Directed by Elaine May
Written by Elaine May from a story by Jack Ritchie
1971/US
IMDb link
Repeat viewing/Amazon Instant
Henry Graham: You dare call me a son of a bitch? Madam, I have seen many examples of perversion in my time, but your erotic obsession with your carpet is probably the most grotesque and certainly the most boring I have ever encountered. You’re more to be scorned than pitied. Good day, Mrs. Cunliffe.
Combine Elaine May’s wit and Walter Matthau playing totally against type and you get a hilarious and heartwarming comedy for the Lockdown.
Henry Graham was a trust-fund baby and employs “gentleman’s gentleman”, Harold. He has blown through both the income and principal of the fund and is now pennyless. Harold suggests he solve his financial problems by marrying wealth. Henry seizes on this, secretly harboring the idea of staging an accidental death after the ceremony. He is reduced to begging a loan from his former trustee on a bet that he can find and marry a suitable woman within six weeks. His search does not start well.
Finally, with less than a week to go, he spots wallflower Henrietta Lowell at a tea party. She is plain, gauche, friendless, and is a walking disaster area. In a word – perfect. Henry throws on the charm and sweeps her off her feet. She clearly adores him. He tries to disguise his contempt for her. Wedding bells are ringing before the week is over,
A proposal over Mogen-David Extra-Heavy Malaga Wine with lime and soda. LOL
Never ceasing his research on how to get away with murder, Henry takes over Henrietta’s household, rapidly firing the servants that have been robbing her blind. He can’t quite find the opportunity he seeks.
Henrietta is a noted professor of botany. Her dream is to discover a new species of fern. The two take a field trip to an isolated spot to look at plants. What better place to have an accident? With a hilarious Jack Weston as Henrietta’s frantic lawyer.
This movie is one truly funny moment after another. May was responsible for the witty dialogue, the solid camera work, and an absolutely hilarious performance. It might be hard to imagine Walter Mattau as the effete, arrogant snob type but he carries it off with aplomb. My favorite scene is during the wedding night when Henrietta puts her head through the armhole of a toga nightgown and Henry tries to unravel her. Highly recommended, including to those putting together a 1971 films list.
Clip – Henry’s search for a spouse
This is one of my litmus films. If I have someone over and we watch this film and they don’t laugh their you know what off, I have no use for that person. A real gem!
Harold and Maude is my litmus test but this one just as good!
Harold and Maude, good choice. It amazes me that there people who miss the Nazi Concentration camp link. Maude had a second chance at life, Harold needs one too.
And he gets one! I love that movie so much. Expect it to come up on the Lockdown roster.
I completely missed this review back in the spring. You may have been referring to me in your recommendation so now I feel totally guilty. Still, with some delay I can only agree to all of the above. Me, I love those drinks.
May’s movies should be much more seen. I noticed that The Heartbreak Kid which is on tap for 1972 is only available here as a very bad YouTube print or as a used DVD going for $70 up. That’s a sin! And it included an Oscar-nominated performance plus Cybill Sheperd when whe was an absolute bombshell.
Well, I managed to find a version from some… ahem… dodgy site. It is next on my list so I will let you know if it is any good. If it is and you are interested I can share it with you.
I’ve seen it on original release so I know it’s good. Let’s see how bad that YouTube version really is.
The version is in very good quality. Unfortunately I was not as taken with it as a I hoped.
I’ll try it out on YouTube. I think the difference with The New Leaf is there we had unpleasant people and they either discovered hidden depths or got an appropriate comeuppance. My main memory from seeing it in the day was Jeanie Berlins sunburn.