An aging, dissolute matinee idol is slated to appear on a live TV variety show in 1954, and a young comedy writer is tasked with the thankless job of keeping him ready and sober for the broa... Read allAn aging, dissolute matinee idol is slated to appear on a live TV variety show in 1954, and a young comedy writer is tasked with the thankless job of keeping him ready and sober for the broadcast.An aging, dissolute matinee idol is slated to appear on a live TV variety show in 1954, and a young comedy writer is tasked with the thankless job of keeping him ready and sober for the broadcast.
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 2 wins & 8 nominations total
- Alice Miller
- (as Anne De Salvo)
- Lady Eleanor
- (as Barbara Horan)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAccording to Cameron Mitchell, his Boss character was based on Jimmy Hoffa, while the character of Herb was modeled after Neil Simon.
- GoofsIn the street scene following the "hot dog" shot, the block Benjy and Swann are walking in is a real NY street dressed for 1954. The next block behind them and the skyline, including the long-gone Astor Hotel, is a matte shot. Several modern buses and an RV can be seen under the marque over the left sidewalk.
- Quotes
[Alan Swann has blundered into the wrong restroom]
Lil: This is for ladies only!
Alan Swann: [unzipping fly] So is *this*, ma'am, but every now and then I have to run a little water through it.
- Alternate versionsThe version of "My Favorite Year" syndicated to (American) broadcast television contains at least three extra scenes:
- At the beginning of the film, Benjy Stone is carrying a cardboard cutout of Alan Swann into the RCA Building; as he dashes to an elevator in the lobby, the theatrical version jumps to Benjy's arrival in the writers' office. But in the broadcast version, we see Benjy take the elevator up; also on the elevator is K.C., who ignores Benjy's attempts to engage her in conversation.
- The broadcast version extends the rehearsal of the "Boss Hijack" sketch to include several more pieces of business, including the illusion of steam shooting out of King Kaiser's ears.
- Following Benjy and Alan's wild horse ride through Central Park, the broadcast version adds a shot of the horse parked in front of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The 55th Annual Academy Awards (1983)
- SoundtracksStardust
Performed by Nat 'King' Cole (as Nat King Cole)
Music by Hoagy Carmichael (uncredited)
Lyrics by Mitchell Parish (uncredited)
Courtesy of Capitol Records Inc.
Heard during opening credit sequence
"My Favorite Year" has more than its share of these.
Other reviewers on this page have singled out the dinner at Belle Mae Steinberg Carioca's (Lainie Kazan's) Brooklyn apartment. They might also have mentioned the scene in which a titanically intoxicated Alan Swann (O'Toole)essays to "shimmy down" the side of a building, using a fire hose as rapelling gear, or the farcically climactic fight scene on live 50's TV.
But two other moments resonate even more strongly; they explain completely why Peter O'Toole was cast in this otherwise comedic role.
In the first, O'Toole's character interrupts his own plans for an evening of debauchery to fulfill a fantasy by dancing with an aging, but still glorious Gloria Stuart. Both onscreen and off, the audience is spellbound in the midst of the slapstick as these two senior-citizen actors seize the screen for the duration of their waltz.
Even more compelling is an important scene later in the movie in which Swann makes a quick trip to visit a young daughter whom he hasn't seen in years. He watches her from the car, but can't bring himself to get out and speak to her. The scene is played completely without dialogue. With the camera focused tightly on the warring emotions which play across O'Toole's face, no dialogue is necessary. It's a powerful, lump-in-the-throat moment every divorced dad will recognize.
I join others on this page in urging you to rent this movie for the laughs. As you laugh, however, stay alert for two of the truest moments ever placed on film. Enjoy.
- marko
- Oct 31, 2000
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Ein Draufgänger in New York
- Filming locations
- Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA(horse riding over the Bow Bridge - mid-park at 74th St.)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $7,900,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $20,123,620
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $2,400,696
- Oct 10, 1982
- Gross worldwide
- $20,123,620
- Runtime1 hour 32 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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