Foul Play (1978)

Back when Chevy Chase was credibly a romantic lead, and Goldie Hawn a rising starlet, this was one of the best movies of the time. Hawn plays a librarian who runs afoul of a criminal plot to assassinate someone. She contacts the police when her date is murdered (but the body disappears), and again when she injures an intruder who is shot by *another* intruder (who both disappear when she faints...), and when she is apparently tracked down by the mysterious Dwarf. Sympathetic detective Chase decides to hear her out, with able assistance from his partner, a young Brian Dennehy, and together they start to unravel what's really going on. Dudley Moore has a hilarious bit-part as an oversexed Brit who misinterprets Hawn's plea for help as a request for a liaison, with amusing results. The casting is great, with the late William Frankfather as an eerie and unsettling albino hit-man, and the late Billy Barty as a... well, you'll know when you see him. Burgess Meredith is wonderful as Hawn's fatherly landlord, who lends a hand in solving the mystery.Much of the comedy in this film is based upon mistaken identification and being caught in innocent but seemingly guilty circumstances. It is well done. Much can also be said for Dudley Moore who has a minor role that keeps reappearing throughout the film. He's just a guy that want to get his ashes hauled and circumstances keep throwing him together with Goldie as she tries to evade bad guys. He is hilarious in this role. And finally, in what I consider one of the funniest scenes ever shot in any movie, are the elderly Chinese tourist couple, who have just arrived in San Francisco, armed with their suitcases and two small American flags. Again as Chevy Chase's character seized the limo they are in and charges through San Francisco to get to the Opera House to prevent "the Hit" this couple lets us sit back in uncontrolled hysterical laughter as you can only imagine what the two visitors must be thinking.Overall rating: 8 out of 10.

Here's an example of "Foul Play"'s approach to humor. Goldie Hawn, having had some secret information stuffed into her purse without her knowing about it, and cf. "Enemy of the State", is being pursued by the bad guys who want the information themselves. There is a kidnapping and several attempts at murder. At first, the cops, Chevy Chase, refuse to believe her because her explanation comes out as gibberish, but finally convinced she's telling the truth they investigate the room in which Hawn claims to have been held. Now -- hold on, because here comes the gag. The other cop, Dennehy, tells Chase that he investigated the room but it's empty. It's rented out on a yearly basis to a man named Stiltsken. The camera rolls slowly into a close up of Chevy Chase's thoughtful face. "Stiltsken," he says. "It seems to me I've heard that name before." End of gag. Dissolve while laughter erupts in the audience. Some of the name play is far more elegant; it transcends elegance. Goldie Hawn's character is named Gloria Mundy.It's a kind of comic suspense story about a forthcoming murder. That's the way it's written and played, and it doesn't quite come off. It's more silly than funny. Here is Chevy Chase, a lowly police inspector, ushering Goldie Hawn across the gangway to his million-dollar houseboat in Sausalito. "Careful, it's kind of slippery here at night." He slips and falls in the water. Is that funny? I mean, to you, as an adult? It would be funny if it were Oliver Hardy helping Stan Laurel across the plank. One villain is a tall, well-dressed albino. One is a dwarf. Is that actually funny, in and of itself, or is grotesque a better word? There is a high speed car flying down the San Francisco hills -- still exciting, by God.Chevy Chase isn't very amusing in his performance either. I'm sure he's a nice guy who loves his dog and plays badminton with his kids, but I didn't find him very funny on Saturday Night Live, and he's never carried his character the way, say, Bill Murray has. Murray couldn't handle this particular character either. Nobody could do much with it, hobbled as it is by such a weak script.Someone else described Goldie Hawn as the Meg Ryan of the 1970s -- cute. Well, yes. They're both cute in different ways. Meg Ryan is a cheerleader, while Goldie Hawn is a mouse, with her long fluffy flaxen hair, her big eyes and tiny bosom, her coy demeanor and piping voice. She's almost childish, the kind of girl you don't make love to, you play doctor with. She's awfully cute but again the part limits her to screaming, dashing through doors, and bopping people with a parasol.Funniest scene: The ancient Pope Pius XIII with a big grin, clapping his hands and tapping his silver slippers while watching a performance of The Mikado at the San Francisco Opera.

The thing that struck me about this movie was that it was made in the 70's. Most people wouldn't care but it feels strange when they makes quotes like "come into the 70's" when we are looking at it from the 90's. This movie also stars a very young Goldie Hawn, who has beautiful big eyes, Chevy Chase, Dudley Moore, and most strange of all, a thin, brown haired, Brian Dennehey. Another fact that points to the oldness of the movie is the existence of Pope Pius XIII. This must be old because the only Pope I can remember is the current one (as of writing in the mid 90s), Pope John Paul II.Foul Play is a comedy action type police movie and is quite tame compared to later movies. It is not an influence on any movies after though it does seem to be a satire of earlier movies. They have an albino, a man that died in the cinema, a scarface, and a dwarf. This is reflected in a movie that is screened in the movie (play within a play?) where a similar sort of thing is going on. Such clichés were common in earlier movies, but Foul Play seems to take a more comic direction towards these clichés for that is what they have become by this time.The plot of the movie is not really that deep. Basically there has been some murders, including the Arch-Bishop of San-Fransisco, though nobody knows about this. There is a film that nobody finds, and ends up going into the fireplace, so one actually wonders what the purpose of it is. There is something really bad going down in San-Fransisco and Goldie Hawn knows that it is going to happen but she has no evidence.Beyond this, Foul Play is an amusing movie but does not compete with some of the more classical movies of this time and others. It is more a simple appearance in a time that things were moving along. It does not stand out nor does it leave anybody with any deep thoughts or long lasting memories, rather it is a movie to watch and then forget about until the next time it is on TV.

This is a very funny film, even though it is quite old now and most of the cast is long gone. The film belongs to Goldie Hawn. It really shows off her comedic talent as the height of her long career. The supporting cast is excellent, even Chevy Chase which i never cared for as an actor. He is now a cast member of Community, in which he does a great job. As for the film, it is the story of a young woman in the wrong place at the wrong time, and unfortunately finding herself involved in an assassination plot. She has to beware of the midgets, they are taking over the world, if you've seen it then you understand. Burgess Meredith has some of the funniest scenes. She also has to beware of an up and coming Dudley Moore, doing what he does best, while trying to keep herself from getting murdered. Will she succeed? Watch it and see. Also, the movie does run a little too long, perhaps some editing could have made it a 10. Remember this is a light-hearted comedy, so bring your popcorn, cherry coke and light heart and you will enjoy it.