The April Fools
The April Fools | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Stuart Rosenberg |
Written by | Hal Dresner |
Produced by | Gordon Carroll Carter De Haven Jr. (associate producer) |
Starring | Jack Lemmon Catherine Deneuve Peter Lawford Jack Weston Myrna Loy Charles Boyer |
Cinematography | Michel Hugo |
Edited by | |
Music by | Marvin Hamlisch |
Production company | |
Distributed by | National General Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 95 min. |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $4.5 million (US/ Canada rentals)[1] |
The April Fools is a 1969 American romantic comedy film directed by Stuart Rosenberg and starring Jack Lemmon and Catherine Deneuve.
Plot[]
Howard Brubaker (Lemmon) is married to Phyllis (Sally Kellerman), who doesn't love him. Catherine (Deneuve) is the stunning wife of an equally uncaring husband, Howard's philandering boss, Ted Gunther (Peter Lawford).
The evening of the day Ted promotes Howard, Howard attends Ted's house party where Ted urges him to pick up an available woman there and proceeds to show him how. Howard reluctantly tries it on Catherine, who instantly accepts. The two leave the party and go out for a little adventure on the town. Ted is oblivious, as he is concentrating on other women at the party.
The two find their marriages are loveless as they discover more about each other that night and decide to run away together the next evening. But Ted doesn't realize the other man is Howard until Howard and Catherine are about to board the plane to Paris.
Cast[]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/75/The_April_Fools.jpg)
Actor | Role |
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Jack Lemmon | Howard Brubaker |
Catherine Deneuve | Catherine Gunther |
Peter Lawford | Ted Gunther |
Myrna Loy | Grace Greenlaw |
Charles Boyer | Andre Greenlaw |
Jack Weston | Potter Shrader |
Sally Kellerman | Phyllis Brubaker |
Gary Dubin | Stanley Brubaker |
Melinda Dillon | Leslie Hopkins |
Kenneth Mars | Les Hopkins |
David Doyle | Orlow P. Walters |
Susan Barrett | Singer |
Dee Gardner | Naomi Jackson |
Harvey Korman | Matt Benson |
Lisa Todd | Safari Club Waitress |
Production[]
The female lead was originally going to be played by Shirley MacLaine but she was not available due to commitments on Sweet Charity and campaigning for Robert F. Kennedy. Catherine Deneuve was cast instead.[2]
Reception[]
The New York Times review said, "The April Fools, written by Hal Dresner and directed by Stuart Rosenberg, manipulates its stereotypes with elegance and style. ... The best things in the movie, however, are the extraordinarily good supporting performances by Peter Lawford (Miss Deneuve's husband), Jack Weston, Harvey Korman, Sally Kellerman, and by two stars who invented movie elegance almost 30 years ago, Charles Boyer and Myrna Loy."[3]
Paperback novelization[]
Published slightly in advance of the film's release (as was the usual custom of the era), a paperback screenplay novelization by the ubiquitous and gifted tie-in scribe William Johnston was issued by Popular Library.
Soundtrack[]
The April Fools
Performed by Dionne Warwick
w. Hal David m. Burt Bacharach
I Say a Little Prayer
w. Hal David m. Burt Bacharach
DVD[]
The April Fools was released to DVD by CBS Home Entertainment through Paramount Home Media Distribution on January 28, 2014 as a Region 1 Widescreen DVD.
See also[]
References[]
- ^ "Big Rental Films of 1969", Variety, 7 January 1970, p. 15.
- ^ "Lemmon Chooses Co-Star for 'Fools'". Los Angeles Times. June 25, 1968. p. f6.
- ^ "Movie Review : April Fools' Arrives". The New York Times. May 29, 1969. p. 0.
External links[]
- 1969 films
- English-language films
- 1969 comedy-drama films
- 1960s romantic comedy-drama films
- Adultery in films
- American films
- American romantic comedy-drama films
- Cinema Center Films films
- Films about infidelity
- Films directed by Stuart Rosenberg
- Films produced by Gordon Carroll
- Films scored by Marvin Hamlisch
- Films set in New York City
- Films shot in New York City