Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness? (1969)

Heironymus Merkin screens an autobiographical movie of his life, growth and moral decay.

Director:

Anthony Newley

Writers:

Anthony Newley, Herman Raucher

Stars:

Anthony Newley, Joan Collins, Alexander Newley

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Anthony Newley	...	Heironymus Merkin
Joan Collins	...	Polyester Poontang
Alexander Newley	...	Thaxted
Tara Newley	...	Thumbelina
Milton Berle	...	Goodtime Eddie Filth
Connie Kreski	...	Mercy Humppe
George Jessel	...	The Presence
Bruce Forsyth	...	Uncle Limelight
Patricia Hayes	...	Grandma
Stubby Kaye	...	Fat Writer
Ronald Rubin	...	Skinny Writer
Louis Negin	...	Producer Peter
Tom Stern	...	Producer Ron
Ronald Radd	...	Critic Bentley
Rosalind Knight	...	Critic Penelope

Storyline

Hieronymus Merkin has recently turned 40, and is in the midst of preparing a film that details his life's history and development. Portraying himself as a marionette being controlled by an unseen puppet master, young Merkin is led away from the innocence of youth and into the waiting arms of one woman after another by Goodtime Eddie Filth. With Filth's guidance, Merkin steadily transforms into a self-centered womanizer, save only for the longing he feels for his one lost love, Mercy Humppe. As the producers of his life story scream for him to come up with an ending, Merkin must look back and decide what, if anything, he's learned from his experiences.

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Plot Keywords:

autobiographical | merry go round | question mark in title | long title | written and directed by cast member | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 July 1970 (France)

Also Known As:

...Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness?

Filming Locations:

Malta

Company Credits

Production Co:

Taralex

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Did You Know?

Trivia

Playboy magazine devoted ten pages of one of its 1969 issues to this film, complete with photographs of many of the nude female stars. Connie Kreski was cast as Mercy Hummpe after being named Playmate of the Year in 1969.

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Goofs

The color of Thumbelina's ice-cream cone changes between brown and white and pink.

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Quotes

Hieronymous Merkin: Why couldn't we get Ingmar Bergman to direct this thing? His films never have an end. As a matter of fact, most of them don't even have a beginning!

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Crazy Credits

May we remind patrons that contributions to the Yetta Lipschitz Academy for the Performing Arts are tax deductible.

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Connections

References The Birth of a Nation (1915)

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Soundtracks

"Once Upon a Time"
Written and Performed by Anthony Newley

User Reviews

CHMEFMHAFTH - longest film title?

I saw this film during its original release at the Pearl Art Theater in Denver, Colorado. I was amazed by the film's originality (the premise... not the humor) and the convoluted script (very self-serving for Newley). Just the same, I loved the film and wanted to see it again

• if for no other reason than to jot down the jokes... why not, the

script writers got them the same way. So, last February, to my surprise, my wife presented me with a video copy of the film.(I had been searching for it for more than 30 years.) On second viewing, it is now very dated, but still just as delightful and wacky. As the Late George Gessel crooned... "When ya gotta go, ya gotta go. Even though you'd like to stick a round a while." - I remembered that line for 30 years.