''Unfaithfully Yours'' is a 1984 American
romantic comedy
Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...
film directed by
Howard Zieff
Howard Buton Zieff (October 21, 1927 – February 22, 2009) (pronounced Zeef) was an American director, television commercial director, and advertising photographer.
Early life
Zieff was born to Jewish parents in Chicago, Illinois, then move ...
, starring
Dudley Moore
Dudley Stuart John Moore CBE (19 April 193527 March 2002) was an English actor, comedian, musician and composer. Moore first came to prominence in the UK as a leading figure in the British satire boom of the 1960s. He was one of the four writ ...
and
Nastassja Kinski
Nastassja Aglaia Kinski (; , ; born 24 January 1961) is a German actress and former model who has appeared in more than 60 films in Europe and the United States. Her worldwide breakthrough was with ''Stay as You Are'' (1978). She then came to gl ...
and featuring
Armand Assante
Armand Anthony Assante Jr. (; born October 4, 1949) is an American actor. He played mobster John Gotti in the 1996 HBO television film '' Gotti'', Odysseus in the 1997 mini-series adaptation of Homer's ''The Odyssey'', Nietzsche in ''When ...
and
Albert Brooks
Albert Brooks (born Albert Lawrence Einstein ; July 22, 1947) is an American actor and filmmaker.
He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for 1987's '' Broadcast News'' and was widely praised for his performance as a ...
. The screenplay was written by
Valerie Curtin
Valerie Curtin is an American actress and screenwriter.
Personal life
Curtin was born in Jackson Heights, New York, the daughter of radio actor Joseph Curtin. She attended Lake Erie College.
She is a cousin of TV comedian/actress Jane Curtin ...
,
Barry Levinson
Barry Lee Levinson (born April 6, 1942) is an American filmmaker, comedian and actor. Levinson's best-known works are mid-budget comedy drama and drama films such as '' Diner'' (1982); ''The Natural'' (1984); ''Good Morning, Vietnam'' (1987); ' ...
, and
Robert Klane
Robert Klane (born 1941) is an American screenwriter, novelist and filmmaker, best known for early iconoclastic novels and for his screenplays for dark comedies such as '' Where's Poppa?'' (1970) and ''Weekend at Bernie's'' (1989).
Career
A 1963 ...
based on
Preston Sturges
Preston Sturges (; born Edmund Preston Biden; August 29, 1898 – August 6, 1959) was an American playwright, screenwriter, and film director. In 1941, he won the Academy Awards, Oscar for Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, Best Origina ...
' screenplay for the
1948 film of the same name. The original music score is by
Bill Conti
William Conti (born April 13, 1942) is an American composer and conductor, best known for his film scores, including ''Rocky'' (and four of its sequels), ''The Karate Kid'' (and all of its sequels), '' For Your Eyes Only'', ''Dynasty'' (and its ...
and the song "Unfaithfully Yours (One Love)" was written for the film and performed by
Stephen Bishop.
Plot
Claude Eastman (
Dudley Moore
Dudley Stuart John Moore CBE (19 April 193527 March 2002) was an English actor, comedian, musician and composer. Moore first came to prominence in the UK as a leading figure in the British satire boom of the 1960s. He was one of the four writ ...
) is a composer and the conductor of a prestigious symphony who has recently married beautiful Daniella (
Nastassja Kinski
Nastassja Aglaia Kinski (; , ; born 24 January 1961) is a German actress and former model who has appeared in more than 60 films in Europe and the United States. Her worldwide breakthrough was with ''Stay as You Are'' (1978). She then came to gl ...
), a much younger woman. While travelling, he sends a message to his friend Norman Robbins (
Albert Brooks
Albert Brooks (born Albert Lawrence Einstein ; July 22, 1947) is an American actor and filmmaker.
He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for 1987's '' Broadcast News'' and was widely praised for his performance as a ...
) to keep an eye on his wife, but the message is garbled by Claude's Italian valet Giuseppe (
Richard Libertini
Richard Joseph Libertini (May 21, 1933 – January 7, 2016) was an American stage, film and television actor.
He was known for playing character roles and his ability to speak in numerous accents. His films include ''Catch-22'' (1970), '' The I ...
), and instead of looking after Daniella, Norman hires a private detective named Keller (
Richard B. Shull
Richard Bruce Shull (February 24, 1929 – October 14, 1999) was an American character actor.
Biography Early life
Shull was born in Evanston, Illinois, the son of Zana Marie (née Brown), a court stenographer, and Ulysses Homer Shull, a manufa ...
) to investigate her.
The private eye's report, which comes with a fuzzy video, is that Daniella had an assignation with a man who, by wearing
Argyle socks, appears to be Maxmillian Stein (
Armand Assante
Armand Anthony Assante Jr. (; born October 4, 1949) is an American actor. He played mobster John Gotti in the 1996 HBO television film '' Gotti'', Odysseus in the 1997 mini-series adaptation of Homer's ''The Odyssey'', Nietzsche in ''When ...
), a handsome violinist with the orchestra – and Claude's protégé – who is well known as a ladies man. In fact, Max merely used Claude's flat for an assignation with Norman's wife Carla.
Claude attempts to surprise Max and Daniella together, leading Max and Carla to believe that he knows about their affair. When Max eventually meets Daniella, it is at a restaurant where Claude, overwhelmed with jealousy, duels Max with violins by playing a
Csárdás
Csárdás (, ; ), often seen as Czárdás, is a traditional Hungarian folk dance, the name derived from ' (old Hungarian term for roadside tavern and restaurant). It originated in Hungary and was popularized by bands in Hungary and neighboring l ...
, the famous composition of
Vittorio Monti
Vittorio Monti (6 January 186820 June 1922) was an Italian composer, violinist, mandolinist and conductor. His most famous work is his ''Csárdás'', written around 1904 and played by almost every Romani orchestra.
