A Fish Called Wanda (1988)

In London, four very different people team up to commit armed robbery, then try to doublecross each other for the loot.

Directors:

Charles Crichton, John Cleese (uncredited)

Writers:

John Cleese (story), Charles Crichton (story)

Stars:

John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline

Won 1 Oscar. Another 8 wins & 18 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Cleese	...	Archie Leach
Jamie Lee Curtis	...	Wanda Gershwitz
Kevin Kline	...	Otto
Michael Palin	...	Ken Pile
Maria Aitken	...	Wendy
Tom Georgeson	...	Georges Thomason
Patricia Hayes	...	Mrs. Coady
Geoffrey Palmer	...	Judge
Cynthia Cleese	...	Portia (as Cynthia Caylor)
Mark Elwes	...	Customer in Jeweler's Shop
Neville Phillips	...	Manager of Jeweler's Shop
Peter Jonfield	...	Inspector Marvin
Ken Campbell	...	Bartlett
Al Ashton	...	Warder
Roger Hume	...	Locksmith

Storyline

In London, George Thomason, his seductive American girlfriend Wanda Gershwitz, and their associate Ken Pile are planning their latest crime, a diamond heist that should net them £13 million. They plan on leaving the country with the goods after the heist. On Wanda's recommendation, they enlist the help of her brother, Otto, a weapons expert, for this heist. In reality, Otto is not Wanda's brother, but her latest lover, a dimwit who gets off on his own body odor, who believes he's an intellectual because he reads Nietzsche, and who does not tolerate being called stupid by anyone. Wanda has one weakness in men which is how Otto was able to get her to be his lover: speaking Italian in seduction. Wanda and Otto plan to double cross George by having him arrested for the heist, while they abscond with the jewels. Wanda further plans to triple cross Otto by eliminating him from the picture after she has the jewels. They are able to get George arrested with him not knowing who tipped the ...

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Plot Keywords:

stuttering man | heist | ugly american | fish tank | plan gone wrong | 

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Taglines:

A New Comedy About Sex, Murder and Seafood.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English Italian Russian French

Release Date:

5 August 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Fish Called Wanda

Filming Locations:

Roehampton Church School, Wandsworth, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$7,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$115,418, 17 July 1988

Gross USA:

$62,493,712

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$62,493,712

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Prominent Features, Star Partners Limited Partnership

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is the most successful film former Pythons John Cleese and Michael Palin have made. Cleese considers this to be his favorite film of the many he has been involved with. Although he considered his previous film, Clockwise (1986), the best script written for him as a lead, it flopped in America.

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Goofs

At the beginning of the movie when Wanda tells Ken that Otto's dad used to beat him up, Ken says "good" but his lips don't match his voice.

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Quotes

Otto West: Look, you obviously don't know anything about intelligence work, lady. It's an X-K-Red-27 technique.
Wendy: My father was in the Secret Service, Mr. Manfredjinsinjin, and I know perfectly well that you don't keep the general public informed when you are "debriefing KGB defectors in a safe house."

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Crazy Credits

At the very end of the closing credits is the word FIN -- which is how French films say THE END, but in English a "fin" is a part of a fish.

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Alternate Versions

The Special Edition DVD has a bunch of deleted scenes including Otto's secret hobby and alternate scenes making the film more darker comedy.

• There are two alternate endings. Both feature Otto dying and covered in blood in the cement but have different scenes on the plane, both imply that Wanda is going to run off with the money.

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Connections

Featured in Metsolat: Minkä taakseen jättää... (1995)

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Soundtracks

Nel blu, dipinto di blu
Written by Franco Migliacci and Domenico Modugno
Performed by Domenico Modugno

User Reviews

Excellent caper comedy with a perfect cast

This is one of the best, if not THE best, caper comedies of the modern era. The writing is very witty and at the same time sometimes turgid. The cast is absolutely perfect; Cleese makes a great subdued lawyer who wants to be a bad boy, Curtis is wonderful and just keeps you guessing (as perhaps her own character is guessing, as to what it is SHE wants), and Kline is perfectly annoying as the Nietzsche-quoting American. This movie has strong shades of "The Big Sleep" and other Howard Hawks comedies, even going so far as to name Cleese's character "Leach" in honor of Cary Grant.

This film should appeal to those with no classic movie knowledge, but for those who have seen "To Catch a Thief" and other caper classics, this is even more of a treat. Romantic, funny, and slick.

Also big ups to Michael Palin for another memorable supporting performance.