The April Fools

The April Fools is a 1969 American romantic comedy film directed by Stuart Rosenberg and starring Jack Lemmon and Catherine Deneuve.

The April Fools
Theatrical release poster (One sheet)[1]
Directed byStuart Rosenberg
Written byHal Dresner
Produced byGordon Carroll
Starring
CinematographyMichel Hugo
Edited byBob Wyman
Music byMarvin Hamlisch
Production
companies
Distributed byNational General Pictures
Release date
  • May 28, 1969 (1969-05-28) (United States)
Running time
95 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$4.5 million (US/Canada rentals)[3][2]

Plot

Wall Street broker Howard Brubaker is married to Phyllis, who does not love him. Catherine is the stunning French wife of an equally uncaring husband, Howard's philandering boss, Ted Gunther.

The evening of the day Ted promotes Howard, Howard attends Ted's house party where Ted urges him to pick up an available woman there and proceeds to show him how. Howard reluctantly tries it on Catherine, who instantly accepts. The two leave the party and go out for a little adventure on the town. Ted is oblivious, as he is concentrating on other women at the party.

The two find their marriages are loveless as they discover more about each other that night and decide to run away together the next evening. However, Ted does not realize the other man is Howard until Howard and Catherine are about to board the plane to Paris.

Cast
VHS box cover

Production

The female lead was originally going to be played by Shirley MacLaine, but she was not available due to commitments on Sweet Charity and campaigning for Robert F. Kennedy. Catherine Deneuve was cast instead.[10] On 22 July 1968, filming began in New York City.[2] On 23 October 1968, Variety announced filming completion.[2]

Reception

A reviewer for The New York Times wrote that the film "manipulates its stereotypes with elegance and style. ... The best things in the movie, however, are the extraordinarily good supporting performances by Peter Lawford (Miss Deneuve's husband), Jack Weston, Harvey Korman, Sally Kellerman, and by two stars who invented movie elegance almost 30 years ago, Charles Boyer and Myrna Loy."[11]

Paperback novelization

Published slightly in advance of the film's release (as was the usual custom of the era), a paperback screenplay novelization by the ubiquitous and gifted tie-in scribe William Johnston was issued by Popular Library.

Home media

The April Fools was released on DVD by CBS Home Entertainment through Paramount Home Media Distribution on January 28, 2014, as a Region 1 Widescreen DVD.

See also

References
  1. "THE APRIL FOOLS US ONE SHEET POSTER JACK LEMMON CATHERINE DENEUVE 1969". Rendezvous Cinema. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  2. The April Fools at the American Film Institute Catalog
  3. "Big Rental Films of 1969". Variety. January 7, 1970. p. 15.
  4. "Jack Lemmon Fools". Getty Images. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  5. "1969 Press Photo Jack Lemmon and Catherine Deneuve in "The April Fools"". eBay. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  6. "1968 Press Photo Actors Myrna Loy & Jack Lemmon on set of "The April Fools"". eBay. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  7. "Susan Barrett Fools". Getty Images. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  8. Sullivan, Dan (25 August 1967). "Susan Barrett at Persian Room; Young Singer Has Familiar Face Repertory Receives Sock Applause". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  9. "Songs from The April Fools". sweet soundtrack .com. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  10. "Lemmon Chooses Co-Star for 'Fools'". Los Angeles Times. June 25, 1968. p. f6.
  11. "April Fools' Arrives". The New York Times. May 29, 1969. p. 0. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
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