The magnificent A Fish Called Wanda was just on Pluto
Saw it once in full when it debuted, then in scattered bits over years when it popped up, but today saw a majority chunk with older eyes and it is just a GEM. About the only other one that stays this fresh for me is A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
This one - the whole thing, the cast, the mastery of surprise at every turn, the characterizations so real, down to the music. Just thinking how Archie is constatly *stunned* with every unexpected humiliation is hilarious just in remembering.
Back then the buzzy laugh was about the taunting about "North Vietnam winner." Now the whole thing is just one big gemstone. Oh, and look, somebody died of laughter viewing it.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Crichton
Charles Ainslie Crichton[4] (6 August 1910 – 14 September 1999) was an English film director and editor. Born in Wallasey, Cheshire, he became best known for directing many comedies produced at Ealing Studios and had a 40-year career editing and directing many films and television programmes.[5] For his final film, the acclaimed comedy A Fish Called Wanda (1988), Crichton was nominated for both the Academy Award for Best Director and the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay (along with the film's star John Cleese). ....
Crichton was the original director of Birdman of Alcatraz (1962),[12] but he quit after clashing with Burt Lancaster. Crichton was then replaced by John Frankenheimer.[6] Crichton said of the experience: "Had I known that Burt Lancaster was to be de facto producer, I do not think I would have accepted the assignment, as he had a reputation for quarreling with better directors than I. But Harold Hecht, the credited producer, had assured me that there would be no interference from Lancaster. This did not prove to be the case."[13] Crichton was also planning another film project with Sammy Davis, Jr., but it never came to fruition due to the death of a producer involved with it.[4] ....
Crichton moved to directing television shows, then corporate videos. The latter were through John Cleese's company Video Arts. This led Cleese to propose Crichton returning to the crime comedy film genre.[17] Beginning in 1983, Cleese and Crichton worked together on the story for A Fish Called Wanda. Cleese wrote the screenplay. When the film went into production in 1987, Cleese had to act as stand-by director for insurance reasons since Crichton was 77 years old.[18] Cleese said of working with Crichton as a stand-by director: "That was a subterfuge. I knew the studio would be worried about Charlie's age. I don't know anything about how to direct, but that doesn't stop one-half of the directors. I simply prayed that Charlie would be on the set every morning. He shoots in such a way to convey the essence of every scene. He's economical. He's a dear man who's terrified of showing off. If he says anything shrewd or insightful, he'll apologize for a minute so he won't be considered pompous."[19] ....
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Fish_Called_Wanda
.... A Fish Called Wanda premiered in Los Angeles on July 15, 1988, and was theatrically released on July 29, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to critical and commercial success, grossing over $188 million worldwide, becoming the seventh-highest-grossing film of 1988. The film received three nominations at the 61st Academy Awards: Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and, with Kline winning, Best Supporting Actor.[4] A spiritual sequel, Fierce Creatures, was released in 1997. The British Film Institute ranked A Fish Called Wanda the 39th-greatest British film of the 20th century.[5] ....
Cleese and Crichton had attempted to make a film together in 1969.[6] Although the project never entered development, they promised each other that they would eventually collaborate on a film.[7] In June 1983, the two began writing the script for Wanda, and, for the next two and half years, they met three times a month to work on the script.[7] According to Crichton, "We had a week of rehearsals and then a gap of two weeks in which to incorporate any new ideas which had been thrown up and to polish the script."[8] According to Michael Palin, the original title was "A Goldfish Called Wanda."[9] ....
Cleese, admitting in press interviews that he had no knowledge of how to direct a film, served as co-director, since the studio executives at MGM were worried about Crichton's age—he was 78 years old at the time.[6][7][11] On the set, Crichton wore a T-shirt presented to him by Cleese and inscribed "Age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill".[11] ....
During the initial run of the film, a Danish audiologist named Ole Bentzen died while laughing during a screening, which led newspapers to report that he had died from laughter.[28][29][30] The official cause of death was heart fibrillation, which may have been caused by an increased heart rate due to extended laughter.[31] Cleese considered using the event for publicity, but ultimately decided it was in too bad taste.[29] ....
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