Turning up on Amazon Prime’s streaming service like a lost sock, Mike Nichols’ forgotten comedy is a star-powered throwback to the screwball comedy era, top-lined by Jack Nicholson and Warren Beatty. Comedy and period revivals were a big deal in the 70’s, from What’s Up Doc? To The Sting, but The Fortune, despite an illustrious pedigree, sank like a stone. A good print provides reason to look again; while there are no real winners here, The Fortune does have some values.
Sporting a one-and-done, never-to-be-repeated curly hairstyle, Nicholson plays Dix, a con-man wanted for embezzlement back in the 1920’s USA. Dix teams up with fellow charlatan Nicky Wilson (Beatty), who regards the rest of his profession as dumb, but isn’t quite capable of making the grade himself. The case in point is the pair’s latest get-rich-quick scene which is getting them nowhere fast; a heiress named Freddie Biggard (Stockard Channing). Defying the Mann act, which prohibits the trafficking of women across state lines for illegal purposes, the men take Freddie to LA, but when her status as a cash cow doesn’t materialise, Dix and Nicky come up with a more deadly set of plans involving poisonous snakes and picnic hampers.
Shot by John A Alonzo (Chinatown, Scarface) and from the writer of Five Easy Pieces, The Fortune has an expansive, airy look, and there’s all kinds of minor attractions; Scatman Crothers has a funny fisherman cameo that compares amusingly with his more sinister work with Nicholson in The Shining, while Christopher Guest turns up as a smooching lothario. Both Nicholson and Beatty give uncharacteristically light comic performances, perhaps not what their fans wanted, but both holding their own, and Channing makes Freddie a tricky character to pin down. A screwball film should reflect the foibles of the main characters, and Nichols manages to force his over-qualified cast through some tricky narrative pirouettes. And Florence Stanley steals the show as a nosey neighbour who can’t quite figure out the ménage a trois on her doorstep.
The black comedy of trying to dispose of a body has attracted many cinematic talents, usually with poor results, but the last half hour of The Fortune has some impressively complex jokes, notably when Dix and Nicky try to confess a murder to the police that both the authorities and the audience know they didn’t commit. With little slapstick and few sight gags, this is a character comedy in shades of black, caviar to the general, perhaps, but worth a look as one of the last gasps of the now-unfashionable screwball genre.
Still to see this one, will be adding it to the list
It’s a one off.
The haircut or the movie? Seriously Jack Nicholson hasn’t disappointed me yet so will have to check this out, Any ideas for the blogathon yet?.
Not quite in the same category as Ishtar, but not far off. It would have helped it there had been a few decent jokes. These kind of films rely on timing and neither of the principles shows much of that skills but since you’ve brought it up i’ll dig it out of the archive nd have a look.
I kind of like Ishatar, which is more joke-based than this, but has a similar yearing for other times feel. There’s a definate lack of actual jokes, or slapstick, and that is off-putting, but they were shooting for something else…
I think they mostly missed what they were shooting for. A lot of directors got cutesy trying to recreate trends of the past.
i was just thinking about this film – in particular the sequence of channing’s oblivious heiress character drifting off in the container, later washing up on shore and how well she performed the bewilderment of the situation. Most films you’d have some kind of rage / retribution stomping off to rattle the cages of her offenders, but the reality is she was clueless and does such a sweet job of it. Moments before this the colossal f-up on the one lane bridge was a hoot as well. While this didn’t hit a peak for any of the actors its still a fun little idea for a film.
It was also fun that the police found them so inept and stupid they couldn’t bring themselves to understand that they’d done anything. It was a cute idea.
At the start of the film, the comic ideas seem quite weak, but by the end, I did feel there were a few gem-like moments.
Just not a fan of Jack Nicholson so I’ll give a nope for this.
Sigh
I did like him in the Witches of Eastwick if that makes you feel better.
Double sigh. Now DJ Otzi and Booky are shooting at me!
pew pew pew!
Stop it! Both of you! Didn’t you see me in Five Easy Pieces or The Last Detail? I’m an award winning actor! Not an animal! No need for all this!
