Gene Wilder was a great comedic actor but unfortunately he was not a very good director. The film is chock full of funny people, with the exception of the always obnoxious Dom Deluise, and by the end you wonder why you didn't laugh more. Gene Wilder did not a very subtle touch when it came to film comedy and tended to beat the audience over the head rather than allowing the comedy to come naturally. The sole reason for watching the film is Carole Kane. Her performance is absolutely enchanting,especially once she goes off on her own adventure.
The film is a virtual remake of the Federico Fellini film The White Shiek but adds the "world's greatest lover" contest, but it does have the female character go off in search of the silent movie star who is inspired by Rudolph Valentino, who is actually a character in this remake.
The story follows Wilder as he loses job after job for a nervous tic that involves him sticking out his tongue whenever he is stressed. He and Carole Kane head out to Hollywood to enter this contest designed by a studio to boost its sagging ticket sales. Everything involving the Wilder character falls flat and never gets much more than chuckle. I cannot contain my gushing praise over Carole Kane. She plays her role in direct opposition to the manic style of her co-star. She is genuinely sweet and she has a face that feels straight out of that period of the 1920's. I probably found the film funny when I saw it in '77 but upon watching it in recent years it just does not work. It is not on account of the year of its release as proven by Young Frankenstein released in '74 and still funny. When a film tries too hard to be funny it oftentimes comes across as desperate and fails at its objective. It's worth watching but don't go in thinking it's going to be another Young Frankenstein or Blazing Saddles.
