Enter Laughing (1967)

A young would-be actor seeks his first break.

Director:

Carl Reiner

Writers:

Joseph Stein (play), Carl Reiner (novel)

Stars:

José Ferrer, Shelley Winters, Elaine May

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
José Ferrer	...	Harrison B. Marlowe (as Jose Ferrer)
Shelley Winters	...	Emma Kolowitz
Elaine May	...	Angela Marlowe
Jack Gilford	...	Mr. Foreman
Janet Margolin	...	Wanda
David Opatoshu	...	Morris Kolowitz
Michael J. Pollard	...	Marvin
Don Rickles	...	Harry Hamburger
Richard Deacon	...	Pike
Nancy Kovack	...	Miss Laura B
Reni Santoni	...	David Kolowitz
Herbie Faye	...	Mr. Schoenbaum
Rob Reiner	...	Clark Baxter
Danny Stein	...	Spencer Reynolds
Milton Frome	...	Policeman

Storyline

David Kolowitz, a nice young man living with his parents in New York City in 1938, works at a machine repair shop. His parents want David to study to become a pharmacist. But what he really wants is to be an actor like his idol, Ronald Colman. One day, at his friend Marvin's suggestion, David tries out for a part in a play, and gets it, despite his obvious lack of acting experience (not to mention ability). True, it's a rather small part in a low-rent production. Leading the troupe is a washed-up, alcoholic actor who hires David at the urging of his actress-daughter, who finds David "cute." To play his part, David must come up with his own costume - a tuxedo - and pay the house five dollars a week, ostensibly for tuition. But it is David's first acting job, one which calls for him to "enter laughing." And if it doesn't work out - well, there's always pharmacy school.

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Plot Keywords:

subway | aspiring actor | reference to tyrone power | reference to ronald colman | reference to clark gable | 

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Taglines:

Can an innocent young man from the Bronx find sin and success on the Broadway stage?

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

A favorite of the late Harold Ramis.

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Goofs

David, who recites lines solely from movies, recites one from Gunga Din, which was released in 1939. This movie takes place in 1938.

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Quotes

Angela Marlowe: I'm sure that this isn't your first time - you've been in a room when a girl is dressing.
David Kolowitz: No, ma'am.
Angela Marlowe: Oh, I thought not.
David Kolowitz: I have a kid sister.

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Connections

References Lost Horizon (1937)

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Soundtracks

Enter Laughing
by Quincy Jones, Mack David
Sung by Mel Carter
[Played over end credits]

User Reviews

No business like show business

A perfectly cast brings Carl Reiner's autobiographical work about a young Jewish kid in the Bronx looking to break into the theater. Hard to imagine that Carl Reiner ever thought of himself as Ronald Colman, but we all have our fantasies growing up.

Reni Santoni plays our young Reiner type protagonist a high school kid whose parents David Opatoshu and Shelley Winters want him to enter the pharmacy business like his father. But he yearns for a career in the theater.

So he auditions for a ramshackle theater company that Jose Ferrer and his daughter Elaine May run. Not that he shows any great promise but May figures he looks best in the tuxedo he has to perform in.

And Santoni has to provide his own tux. Half the film is his efforts to come up with the cash for the tux, the other half is his struggle with his parents over not going into the pharmacy business. The finale of the epic play they are producing is a scream. Santoni's efforts to make his entrance is funny enough and his stage fright and Jose Ferrer's efforts to mask over the same are just downright hysterical.

This is a film of exaggeration and stereotypes and director Reiner let's his cast just have their head and they go. Jose Ferrer leads the pack in a performance just packed with pork product. But after all he's playing a has been ham actor who has an exaggerated opinion of himself. He and Elaine May are a summer stock version of John and Diana Barrymore.

Besides those mentioned others in the cast that put their own unique stamp on their roles are Janet Margolin, Jack Gilford, Don Rickles and Richard Deacon.

This is a comedy masterpiece and Carl Reiner certainly had a long career in show business once he stopped wanting to be Ronald Colman.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Hebrew

Release Date:

25 February 1967 (USA)

Also Known As:

Enter Laughing

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Acre Enterprises, Sajo

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Pathécolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1