Once Upon a Crime... is a 1992 ensemble black comedy mystery film, starring Richard Lewis, John Candy, James Belushi, Cybill Shepherd, Sean Young and Ornella Muti.[3] The film was directed by Eugene Levy. It is the remake of Mario Camerini's 1960 Italian comedy film Crimen.
| Once Upon a Crime... | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Eugene Levy |
| Written by | Charles Shyer Nancy Meyers Steve Kluger |
| Based on | |
| Produced by | Dino De Laurentiis |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Giuseppe Rotunno |
| Edited by | Patrick Kennedy |
| Music by | Richard Gibbs |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date |
|
Running time | 94 minutes |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $18 million[1] |
| Box office | $8.6 million[2] |
Plot
editA series of couples are in Monte Carlo, Monaco and their lives get intertwined during a murder investigation. Augie Morosco is a reformed gambler whose wife Elena Morosco is concluding a business deal, while Neil Schwary is a gambler looking to strike it big and whose wife Marilyn Schwary is hoping to buy some designer clothes. Julian Peters and Phoebe met each other in Rome and are attempting to return a dachshund to the wealthy Madam Van Dougan.
Madam Van Dougan is found murdered and the interactions between Julian and Phoebe and the other couples begin to look increasingly suspicious, as Inspector Bonnard needs to unravel the clues. Over the course of the film, Augie returns to gambling, Elena has an affair and Julian sells and repurchases the dog.
Cast
edit- John Candy as Augie Morosco
- James Belushi as Neil Schwary
- Cybill Shepherd as Marilyn Schwary
- Sean Young as Phoebe
- Richard Lewis as Julian Peters
- Ornella Muti as Elena Morosco
- Giancarlo Giannini as Inspector Bonnard
- George Hamilton as Alfonso de la Pena
- Roberto Sbaratto as Detective Toussaint
- Joss Ackland as Hercules Popodopoulos
- Ann Way as Housekeeper
- Geoffrey Andrews as Butler
- Caterina Boratto as Madame de Senneville
- Elsa Martinelli as Carla the Agent
- Eugene Levy as Casino Cashier (uncredited)
Reception
editJanet Maslin of The New York Times said the film was not funny, and adding "As a general rule, films whose plots revolve around lost dogs are apt to be short on comic inspiration, and this one is no exception."[4] The film was nominated for a Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actress for Sean Young, which she lost to Estelle Getty in Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot.[5]
Adaptation
editIn 2006, Abbas–Mustan known for directing thriller movies in Bollywood, adapted this movie as 36 China Town starring Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor. It is a frame-by-frame, shot-for-shot imitation of Once Upon a Crime.[6]
References
edit- ^ "Once Upon a Crime". AFI|Catalog. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
- ^ "Once Upon a Crime". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
- ^ "Once upon a Crime". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
- ^ Maslin, Janet (March 7, 1992). "Review/Film; Lost Dachshund and Other Complications". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
- ^ "Ceremonies Presented at The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel Oscar Room, March 28, 1993". razzies.com. Archived from the original on February 28, 2009. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
- ^ Pugsley, Peter C. (24 February 2016). Tradition, Culture and Aesthetics in Contemporary Asian Cinema. Routledge. ISBN 9781317008477. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
