- Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn in Foul Play - Copyright 2004 Paramount Pictures
Foul Play still delights audiences with its blend of thrilling intrigue, physical and verbal comedy, and the first romantic pairing of Goldie Hawn and Chevy Chase, who went on to co-star together again in Seems Like Old Times (1980). In the film, Hawn plays Gloria Mundy, a lonely librarian who shies away from men since her divorce. Chase portrays Tony Carlson, a clumsy police detective she meets at a party and then later again in a professional capacity. The story involves some desperate criminals (including scar face, the albino, and the dwarf) who will stop at nothing to achieve their evil goals.
About the Production
- Written and directed by Colin Higgins (screenwriter of Harold and Maude), the film was shot mostly in San Francisco and takes full advantage of the Bay, the city, and those distinctively steep short streets.
- Gloria’s theme song “Ready to Take a Chance Again,” sung by Barry Mannilow with music by Charles Fox and lyrics by Norman Gimbel, was nominated for an Academy Award.
- Foul Play was a big hit at the 1979 Golden Globes, USA, winning Best Motion Picture – Musical/Comedy, Best Motion Picture Acting Debut – Chevy Chase, and Best Motion Picture Actor – Musical/Comedy – Chevy Chase. The film also was nominated for (but didn’t win) Best Motion Picture Actor in a Supporting Role – Dudley Moore, Best Motion Picture Actress – Musical/Comedy – Goldie Hawn, Best Original Song – Motion Picture, and Best Screenplay – Motion Picture.
- The film inspired a short-lived television series by the same name that ran in 1981 and lasted for only 10 episodes.
- The 2004 DVD release offers a fine quality print, but has no bonus features, and in 2007 the Paramount Triple Feature DVD release with Foul Play, Summer Rental, and Planes, Trains and Automobiles contains three great comedies, but still no bonus features.
About the Actors
- This film marks Chase’s leading man film debut after rising to fame through his work on Saturday Night Live.
- Dudley Moore plays a kinky character who keeps bumping into Gloria at embarrassing times. Moore’s character, Stanley Tibbets, has an outrageous bachelor pad that expresses his barely contained alter ego.
- The cast is supported by excellent players including Burgess Meredith (as Gloria’s apartment manager), Brian Dennehy (as Tony’s partner at work), Rachel Roberts (as a blood-thirsty housekeeper), Billy Barty (as an overly aggressive salesman), and William Frankfather (as the albino – even though the actor was not actually an albino).
- There’s talk of remaking Foul Play, this time starring Kate Hudson (Hawn’s daughter) and Matthew McConaughey.
Leslie C. Halpern - Leslie C. Halpern, Romantic Films/Comedies Topic Editor, authored Passionate About Their Work, Reel Romance, & Dreams on Film.
