Main Cast: Dudley Moore, Nastassja Kinski, Armand Assante, Albert Brooks, Cassie Yates
Release Year: 1984
Country: US
Run Time: 96 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Plot
This remake of the 1948 Preston Sturges classic stars Dudley Moore as the symphony conductor who imagines ways to get back at the wife he believes is unfaithful to him. Moore plays Claude Eastman, the conductor of a prestigious sympathy, who suspects that his actress wife Daniella (Nastassja Kinski) is fooling around behind his back with the orchestra's handsome soloist, Maxmillian Stein (Armand Assante). The tip comes courtesy of Norman Robbins (Albert Brooks), Daniella's brother. As Claude is conducting a symphony, an elaborate plot plays out in his head -- he will murder his unfaithful wife to get revenge on her. The plot is simpler and more straightforward than the original version, in which the conductor harbored three separate elaborate fantasies. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
Richard Libertini - Giuseppe; Richard B. Shull - Jess Keller; Jan Triska - Jerzy Czyrek; Jane Hallaren - Janet; Bernard Behrens - Bill Lawrence; Tony Abatemarco - Repairman; Frank di Elsi - Kissing Man; Ricky Paull Goldin - Teenager with Mask; Mary Ellen Hokanson - Lady on 57th Street; Art La Fleur - Desk Sergeant; Leonard Mann - Screen Lover; Nicholas Mele - Waiter; Estelle Omens - Celia; Penny Peyser - Jewelry Salesgirl; Alison Price - Kissing Girl; Lynn Stalmaster; Rick van Nutter - Doorman; Robin Allyn - Teenager at Plaza; Bob Larkin - Security Guard; Benjamin Rayson - Judge; Toni Howard
Credit
Jack B. Bernstein - Associate Producer, Timothy R. Sexton - Consultant/advisor, Darryl Athons - Costume Designer, Kristi Zea - Costume Designer, Jerry Sobul - First Assistant Director, Howard Zieff - Director, Sheldon Kahn - Editor, Daniel Melnick - Executive Producer, Bill Conti - Composer (Music Score), Lionel Newman - Musical Direction/Supervision, Stephen Bishop - Songwriter, Albert Brenner - Production Designer, Jack B. Bernstein - Production Designer, David M. Walsh - Cinematographer, Daniel Melnick - Producer, Joe Wizan - Producer, Marvin Worth - Producer, Rick Simpson - Set Designer, Dianne I. Wager - Set Designer, Cliff Cudney - Stunts, Richard Brown - Stunts, Valerie Curtin - Screenwriter, Robert Klane - Screenwriter, Barry Levinson - Screenwriter
Claude Eastman (Dudley Moore) is a composer and the conductor of a prestigious symphony who has recently married beautiful Daniella (Nastassja Kinski), a much younger woman. While travelling, he sends a message to his friend Norman Robbins (Albert Brooks) to keep an eye on his wife, but the message is garbled by Claude's Italian valet Giuseppe (Richard Libertini), and instead of looking after Daniella, Norman hires a private detective named Keller (Richard B. Shull) to investigate her.
The private eye's report, which comes with a fuzzy video, is that Daniella had an assignation with a man who, by the clothing he wears, appears to be Maxmillian Stein (Armand Assante), a handsome violinist with the orchestra – and Claude's protegé – who is well known as a ladies man.
Claude confronts Daniella, who feels guilty because she is keeping a secret from her husband, only not the one he thinks it is. When she tells him that it's no big deal, Claude is enraged. As he conducts Tchaikovsky's "Violin Concerto", an elaborate plan to kill Daniella and frame Max for the murder runs through his mind, but afterwards, when he tries to carry out his plan, unforeseen circumstances intervene.[1][2][3]
The project to remake Preston Sturges' 1948film, which was an artistic success but not a financial one, was originally intended for Peter Sellers, before his death in 1980.[5]
