O Maior Amante do Mundo

This production was built around the search for the next Rudolph Valentino. While this work has become dated, it was filmed as a pseudo-retrospective at the time, so it was already "dated" the day it was filmed.

This is a total Gene Wilder vehicle. He wrote the screenplay, directed the movie, and was the movie's sole credited producer. He is also THE star of the movie. He does share the limelight with Carol Kane (a pure delight, as usual), but this was one of Wilder's brightest moments. By this time, the world realized they had a comedic genius on their hands and after this work Wilder pretty much had the Midas Touch for a while.

Kane plays Annie Hickman, the world's greatest Valentino fan. Wilder portrays a Milwaukean baker who is at the end of his rope. His idiosyncrasies are so severe, he finds it impossible to maintain employment. Upon learning of a contest held by Rainbow Studios (NOT the #1 studio) to find the next Rudolph Valentino, Rudy Hickman just "knows" this is his ticket to a better life. His wife leaves him to go find Mr. Valentino. But once Hickman is in the middle of it all, he realizes his wife is what is most important to him and he sets the works in motion to woo her away from Rudolph Valentino. The formula makes for some of the best heart-warming entertainment that's hit the big screen. It's endearing and funny in its bittersweet malaise.

It also goes a long way towards showing what CAN be done with no effects and no locations beyond the Studio Backlot and a few, cheap but decent sets.

While it is frayed about the edges, this classic favorite is one ripe for a DVD restoration...perhaps even a 2-disk director's cut for those of us fans who have BEEN fans since the beginning.

It rates an 8.8/10 from...

the Fiend :.

I strongly disagree with ptb-8. I love this movie. It's a favorite of mine and it makes me laugh out loud every time I see it. Personally, I think Gene Wilder is a genius. He successfully employs many forms of comedy, including vaudeville which is a rarity in modern film-making and so much fun to watch. Sure it's silly, but it's also a very sweet love story which I find surprisingly moving considering it IS set against a silly comedy. The story is always engaging. The cast is all top-notch: Carol Kane, Dom DeLuise, Carl Ballantine, Ronny Graham, Candy Azzara and of course Mr. Wilder himself, being among my favorites. If you're lucky enough to see this gem, I think you will agree with me. I hope it will be released on DVD soon so that more people can see it.

I personally thought the film was too long, and had too many belabored or slowly timed gags. They needed to be more crisply and unselfconsciously performed to work.

The Abalone character was great, and his give and take with people was one of the better points. Still, to have the A-Baloney bit pounded into the ground didn't improve the humor. Too much of a good thing is too much of a good thing.

Same is true for the 'sex by numbers' bit. Clever, but needed tightening up.

This said, I'm usually a big fan of Wilder's work. This one just fell a bit flat for me.

A motion picture which causes reactions even if it is not watched for a period of time. Last time I watched this film it was summer now Christmas is approaching fast. I missed it. I put it on my daily list with a reminder. I cannot give up this movie. I was so young when I first watched it on tv. It's pure , tells the truth , picks the fun out of stressful situations. It's a masterpiece of bringing together characters out of order , building a concrete storyline, making sense , printing scenes of incredible cinematography all that and more without becoming boring uninteresting out of time. There's nothing to discuss of the actors: adorable acting so precise and comprehensive so much flavor comes out of their being in this movie. To me a whole era is revealed by watching those people doing whatever each of them has to do so as to be a precious piece of that puzzle. It's silent movies meeting sound and colors. The characters meet on the set and plot using their dreams their duties their realities. Stars of silent movies producers who seek the future and a lovely couple all find a way in the cinematography world.

Back in April of this year I heard that The Worlds Greatest Lover was going to be on AMC and I was like yes I'm finally going to get to see this movie, I'm a big Gene Wilder fan so.....yeah, anyway the only problem was that it was going to come on at 3 in the morning on a Monday which was a school night for me so I asked my mom to record it for me, so when I came home from school I saw it and thought it was awesome, two or three months later I ordered the DVD off of Barnes and Nobles and I now have it on DVD what I had heard from this movie was that Gene not only stars in this movie but writes, directs, produces, and surprisingly wrote a song for the film as well, I think Gene's take on Rudolph Valentino was pretty cool and I think he came up with some clever ideas like "histerical laryngitis" and sticking your tongue out or twisting your words around whenever his character is nervous. I also thought Carol Kane was wonderful as Rudy's wife Annie and Dom Deluise was as funny as usual as movie mogul Adolph Zitz, one thing you probably found annoying was Gene Wilder's constant screaming and going into hysterics all the time but he does it brilliantly, plus the character of Rudy was very high-strung kinda like Leo Bloom right? so if you like slapstick comedy or if your a fan of Gene Wilder, I highly recommend this and I'd say its another one of Gene Wilder's forgotten films and its a great one to look out for, I'd give it a 7.5 out of 10.