More intriguingly, the film was released on Jbut didn’t hit #1 on the box office charts until Sept. WANDA went on to break several box office records, including being the most successful British comedy ever released in the U.S. Several studios passed on Cleese’s idea for the film before MGM/UA finally agreed to produce it, to great financial reward.
She’d say ‘Don’t’ and wave a finger at me.” Sometimes, between takes, Jamie would see me running lines in my head. It’s scary if you’re addicted to rehearsing, as I am – like pushing a boat off from shore without any oars. Let’s just see what happens.’ I’d never done that. And though he had plenty of experience in front of the camera, he still had a lot to learn from his co-lead Jamie Lee Curtis, remembering, “When we came to the more romantic scenes with Jamie, she said, ‘Don’t rehearse. Kevin Kline – who steals virtually all of his scenes in an Oscar-winning supporting performance – once said that Cleese “hosted” the film, so calm and relaxed was the vibe that Cleese created for his fellow actors. It is an exceedingly rare thing for a comedy to receive so many of the top nominations.Ĭleese was no slouch with his directorial contributions either.
This proved to be a smart approach, as Crichton used his vast directorial experience to bring the film in under budget and ahead of schedule – both badges of honor for seasoned directors.Īs a result, Crichton was nominated for an Oscar for directing, and the two of them shared a nomination for their screenplay, all of which speaks to how well-regarded this film was. So WANDA represents more than two decades of British comedy royalty – and the result is one of the most beloved comedies ever made.ĭespite his curmudgeonly representation, Cleese seemed to work quite well with Crichton, the two of them splitting duties between specifically directing the actors (Cleese) and taking responsibility for the overall production (Crichton).
Screenplay: Charles Crichton, John CleeseĬast: John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, Michael Palinįor many, A FISH CALLED WANDA’s British comedy credentials come from it co-starring two members of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, John Cleese (who also co-wrote the film) and Michael Palin.īut classic film fans will also note the pedigree of director and co-writer Charles Crichton, who directed comedies like THE LAVENDER HILL MOD for the legendary Ealing Studios – which had been a formative inspiration for the Monty Python troupe.