Fri 24 Jun 2011
A Movie Review by Walter Albert: CHAMPAGNE FOR CAESAR (1950).
Posted by Steve under Films: Comedy/Musicals , Reviews[9] Comments
CHAMPAGNE FOR CAESAR. United Artists, 1950. Ronald Colman, Vincent Price, Celeste Holm, Barbara Brittton, Art Linkletter, Byron Foulger, Ellye Marshall, LyleTalbot, John Eldridge, Vicki Raaf, Bess Flowers; Gabriel Heatter and George Fisher as themselves. Screenplay by Hans Jacoby and Fred Brady; music by Dimitri Tiomkin. Director: Richard Whorf. Shown at Cinecon 44, Hollywood CA, Aug-Sept 2008.
Finally, an authentic star was showcased, the elegant Celeste Holm, playing a vamp (“Flame O’Neill”) who’s hired to distract genius TV quiz contestant Ronald Colman (“Beauregard Bottomley”) so that he will flub the answer to the final multi-million question that will bring down the skin lotion empire of a nutty magnate, played with hilarious and movie-stealing effect by the incomparable Vincent Price.
This the kind of film you don’t see much of anymore, a comedy for adults, and one whose subjects are still relevant, corporate greed and inane TV shows. Art Linkletter is perfectly cast as the TV show host (in an engaging and sympathetic performance), and every performer is pitch-perfect, down to Beauregard’s pet parrot, voiced by the great Mel Blanc.
After the screening, Holm arrived in a wheelchair, and was interviewed, with her much younger husband (maybe 40 years younger) in close attendance. She seemed frail but occasionally her voice became stronger, although she had to be constantly prompted by her husband, who filled in the details she was unable to remember.
Later, my brother and I, having lunch next door at a restaurant, saw her wheeled in and she passed by our table, impeccably made up, her skin extraordinary youthful looking.
June 24th, 2011 at 3:05 pm
I remember this movie, and not from any of the several times it’s played on TCM. No, this would have been back in 1950, or possibly 1951, when it was first released.
My brother and I were limited to one trip to the movies per weekend. We’d seen the previews for CAESAR the weekend before, and what we saw was so hilarious that we begged our parents to let us go see it on as a Friday matinee feature.
Why don’t you wait until see what’s playing at the Central theater tomorrow? they suggested. No, no, we have to go see this one at the Lyric today.
We went, we were bored, and the next day at the Central theater was a double feature, one cowboys and one cops & robbers, plus a serial installment.
All of friends went and had a great time, while we stayed home.
The parrot was funny, though.
June 24th, 2011 at 3:19 pm
My Dad saw this back int he day when he was in college and loved it and told me how great it was and I finally saw it on a rather poor quality DVD and I enjoyed it. It probably is Vincent Price’s best role (at least non-horror).
I imagine young master Steve Lewis was a bit youngish for the satire! What age do you have to attain before you come to enjoy satire, I wonder?
Celeste Holm, a cougar! I never would guessed. Rowr!! I suppose had I played my cards right I could be Mr. Celeste Holm now.
June 24th, 2011 at 4:23 pm
You have to be old enough to recognize what it is that’s being satirized. And then (Part B) old enough to recognize the fact that that’s what they’re doing.
Back when I was 8 or 9, not even close!
Hoppy, I knew, and Gene, and Tarzan and the Bowery Boys. Beyond that, very little.
June 25th, 2011 at 8:48 am
Celeste Holm is 92 or 94, depending on which source you believe, and her husband (married 2004) is 48.
June 25th, 2011 at 6:30 pm
Is this the one where the last question they ask him is what his social security number is? If so, I remember seeing it on TV in the early 60s.
June 26th, 2011 at 3:43 pm
Well, Stan, with my usual ability to forget key plot elements, I must confess that I don’t remember the question that stumped contestant Colman. However, I suspect that you’re right.
I was interested in Steve’s reaction to the film in his nonage. I was certainly older than Steve when I could have seen it and I would like to think that I would have enjoyed it just as much as I did at Cinecon.
June 26th, 2011 at 3:54 pm
You’re still older than me, Walter. But I’m catching up. You’re not twice as old any more.
June 28th, 2011 at 1:24 pm
I’ve never seen this. Where have I been? It sounds like a hoot. I am such a fan of Vincent Price when he wasn’t doing his horror shtick. I also have fond memories of Ronald Colman.
Thanks for this review.
August 8th, 2014 at 10:57 pm
I finally got around to seeing this one. It’s very well done and indeed the type of comedy they don’t much make anymore. Vincent Price steals the show as the giddy, eccentric, and villainous corporate executive. He engages in a good bit of physical comedy too.