The World's Greatest Lover (1977)

Director:

Gene Wilder

Writer:

Gene Wilder

Release Date:

15 February 1978 (France)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Go ahead - laugh!

Plot:

A neurotic baker travels to Hollywood to attend a talent search for an actor to rival the great Valentino. Although not an actor, through blind luck he succeeds - to a certain degree! |

Plot Keywords:

Talent Search | Barber | Audition | Tent | Written And Directed By Cast Member

Cast

Gene Wilder	...	Rudy Valentine / Rudy Hickman
Carol Kane	...	Annie Hickman
Dom DeLuise	...	Adolph Zitz
Fritz Feld	...	Tomaso Abalone, Hotel Manager
Mark Silberman	...	Cousin Buddy
Robert Ball	...	Bald Man (as Robert E. Ball)
Randolph Dobbs	...	Yes Man #1
Sandy Rovetta	...	Woman Dancer
Hannah Dean	...	Maid
Rita Conde	...	Whore #1
Lupe Ontiveros	...	Whore #2
Teda Bracci	...	Whore #3
Elaine Everett	...	Whore #4
Gustaf Unger	...	Producer
Harry Gold	...	Freddie the Runner
Poncie Ponce	...	Pineapple
Frank O'Brien	...	Yes Man #4
Mews Small	...	Slave Girl #2 (as Marya Small)
Harriet Gibson	...	Pastry Customer
Richard A. Roth	...	Chico (as Richard Roth)
Norbert Schiller	...	Captain
Peter Elbling	...	Robert Drake
Federico Roberto	...	Priest
Charles Knapp	...	Bakery Foreman
George Memmoli	...	Truck Driver
Pat Ast	...	Bakery / Wardrobe Lady
Tracey Cohn	...	Little Girl on Train
John Ponyman	...	Singer with Megaphone
Patrick Regan	...	Assistant Director
Skip E. Lowe	...	First Wardrobe Man
Nora Boland	...	Woman
Elya Baskin	...	Actor with Bad Breath
David Levy	...	Elevator Operator
Bunny Summers	...	Mother on Train
Carson King	...	Guard at Rainbow Studio
Pavla Ustinov	...	Leading Lady
Alvin Hammer	...	Second Wardrobe Man
Vincent Edward Vaccaro	...	Legionnaire
Zooey Hall	...	Gary, Finalist #1 (as David Z. Hall)
Susanna Van Haaren	...	Greta Ga-Ga
Lydia Goya	...	Singer in Jail
Speedy Zapata	...	Mexican Sidekick
Gino Gottarelli	...	Make-up Man
Al Wyatt Sr.	...	Arab Wrangler
Kay Dingle	...	Young Woman on Train
Nick Dimitri	...	Boyfriend on Train
Carol Arthur	...	Woman in Record Store
Candice Azzara	...	Anne Calassandro (as Candy Azzara)
Carl Ballantine	...	Uncle Harry
Stanley Brock	...	Yes Man #2
Warren Burton	...	Drag Queen
Matt Collins	...	Rudolph Valentino
Lou Cutell	...	Mr. Kipper, Bakery Manager
Danny DeVito	...	Assistant Director
Richard Dimitri	...	Tony Lassiter, Finalist #2
Josip Elic	...	Headwaiter
Melissa Fellen	...	Cousin Corrine
Ricky Fellen	...	Cousin Max
James Gleason	...	Room Clerk
Ronny Graham	...	Director Dorsey
James Hong	...	Sven, Yes Man #3
Michael Huddleston	...	Barber
David Huddleston	...	Bakery Owner
Richard Karron	...	Bodyguard
Michael McManus	...	Yes Man #5 (as Mike McManus)
Art Mendelli	...	Jailor
Sidney Miller	...	Man at the Table
Jorge Moreno	...	Mexican Gangster
Jack Riley	...	Projectionist
Billy Sands	...	Guard
Rolfe Sedan	...	Conductor
Florence Sundstrom	...	Aunt Tillie
Sal Viscuso	...	Assistant Director
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Arthur M. Braham	...	Jail Guard (uncredited)
Debra De Liso	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Ric Drasin	...	Supporting (uncredited)

Directed by
Gene Wilder

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Gene Wilder

Produced by
Frank Baur	....	associate producer
Christopher Greenbury	....	co-producer (as Chris Greenbury)
Terence Marsh	....	co-producer
Gene Wilder	....	producer

Original Music by
John Morris

Cinematography by
Gerald Hirschfeld

Film Editing by
Anthony A. Pellegrino

Production Design by
Terence Marsh

Art Direction by
Steven P. Sardanis		(as Steve Sardanis)

Set Decoration by
John Franco Jr.

