A Fine Mess (1986)

Two friends an actor and a chef discover a plot to fix a horse race and try to capitalize on it. But also have to deal with the two men who fixed it who are trying to silence them. And ... See full summary »

Director:

Blake Edwards

Writer:

Blake Edwards

Stars:

Ted Danson, Howie Mandel, Richard Mulligan

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ted Danson	...	Spence Holden
Howie Mandel	...	Dennis Powell
Richard Mulligan	...	Wayne 'Turnip' Parragella
Stuart Margolin	...	Maurice 'Binky' Drundza
Maria Conchita Alonso	...	Claudia Pazzo
Jennifer Edwards	...	Ellen Frankenthaler
Paul Sorvino	...	Tony Pazzo
Rick Ducommun	...	Wardell
Keye Luke	...	Ishimine
Ed Herlihy	...	TV Reporter
Walter Charles	...	Auctioneer
Tawny Moyer	...	Leading Lady
Emma Walton	...	First Extra
Carrie Leigh	...	Second Extra
Sharan Lea	...	Young Girl

Storyline

Two friends an actor and a chef discover a plot to fix a horse race and try to capitalize on it. But also have to deal with the two men who fixed it who are trying to silence them. And there's also the mob boss whom the two guys work for who planned the fixing thing whose wife is having an affair with the actor.

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Plot Keywords:

actor | piano | horse race | auction | restaurant | 

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Romance

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 August 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

Blake Edwards' A Fine Mess

Filming Locations:

Laird International Studio - 9336 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$6,029,824 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Blake Edwards, Columbia Pictures Corporation, Delphi V Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This movie was originally announced as both a starring vehicle for Richard Pryor and a remake of Laurel & Hardy's famous short subject The Music Box. The movie's title is a vague reference to Hardy's catchphrase, "Here's another nice mess you've gotten me into."

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Goofs

When the thugs chase Spence and Dennis away from the race track in their car, they wind up crashing into a vending table full of stuffed toys. Part of the crash can be seen from inside the car. In the exterior shot that follows, the camera used for the interior shot can be seen in the back seat of the car.

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Quotes

Dennis: Why's she called The Hummer?
Spence: She can't whistle while she works so she hums.

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Connections

Referenced in Money Talks (1997)

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Soundtracks

"Slow Down"
Written by Larry Williams
Produced by Peter Bunetta and Rick Chudacoff for Ripe Productions
Performed by Billy Vera and The Beaters

User Reviews

I thought this was actually a fine comedy.

This just shows how out of touch I am when it comes to comedies. The score for this film is only four, but I actually really enjoyed it. I thought the film was funny through the whole film for the most part and I enjoyed Howie Mandel and Ted Danson's performances in this one. Granted there were a few jokes that really did not work such as the auction where they accidentally bid on the piano, but jokes that did not work all that well were few and far between for me. The film is kind of all over the place, but it centers a bit on a horse racing doping scheme that a man overhears. He is chased and ends up placing bets on said horse. He and his friend then end up buying a piano for a large sum by accident and then proceed to sell it to a person of dubious character. The buddies are played well by two guys who were more known for television at the time in Mandel and Danson. Danson is basically just doing a variation of Sam Malone from "Cheers" in this one, but it works and I thought he was very funny. Richard Mulligan also is in this one, and once again someone who would be known for a television role. The ending was good too. Well good for me, I liked this one, but from the score here I would guess that not many share my opinion of this one. So while I enjoyed it and think it was humorous I would read the other reviews of those who did not like it all that much to get the whole picture.