The Last of Sheila (1973)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Herbert Ross

Writers:

Anthony Perkins (written by) &
Stephen Sondheim (written by)

Release Date:

14 June 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

The Next Move Is Murder [USA Theatrical]

Plot:

Sheila is killed in a hit-and-run car accident following a party one night. A year later her multi-millionaire husband...

Plot Keywords:

Yacht | Game | Actor | Beautiful Woman | Murder

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Richard Benjamin	...	Tom
Dyan Cannon	...	Christine
James Coburn	...	Clinton Green
Joan Hackett	...	Lee
James Mason	...	Philip
Ian McShane	...	Anthony
Raquel Welch	...	Alice
Yvonne Romain	...	Sheila Green (as Yvonne Romaine)
Pierre Rosso	...	Vittorio
Serge Citon	...	Guido
Roberto Rossi	...	Captain
Elaine Geisinger	...	American Couple
Elliot Geisinger	...	American Couple
Jack Pugeat	...	Silver Salesman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Maurice Crosnier	...	Concierge
Martial	...	Locksmith

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.77 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:AA | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Studios de la Victorine - 16 avenue Edoard Grinda, Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Cameo (Annabel Davis-Goff): (continuity) as James Mason's secretary.

Goofs:

Continuity: At the end, Tom throws some darts onto the scoreboard. In a later shot, we see the board, with the darts in very different positions than where they first landed.

Quotes:

Christine: Give me a glass of water and a couple of lesbians.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Ken Adam: Designing Bond (2000) (V)

Soundtrack:

Friends

A classy puzzle

This is not a movie for those who like their fare to be obvious. Coming from the pens of Stephen Sondheim and Anthony Perkins, it is a witty, erudite little puzzle that expects you to pay attention and work with it. It's also a delightfully acerbic look at the Industry and those who work in it.

The cast in the main rises to the challenge Coburn is in fine form as the manipulative Clinton; the late Joan Hackett reminds you, what we lost as an actress in the part of Lee and James Mason, exudes charm as Phillip. Raquel Welch is perhaps at sea a bit in some of the scenes compared to Ian McShane as her husband and the wonderful Dyan Cannon and Richard Benjamin. Herbert Ross directs what is a complex story with a deft touch right up to the denoument - which is brilliant and has a great pay-off line.

The dvd version has a commentary with Cannon, Benjamin and Welch. However, Welch sounds as though she recorded alone and really doesn't offer much insight into the whole project except for comments about her wardrobe and the fact that she didn't understand the plot, but that was ok as she says because her character had little understanding of what was going on either.