Costume Design by
Ruth Myers

Makeup Department
William Tuttle	....	makeup artist (as Bob Tuttle)

Production Management
Frank Baur	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mel Dellar	....	assistant director
Jack Frost Sanders	....	second assistant director (as Jack Sanders)

Art Department
William S. Maxwell III	....	leadman
John Rozman	....	set dresser

Sound Department
William Hartman	....	sound effects editor
Theodore Soderberg	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jack Solomon	....	sound production mixer
Richard Sperber	....	sound effects editor

Special Effects by
Logan Frazee	....	special effects
Terry D. Frazee	....	special effects (as Terry Frazee)

Stunts
Mickey Gilbert	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Curtis Foster	....	lamp operator
Michael R. Marquette	....	assistant camera
Owen Marsh	....	camera operator
Jeffrey W. Petersen	....	electrician
Tony Rivetti	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ed Wynigear	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Christopher Greenbury	....	supervising editor (as Chris Greenbury)

Music Department
Ralph Burns	....	orchestrator
Dan Wallin	....	score mixer
Tommy Tedesco	....	musician: guitar (uncredited)

Transportation Department
James Nordberg	....	driver: makeup/hair

Other crew
Alan Johnson	....	choreographer
Julia Tucker	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Jouer Limited
• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1977) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1983) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2011) (Australia) (DVD)

Other Companies

• DeLuxe Laboratories  color (as DeLuxe)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

USA:89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | France:U | Sweden:11 | USA:PG | Iceland:L | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Company:

Jouer Limited

Trivia:

The "Rudy Valentine" name invented by Rudy Hickman (Gene Wilder) for himself was a rip-off of silent film star Rudolph Valentino.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The "audition" record that Rudy listens to is obviously an LP running at 33 1/3 rpm. LPs would not be invented until the late 1940s.

Quotes:

[Talking to the hotel manager, Tomaso Abalone]
Uncle Harry:I'd like a baloney.
Tomaso Abalone, Hotel Manager:Yes, sir. Right here.
Uncle Harry:Where?
Tomaso Abalone, Hotel Manager:Here.
Uncle Harry:So where's the baloney?
Tomaso Abalone, Hotel Manager:I'm Abalone.
Uncle Harry:You're a baloney?
Tomaso Abalone, Hotel Manager:That's right.
[Pointedly looks at the camera]
[...]

Movie Connections:

References 42nd Street (1933)

Soundtrack:

You Oughta Be in Pictures

Carol Kane is the sole survivor.

I just saw this recently on DVD. I hadn't seen it since it was first released and couldn't remember it that well. Well, I've reacquainted myself with it and, although I'm genuinely not the one to exploit yiddishisms, my first thought was "Oy!" Somebody tell Gene Wilder to stop screaming! He did some funny shrieks in his previous films, including the Mel Brooks romps, but he kept it at the proper minimum. Here he screams in every scene like he's having his leg amputated with a steak knife and anesthetic was unavailable. Other times he mugs like a bad burlesque comic. The film itself is just as subtle, filled with loud music, heavy handed gags, and cartoon sound effects. The "Modern Times" parody is a major embarrassment. This film isn't even good bad. It's just sad bad. Even Wilder, in his DVD commentary said "They don't make movies like this today, and maybe that's a good thing." And then there's Carol Kane, who is absolutely adorable. In time, she too would become self conscious about her comic abilities (especially after "Taxi"), but here she gives a tender, endearing performance with occasional touches of genuine comedic spark which would be even better if only the material would give her more. The Sex-By-The-Numbers segment is the one truly funny bit in the movie.

Those two look like they were made for each other. I'm really surprised they didn't become an item after the movie. Maybe she just couldn't handle the screaming.