The Last Remake of Beau Geste
| The Last Remake of Beau Geste | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical Poster by Drew Struzan | |
| Directed by | Marty Feldman |
| Produced by |
William S. Gilmore George Shapiro Howard West Bernie Williams[1] (line prod.) |
| Written by |
Chris Allen Sam Bobrick (story) Marty Feldman (story) Percival Christopher Wren (characters) |
| Based on |
Beau Geste by P.C. Wren |
| Starring |
Marty Feldman Michael York Ann-Margret Peter Ustinov James Earl Jones Trevor Howard Henry Gibson Roy Kinnear Spike Milligan Terry-Thomas |
| Music by | John Morris |
| Cinematography | Gerry Fisher |
| Edited by |
Jim Clark Arthur Schmidt |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date | July 15, 1977 |
Running time | 85 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Last Remake of Beau Geste is a 1977 American historical comedy film.[2] It starred and was also directed and co-written by Marty Feldman. It is a satire loosely based on the novel Beau Geste, a frequently-filmed story of brothers and their adventures in the French Foreign Legion. The humor is based heavily upon wordplay and absurdity. Feldman plays Digby Geste, the awkward and clumsy "identical twin" brother of Michael York's Beau, the dignified, aristocratic swashbuckler.
Plot
Spoofing the classic Beau Geste and a number of other desert motion pictures, the film's plotline revolves around the heroic Beau Geste and his brother Digby's misadventures in the French Foreign legion out in the Sahara, and the disappearance of the family sapphire, sought after by their money-hungry stepmother.
Cast and locations
The cast features Ann-Margret as the brothers' adoptive mother, Peter Ustinov as the brutal Sergeant Markov, and Sinéad Cusack as sister Isabel Geste, with Spike Milligan (Crumble the Butler), Burt Kwouk (Father Shapiro), James Earl Jones (Arab Chief), Avery Schreiber (Arab Chieftain / Used Camel Salesman), Terry-Thomas (Warden), Trevor Howard (Sir Hector), Henry Gibson (General Pecheur), Roy Kinnear (Corporal Boldini) and Ed McMahon (Arab Horseman) in supporting roles.
The film was shot on location in Madrid, and in Ireland at Ardmore Studios in Bray, and on location at Kilmainham Gaol in Dublin and Adare Manor near Limerick.
Reception
The film received mixed-to-negative reviews, with a 33% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[3] That being said, Vincent Canby of The New York Times did give a positive review of the film, describing it as having "a whole range of jokes that are funny primarily because they are in absolutely terrible taste."[4]
Release
Marty Feldman was disappointed with the print distributed in theaters because the studio edited its own version. Attempts have been made to have the director's cut restored, but so far these have proved fruitless. According to Michael York, "Marty's version was much funnier." The film was released in America on DVD on January 11, 2010 as part of the Universal Vault Series of DVD-on-Demand titles, sold on Amazon.com, in the UK, the film was released through Second Sight Films on January 24, 2011.[5]
References
- ↑ Barnes, Mike (2015-01-12). "Bernard Williams, Producer on 'A Clockwork Orange' and 'Ragtime,' Dies at 72". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2015-01-24.
- ↑ "Movie Review". The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-09-10.
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-01-07. Retrieved 2012-01-25.
- ↑ "Movie Review". The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-09-10.
- ↑ "The Last Remake of Beau Geste ::DVD Movies Coming Soon:: Second Sight Films". Secondsightfilms.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-09-10.