The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975)

“While Sherlock is gone, he will pass on one or two of his less urgent assignments to his brother, Sigerson.” 

            There are seriously no words to describe how silly and totally hilarious The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes’ Smarter Brother is. I bought this a few years ago and did not really think anything of it and only watched it that one time. I brought this to my grandma’s house tonight (we have movie nights every Monday while my grandpa plays cards) and we laughed so hard. Now that I have a better appreciation for Gene Wilder and get more of the humor I enjoyed the movie so much.

            Sherlock Holmes cannot be directly involved in a case involving a singer. He sends the case over to his younger brother Sigerson Holmes (Gene Wilder). Sigerson has always lived in his brother’s shadow even though he is a very intelligent detective and person. Scotland Yard sends over a man named Sgt. Sackler (Marty Feldman) who has “photographic hearing.” The case is about blackmail against a young woman named Bessie Bellwood. The woman herself (Madeline Kahn) comes to Sigerson’s apartment and right away he sees right through her BS. He tells her if she wants to impersonate a famous music hall singer who has been dead for twelve years she better learn all her famous songs by heart. The woman’s real name is Jenny Hill.

            As the case unfolds Jenny is involved in a plot against England and the stealing of an important document given to someone she knows from Queen Victoria. With a little help from his brother Sigerson cleverly solves the case.

            Gene Wilder is a friggin genius. He wrote, directed, and starred in the movie. He plays Sigerson so perfectly and so subtly. Usually he plays his characters way too overdramatically but here he was perfect. Madeline Kahn was beyond hysterical and brilliant. There was one part where in order to get information out of Jenny Sigerson had to do sexual things to her and he fluffs up her boobs like a pillow!! The whole scene was amazing I had tears in my eyes. Of all the movies I have seen with Kahn this is my favorite of hers she was so entertaining and so funny. Marty Feldman will forever be Eyegore to me from Young Frankenstein. He was pretty much the straight man throughout the movie but of course he was the straight man with some oddities. Dom De Luise is in the movie as well. He plays an Italian opera singer who is in an opera with Jenny. De Luise is as always funny. The opera at the end and his performance in it is a panic.

            The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes’ Smarter Brother is one of the best comedies ever filmed. It is silly funny without going over the top. I found it so funny that while I was waiting for Madeline Kahn and Gene Wilder to come on the screen I forgot there was even an interesting murder mystery plot going on. If you are a fan of Gene Wilder and the comedy style of Mel Brooks you will be highly entertained. This a comedy worth watching over and over.

^^^ This is hilarious ^^^

Hanky Panky

“What is your connection with Janet Dunn?”

            Have you ever seen Hitchcock’s North by Northwest? If you have then you pretty much know the plot to Hanky Panky. Hitchcock’s film was a serious thriller and as you can tell by seeing Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner in the poster this is not as serious (it is a serious movie for the two actors as far as I am concerned). Hanky Panky is a flat out tribute to Hitchcock’s thrillers and one that was done very well.

            Michael Jordan (Wilder) is an architect who has recently moved to New York City. He is originally from Chicago so he is still getting used to the city. On one of his first days he meets a woman who has jumped into his taxi. The woman’s name is Janet Dunn. Before she jumped into the taxi she was running away from some bad guys who were after her for something she has. Janet has something she wants to mail so Michael very kindly puts it in the mail box for her. The bad guys see him deposit the envelope and they believe he is involved with whatever Janet is involved in.

            Janet is staying at a hotel so that night Michael hoping to get lucky goes to meet her. Janet is unfortunately very frazzled and he does not get the hint. You know how in North by Northwest Cary Grant is accused of a murder he did not commit but he was photographed as if he was? Yeah that happens to Michael and now he is on the run. And like a Hitchcock film he has a femme fatale type of women following him around… ok so maybe not a femme fatale in the usual sexiness but a woman none the less named Kate Hellman (Radner).

            Michael and Kate are after the same person- he is trying to clear his name and learn what the bad guys want from him and she is trying to find out who killed her brother.

            As I have been saying Hanky Panky is in the same style as a Hitchcock film especially North by Northwest but this one just happens to be funnier. Michael is being played by top government officials who know he is innocent but need him to get to the bad guys. In the end Michael has cleared his name and gotten rid of the bad (and in an awesome way I must say).

            Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner were awesome you can never go wrong with a movie where they are the stars. They were hysterical together. I have nothing but admiration for Radner she was so funny and so good acting. Wilder is the best when he has to freak out and go nuts some may see him overacting but I see him as just being silly.

            Richard Widmark plays the main villain Ransom, the guy is just creepy. I have not seen him in any of his earlier films but I am guessing he played the bad, sinister guy all the time. He was great in Murder on the Orient Express as Rachett.

            Hanky Panky is one of the reasons why old comedy films are the best. Comedy films of today try too hard to be funny and it comes across. Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner were just naturally funny all they had to do was give a look or say something subtly or just in a certain tone and it was hysterical. Wilder knew how to make a good quality comedy film with a good story. Hanky Panky along with High Anxiety is one of the best tributes to Hitchcock and his thrillers because it was done with respect and care.

 

Haunted Honeymoon (1986)

“This is gonna be some wedding. A loony for a husband, and Peter Pan for his wife.”

            As soon as I see Gene Wilder in anything I know it is going to be a very funny and very entertaining movie. Haunted Honeymoon not only has Gene Wilder as one of the main stars Gilda Radner and Dom DeLuise also star in the movie. What comedy movie on earth can be funnier than a movie with these three?

            Wilder plays Larry Abbott a radio actor who is engaged to another radio actor named Vicki Pearle (Radner). The radio program tells mystery stories every week and is number one in the country. Ever since Larry got engaged to Vicki he has been going a little crazy (on top of already being neurotic before this). Whenever he hears a storm he stares into space and asks if his tie is straight. The radio sponsor and director are none too pleased with the way Larry is behaving they do not want his outbursts to ruin the show.

            A man walks in telling the sponsor and director that he is Larry’s uncle who happens to be a psychologist. He tells them that in order to cure Larry they need to scare his fear out of him. That weekend Larry and Vicki are to be married in his family’s old home and there with all the family the uncle wants to put his plans into action.

            The Gothic mansion is dark and ominous and as soon as Vicki and Larry arrive it begins to rain. As the other guests arrive they are either sinister or just nuts. Living in the house is Larry’s aunt Kate (DeLuise). She is an eccentric old lady who believes in werewolves and believes there is one running out the grounds. As the night goes on everyone begins to drive Larry crazy. Vicki was not in on the whole plan at first but she is eventually brought into it.

            Of all the things going on with Larry, no one realizes his cousin Francis has been murdered and that someone else has been murdered as well. Now there is a killer going after Larry because he is set to inherit money from Aunt Kate when no one else is.

            I cannot give too much away the movie is just so damn funny it would be a shame to give too much away.

            Gene Wilder is in one of his best roles. No one could do insane and crazy like he could. Not only is Wilder one of the main characters he also wrote and directed the film. The man was just awesome he could do everything. Gilda Radner never fails to be adorable and outrageously hysterical. She has some of my favorite scenes like when she first sees Pfister and she babbling and scared of him and when an old girlfriend of Larry’s keeps going after him she stops the women at Larry’s door, says beat it, and she struts back to her room. Dom DeLuise as a woman is one of the funniest things ever, no one could have played that role better male or female.

            Haunted Honeymoon is one of the best comedy movies ever. It is like most of Wilder’s films and his films with Mel Brooks I can watch them over and over again and know them by heart but I always laugh so hard.