A good friend whose judgement I generally trust
in most things watched this film and told me it was the worst film he had
ever seen. That of course made me want to see it. I noticed that most reviewers
on Letterbox seem to agree with him. If they could burn the film, I think
they would do so. I am not going to go down the politically correct yellow
brick road on this one - that is too easy - yes it insults Japanese and pokes
fun at small people - but it's main sin is that it is just not as funny as
it should have been and which I am sure the filmmakers thought it was. But
it isn't the worst film ever made - many worse ones come to mind. They have
a clever idea here but it just falls a bit flat. I am not even sure why -
the timing of the actors? the script? too much? The director Steve Rash had
previously directed the very good The Buddy Holly Story, but chaotic screwball
comedy was probably not his thing. With a number of subplots and so much
nuttiness, it has to be seamless. This isn't. Adding is sometimes subtracting.
But I like the idea behind it.
The production of The Wizard of Oz is well-reported
on - it was a mess. Directors came and went, the casting was a mishmash,
Buddy Ebsen as the Tin Man got sick and had to leave after some filming,
Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch got burnt in one of the scenes and
had to be hospitalized, it went way over budget, director Fleming had to
leave to fix Gone with the Wind but much of the backstory revolves around
hiring over one hundred Little People to play the Munchkins and their notorious
partying. I mean can you blame them. They were in Hollywood, put up in a
nice hotel for months with little to do but party with others like them.
No doubt though that the film exaggerates that aspect considerably. This
film takes that last kernel and runs with it. And throws in an assassin,
a secret service man, a romance, a busload of Japanese tourists and spies.
Maybe too much.
MGM is making The Wizard of Oz and they
have given Annie (Carrie Fisher) the job of keeping the Munchkins under control.
Good luck with that. They hit the pavement running and show that they know
how to party hanging from the chandeliers, dancing, drinking, ribald activities
and so on. At the hotel also is a Duke (Joseph Maher) , his wife (Eve Arden)
and their beloved dog. A running joke is that the dog keeps being killed
and replaced but the near-sighted Duchess never knows. Keeping them safe
is Secret Service agent Thorpe played by Chevy Chase. Chase plays his character
straight as he tends to do but there isn't a laugh to be had from him. An
incompetent assassin is out to get the Duke. And finally, Hitler has sent
his agent to Los Angeles to contact a Japanese agent to give him information.
It explodes in supposed mirth. But never really does.
The German agent is the great Billy Barty
who makes me laugh every time I think of his scene in Foul Play. Billy Barty
is of course a Litle Person. The Japanese agent is Mako. Barty is told
to look for the Japanese man, Mako to look for a Little Person. A busload
of similarly dressed Japanese male tourists all with cameras shooting everything
breaks down in front of the hotel and they all check in. Confusion reigns
but not laughs so much. Though I did like the chase scene through various
movie sets and destroying the one for Gone with the Wind. And the ending
is kind of sweet. A homage to a great film. Which I have not seen in probably
50 years.
