Masquerade

The "Fox" (rex harrison, a couple years after My Fair Lady) invites his ex girlfriends to visit. and this will require the assistance of an assistant, who can be relied upon, and is willing to tell some lies in the process. he hires McFly (Cliff Robertson) to help him play a huge trick on the ladies: her highness (capucine), Bunny McGill (edie adams), and the feisty Mrs. Sheridan (susan hayward). They are all lured there with the idea that someone is dying, and will leave a huge fortune to one of them. Mrs. Sheridan has a nurse, or assistant, or something... played by the awesome Maggie Smith. so the ladies all spend the next couple days arguing over who has the most right to the fortune. lots of talking. and some shenanigans. mayhem. some twists and turns. a couple gay references. directed by joe mankeiwicz. story by Thomas Sterling. his only novel. which itself, was based on the 1606 play Volpone (Fox!) by Benjamin Jonson, according to wikipedia dot com. it's quite good. the actors mostly yell and snarl at each other. Maggie Smith was great as usual, and the story is fun to watch as it unfolds.

This film is pretty good, but it was a flop in 1967 despite having some good performances by Rex Harrison, Clift Robertson, Susan Hayward, Capucine, Edie Adams, and Maggie Smith. The script and direction of Joseph Mankiewicz were perfect. But it flopped, possibly because the times did not call for a literate murder mystery film.

It's lineage is impeccable since it begins with Ben Jonson's classic Jacobean comedy "Volpone". But actually it is not "Volpone". The film is based on Thomas Sterling's "The Evil of the Day". The story has been changed in one way. Sterling's novel brings together three would-be heirs too, but two are men, and one is Fox's wife (as in the movie - Susan Hayward's role). But the same plot switches go on in the novel as in this film.

I enjoyed the movie, in particular one moment that was rare to see in any film of that period. Harrison has invited his three would-be heirs to come to dinner. Hayward (accompanied by her secretary Smith) comes in first. While they are talking to Harrison and Robertson, both Adams and Capucine show up at the doorway. Neither is willing to let the other go in first. They end up pushing into each other through the door frame into the dining room, thoroughly uncomfortable - but at least neither was forced to wait for the other to make the first move.

I must admit when I saw this movie I it felt that it was not complete. Sure enough the back story of this film is that United Artists -then an independent film company that was a haven for great independent film makers such as Stanley Kramer, Robert Wise, Billy Wilder, William Wyler made serious cuts to the finished film that reportedly upset both Joseph Mankiewicz and star Susan Hayward. I do not know if Susan's long absences from Production tending to her dying husband in the USA resulted in her role being cut or what. The cinematographer died during production too. Years later Joseph Mankiewicz restored all of his cuts and it is said to be a brilliant film. Mankiewicz films are noted for great dialogue, and this film is missing some of the usual quips made so famous in Mankiewicz films. However the DVD version is the UA version not the Mankiewicz version.

Susan Hayward- always an exciting woman to watch on the screen has little to do, but makes every scene she is in worth watching, however Hawyard's character "Lone Star" ends up dead early in the movie. There is not even one "Hayward scene" where the usually fiery star would dominate a sequence. Capucine, Edie Adams, Maggie Smith and Cliff Robertson give fine support to Rex Harrison and Ms. Hayward. This movie has 4 Oscar winners Hayward, Harrison, Smith and Robertson.

This is the last Susan Hayward movie that allowed Hayward to be considered a superstar, what would follow would be cameos in Valley Of The Dolls and The Revengers,, and two TV movies Heat of Anger and Say Goodbye Maggie Cole before dying of brain cancer at a relatively early age of 57. Years later Rex Harrison would be quoted as saying He and the rest of the Company respected Ms. Hayward who dealt with the loss of her hsuband and carried on so professionally in her role.

What a charming surprise to find this overlooked gem of a movie, a modern day update of Ben Jonson's Volpone. It was the cast that attracted my attention. Rex Harrison, Maggie Smith, Susan Hayward, Cliff Robertson, Edie Adams - how can you go wrong? They all acquit themselves well in this elegant whodunit - and whydidhedoit - romp. Adolfo Celi (Lago in Thunderball) is particularly good as the police inspector. The plot has enough false leads, misdirection and twists to make your head spin. The Venetian (or faux Venetian) interiors are splendidly luxuriant, and the exteriors are lovely. This is a lightheartedly elegant dark comedy that most entertainingly fills an hour or two. Highly recommended.

Coming at the end of a prosperous string of all-star mystery films, THE HONEY POT suffered more from a lame title and timing than anything on screen when first released (an even worse title, "Up Pops Murder" didn't help when the film was first released to television).

The typically superb script and direction from Joseph L. Mankiewicz, from a play by mystery writer Frederick Knott, inspired in turn by Ben Johnson's classic play, VOLPONE, THE HONEY POT could not have had a better cast with Rex Harrison (at the top of his game) as the supposedly super-wealthy Cecil Fox mentally tilting with his secretary, Cliff Robertson, and a nosy nurse/love interest for Robertson, a very young Maggie Smith (younger viewers may be interested to see this very different performance from HARRY POTTER's Professor McGonagall - as well as her amazing Desdemona opposite Olivier's OTHELLO) and a trio of ex-loves, Edie Adams, Cappucine and Susan Hayward all in Fox's beautiful Venetian palatzo (the exterior shots are as gorgeous and the interiors).

A death happens (accident? perhaps murder?) and a Venetian police inspector, Adolfo Celi, enters the picture (lovely side note as his family at home is enraptured with PERRY MASON on American TV more than his real-life work) and the film starts to leave Ben Johnson's Volpone behind and delve into more complex games.

To be frank, this film has long been among my favorites - I have been accused of teaching an entire university course on Mystery Writers just to develop an audience for it. Showing the film at the conclusion of the course, after considering the progression of great mystery writing from Poe to Conan Doyle to Christie, Hammett and beyond, this marvelous under-appreciated work from Knott & Mankiewicz never fails to grab them. It's well worth a look for anyone interested in good literate fun, great performances and writing that don't depend on splatter gore, special effects or CGI.

While the ongoing box-office clout of stars Harrison and Hayward got the film a limited VHS release, it's hard to a copy today - but well worth the search.

Wonderful film...if only it had a better title.