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Foul Play

  • 19781978
  • PGPG
  • 1h 56m
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
16K
YOUR RATING
Foul Play (1978)
A shy San Francisco librarian and a bumbling cop fall in love as they solve a crime involving albinos, dwarves, and the Catholic Church.
Play trailer1:02
1 Video
75 Photos
ComedyMysteryThriller
A shy San Francisco librarian and a bumbling cop fall in love as they solve a crime involving albinos, dwarves, and the Catholic Church.A shy San Francisco librarian and a bumbling cop fall in love as they solve a crime involving albinos, dwarves, and the Catholic Church.A shy San Francisco librarian and a bumbling cop fall in love as they solve a crime involving albinos, dwarves, and the Catholic Church.
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
16K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Colin Higgins
  • Writer
    • Colin Higgins
  • Stars
    • Goldie Hawn
    • Chevy Chase
    • Burgess Meredith
  • Director
    • Colin Higgins
  • Writer
    • Colin Higgins
  • Stars
    • Goldie Hawn
    • Chevy Chase
    • Burgess Meredith
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 126User reviews
    • 40Critic reviews
    • 45Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 9 nominations total

    Videos1

    VHS Trailer
    Trailer 1:02
    Watch VHS Trailer

    Photos75

    Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn in Foul Play (1978)
    Chevy Chase, Goldie Hawn, and Michael David Lee in Foul Play (1978)
    Goldie Hawn in Foul Play (1978)
    Dudley Moore in Foul Play (1978)
    Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn in Foul Play (1978)
    Chevy Chase in Foul Play (1978)
    Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn in Foul Play (1978)
    Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn in Foul Play (1978)
    Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn in Foul Play (1978)
    Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn in Foul Play (1978)
    Dudley Moore in Foul Play (1978)
    Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn in Foul Play (1978)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Goldie Hawn
    Goldie Hawn
    • Gloria Mundy
    Chevy Chase
    Chevy Chase
    • Tony Carlson
    Burgess Meredith
    Burgess Meredith
    • Mr. Hennessey
    Rachel Roberts
    Rachel Roberts
    • Gerda Casswell
    Eugene Roche
    Eugene Roche
    • Archbishop Thorncrest
    Dudley Moore
    Dudley Moore
    • Stanley Tibbets
    Marilyn Sokol
    Marilyn Sokol
    • Stella
    Brian Dennehy
    Brian Dennehy
    • Fergie
    Marc Lawrence
    Marc Lawrence
    • Stiltskin
    Chuck McCann
    Chuck McCann
    • Theatre Manager
    Billy Barty
    Billy Barty
    • J.J. MacKuen
    Don Calfa
    Don Calfa
    • Scarface
    Bruce Solomon
    Bruce Solomon
    • Scott
    Cooper Huckabee
    Cooper Huckabee
    • Sandy
    Pat Ast
    Pat Ast
    • Mrs. Venus
    Frances Bay
    Frances Bay
    • Mrs. Russel
    Lou Cutell
    Lou Cutell
    • House Manager
    William Frankfather
    William Frankfather
    • Whitey Jackson
    • Director
      • Colin Higgins
    • Writer
      • Colin Higgins
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The film is an homage to the suspense movies of Alfred Hitchcock. The picture was released seven months after Mel Brooks' Hitchcock spoof High Anxiety (1977). Writer and director Colin Higgins previously had written Silver Streak (1976), which was also a Hitchcock-like spoof thriller.
    • Goofs
      During the climactic sequence in the theatre, one particular verse from "The Mikado" can be heard repeated in the background in two consecutive scenes.
    • Quotes

      [Ethel and Elsie are playing Scrabble. Ethel has just put down the letters "-ucker", to which Elsie has added "muther-"]

      Ethel: Wait, Elsie. I think you're wrong. I think you spell that word with a hyphen.

    • Crazy credits
      Esme the snake is played by Shirley Python.
    • Connections
      Featured in Hollywood: The Gift of Laughter (1982)
    • Soundtracks
      Ready To Take A Chance Again
      Music by Charles Fox

      Lyrics by Norman Gimbel

      Recording created by Barry Manilow and Ron Dante

      Sung by Barry Manilow

    User reviews126

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    An entertaining espionage thriller - clever and funny
    Chevy Chase is not a great comedian, at least not anymore, but at one point in his career he WAS funny. He had talent. This film proves it. Although most of us today remember him fondly as the dad from the "Vacation" movies, he plays a different type of character here, and it is effective. He's still humorous (I've never seen him play a 100% serious dramatic role) but less stupid than usual, and his character - a police officer - calls for a more realistic attitude.

    He's assigned to help Goldie Hawn's character in the film, who is being pursued by an albino and the Catholic church after a microchip is given to her by a dying man on the street. After a failed assassination attempt, she calls the police, but only Chase believes her.

    Hawn lives in an apartment building maintained by the late Burgess Meredith. This was two years after the success of "Rocky" and Meredith was making a name for himself with the younger crowds. The film, as a result, lends him a solid role that he fulfills.

    The film isn't an uproarious comedy but it is very entertaining and occasionally quite funny. Best viewed late at night on the weekend.
    helpful•22
    4
    • MovieAddict2016
    • Oct 12, 2005

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 14, 1978 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Killing Lydia
    • Filming locations
      • 430 Vallejo Street, Telegraph Hill, San Francisco, California, USA(Gloria Mundy's house.)
    • Production companies
      • Paramount Pictures
      • Miller-Milkis Productions
      • Shelburne Associates
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $5,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $44,999,621
    • Gross worldwide
      • $44,999,621
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 56 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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