| The April Fools | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Stuart Rosenberg |
| Written by | Hal Dresner |
| Produced by | Gordon Carroll |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Michel Hugo |
| Edited by | Bob Wyman |
| Music by | Marvin Hamlisch |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | National General Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $4.5 million (US/Canada rentals)[3][2] |
The April Fools is a 1969 American romantic comedy film directed by Stuart Rosenberg and starring Jack Lemmon and Catherine Deneuve.
Plot
[edit]Wall Street broker Howard Brubaker is married to Phyllis, who does not love him. Catherine is the stunning French wife of an equally uncaring husband, Howard's philandering boss, Ted Gunther.
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. However, Ted does not realize the other man is Howard until Howard and Catherine are about to board the plane to Paris.
Cast
[edit]
- Jack Lemmon as Howard Brubaker[4]
- Catherine Deneuve as Catherine Gunther[5]
- Peter Lawford as Ted Gunther
- Myrna Loy as Grace Greenlaw[6]
- Charles Boyer as Andre Greenlaw
- Jack Weston as Potter Shrader
- Janice Carroll as Mimsy Shrader
- Sally Kellerman as Phyllis Brubaker
- Gary Dubin as Stanley Brubaker
- Melinda Dillon as Leslie Hopkins
- Kenneth Mars as Les Hopkins
- David Doyle as Orlow P. Walters
- Susan Barrett as house party singer[7][8][9]
- Dee Gardner as Naomi Jackson
- Harvey Korman as Matt Benson
- Lisa Todd as Safari Club waitress
Production
[edit]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.[10] On 22 July 1968, filming began in New York City.[2] On 23 October 1968, Variety announced filming completion.[2]
Release
[edit]The film opened on May 28, 1969 at the New Embassy Theatre and the Pacific East theatre in New York City.[11] It grossed $42,000 in its opening week.[12] After three weeks exclusively in New York, it also opened in Chicago and Philadelphia before expanding to 18 more cities a week later.[13] It reached number one at the US box office in July after eight weeks of release.[14]
Reception
[edit]A reviewer for The New York Times wrote that the film "manipulates its stereotypes with elegance and style. ... The best things in the movie, however, are the extraordinarily good supporting performances by Peter Lawford (as 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."[15]
Paperback novelization
[edit]Published slightly in advance of the film's release (as was the usual custom of the era), a paperback screenplay novelization by the tie-in scribe William Johnston was issued by Popular Library.
Home media
[edit]The April Fools was released on DVD by CBS Home Entertainment through Paramount Home Media Distribution on January 28, 2014, as a Region 1 Widescreen DVD.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "THE APRIL FOOLS US ONE SHEET POSTER JACK LEMMON CATHERINE DENEUVE 1969". Rendezvous Cinema. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
- ^ a b c d The April Fools at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- ^ "Big Rental Films of 1969". Variety. January 7, 1970. p. 15.
- ^ "Jack Lemmon Fools". Getty Images. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
- ^ "1969 Press Photo Jack Lemmon and Catherine Deneuve in "The April Fools"". eBay. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
- ^ "1968 Press Photo Actors Myrna Loy & Jack Lemmon on set of "The April Fools"". eBay. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
- ^ "Susan Barrett Fools". Getty Images. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
- ^ Sullivan, Dan (25 August 1967). "Susan Barrett at Persian Room; Young Singer Has Familiar Face Repertory Receives Sock Applause". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
- ^ "Songs from The April Fools". sweet soundtrack .com. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
- ^ "Lemmon Chooses Co-Star for 'Fools'". Los Angeles Times. June 25, 1968. p. f6.
- ^ "B'way Catching Breath for Holiday; 'Winning,' $200,000; 'Columbus,' 60G 'Curious,' 41G, 12th; 'Slime' $35,000". Variety. May 28, 1969. p. 8.
- ^ "50 Top-Grossing Films". Variety. June 11, 1969. p. 9.
- ^ "Isn't this something? (advertisement)". Variety. July 2, 1969. pp. 20–21.
- ^ "50 Top-Grossing Films". Variety. July 30, 1969. p. 15.
- ^ "April Fools' Arrives". The New York Times. May 29, 1969. p. 0. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
