JACK LEMMON IS IN LOVE WITH HIS BOSSES WIFE AND ABOUT TO ALOPE WITH HER TO PARIS IN "THE APRIL FOOLS" (1969)

 

Jack Lemmon must have been a pretty happy guy back in 1969. He got to film two movies back to back that take place in NYC, have dynamite leading ladies and work for two legendary directors, Stuart Rosenberg here and then Arthur Hiller for Neil Simon's Out Of Towner's which would follow. And while I'm a huge fan of The Out Of Towners and was actually in attendance in Radio City Music Hall during it's first week showing, admittedly it's a bit of a bummer trip. This rom-com is much lighter and a full-on time capsule for '69. The film's lengthy opening scene at a party in a swanky Manhattan apartment is one curio after another of pop art of the era as is the safari restaurant scene and a fabulous Tarot reading scene with Myrna Loy. There's even a scene filmed in the new Madison Square Garden right after it was built in '68, you can smell the cleanliness and pristine newness of the now legendary hall. 

A great supporting cast all around and look for Harvey Korman of Carol Brunett Show fame as a drunk on a train (the same train btw that was used in Out Of Towners) in a hilarious cameo. Shirley McClaine was supposed to be cast here opposite Lemmon but I'm glad they went with Deneuve, I don't think Lemmon & McClaine can top their union in The Apartment. Some very 1969 music here with Dionne Warwick, Taj Mahal and others, put it all together and you'll feel like you took an acid trip back to '69. A must for Lemmon fans, a really nice movie that just finally came to VOD release.  3.0 stars/5

The original trailer, almost 4 minutes and cut kind of bizarrely. Not sure if it does the movie full justice and where is Myrna Loy? Lol.