The Statue

• Director: Rodney Amateau
• AMG Rating:
• Genre: Comedy
• Movie Type: Farce
• Main Cast: Pistillo Antonio, Mircha Carven, Maria Comberti, Kiko Concalves, Christopher Cruize, Antonino D'Acquisto, Edward Danko, Julie Fair, Marco Gobbi, F.L. Greaves, Mario Guizzardi, Mike Harvey, Ron Hepher, Hazel Hoskins, Tolis Karachalios, Roberto Lande, Maureen Lane, Nicolette LePelley, Pamela LePelley, Katarina Lidfeldt, Gianni Musi, Dough Parish, Robert Pomeroy, Jack Repp, Zoe Sallis, Luigi Scavran, Sergio Silverio, Bill Vanders, John Wregg
• Release Year: 1971
• Country: UK
• Run Time: 84 minutes
• MPAA Rating: R

Plot

David Niven is Alex, a scholar who has won the Nobel Prize for developing a universal language. The U.S. State Department has decided to honor him with a statue, to be displayed in London's Grosvenor Square. The commission for the project went to Alex's wife Rhonda (Virna Lisi), who has designed a statue that is completely nude, without even a fig leaf. Husband Alex sees that is it a perfect replica of himself, except for the part usually covered by fig leaves. He accuses his wife of using one of her lovers as a model and begins a hilarious search for the original. Robert Vaughn has some good lines as the American Ambassador, discussing the couple's controversy with the President. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Review

It's possible that someone other than young adolescent boys would find The Statue amusing, but unlikely. Making a movie about a man obsessed with finding his wife's suspected lover and who has no clue to go on other than a very precise rendering of the suspect's genitals is not the best idea to begin with. In order for this premise to work, the writer and director would need to have an inspired notion as to how to approach it -- perhaps as some kind of lunatic comedy about obsession, or one which uses the surface story to explore deeper sexual anxieties. Instead, the creative team involved with Statue has given it the smarmiest, most adolescent treatment possible, making it the cinematic equivalent of a dirty joke told by two drunks during an all-night bender. But it's not the tastelessness which offends so much as it is the total lack of imagination. Statue is a total and utter bore, the kind of film that forces one to start checking one's watch after the first five minutes. The film does at least have David Niven, who once again squanders his comedic talent in material that is shamefully far beneath his talents. Niven can't do anything to make Statue more than slightly bearable -- but when one considers what the experience would be like witjout him, one is enormously grateful. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide

Cast

David Allister - Mr. Westbury; Ann Bell - Pat; Tim Brooke-Taylor - Hillcrest; Hugh Burden - Sir Geoffrey; Erik Chitty - Mouser; Aldo de Carellis - Martinello; Derek Francis - Sanders; John Frederick - Military Advisor; Julian Jenkins - 1st Detective; Virna Lisi - Rhonda; Marne Maitland - UNO Secretary General; David Mills - Mr. Euston; David Niven - Alex; John Stacy - Commentator; Susan Travers - Mrs. Southwick; Marco Tulli - Deaf Taylor; Granville van Dusen - Chuck; Robert Vaughn - Ray; Michael Atkinson - 2nd Detective; Graham Chapman - News Reader; John Cleese - Harry; Amato Garbini - Italian Inspector; Desmond Walter-Ellis - Mr. Southwick; Fortunato Arena - Custom Officer; Pino Ferrara - Guide; Bettine Milne - Dunhill; Troy Patterson - Larry Patten; Lorenzo Fineschi - Mike; Pistillo Antonio - Piet Bruder; Mircha Carven - Joachim; Maria Comberti - Little Old Woman; Kiko Concalves - Consul of Corteguay; Christopher Cruize - 1st Interview; Antonino D'Acquisto - 2nd Marine; Edward Danko - Harold Brodie; Julie Fair - Ray's Secretary; Marco Gobbi - Hank Wills; F.L. Greaves - Herbert Parker; Mario Guizzardi - George French; Mike Harvey - US Embassy Official; Ron Hepher - 3rd Detective; Hazel Hoskins - Chief of CIA; Tolis Karachalios - Greek Guide; Roberto Lande - Young Italian Male; Maureen Lane - Mrs. Westbury; Nicolette LePelley - Caroline; Pamela LePelley - Schoolmistress; Katarina Lidfeldt - Melinda; Gianni Musi - Jacques; Dough Parish - Philip Muir; Robert Pomeroy - Navy Officer; Jack Repp - Air Force Officer; Zoe Sallis - Mrs. Euston; Luigi Scavran - Senior Meteroa Monk; Sergio Silverio - 1st Marine; Bill Vanders - Lawyer; John Wregg - Policeman; Tony Gardner - Hunter

Credit

Bruno Avesani - Art Director, Gino Landi - Choreography, Orietta Nasalli Rocca - Costume Designer, Rodney Amateau - Director, Ernest Hosler - Editor, Fergus McDonell - Editor, Riz Ortolani - Composer (Music Score), Riz Ortolani - Musical Direction/Supervision, Luis Enriquez Bacalov - Songwriter, Audrey Nohra - Songwriter, Norman Newell - Songwriter, Amato Garbini - Makeup, Piero Portalupe - Cinematographer, Josef Shaftel - Producer, Anis Nohra - Producer, Franco Fumagalli - Set Designer, Alec Coppel - Screenwriter, Denis Norden - Screenwriter, Alec Coppel - Play Author

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