Monti was born in Naples, w ...
.
Claude separately confronts both Daniella and Max. Daniella feels guilty because she is keeping the affair a secret from her husband, while Max apologises only for using Claude's flat for the affair. Not realising that Claude believes Max was meeting Daniella, neither of them clarifies that Max was meeting Carla, and Claude takes this as confirmation of his suspicions, while he is enraged by their apparent lack of contrition. He plots to kill both of them.
As he conducts
Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , group=n ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. He wrote some of the most popu ...
's "
Violin Concerto
A violin concerto is a concerto for solo violin (occasionally, two or more violins) and instrumental ensemble (customarily orchestra). Such works have been written since the Baroque period, when the solo concerto form was first developed, up thro ...
", the full elaborate plan to kill Daniella and frame Max for the murder runs through his mind, leaving him laughing hysterically, but afterwards, when he tries to carry out his plan, unforeseen circumstances intervene.
Meanwhile, Keller realises his mistake after seeing Carla leave Claude's apartment on the tape. After failing to catch Claude at the concert to explain, he goes to Claude's flat and interrupts him while he is struggling to carry out his murder plan. Daniella is initially furious when she learns the truth - seemingly more because Claude believed she was unfaithful than because he planned to kill her - and leaves. Claude rushes after her and explains that he loves her but doesn't think he can stop being jealous, and the two reconcile.
Cast
*
Dudley Moore
Dudley Stuart John Moore CBE (19 April 193527 March 2002) was an English actor, comedian, musician and composer. Moore first came to prominence in the UK as a leading figure in the British satire boom of the 1960s. He was one of the four writ ...
as Claude Eastman
*
Nastassja Kinski
Nastassja Aglaia Kinski (; , ; born 24 January 1961) is a German actress and former model who has appeared in more than 60 films in Europe and the United States. Her worldwide breakthrough was with ''Stay as You Are'' (1978). She then came to gl ...
as Daniella Eastman
*
Armand Assante
Armand Anthony Assante Jr. (; born October 4, 1949) is an American actor. He played mobster John Gotti in the 1996 HBO television film '' Gotti'', Odysseus in the 1997 mini-series adaptation of Homer's ''The Odyssey'', Nietzsche in ''When ...
as Maxmillian Stein
*
Albert Brooks
Albert Brooks (born Albert Lawrence Einstein ; July 22, 1947) is an American actor and filmmaker.
He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for 1987's '' Broadcast News'' and was widely praised for his performance as a ...
as Norman Robbins
*
Cassie Yates
Cassandra Yates (born March 2, 1951) is an American actress known for her performances on television.
Early years
Yates was born and raised in Macon, Georgia. Her mother named her after the character Cassandra portrayed by Betty Field in '' ...
as Carla Robbins
*
Richard Libertini
Richard Joseph Libertini (May 21, 1933 – January 7, 2016) was an American stage, film and television actor.
He was known for playing character roles and his ability to speak in numerous accents. His films include ''Catch-22'' (1970), '' The I ...
as Giuseppe
*
Richard B. Shull
Richard Bruce Shull (February 24, 1929 – October 14, 1999) was an American character actor.
Biography Early life
Shull was born in Evanston, Illinois, the son of Zana Marie (née Brown), a court stenographer, and Ulysses Homer Shull, a manufa ...
as Jess Keller
*
Jan Triska
Jan, JaN or JAN may refer to:
Acronyms
* Jackson, Mississippi (Amtrak station), US, Amtrak station code JAN
* Jackson-Evers International Airport, Mississippi, US, IATA code
* Jabhat al-Nusra (JaN), a Syrian militant group
* Japanese Article Numb ...
as Jerzy Czyrek
* Jane Hallaren as Janet
* Bernard Behrens as Bill Lawrence
*
Leonard Mann
Leonard Mann (15 November 1895 – 29 April 1981) was an Australian poet, and novelist.
Life
He served in the Australian Imperial Force during World War I, and with the Department of Aircraft Production in World War II.
He was, in Septembe ...
as Screen lover
Cast notes:
*
Betty Shabazz
Betty Shabazz (born Betty Dean Sanders; May 28, 1934/1936 – June 23, 1997), also known as Betty X, was an American educator and civil rights advocate. She was married to Malcolm X.
Shabazz grew up in Detroit, Michigan, where her foster ...
, the widow of
Malcolm X
Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little, later Malik el-Shabazz; May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) was an American Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figure during the civil rights movement. A spokesman for the Nation of Is ...
has a small part in the film.
Production
The project to remake
Preston Sturges
Preston Sturges (; born Edmund Preston Biden; August 29, 1898 – August 6, 1959) was an American playwright, screenwriter, and film director. In 1941, he won the Academy Awards, Oscar for Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, Best Origina ...
' 1948
film
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
, which was an artistic success but not a financial one, was originally intended for
Peter Sellers
Peter Sellers (born Richard Henry Sellers; 8 September 1925 – 24 July 1980) was an English actor and comedian. He first came to prominence performing in the BBC Radio comedy series ''The Goon Show'', featured on a number of hit comic songs ...
, before his death in 1980.
Reception
''Unfaithfully Yours'' received generally mixed to negative reviews from critics, and currently holds a 33% "Rotten" approval rating at review aggregator
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
. In spite of the lukewarm critical reception, the film was a minor commercial success.
References
External links
*
*
*
*
Reviewin ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
''
{{Authority control
1984 films
1984 romantic comedy films
20th Century Fox films
American romantic comedy films
Remakes of American films
1980s English-language films
Films scored by Bill Conti
Films about classical music and musicians
Films based on works by Preston Sturges
Films directed by Howard Zieff
1980s American films