This pilot co-written by Mel Brooks and featuring two of his greatest stars, Harvey Korman and Cloris Leachman, has the potential to be something terrific, but other than their presence, it's very difficult to tell what could be. Wearing a hairstyle that makes her look like Madame Gin Sling from "The Shanghai Gesture", Leachman utilizes one of her funny accents and is definitely man crazy as the hotel head housekeeper, storming through in her opening scene as if she was the queen of the Helmsley Palace herself. She even has her Nurse Diesel bra, and of course, she makes even the most ridiculous lines sound magical. The pilot has her in a dual role as the extremely elderly Hotel owner, Baby Jane Hudson's long lost twin sister. The opening narration by Robin Leach set this up as one of New York's finest old hotels whose better days have passed.
Korman is the pompous manager who has been lying to the widowed Mrs. Nutt for years about how the hotel is doing, and when she discovers the truth, she sends for her handsome grandson Brian McNamara whom she wants to help turn their profits around. Korman is basically playing another one of his sneaky, conniving characters, obviously knowing that he's got a good thing and doesn't want to see it change. John de Lancie guest stars as a representative from a Texas billionaire who wants to purchase the hotel for his conglomeration. It's a good set up, but where are the laughs?
In the one scene where Leachman's two characters appear together, they sound exactly alike, which indicates why her dual role was dropped. As it is, she looks strange in the Kabuki / Beetlejuice makeup with balding head, and she's funnier in just being the housekeeper. Molly Hagan does get some funny moments as awkwardly insecure secretary of the hotel. She's the only one of the supporting cast to show potential.
Korman is the pompous manager who has been lying to the widowed Mrs. Nutt for years about how the hotel is doing, and when she discovers the truth, she sends for her handsome grandson Brian McNamara whom she wants to help turn their profits around. Korman is basically playing another one of his sneaky, conniving characters, obviously knowing that he's got a good thing and doesn't want to see it change. John de Lancie guest stars as a representative from a Texas billionaire who wants to purchase the hotel for his conglomeration. It's a good set up, but where are the laughs?
In the one scene where Leachman's two characters appear together, they sound exactly alike, which indicates why her dual role was dropped. As it is, she looks strange in the Kabuki / Beetlejuice makeup with balding head, and she's funnier in just being the housekeeper. Molly Hagan does get some funny moments as awkwardly insecure secretary of the hotel. She's the only one of the supporting cast to show potential.