My Favorite Year (1982)
Some comedies elicit huge laughs, while others are simply smile-inducing. My Favorite Year (1982) definitely falls within the “smile” category. However, it is more noteworthy than most “smile comedies,” due to Peter O’Toole’s memorable turn as the cognac-guzzling, past-his-prime movie star, Alan Swann.
In the year 1954, swashbuckler Swann is scheduled as a weekly guest star on King Kaiser’s Comedy Cavalcade, a live variety show modeled after Sid Caesar’s Your Show of Shows. Showing up tardy and woozily wasted on his first day, Swann is nearly fired. However, Benjy Stone (Linn-Baker), a junior comedy writer on the show who idolizes the actor, talks his bosses into letting Swann keep the gig. Of course, there’s a catch–Stone is given the responsibility of chaperoning the drunky dramatist for the remainder of his engagement. Over the course of the week, the pair learn valuable life lessons from each other, punctuated with minor misadventures, lightweight comedy, and several drained bottles of cognac.
The film was produced by Mel Brooks, and it was loosely inspired on Brooks’ experiences as a young up-and-coming comedy writer on Sid Caesar’s live sketch show Your Show of Shows. Brooks often recounted a story (which is difficult to substantiate) that he was tasked with chaperoning guest star Errol Flynn to keep him sober for a telecast of Your Show of Shows. In reality, the babysitting gig either never happened (Flynn never appeared on YSOS, but he did guest on Sid Caesar’s later program, Caesar’s Hour) or was uneventful, but screenwriter Dennis Palumbo used the story as a springboard for his imagination.
Although it’s difficult not to like the resulting movie, one wishes the comedy had more of the edge of Brooks’ (and Sid Caesar’s) own work. Not only are most of the film’s situations predictable, much of the humor is obvious or corny. However, the supporting cast of pros–Bill Macy, Joseph Bologna, Lainie Kazan, Selma Diamond, Adolph Green, and the great Lou Jacobi–really know how to sell a line, so much of the time, you don’t notice how lame the jokes actually are.
The performances are the main reason to watch My Favorite Year. Mark Linn-Baker does fine work in the lead, and Jessica Harper makes the most of her limited role as the focus of Benjy’s office crush. However, this is really O’Toole’s show. As previously stated, the character of Alan Swann was modeled after Errol Flynn, a celeb known for his swashbuckling charm and liquor-fueled misbehavior. Few actors could have pulled off both the cavalier charisma and drunken slapstick required of the role, but O’Toole’s performance is a triumph. It is reason enough to make My Favorite Year required viewing for soused cinema enthusiasts.
US/C-92m./Dir: Richard Benjamin/Wr: Norman Steinberg and Dennis Palumbo/Cast: Peter O’Toole, Mark Linn-Baker, Jessica Harper, Joseph Bologna, Bill Macy, Lainie Kazan, Anne De Salvo, Basil Hoffman, Lou Jacobi, Adolph Green, Selma Diamond
For Fans of: If you love live television sketch shows, such as Your Show of Shows, The Jackie Gleason Show, or even Saturday Night Live, you may enjoy this nostalgic behind-the-scenes valentine to the genre.
Video: The Warner Archive Collection has released My Favorite Year on Blu-ray, featuring a new remastering of the image, and it looks fantastic. The picture is colorful, sharp, and clear with authentic film grain. The image is also free of scratches and speckles. In both video and audio, the film is in better shape than it’s been since its original theatrical release.
The disc also includes the following special features:
- Audio commentary by director Richard Benjamin
- Theatrical Trailer
- Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature
You can purchase the Blu-ray directly from the Warner Archive or from other online retailers (Amazon link below).
Streaming: You can digitally rent or purchase My Favorite Year through Amazon, iTunes, and other outlets. However, it was not streaming through any of the major subscription services at the time of this review.
More to Explore: Another one of Sid Caesar’s writers, Woody Allen, took a nostalgic look back at an earlier time and bygone form of entertainment with Radio Days (1987). It would pair nicely with My Favorite Year. Of course, if you want to take a look at the actual source material for My Favorite Year, Shout Factory released a nice DVD collection of Sid Caesar’s live TV work, Sid Caesar: The Works.
Trivia: Although Alan Swann was primarily based on Errol Flynn, the “this is for ladies only” bathroom scene was based upon a famous incident often told about legendary lush John Barrymore. Also, keep an eye out for Gloria “Titanic” Stewart, who partakes in a dance with Peter O’Toole.
For More Info: The real Errol Flynn recounted his life and career in My Wicked, Wicked Ways: The Autobiography of Errol Flynn. There are also some good stories (some likely apocryphal) in Hollywood's Hellfire Club: The Misadventures of John Barrymore, W.C. Fields, Errol Flynn and the Bundy Drive Boys by Gregory William Mank. Finally, if you want to read about the drunken revels of the real Peter O’Toole, then pick up Hellraisers: The Life and Inebriated Times of Richard Burton, Richard Harris, Peter O'Toole, and Oliver Reed by Robert Sellers.
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