The Last of Sheila (1973)

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:

A year after Sheila is killed in a hit-and-run, her multi-millionaire husband invites a group of friends to spend a week on his yacht playing a scavenger hunt-style mystery game. The game turns out to be all too real and all too deadly.

Plot Keywords:

Game | Yacht | Secret | Hit And Run | Clue

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 Wife
Elliot Geisinger	...	American Husband
Jack Pugeat	...	Silver Salesman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Maurice Crosnier	...	Concierge (uncredited)
Martial	...	Locksmith (uncredited)
Vito Scotti	...	Various Voices (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Herbert Ross

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

Produced by
Stanley O'Toole	....	executive producer
Herbert Ross	....	producer

Original Music by
Billy Goldenberg

Cinematography by
Gerry Turpin

Film Editing by
Edward Warschilka

Production Design by
Ken Adam

Art Direction by
Tony Roman

Set Decoration by
John Jarvis

Costume Design by
Joel Schumacher

Makeup Department
Mary Bredin	....	hair stylist
Harry Frampton	....	makeup artist
Peter Frampton	....	makeup artist
Alaine Scemama	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Stanko Grozdanic	....	production supervisor
Malcolm Stamp	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michel Cheyko	....	assistant director
William C. Gerrity	....	assistant director

Art Department
Barry Wilkinson	....	props

Sound Department
David Dockendorf	....	sound mixer
Derek Holding	....	sound editor
Richard Oswald	....	sound editor
Cyril Swern	....	sound recordist
Dan Wallin	....	sound re-recording mixer

Stunts
Fred Stromsoe	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Derek V. Browne	....	camera operator
W.C. 'Chunky' Huse	....	chief grip
Michael Murchan	....	rigger (as Mick Murchan)
Bob Penn	....	still photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Brian Owen-Smith	....	wardrober
Ron Talsky	....	costume designer: Raquel Welch
Terry Young	....	wardrober

Editorial Department
Don Zimmerman	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Harry King	....	music editor
Dan Wallin	....	score mixer

Other crew
George Crawford	....	stand-by supervisor
Annabel Davis-Goff	....	continuity
Hunt Downs	....	publicist
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer
Nora Kaye	....	production associate

Production Companies

• Warner Bros

Distributors

• Warner Bros (1973) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia-Warner Distributors (1973) (UK) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1975) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (video)

Other Companies

• GBS Film Lighting  lighting

Also Known As:

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.77 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

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

Filming Locations:

Antibes, Alpes-Maritimes, France

Company:

Warner Bros

Trivia:

Christine is based upon Hollywood mega-agent Sue Mengers, who was Dyan Cannon's agent at the time.

Goofs:

Factual errors: One of the characters mentions that after Sheila's funeral, mourners immediately went to Las Vegas to see Barbra Streisand's opening at The Sands; Streisand never headlined at that hotel.

Quotes:

Lee:You were always so sweet to me, at Daddy's legendary Sunday lunches.
Philip:I can still see you sitting on Olivia DeHavilland's lap.

Movie Connections:

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

Soundtrack:

Friends

"I like any game where you don't have to move." ... "You don't have to for this one--if you're smart enough."

Superb, darkly comic whodunit with all the pieces right there for you to place. Wicked James Coburn is the cunning movie producer and game-lover inviting to his yacht the failed screenwriter (Richard Benjamin), his alcoholic wife (Joan Hackett, in a sympathetic performance), the catty agent (Dyan Cannon, more wired than ever before), the starlet (Raquel Welch, looking a little out-of-it), the starlet's husband (Ian McShane), and a director down-on-his-luck (James Mason, the calm-head who pays attention to the details). The only trouble with the film is that the first-half (involving a hilarious personality game) is SO good and clever that the murder-mystery second-half lets you down a bit. Still, these characters are a wonderfully tainted, self-absorbed lot and Dyan Cannon's breakdown after someone almost offs her is a wild bit of breakneck acting. I also admired Welch's scene at midnight on the top deck, talking about stealing a coat (she's very seductive and charming, though she continues to whisper her dialogue throughout the film and comes off as slightly dazed). The character conflicts and the reasoning behind who-does-what-to-whom doesn't bear a great deal of scrutiny (and even after several viewings, I'm still not clear on that business regarding the cabin keys); however, the film is extremely entertaining, a verbally exciting match-of-wits by a group of Hollywood hopefuls and burn-outs. ***1/2 from ****