Foul Play

Goldie Hawn and Chevy Chase made a solid comedy team.  They only appeared together in two films, but I think they would've been good for at least a few more.  I'll bet that even if the later movies were duds, the duo would've still been worth watching.   Her sexy kookiness and his patented self detachment and self deprecation sustained them nearly perfectly in 1981's SEEMS LIKE OLD TIMES and today's film in the spotlight, 1978's FOUL PLAY.  The latter is the better of the two, certainly more ambitious.  Writer/director Colin Higgins fashioned this comedy thriller with numerous nods to Hitchcock and other old Hollywood favorites, while creating his own endearingly oddball confection.

The story involves a San Francisco divorcee named Gloria (Hawn) who finds herself mixed up in a plot to assassinate the Pope, who is in town for an opera.  Wiseass cop Tony (Chase) doesn't necessarily believe her wild tales of kidnapping and dead dates at first, but wants her body.  There are several colorful characters, including Burgess Meredith as Gloria's feisty landlord and Dudley Moore as a wannabe gigolo.  Marilyn Sokol, as Gloria's co-worker at the library, has that great bit as she schools her friend in the realities of '70s street life, and how one prepares for it.

Higgins' Hitch references cover films like THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH and DIAL M FOR MURDER.  Lots of directors (Brian DePalma, Richard Franklin, et al) have paid their homages and Higgins likewise never feels like he's plagiarizing.  His mystery is intriguing, and his debut as director is surprisingly assured and deft.  The tone is somewhat ominous yet oddly pleasant.  The balance of humor and violence never feels uneven.  The climax, during a performance of The Mikado, is well staged.

The physical comedy in FOUL PLAY works best - my favorite moments involve the less-than-ideal outcome for a midget Bible salesman (who else but Billy Barty) who visits Gloria, and Meredith's attempts to demonstrate his martial arts prowess.  A car chase/crash is thrown in for good measure.  Surprisingly, the humor never gets too broad, and mildly risque moments are handled with some style (note the game of Scrabble between two elderly ladies). That snake manages to be silly and scary.

If Goldie and Chevy had no chemistry, the rest wouldn't matter.  But they do - an unforced, comfortable repertoire that plays as if they've done it for years.  Both actors do some of their best work in FOUL PLAY (and arguably, Goldie's never been more appealing and beautiful).  After SEEMS LIKE OLD TIMES, which is a very funny bit of old school slapstick, the only other time I saw them really interact was on Chase's ill fated talk show in the early '90s.  How unfortunate.