Califormia Suite (1978)

 

Misadventures of four groups of guests at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

From memory: Similar to the previous Plaza Suite (1971), but set in L.A. instead of N.Y.C., this episodic comedy is fast-paced and witty, with some good performances, especially by Jane Fonda, but otherwise it's not much more than some simple entertainment.

Halliwell*: "Two hits, two misses; closer intercutting might have helped. No doubt that Maggie Smith and Michael Caine come off best, with bitcheries about the Academy Awards."

Maltin***: "Oscar-winning Smith and husband Caine...come off best; Pryor and Cosby...are the worst. Pleasant time-filler..." 

Plaza Suite (1971)

 

Three vignettes, each set in room 719 of New York's Plaza Hotel, make up this comedy.

From memory:​ I saw this movie for the first time at the Radio City Music Hall in NYC in 1971, complete with a Rockettes performance before the screening, days before we emigrated to Germany via ship. At the time I thought this comedy was hilarious and entertaining, However, years later, I saw it again, and the comedy was rather flat, the episodes continuously less funny and relying more and more on rough slapstick moments.

Halliwell*: "A highly theatrical entertainment which was bound to seem flattened on the screen, but emerges with at least some of its laughs intact."

Maltin***: "One of Neil Simon's funniest comedies well adapted to screen. Best one is the last [episode]..." 

 

The Odd Couple (1968)

Two friends try sharing an apartment, but their ideas of housekeeping and lifestyles are as different as night and day.

A classic, if not perfect comedy,  an ideal showcase for the two stars, it's still highly entertaining as ever, and way superior to most present day comedies.




On renewed viewing: still as enjoyable as I remember it.

Halliwell**: "Straight filming of a funny play which sometimes seems lost on the wide screen, but the performances are fine."

Maltin***: "Lemmon's realistic performance makes character melancholy instead of funny; other surefire comic sequences remain intact."

The Odd Couple (1968)

Two friends try sharing an apartment, but their ideas of housekeeping and lifestyles are as different as night and day.

A classic, if not perfect comedy,  an ideal showcase for the two stars, it's still highly entertaining as ever, and way superior to most present day comedies.

Halliwell**: "Straight filming of a funny play which sometimes seems lost on the wide screen, but the performances are fine."

Maltin***: "Lemmon's realistic performance makes character melancholy instead of funny; other surefire comic sequences remain intact."