Hanky Panky (1982)

Completely innocent man, Michael Jordon, is drawn into a web of government secrets when a girl carrying a mysterious package gets into a taxi with him. When she's later murdered, Michael becomes the chief suspect and goes on the run.

Director:

Sidney Poitier

Writers:

Henry Rosenbaum, David Taylor

Stars:

Gene Wilder, Gilda Radner, Kathleen Quinlan

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gene Wilder	...	Michael Jordon
Gilda Radner	...	Kate Hellman
Kathleen Quinlan	...	Janet Dunn
Richard Widmark	...	Ransom
Robert Prosky	...	Hiram Calder
Josef Sommer	...	Adrian Pruitt
Johnny Sekka	...	Lacey
Jay O. Sanders	...	Katz
Sam Gray	...	Dr. John Wolff
Larry Bryggman	...	Stacy
Pat Corley	...	Pilot
Johnny Brown	...	Bus Driver
Bill Beutel	...	Anchorman
Nat Habib	...	Cab Driver
James Tolkan	...	Conferee

Storyline

Architect Michael Jordon is New York on business. Mysterious and beautiful stranger, Janet Dunn, runs into the taxi cab he's using and asks him to deliver a package for her. Enchanted by her, he does so and goes back to meet Janet afterwards, but finds her in her hotel dead. Now everyone believes that he's the killer and to make things even worse, a mysterious sinister group that's after the package is now after him as well. His only ally is his business contact Kate Hellman, who has mysteries of her own. Their first goal is to find out what was in the package. Meanwhile, someone tries to assassinate the director of national security, whom Janet Dunn tried to contact before her death.

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Plot Keywords:

government secret | taxi cab | hotel | architect | on the run | 

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Taglines:

When you're wanted for a murder you didn't commit, chased for secrets you didn't steal, and running from people who want to kill you, the worst mistake you can make is falling in love...

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Movie Channel [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 June 1982 (USA)

Also Known As:

Traces

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$3,597,244 (USA) (4 June 1982)

Gross:

$9,434,062 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min 107 min (Ontario)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sequences set in Boston, Massachusetts were shot throughout the city of Boston and in Boston's famed New England Aquarium.

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Goofs

The woman's name who is murdered in the hotel is Janet Dunn, at 55:44 Michael Jordan reads an article in the newspaper titled "Janet Stone found murdered in N.Y. hotel room"

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Quotes

Ransom: What is your connection with Janet Dunn?
Michael Jordon: He is my brother.

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Connections

Featured in Gilda Radner: It's Always Something (2002)

User Reviews

A talented cast makes it enjoyable.

Gene Wilder plays the amusingly named Michael Jordon, an architect from Chicago, in this comedy / thriller. Jordon is an innocent guy who gets swept into big time trouble after sharing a cab with an operative named Janet Dunn (Kathleen Quinlan), who's being pursued by traitorous American thugs. They desperately want their hands on a valuable computer tape, and will do anything to get it. Wilder's real-life love Gilda Radner plays the young woman eager to help him out, and she has her own reason for doing so, although he won't be aware of this for a while. Not only are these spies out to get him, but the cops in NYC assume him to be a killer. (When WILL innocent movie characters learn not to pick up murder weapons?) Knowing that "Hanky Panky" was originally intended as a reunion of director Sidney Poitier and actors Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor (after "Stir Crazy") makes one wonder what could have been, as the comedy fireworks would certainly have been even greater. As it is, Wilder and Radner (who's cute and adorable) do have an energetic chemistry. The movie itself is pretty entertaining and energetic itself, moving along very well and offering up some good action sequences; Poitier does a nice job with the material. The movie actually takes itself rather seriously much of the time, but there are still some good comedy moments, especially when Michael steals a tuxedo and, while aboard a bus, realizes it belonged to a magician, and the sequence with a sickly airplane pilot where Michael has to take the controls. Suffice it to say, there aren't many people who can freak out as well as Gene Wilder. "Hanky Panky" finds him in fine form, and the supporting cast features a slew of recognizable and reliable actors. Richard Widmark, as the chief heavy, shows that he still had great villainous presence on screen, well into his 60s. Also appearing are Robert Prosky, Josef Sommer, Johnny Sekka, Jay O. Sanders, and character actors Pat Corley, James Tolkan, Beau Starr, Frankie Faison, Larry Pine, William Sadler, and Victor Argo in small roles. This is of course no "North by Northwest", but it's not bad at all, either, remaining agreeable entertainment for a lively 108 minutes. At the least, it's worth noting that this is where Wilder and Radner met. Seven out of 10.