Au Contraire! Your crapmaster 9000 has confessed! It admitted those pix of the Dooley’s were fake, the signature was by the renowned forger Alec de Baconville and the whole scheme was a ponzi scam meant to bilk old grannies out of their life savings!
We’ve got the dirt on you now!
This has been a political witch-hunt since day one, and I should know, because no-one has ever been treated as badly as me! Fake news!
Yes indeed, it IS fakenews that you’ve been treated badly.
Your CM9000 told us ALL about how you treated it. Shame on you, sir, shame!
I’m running again in 2021! Give me your money so I can gamble with it! You can’t arrest me because I’m not a scum peasant like you! Desist! You’ll be hearing from my Kraken in the morning!
And once again, we KNOW you’re running. That’s how we know you’re guilty of the Great Septic Tank ponzi scheme. Only the guilty run.
Now, if you could just stand still, Otzy will strategically place some marbles under your feet and I’ll whiffle some dried peas in your general direction.
Get your hands off me you filthy apes!
Apes?
Ah hah! Speciesism. A real hate crime indeed. Oh boy, you’re going away to the Big House for a long time now!
Oh ho! Look who’s septic tank is his undoing now… If only you’d had a waterless compost system. Hahahahahahaha! Pew pew pew!
I had it cleaned earlier this year! I’ve been selling dung at the side of the road …oh, that hurts!
I’ll see you in the slammer, Nicholson, where you belong!
I’ve been on one of them, they’re really good!
You’ve been on a waterless compost toilet? Really?
That is not a question a gentleman asks a lady.
Now that is a very old fashioned viewpoint. Off to the slammer with you!
Alex has a quiz for pervos like you, he’ll cater for your kink.
Oh, the hypocrisy!
Yes, back in the day we went over to Poland to saty with a friend who I met on here. He lves completely off grid and built his own gorgeous house, and it has compost toilets, they are brill!
https://winkos.wordpress.com/2012/09/16/toilet-diaries-or-how-to-save-the-planet/
Ah, Mr Winko. I think I’ve stumbled across his blog before, but don’t really know anything of him. That’s pretty amazing thoguh, and lucky you, getting to go to Poland! Was Mr Winko as interesting in real life?
More than!
Sorry to interject but can you both speak up, there’s an audience of millions who crave insight into modern cinema trends following this. Thanks.
You started it.
The makers of Black Widow started it off, to be fair.
But they are not in this conversation that you started when you mentioned the septic pit.
I want a legal representative present before the prosecution proceeds.
Too late, case proven.
I don’t recognise the authority of this court.
It’s ok you can have a pardon. Don’t worrit yer wee head.
Wow! Your audience has been growing rapidly! It was thousands a couple of weeks back, and now it’s millions?
6 million reach based on one review!
The one where you killed an innocent, loving, harmless bear?
The matter remains a legal hot potato, I have no comment to offer at this time…
Save it for the judge, Nicholson!
That bear was asking for it, if it wasn’t me, it would have been someone else! I was doing society a favour!
You’re all bonkers.
Yes we are.
And proud of it 😀
As you should be! No point being sane in a mad world.
Nicholson is totally kooky in this role. It’s quite different from anything else he’s done.
I’m pretty sure he regrets the breezy take he offers here, but I liked it…
This sounds slightly, ever so slightly, better than it should. Is it a coincidence that the main character has the same name as you? Not many people have that name…
You beat me to it!
I am Jack Nicholson
Nice try Dix. We’re on to you. Give up now or we’ll be forced to shoot!
It’s ok, fraggle is not a fan.
Of you giving up? Or of us shooting you?
From the tone of yesterday’s comments, she’s be keen on both of these things, but being Jack Nicholson is what she opined on this morning…
Well, we all KNOW you’re not Jack.
That’s as obvious as the sporran on your kilt!
Maybe you can get away with that Blanefield, but we’re far too savvy for your tricks. Shoot, Booky, shoot!
My missile launcher jammed, so I’m stuck with the pea shooter. It could take a while to bring this fugitive to justice….
Pea shooter is better than nothing. I have a little BB gun – no bullets, but I do have some marbles. We won’t be able to stand our might!