Billy Wilder directed Buddy Buddy, a comedy based on Francis Veber’s play “Le contrat” and Édouard Molinaro’s film L’emmerdeur.
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Theatrical release poster by John Solie
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It would become Wilder’s final (and unfortunately weakest) film in an otherwise brilliant career that had spanned five decades.
Grade: C- (* out of *****)
Hitman Trabucco eliminates witnesses against the mob in order to earn his long-awaited retirement,
On his way to last assignment, Rudy “Disco” Gambola, who is about to testify before a jury at the court of California, he encounters Victor Clooney, an emotionally disturbed TV censor, who is trying to reconcile with his estranged wife Celia.
Trabucco takes a room in the Ramona Hotel in Riverside, across the street from the courthouse. As ill chance would have it, Victor moves into the neighboring room at the same hotel, and after Celia turns him down, he tries to commit suicide.
His clumsy first attempt alerts Trabucco, and fearing the unwelcome attention of the police guarding the courthouse, he decides to accompany Victor in order to eliminate him, but his attempts are foiled by inconvenient happenstances.
Months later, Trabucco enjoys his tropical island retreat until he is unexpectedly joined by Victor. Victor explains that he is wanted by the police after blowing up Zuckerbrot’s clinic, and Celia has run off with the doctor’s female receptionist.
In the end, desperate to see the irritating Victor off, Trabucco considers the possibility of reviving the old custom of sacrificing humans in the local volcano.
Too slight and not sufficiently light, the picture was too simple by any standard. It was a comedy lacking energy and real humor, with gags that never built into any anticipated effects.
Panned by most critics, the movie was a huge commercial failure.
Wilder had made several weak films over the past decade of his career but none as pointless and charmless as Buddy Buddy.
Hence, we are adding his swan song to our list of “Embarrassing Pictures by Great Directors.”
Cast
Jack Lemmon as Victor Clooney
Walter Matthau as Trabucco
Paula Prentiss as Celia Clooney
Klaus Kinski as Dr. Hugo Zuckerbrot
Dana Elcar as Captain Hubris
Miles Chapin as Eddie, the Bellhop
Michael Ensign as Hotel Manager
Joan Shawlee as Receptionist
Ben Lessy as Barney Pritzig
Fil Formicola as Rudy “Disco” Gambola
C.J. Hunt as Kowalski
Bette Raya as Mexican Maid
Ronnie Sperling as Hippie Husband
Suzie Galler as Pregnant Wife
John Schubeck as Newscaster
Credits:
Directed by Billy Wilder
Screenplay by Wilder, I. A. L. Diamond, based on L’emmerdeur (1973) and the play Le contrat by Francis Veber
Produced by Jay Weston
Cinematography Harry Stradling Jr.
Edited by Argyle Nelson
Music by Lalo Schifrin
Production company: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Distributed by MGM/UA (United States/Canada)
Release date: December 11, 1981
Running time: 96 minutes
Budget $10 million
