tnilfo Raquel Welch is heavenly but her acting abilities sadly don't match up to the exquisite quality of her legs. To be honest I didn't finish this film. The Fatty Arbunkle-inspired main character was extremely unpleasant, angry and bitter and violent, and I just couldn't stand the thought of spending another hour watching him. Might have been able to endure him had the actor playing the part had a little ability and/or charisma. If you're like me and thinking about viewing the film after reading the wonderful source poem, don't bother. The original work is so visual, so tightly strung, it's hard to imagine how they might screw up a film adaptation, but they managed to do it. It seems Merchant/Ivory made several steamy piles before they finally found their style ("Savages" is equally awful).

paulfrancis6189 This is with out a doubt the worst movie I have ever seen. Plastic characters spewing the most amazingly bad dialog imaginable. If Ed Wood had still been directing in the 70's, this could have been his masterpiece. I am still surprised that Perry King and Raquel Welch did not pool their funds to buy out every print, so they could be spared the embarrassment of the general public seeing the most laughable dance sequence ever put on celluloid. It is especially sad to think that this was a big movie for James Coco. His true comedic talents were totally wasted in this mess of a film. The film is so unbelievably bad that I am surprised that it has not reached some sort of "cult film" status. It should be played at midnight at art house all over the US. It would bring screams of laughter from everyone in the audience. Maybe John Waters should do the re-make?

bcrumpacker SPOILER ALERT The then new Merchant Ivory team made some odd choices for this remake portrayal of old Hollywood decadence. It was shot at the Mission Inn in Riverside, California, a beautiful old mission style high end hotel. (The Nixons spent their honeymoon there.) So the production design and costumes are gorgeous, if dimly lit.The late James Coco shows impressive range and talent as the jealous clown protagonist who hits rock bottom in front of everyone. For the record, Fatty Arbuckle, upon whom Coco's character was based, was much younger and more physically impressive.Raquel Welch was at her peak, but she has a rather poorly written role. This is one of her many weird films; see, e.g. Myra Breckinridge.Somebody, someday will film an orgy and make it look good and inviting, instead of the sweaty, nauseating nightmare here. Despite these complaints, the performances and production values hold up surprisingly well thirty years later. Worth a look.

Poseidon-3 Loosely based on the 1920's film star Fatty Arbuckle scandal (in which he was tried, but acquitted of raping a young girl during a Hollywood party, resulting in the demise of his career), this is adapted from a narrative poem that has some similarities to Arbuckle, but notable differences as well. Dukes plays a writer who narrates the story from his hospital bed. He recounts the difficulty that his associate, silent film comedian Coco, has had in holding onto a career in the cinema business. Coco hasn't had a film released in five years and is throwing a huge bash in order to show his latest opus to various studio heads in the hopes that they will distribute it for him. Unfortunately for him, it's the dawn of sound and his film is silent. His live-in lover Welch is a grateful and loyal, but restless, sexpot who he mistreats regularly (and increasingly, as his career dwindles.) Together, Coco and Welch host this bash and soon find that the studio heads are more interested in other parties or in hooking up with loose women on the premises. King plays a hot new actor who's brought to the party by starlet Bolling, who is one of Welch's best friends. Once he eyes Welch, King can think of virtually nothing else the rest of the night. Meanwhile, Ferra, a teenage girl, has come to show Coco her talent in dancing, never dreaming of all the angst and drama unfolding in the house. Eventually, the party escalates into a near full-on orgy and the divergent personalities clash, ending in violence. Coco gives an extremely strong performance in one of his better roles. His desperation is palpable and he gets to show both his comic and dramatic skills through the framework of the film. Welch is attractive, but very plastic and anachronistic. She never seems genuine at any point in the film. Her character is supposed to be acting like a content and secure hostess, but Welch carries this facade throughout the entire film with only occasional lapses into realism. She also performs a couple of sexy, but largely inappropriate dance numbers. King provides a welcome does of male sex appeal. His angular features are a perfect contrast to the rotund Coco and he shows off his enticing physique in one key scene. Dukes, Bolling and Dano (as Coco's long-time chauffeur) do well in their respective roles as well. The biggest problem with the film is that nothing wild happens until it is almost over! The period costuming and decor are interesting and there are some good moments along the way, but the high-flying, wildness is not in evidence at all until over an hour into it. Then, when the debauchery starts, it is pretty tame all things considered (certainly compared to the REAL parties of 1920's and 1930's Hollywood!) Those familiar with the Arbuckle case may be expecting the story to take a different turn than it does. It's actually a pleasant surprise when things don't go exactly as one might be anticipating, but the major catalyst for the violence at the end isn't even shown! (A particular lovers tryst is only alluded to.) A whimsical score (with some clever songs), good acting by Coco and the attractiveness of Welch and King are the primary assets here. It's not bad, but it could have been much better.