when first released (an even worse title, "Up Pops Murder" didn't help when the film was first released to television).

The typically superb script and direction from Joseph L. Mankiewicz, from a play by mystery writer Frederick Knott, inspired in turn by Ben Johnson's classic play, VOLPONE, THE HONEY POT could not have had a better cast with Rex Harrison (at the top of his game) as the supposedly super-wealthy Cecil Fox mentally tilting with his secretary, Cliff Robertson, and a nosy nurse/love interest for Robertson, a very young Maggie Smith (younger viewers may be interested to see this very different performance from HARRY POTTER's Professor McGonagall - as well as her amazing Desdemona opposite Olivier's OTHELLO) and a trio of ex-loves, Edie Adams, Cappucine and Susan Hayward all in Fox's beautiful Venetian palatzo (the exterior shots are as gorgeous and the interiors).

A death happens (accident? perhaps murder?) and a Venetian police inspector, Adolfo Celi, enters the picture (lovely side note as his family at home is enraptured with PERRY MASON on American TV more than his real-life work) and the film starts to leave Ben Johnson's Volpone behind and delve into more complex games.

To be frank, this film has long been among my favorites - I have been accused of teaching an entire university course on Mystery Writers just to develop an audience for it. Showing the film at the conclusion of the course, after considering the progression of great mystery writing from Poe to Conan Doyle to Christie, Hammett and beyond, this marvelous under-appreciated work from Knott & Mankiewicz never fails to grab them. It's well worth a look for anyone interested in good literate fun, great performances and writing that don't depend on splatter gore, special effects or CGI.

While the ongoing box-office clout of stars Harrison and Hayward got the film a limited VHS release, it's hard to a copy today - but well worth the search.

Wonderful film...if only it had a better title.