MY FAVORITE YEAR

US, 1982, 92 minutes, Colour.
Peter O’ Toole, Mark Linn- Baker, Jessica Bologna, Bill Macy, Lainie Kazan, Anne de Salvo, Lou Jacobi, Adolph Green.
Directed by Richard Benjamin.

My Favourite Year was the first feature film directed by Richard Benjamin. Benjamin, along with his wife Paula Prentiss, had become stars in the 1960s, Benjamin being especially prominent at the end of the 60s with such films as Portnoy’s Complaint, Goodbye Columbus. In 1982 he began directing and had a successful career as a director of light comedies for a quarter of a century. Some of his better films include Racing With The Moon, Mermaids and a number of adaptations of Neil Simon, Laughter on the 23rd Floor, the remake of The Goodbye Girl.

My Favourite Year is set in the 1950s, the early years of television, especially live television. Mark Linn- Baker portrays a young producer who idolises an Errol Flynn type of swashbuckling star, Peter O’ Toole. However, the star has fallen on bad times and is alcoholic, unreliable for performance – with touches of the real O’ Toole in the background. Joseph Bologna portrays a leading man who despises both the producer and the actor and wants to humiliate them.

However, the film blends touches of satire on the television industry with the film fans’ worship of Hollywood icons. There are blends of comedy as well as touches of tenderness – and Peter O’Toole? was so successful in this performance that he received an Oscar nomination.

1. Enjoyable comedy, farce? Nostalgia? Serious undertones? A piece of Americana?

2. The comic talent in the film? Peter O' Toole's Oscar nomination? American style broad comedy?

3. Memories of the 1950s, of 1954: New York, Broadway, advertisements e.g. The House of Wax, Seven Brides? The streets. cars. fashions? TV studios and live television? The Stork Club? Brooklyn, Connecticut? The quality of colour photography? Authentic feel of the period? The sketches of New York in the credits? The music and the old songs, the echoes of film styles, especially costume epics?

4. The spirit of live television? The pioneer attitudes. the unpolished style? The heed for creative effort? Possibility of accidents? Celebrities, advertising, the screenwriters, producers? The stars? The fans? The influence of political and criminal interests?

5. Peter O'Toole and the quality of his performance: self parody, self recrimination, self rehabilitation? The satire on the Errol Flynn character and career? The similarity of names: Allen Swann, Errol Flynn? The excerpts from Great Catherine and Lord Jim? The make-believe excerpts from epic swashbuckling films? O'Toole as the swashbuckling hero - costume, wigs, make-up, derring do? His drinking and sexual liaisons? His arrival in New York, with the girls. smoking in bed. hard to wake up? His chauffeur helping him? melodramatic arrival at the studio? The comedy of his being cared for, the bath, his suit being removed piece by piece? His passing out at the studio - and the bets? His character, the actor, the ham actor, the character? His story: Clarence Duffy. marriage. Tess and his love for her, but inability to meet her? The reliance on Benjy, growing friendship? Telling him the truth about himself? Going to the Stork Club with Benjy, their talk, eyeing the young girl, dancing with the elderly woman, Benjy's caper and the escape, with the consequent photos in the paper? His professionalism and the success of the rehearsal? His friendship with K.C. and Benjy's reaction? Gatecrashing the party and going over the balcony with the fire hose? The walk in the park, the horse ride? His visit to Tess and not getting out of the car? The visit to Brooklyn and his charm with the family, treating them politely and showing interest, the fans in the street? His charm and pleasantry vs. his public image and his giving in to his image in decadence? His final fears and Benjy's challenge? His coming in fighting and the applause of the audience? His ability to go and see Tess? Charm, cynicism, delight?

6. Benjy and his narration: the young aspiring writer, his admiration for Swann and the watching of the films. his knowing all the details? The bet? His helping Swann? The eye-opening experience yet endearing himself to Swann? The incidents in the Stork Club? His love for K.C. and pursuit of her, their arguments, the food and film and kissing? His mother's phone call and the embarrassment of the visit? His coping and stage managing the visit? The party and the fire hydrant? The walk in the park, his telling his true name to Swann and Swann telling the Clarence Duffy story? His anxiety for the programme? His confronting Swann with the final challenge and helping him to success?

7 Sy and the self important writer, his boorish manners. food etc? His confronting King and his backing down? The various pressures for writing and his adapting, cutting etc? Alice and the writer who would not talk out loud? Rehearsals, TV style? The finale and his being punched? The farce concerning the writers? The producer and his concern? His deals, helping King with Rojeck?

8. King and his public image, comedy style? His stupidity and pleasantness? Giving away money? Confrontation with Rojeck, imitating him, the confrontation and throwing the coat out the window? His wanting to dump Swann? His speech in support of Swann at the end of the rehearsal? His wearing the wrong clothes for the show? Relationship with Sy? The grand finale and the fight with the thugs and his being saved by Swann?

9. Belle and her phone call to her son? The humour of the Jewish mother? Swann's visit? Uncle Morty and his wife in the wedding gown? The Jewish comedy, talk, embarrassment, food? The enjoyment of the visit by the people in the block? The Filipino boxer and Allen Swann's knowing his fighting and response to him?

10. K.C. as heroine: work in the studio, harassed by Benjy, fascinated by Swann, the happy ending?

11. A small film of nostalgia and show business? Films and real life, heroes and illusions? Needs of the audience to have heroes? Benjy's speech to Swann about the illusions of heroes? The pleasant side of the media?