The In-Laws (1979)

On the eve of their children's marriage, NYC in-laws Sheldon Kornpett and Vince Ricardo embark on a series of misadventures involving the CIA, the Treasury Department and Central American dictators.

Director:

Arthur Hiller

Writer:

Andrew Bergman

Stars:

Peter Falk, Alan Arkin, Richard Libertini

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Peter Falk	...	Vince Ricardo
Alan Arkin	...	Sheldon Kornpett
Richard Libertini	...	Gen. Garcia
Nancy Dussault	...	Carol Kornpett
Penny Peyser	...	Barbara Kornpett
Arlene Golonka	...	Jean Ricardo
Michael Lembeck	...	Tommy Ricardo
Paul L. Smith	...	Mo (as Paul Lawrence Smith)
Carmine Caridi	...	Angie
Ed Begley Jr.	...	Barry Lutz
Sammy Smith	...	Mr. Hirschorn
James Hong	...	Bing Wong
Barbara Dana	...	Bank Teller
Rozsika Halmos	...	Mrs. Adelman
Álvaro Carcaño	...	Edgardo (as Alvaro Carcano)

Storyline

In preparation for his daughter's wedding, dentist Sheldon Kornpett meets Vince Ricardo, the groom's father. Vince, a manic fellow who claims to be a government agent, then proceeds to drag Sheldon into a series of chases and misadventures from New York to Central America.

---

Plot Keywords:

neo screwball comedy | dentist | central america | wedding | chase | 

---

Taglines:

While the Father of the Bride was extracting a molar from Mrs. Cohen, the Father of the Groom was extracting $20 Million from the U.S. Mint. And this was only the beginning.

---

Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Crime | Thriller | Action

---

Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish Mandarin

Release Date:

12 September 1979 (France)

Also Known As:

Zwei in Teufels Küche

Filming Locations:

Pasadena, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$9,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$38,200,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Film debut of David Paymer.

---

Goofs

The stolen printing plates show $500 bills. The movie is set in the current day, but $500 bills were discontinued in 1945.

---

Quotes

Vince Ricardo: It's cut and dried.
Sheldon: It's not cut. and it's not dried.

---

Connections

Spoofed in Psych: No Country for Two Old Men (2013)

---

Soundtracks

Buffalo Gals
(uncredited)
Written by William Cool White

User Reviews

One of the most funny & zany movies ever made.

If you were ever stuck on a desert island with a TV, VCR (and, let's assume, a power source), this would definitely be one of the movies you would like on hand to jolly your solitary time away. It is an insanely funny film that compares favorably with the classic screwball comedies of yesteryear. Only instead of Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant, we get Alan Arkin and Peter Falk. Although they don't quite function as a romantic duo, the pairing of the characters of Dr. Shelly Kornpett, as the deadpan, increasingly desperate dentist, with Vince Ricardo, as a renegade CIA agent extraordinaire, works wonderfully. Along with everyman Shelly, you will be sucked into the zany, alternate world of agent Ricardo. See it with friends or loved ones, because this is the kind of movie that you will be quoting to one another long after you see it. Just remember to serpentine!