At Long Last Love (1975)

This film was Peter Bogdanovich's homage to musical comedies of the 1930s. A millionaire named Michael Oliver Pritchard III and a singer named Kitty O'Kelly meet and fall in love. Meanwhile... See full summary »

Director:

Peter Bogdanovich

Writer:

Peter Bogdanovich

Stars:

Burt Reynolds, Cybill Shepherd, Madeline Kahn

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Burt Reynolds	...	Michael Oliver Pritchard III
Cybill Shepherd	...	Brooke Carter
Madeline Kahn	...	Kitty O'Kelly
Duilio Del Prete	...	Johnny Spanish
Eileen Brennan	...	Elizabeth
John Hillerman	...	Rodney James
Mildred Natwick	...	Mabel Pritchard
Quinn K. Redeker	...	Kitty's Boyfriend (as Quinn Redeker)
J. Edward McKinley	...	Billings (Poker Party)
John Stephenson	...	Abbott (Poker Party)
Peter Dane	...	Williams (Poker Party)
William Paterson	...	Murray (Poker Party)
Lester Dorr	...	Doorman
Liam Dunn	...	Harry
Elvin Moon	...	Elevator Boy

Storyline

This film was Peter Bogdanovich's homage to musical comedies of the 1930s. A millionaire named Michael Oliver Pritchard III and a singer named Kitty O'Kelly meet and fall in love. Meanwhile, an indigent woman named Brooke Carter and an Italian gambler named Johnny Spanish meet and fall in love. All four people meet each other and become friends (actually, Kitty and Brooke had been friends since high-school), and soon, Brooke's crude, fun-loving maid Elizabeth falls in love with Michael's valet Rodney James. Later on, Michael and Brooke fall in love, and Kitty and Johnny decide to follow them around. In order to make Brooke and Michael jealous, they try to look like they are falling in love as well. Eventually, Michael and Johnny get into a fight but then immediately make up. Soon, Brooke and Kitty make up. The two couples pair off successfully and they live happily ever after.

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Plot Keywords:

neo screwball comedy | love | friend | singer | italian | 

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Taglines:

A New Kind of Musical with 16 Great Songs!

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 March 1975 (USA)

Also Known As:

Peter Bogdanovich's At Long Last Love

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$1,500,000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,500,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Copa del Oro, Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min 124 min (restored)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This movie was nicknamed "The Man Who Loved Tap Dancing," a play on words of the title of the Burt Reynolds movie made two years earlier, The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing (1973).

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Quotes

Elizabeth: Well, what do they call you, big boy?
Rodney James: Rodney James.
Elizabeth: "Rod".
Rodney James: That, I'm afraid, is the diminutive.
Elizabeth: Well, I'll bet you ain't.

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Crazy Credits

The Camera begins on a silver music box on which rest bas-reliefs of the 4 principals, they dance to a song and then the camera pans around Kitty Kelly's sumptuous black-and white art deco penthouse.

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Alternate Versions

TV version was re-edited and reworked by director Peter Bogdanovich and runs three minutes shorter than the theatrical release.

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Connections

Referenced in The Cinema Snob: Breakin' (2016)

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Soundtracks

Most Gentleman Don't Like Love
(uncredited)
Words and Music by Cole Porter
Performed by Eileen Brennan, Madeline Kahn and Cybill Shepherd

User Reviews

Can't agree with the universal panning of this movie.

Bogdonovich & company made this with endless tongue in cheek, and as an homage to the stage musicals of the 20s and stage AND film musicals of the 30s - glib, off-handed, seemingly "UN-artful" if you will. Also, the actors all sang - or spoke - their songs IN REAL TIME, in what was a brave attempt to duplicate the reality and presence of a live production.

Obviously, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I clearly saw this film much more in the spirit on Bogdonovich's vision than those who wemt in looking for something else. I feel a lot of baggage was brought to this film by the audience, and the movie was never really "seem" or "heard" by them. Too bad, because technically this is how musicals SHOULD be made.

I enjoyed the movie very much, and lament that it isn't available to allow everyone to make up their own mind about how well the vision of the director, cast, Musical Director and all concerned was carried out.