This was a very funny comedy set in the New York City of 1954-55, and involving the likes of three or four figures that normally did not have much in common, though three were in the entertainment field, and they would occasionally (or almost occasionally) work together. The fourth was less funny, but would (in his own way) be as much a figure of historical interest (even more so since he vanished).
In 1954, live television was the major part of the nightly line up of shows, especially variety shows. And the leading one of the day was Sid Caesar's YOUR SHOW OF SHOWS, with it's skillful blending of musical numbers and high comedy - satire skits. Even today, years after most of the shows have vanished (except for those on kines-cope) they remain legendary. Caesar had (for awhile) Mel Brooks working as a writer on his show. He also, on one occasion, planned to have Errol Flynn appear as a guest. Flynn did variety shows occasionally - he once appeared on Steve Allen's show, spoofing TO TELL THE TRUTH (he was one of three people claiming to be Flynn, one of the others being an overly confident Don Knotts wearing a little mustache). The story about Flynn's near appearance with Caesar was not as pleasant - he decided to take a powder at the last moment and did not show up for the final taping.
Based on that story we have this film, wherein Flynn becomes Alan Swann, swashbuckling hero of films of yore. Swann is to appear on THE KING KAISER SHOW with it's star (Joe Bologna). Bologna is as mercurial and difficult as Caesar supposedly was, and when upset at some comments made by Brook's film version "Benjy Stone" (Marc Lynn-Baker), he appoints Stone to keep an eye on the notoriously tipsy and unreliable Swann to make sure he shows up for the show's rehearsals and final production.
The addition of Jimmy Hoffa is interesting to this mix. The teamster boss was not really well known in 1954 (his predecessor Dave Beck was more notorious), but Hoffa's career can be shifted a few years to fit in. For the purposes of the plot, there has been a weekly segment of the show (Kaiser insists on it, showing a substantial public spirit here that is just not evident elsewhere), spoofing the thieving union racketeer (here named Karl Rojeck - Cameron Mitchell). Rojeck only physically appears in one confrontation sequence with Kaiser, in Kaiser's offices: He is a no-nonsense, humorless gangster, and his eye-to-eye confrontation with Kaiser is memorable. It ends with him grabbing the over-sized homburg hat that Kaiser uses for his costume as his own and leaving the meeting with a definite threat in his voice. But although Rojeck the character never reappears, his ominous shadow follows the movie, with late deliveries of supplies to the show, and with "accidents" almost befalling Kaiser and his associates.
As the movie progresses we concentrate mostly on Benjy's growing friendship with Alan Swann. Yes he drinks and womanizes too much, but he does show the young writer what is worthwhile about living, and he even blends in with Benjy's family (his mother Lainie Kazan and her second husband and Benjy's uncles and aunts). In one scene Swann is his charming self with them at a family dinner on Eastern Parkway.
Alan turns out to be a fairly complex figure - he realizes his glamorous image is not at all like his real, flawed self. And he knows he is selfish at times. But he is also genuinely timid about one creature: the little daughter he barely knows who lives in Connecticut. This is his "achilles heel" and it makes the audience realize that for all the glamor and fame he is not a happy man.
How Alan (with Benjy's help) pulls himself together and shows he can live up to his image is the heart of the movie. Peter O'Toole gives his best comic performance in this movie, abetted by Linn-Baker, Bologna, Selma Diamond (whose face glows when O'Toole shows her what he has to make a woman happy), Kazan, Bill Macy and the rest of the film. It turns out to be one's favorite movie about that favorite year.
In 1954, live television was the major part of the nightly line up of shows, especially variety shows. And the leading one of the day was Sid Caesar's YOUR SHOW OF SHOWS, with it's skillful blending of musical numbers and high comedy - satire skits. Even today, years after most of the shows have vanished (except for those on kines-cope) they remain legendary. Caesar had (for awhile) Mel Brooks working as a writer on his show. He also, on one occasion, planned to have Errol Flynn appear as a guest. Flynn did variety shows occasionally - he once appeared on Steve Allen's show, spoofing TO TELL THE TRUTH (he was one of three people claiming to be Flynn, one of the others being an overly confident Don Knotts wearing a little mustache). The story about Flynn's near appearance with Caesar was not as pleasant - he decided to take a powder at the last moment and did not show up for the final taping.
Based on that story we have this film, wherein Flynn becomes Alan Swann, swashbuckling hero of films of yore. Swann is to appear on THE KING KAISER SHOW with it's star (Joe Bologna). Bologna is as mercurial and difficult as Caesar supposedly was, and when upset at some comments made by Brook's film version "Benjy Stone" (Marc Lynn-Baker), he appoints Stone to keep an eye on the notoriously tipsy and unreliable Swann to make sure he shows up for the show's rehearsals and final production.
The addition of Jimmy Hoffa is interesting to this mix. The teamster boss was not really well known in 1954 (his predecessor Dave Beck was more notorious), but Hoffa's career can be shifted a few years to fit in. For the purposes of the plot, there has been a weekly segment of the show (Kaiser insists on it, showing a substantial public spirit here that is just not evident elsewhere), spoofing the thieving union racketeer (here named Karl Rojeck - Cameron Mitchell). Rojeck only physically appears in one confrontation sequence with Kaiser, in Kaiser's offices: He is a no-nonsense, humorless gangster, and his eye-to-eye confrontation with Kaiser is memorable. It ends with him grabbing the over-sized homburg hat that Kaiser uses for his costume as his own and leaving the meeting with a definite threat in his voice. But although Rojeck the character never reappears, his ominous shadow follows the movie, with late deliveries of supplies to the show, and with "accidents" almost befalling Kaiser and his associates.
As the movie progresses we concentrate mostly on Benjy's growing friendship with Alan Swann. Yes he drinks and womanizes too much, but he does show the young writer what is worthwhile about living, and he even blends in with Benjy's family (his mother Lainie Kazan and her second husband and Benjy's uncles and aunts). In one scene Swann is his charming self with them at a family dinner on Eastern Parkway.
Alan turns out to be a fairly complex figure - he realizes his glamorous image is not at all like his real, flawed self. And he knows he is selfish at times. But he is also genuinely timid about one creature: the little daughter he barely knows who lives in Connecticut. This is his "achilles heel" and it makes the audience realize that for all the glamor and fame he is not a happy man.
How Alan (with Benjy's help) pulls himself together and shows he can live up to his image is the heart of the movie. Peter O'Toole gives his best comic performance in this movie, abetted by Linn-Baker, Bologna, Selma Diamond (whose face glows when O'Toole shows her what he has to make a woman happy), Kazan, Bill Macy and the rest of the film. It turns out to be one's favorite movie about that favorite year.