The Woman in Red

United States

1984

87 Min

Color

1.85:1

English

Currently 2.6/5 Stars.
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PROD Victor Drai, Xavier Gélin, Michael Grillo, Susan Ruskin

SCR Gene Wilder, Yves Robert, Jean-Loup Dabadie

CAST Gene Wilder, Charles Grodin, Joseph Bologna, Judith Ivey, Michael Huddleston, Gilda Radner, Kelly LeBrock

Gene Wilder’s remake of this 1976 French comedy is a Hollywood version of what happens when Theodore (Wilder), an ordinary ad agency executive, is captivated by a gorgeous woman (Kelly Le Brock). The woman just happens to be standing on a grate when her skirt blows up over her waist (a scene first made famous by Marilyn Monroe in The Seven-Year Itch), and one glimpse is enough to change Theodore’s whole life. Although he is married, he is willing to risk his happy relationship with his wife for a romp in the hay with the beautiful stranger. Unfortunately, even when he tracks down the object of his lust he is woefully inept at sneaking out on his wife to consummate his desire. Three of his male office mates help him as much as they can, but Ms. Milner (Gilda Radner) is really incensed when she finds out that the object of Theodore’s attention is not herself. Stevie Wonder’s score included his hit song “I Just Called to Say I Love You”, which received an Oscar nomination. —IMDb

Director

Gene Wilder

Gene Wilder caught his first big break playing a small role in the off-Broadway production of Arnold Wesker’s Roots and followed quickly with his Broadway debut as the comic valet in The Complaisant Lover (both 1961), for which he won the Clement Derwent Award. His other Broadway credits included One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1963, with Kirk Douglas), The White House (1964, with Helen Hayes) and Luv (1966), but it was a 1963 Broadway production of Mother Courage and Her Children that altered the course of his life forever. In its cast was Anne Bancroft, who was dating Mel Brooks at the time, and the relationship established between the two men eventually led to Wilder’s becoming part of Brooks’ “stock company”. Wilder’s Actor’s Studio connection may have helped him land his first feature, Bonnie and Clyde (1967), in which he drew much favourable attention in a small but memorable role as a frightened young undertaker… read more

Gene Wilder caught his first big break playing a small role in the off-Broadway production of Arnold Wesker’s Roots and followed quickly with his Broadway debut as the comic valet in The Complaisant Lover (both 1961), for which he won the Clement Derwent Award. His other Broadway credits included One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1963, with Kirk Douglas), The White House (1964, with Helen Hayes) and Luv (1966), but it was a 1963 Broadway production of Mother Courage and Her Children that altered the course of his life forever. In its cast was Anne Bancroft, who was dating Mel Brooks at the time, and the relationship established between the two men eventually led to Wilder’s becoming part of Brooks’ “stock company”. Wilder’s Actor’s Studio connection may have helped him land his first feature, Bonnie and Clyde (1967), in which he drew much favourable attention in a small but memorable role as a frightened young undertaker abducted by the legendary duo. Wilder’s performance as the endearingly frantic Leo Bloom in The Producers (1968) kicked off his celebrated collaboration with Mel Brooks and garnered him an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor. His career gained momentum as he played a swashbuckler in Start the Revolution Without Me (1970), the candy impresario of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) and a sheep-smitten doctor in Woody Allen’s Every Thing You Always Wanted to Know About Sex * But Were Afraid to Ask (1972). Wilder re-teamed with Mel Brooks for the inspired lunacy of Blazing Saddles (1974) and Young Frankenstein (1974), earning his second Oscar nomination for his first-time screen-writing efforts (along with Mel Brooks) on the latter. Spurred by these triumphs, Wilder made his directorial debut (in addition to acting and starring) with The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes’ Smarter Brother (1975). His first association with Richard Pryor had come on Blazing Saddles (1974), but Richard Pryor (co-screenwriter) had lost out in his bid for the Cleavon Little role. Richard Pryor and Wilder first acted together in the highly entertaining and commercially successful Silver Streak (1976) and scored at the box office again with Stir Crazy (1980), but their later efforts were mediocre. Ironically, Hanky Panky (1982), Wilder’s first of three films with his late wife Gilda Radner, originally was written to pair him with Richard Pryor again, but Richard Pryor’s unavailability necessitated rewriting the part for Gilda Radner. —IMDb