Thursday, February 4, 2010

FOUL PLAY (1978)


Foul Play (1978). Comic/mystery/thriller. Director: Colin Higgins. Cast: Goldie Hawn and Chevy Chase.

Gloria, working as a Librarian and living a lonely life after her divorce. Her friends thought she should start dating again.



So feeling a little adventurous, on her way home after a party, Gloria picks up a stranded motorist named Scotty, who gives her a pack of cigarettes with a roll of film hidden inside, to hold for him. The two make a date to meet at the movies later that evening. On his way to meet Gloria, Scotty is shot, when he arrives he tells Gloria that there's going to be a murder and to "beware of the dwarf", then dies. While Gloria trying to figure out what is happening, a dwarf, an albino and a man with a scar on his face, are all trying to kill her. She finally contacts the police. When SFPD Detectives Tony Carlson and 'Fergie' Ferguson arrive on the scene. Both detectives believe that she is hallucinating, Tony, attracted to her, decides to help Gloria. Will they ever find the mystery behind Scotty and his death?

By now you know I'm a huge fan of Goldie Hawn. Foul Play does a wonderful job mixing suspense with a little comedy similar to Hitchcock.. Foul Play was written in honor of director Alfred Hitchcock. Several of Hitchcocks films are referenced in the film. A innocent person becoming involved is a commonly used in many of Hitchcock films such as: The 39 Steps, Saboteur, North by Northwest and, The Man Who Knew Too Much, which gave them the idea of the opera house scene. Also, the story includes an object that is the central focus of the film and not explained until the very end. Hitchcock, used this technique in many of his films.

3 comments:

  1. Great pick Dawn with Foul Play. I thought Chevy and Goldie made a great team and wished they did even more films. Did you see their follow-up film Seems Like Old Times? It was a very funny screwball type movie.

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  2. Don't forget the song over the opening credits: "Ready to Take a Chance Again", which was a Top 10 hit for Barry Manilow. I liked the movie and the song, but they didn't seem to go together well.

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  3. Monty, I have seen, Seems Like Old Times. I thought it was a funny movie, even though, I'm not really a Charles Grodin fan.

    Rick, I did forget about the opening song. I agree, it really did not seem to fit the movie.

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