With several nods to Alfred Hitchcock, Colin Higgins's romantic-comedy-thriller, "Foul Play" is a clever entertainment from the late 1970's. The film was both written and directed by Higgins, who also helmed the amiable musical "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" and the comedy, "9 to 5," in his tragically brief career. After an opening party scene, stars Goldie Hawn and Chevy Chase work well together as Higgins's screwball-comedy plot unfolds and takes unexpectedly bizarre turns.
Along the California coast highway, Goldie picks up a stranger, who appears to be having car trouble, and she drives him to San Francisco; unbeknownst to her, he slips a roll of film into a cigarette pack and, because he is trying to cut back on smoking, asks her to hold the pack until they meet again that evening for a movie. Arriving late in the theater, the mystery man drips blood into Goldie's popcorn, whispers "beware of the dwarf," and dies in his seat. Goldie's act of kindness and subsequent naivete immerse her in a string of events that involve an albino, a scarface, and the aforementioned dwarf, who are plotting with the city's archbishop, his housekeeper, the chauffeur... But who is keeping score, and what they are plotting is only the "McGuffin," because the fun is in the journey.
Chevy Chase as the police detective investigating Hawn's outlandish claims is amusing, and Goldie herself is an especially endearing heroine. The duo are supported by Burgess Meredith as Hawn's friend and landlord, who is quite good, as are Brian Dennehy, Rachel Roberts and Marilyn Sokol. However, Dudley Moore in his American film debut manages to steal his few scenes, which admittedly have little to do with the plot. As Stanley, a Hugh Hefner wannabe with a Vegas-style bachelor pad, Moore does a wonderful John Travolta disco strip tease to "Stayin' Alive." Higgins has evidently seen more than his share of Hitchcock movies and incorporated several of the master's touches such as slow suspenseful build-ups, disappearing corpses, and a climactic scene during "The Mikado." Higgins's romantic-comedy-thriller succeeds fairly well on all three counts, although the attempts at slapstick fail to click, and the requisite chase is predictable and unfunny. Nevertheless, "Foul Play" is generally fun and an entertaining two-hour diversion with two comedic stars, who are pleasant company indeed.
Along the California coast highway, Goldie picks up a stranger, who appears to be having car trouble, and she drives him to San Francisco; unbeknownst to her, he slips a roll of film into a cigarette pack and, because he is trying to cut back on smoking, asks her to hold the pack until they meet again that evening for a movie. Arriving late in the theater, the mystery man drips blood into Goldie's popcorn, whispers "beware of the dwarf," and dies in his seat. Goldie's act of kindness and subsequent naivete immerse her in a string of events that involve an albino, a scarface, and the aforementioned dwarf, who are plotting with the city's archbishop, his housekeeper, the chauffeur... But who is keeping score, and what they are plotting is only the "McGuffin," because the fun is in the journey.
Chevy Chase as the police detective investigating Hawn's outlandish claims is amusing, and Goldie herself is an especially endearing heroine. The duo are supported by Burgess Meredith as Hawn's friend and landlord, who is quite good, as are Brian Dennehy, Rachel Roberts and Marilyn Sokol. However, Dudley Moore in his American film debut manages to steal his few scenes, which admittedly have little to do with the plot. As Stanley, a Hugh Hefner wannabe with a Vegas-style bachelor pad, Moore does a wonderful John Travolta disco strip tease to "Stayin' Alive." Higgins has evidently seen more than his share of Hitchcock movies and incorporated several of the master's touches such as slow suspenseful build-ups, disappearing corpses, and a climactic scene during "The Mikado." Higgins's romantic-comedy-thriller succeeds fairly well on all three counts, although the attempts at slapstick fail to click, and the requisite chase is predictable and unfunny. Nevertheless, "Foul Play" is generally fun and an entertaining two-hour diversion with two comedic stars, who are pleasant company indeed.