Sober-Friend This 1982 comedy has some very comic set pieces however there is not enough to save the viewer from wandering "How Much Longer".Benjy Stone (Mark Linn-Baker), the narrator, tells of the summer (in his "favorite year" of 1954) he met his idol, swashbuckling actor Alan Swann. Who is past his prime (Peter O'Toole). Alan also has a massive drinking problem and lack of empathy for everyone around him. Keep in mind the time period this takes place in means is the early days of television. Television was Taboo for "Movie stars" and television was also live!The main character is Benjy who works as a junior comedy writer for a variety show called Comedy Cavalcade starring Stan "King" Kaiser (Joseph Bologna) broadcast live from the NBC studios at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. As a special upcoming guest, they get the still-famous but in reality he is a hasbeen! Great performances! Great Cast! However with the bases load this film fails to deliver a grand slam. It hits a double and only two runners score! Good enough to watch once!

vincentlynch-moonoi Today we learned that Peter O'Toole passed away. So tonight I took out my favorite Peter O'Toole film -- this one -- and enjoyed watching it once again.I know that most people point to "Lawrence Of Arabia" because of its scope, and indeed it is a fine film...although not one of my favorites (although O'Toole is brilliant in it). But let's not forget that he was nominated for an Academy Award for this film, as well.Why is this my favorite O'Toole film? Because it's nice to see an actor not taking himself quite so seriously. And most of O'Toole's films were damned serious. This is rollicking fun, and as O'Toole' character points out early in the film, "Death is easy, comedy is hard." And indeed, that is so true. Comedy is tough! And that shows O'Toole's brilliance all the more, because we are used to seeing him in dramas. So I feel that here he is at his very best, challenged by being an actor who is acting funny, rather than a comedian doing what comedians do.The script, too, is brilliant. It seems to be based loosely on when Errol Flynn guested on Sid Caesar's comedy show...not that there were the fireworks that are portrayed here in this film. But, as hilarious as it is, it's also a very touching film. A washed alcoholic actor who can still buckle his swash. An estranged father who hasn't the courage to talk to his daughter. And a young man given the responsibility of managing an actor gone wild...and their adventures in Brooklyn and at a dinner party. It isn't just a funny movie. It's got real heart mixed in with the laughs...and I do laugh out loud when I watch this film.Mark Linn-Baker, an actor I've never seen in any other movie or television show (although I know he has been in several) is just right as the young studio aide whose job it is to manage O'Toole's character. Joseph Bologna is great as the Caesar-ish comedian. I enjoyed seeing the wonderful singer Lainie Kazan as Linn-Baker's mother. And Lou Jacobi as the uncle. I was very interested to see Adolph Green -- the famous composer -- as the television show's director. And Selma Diamond as the wardrobe woman. And Gloria Stuart -- as in "Titanic" -- as a lady at a nightclub.But, Peter O'Toole, on this sad day for your friends and family and fans, you made me laugh out loud once again. Thank you.

runamokprods Sweet comedy about 50s television (specifically 'Your Show of Shows'), and the week that a fading film great (clearly based on Errol Flynn) guest stars. A simply terrific comic performance by Peter O'Toole as the almost washed up star, close to matched in a supporting role by Joe Bologna as a tough cantankerous Sid Cesar stand in. On the other hand, there's something of the feeling of a TV sitcom to a lot of it, with stagy blocking, and obvious schmaltz. And some of the supporting characters are out of another movie, just a little too cartoony to fit with the broad, but reality based leads. My feelings about the film are also affected by the fact that I remember the script, with it's more bittersweet ending, as having more heart and soul than the final product. None-the-less, this is a charming, well-acted comedy, and deserves it's good reputation.

ozjeppe Yep - and one of My Favorite Comedies too, that seems to get better and better each time I catch it! That title year is 1954 and young TV comedy show writer (Linn-Baker) gets assigned as the chaperon to former, swinging, - and heavily drinking - swashbuckler movie star on the downfall (O'Toole) for one wild weekend in NYC. Loving, glorious comedy nostalgia that is both a dreamy-eyed glance at old-time movie matinées & stardom as well as a smashingly production-detailed ode to those seemingly innocent, care-free days of the 1950s and its dawn of television.Bullet-paced and aloof like a sitcom (or a Marx brothers movie), with nonstop parade of quotable lines and caricature-like characters that makes it ideal for multiple viewing... and a mystery why it seems SO overlooked and not rightly revered as one of the best comedies of the 1980s. The star of O'Toole shines at its brightest, but down to the smallest role, it's cast to utter completion.... which makes me ask: what ever happened to Mark Linn-Baker and Joseph Bologna?8 out of 10 from Ozjeppe