Benjy meets Errol Flynn

Last night, CineVerse delved into the comedy category with an exploration of My Favorite Year, the directorial debut of Richard Benjamin (!). Here are the notable discussion points presented:

WHAT IS IT ABOUT MY FAVORITE YEAR THAT KEEPS YOUR INTEREST?

• Its warm nostalgia for the golden age of television: Knowing that the TV program in the film is loosely based on Sid Caesar’s legendary Your Show of Shows makes it fascinating; Benjy Stone is based loosely on Mel Brooks and Woody Allen, who both wrote for Caesar’s program.
• The humorous intrigue around the character of Swann, who is not-so-loosely based on the larger-than-life Errol Flynn, famous for his womanizing, heavy drinking and tomfoolery; O’Toole brings a charismatic magnetism and suave but tipsy charm to the role.
• The comedy dynamic between straight man Benjy and the hilariously unpredicatable Swann, whom Benjy is responsible for getting to the TV show on time and intact.
• The stellar supporting cast, which includes Joseph Bologna as King Kaiser, Bill Macy as Sy Benson, Lainie Kazan as Benjy’s mother, Adolf Green as Leo Silver, Selma Diamond as the wardrobe lady, Lou Jacobi as Uncle Morty, and Cameron Mitchell as Karl Rodeck.
• It’s also the directorial debut of Richard Benjamin, himself a comedian and actor in several TV and movie comedies; if you know ahead of time that this film is helmed by Benjamin, it causes you to pay more attention to see if he succeeds or fails.

THIS FILM HAS BEEN ACCUSED BY SOME CRITICS OF BEING OVERLY SENTIMENTAL. DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE?

• Benjy provides a wistful voiceover narration and brings, as one reviewer puts it, “too much sentimental baggage” to the story.
• The scene where Swann visits his 12-year-old daughter and gets choked up about her, as well as the implicit father-child surrogate relationship Swann has with Benjy is a bit over the top for some critics.
• Perhaps it’s a little too reverential and nostalgic in its evocation of early 1950s television, as if suggesting that the zaniness and comedy stylings of Your Show of Shows type programs—which typically aired live—have never been nor never will be topped.
• Arguably, by drawing too many early comparisons to Errol Flynn, the movie makes it hard for Swann to break free and transcend a silver screen icon and become his own unique character. Swann’s personality is instantly likeable and enjoyable, but perhaps shackled by our knowledge that this character is meant to represent Flynn.

BENJI HAS ALSO BEEN DESCRIBED BY SOME AS A CHARACTER THAT’S HARD TO WARM UP TO AND WHO FUNCTIONS MAINLY AS A DEVICE TO HOLD THE STORY TOGETHER. WHAT’S YOUR FEELING ON THIS?

DO ANY OTHER MOVIES COME TO MIND AFTER WATCHING MY FAVORITE YEAR?

• Joe Gould’s Secret
• The Country Girl, in which Bing Crosby plays an alcoholic
• Radio Days, another movie that evokes nostalgia for a bygone time, this time for radio

OTHER FILMS BY RICHARD BENJAMIN

• Racing With the Moon
• The Money Pit
• Made in America
• Mrs. Winterbourne