Haunted Honeymoon
Tags: satire

Plot synopsis:
Larry Abbot (Wilder) and Vickie Pearle (Radner) are performers on radio's "Manhattan Mystery Theater" who decide to get married. Larry has been plagued with on-air panic attacks and speech impediments since proposing marriage. Vickie thinks it is just pre-wedding jitters, but his affliction could get them both fired.
Larry's uncle, Dr. Paul Abbot, decides that Larry needs to be cured. Paul decides to treat him with a form of shock therapy to "scare him to death" in much the same way someone might try to startle someone out of hiccups.
Larry chooses a castle-like mansion in which he grew up as the site for their wedding. Vickie gets to meet Larry's eccentric family: great-aunt Kate (DeLuise in drag), who plans to leave all her money to Larry; his uncle, Francis; and Larry's cousins, Charles, Nora, Susan, and the cross-dressing Francis Jr. Also present are the butler Pfister and wife Rachel, the maid; Larry's old girlfriend Sylvia, who is now dating Charles; and Susan's magician husband, Montego the Magnificent.
Paul begins his "treatment" of Larry and lets others in on the plan. Unfortunately for all, something more sinister and unexpected is lurking at the Abbot Estates mansion. The pre-wedding party becomes a real-life version of Larry and Vickie's radio murder mysteries, werewolves and all.

Review: Gene Wilder is completely charming and does some great understated acting in this film; Gilda Radner is funny everywhere she goes.
Dom DeLouise pulls off a great drag character, and no one works too hard on their jokes--it's just a good time, filmed with surprising confidence.
Though it looks like it's going to be another bad script with tired jokes for a niche videostore crowd, it's actually an extension of many of Mel Brooks' best directorial moments.
I imagine it might look silly and dated on a TV screen with a movie channel logo in the corner, but when it's treated like a film instead of a schlock night, it's a respectable piece of work well worth anyone's time..
Haunted Honeymoon is enjoyable for Gilda Radner's final movie.
Having heard for years how awful Haunted Honeymoon was and long wanting to see Gilda Radner in her last movie, I taped this last night while the Emmys were on.
I love the performances in the radio studio with Radner and Gene Wilder playing characters in a show with the same title as film.
Gene Wilder plays a neurotic radio star called Larry Abbott, and on the eve of his wedding to co-star Vicky Pearle (the late Mrs. Wilder, Gilda Radner) his memories of a childhood trauma cause him to experience bizarre mood swings.
He only really shines with the 'legs' joke in the cellar, but his co-stars generate a lot of smiles, especially the dragged-up Dom DeLuise as Great Aunt Kate, Bryan Pringle as the alcoholic butler Pfister and Gilda Radner herself raises mucho smiles.
Naturally as you get older you see things with different eyes, and what I remembered as a scary tale of Werewolves is actually a rather sweet, funny and hugely entertaining trip down memory lane.It's tragic to think that this was Gilda Rander's before she tragically lost her life, but she gives a sparkling performance and bounced of husband Gene Wilder beautifully.It's a great little tail of Werewolves, deception, Transvestism and jealousy.I have never been able to decide who's the funniest, whether it's Aunt Kate or Rachel, both are so much fun, Rachel, played by Ann Way is a joy, especially when she's bashing poor Pfister about, she's a diminutive terror.The music is really nice the whole way through, it's so dramatic, it fits in great with the film, real 80's Chiller feel to it.I am stunned by the bad reviews that surround this film, to me it's just a bundle of fun.
Take Dom LeLuise's performance for what it is, hugely over the top, but truly funny.Best scene has to be Eagle Rock, which is a show stopper, I love it, Gilda had gorgeous legs.
I had wanted to introduce my daughter to Gilda's interesting style of humor and, since she loves Gene Wilder so much (we watch Young Frankenstein twice a week, at least), she instantly loved this one, as well.At first, the plot line is terribly hard to fathom and I had to watch it several times to catch all the straggling ends.
Dom DeLuise played the Great-Aunt perfectly, but my favorite in the movie was Jonathan Pryce whose performance was exceptional.
Writing, directing, and starring in Haunted Honeymoon with wife Gilda Radner and Dom DeLuise, Wilder was at his best.
It's funny to watch interviews of Wilder during the filming of Haunted Honeymoon in which he expresses, with exasperation, that he is finished directing and wonders if all the work is worth it.
Much more under control, Haunted Honeymoon was the hilarious comedic masterpiece I always hoped Gene Wilder was capable of.Larry Abbot (Gene Wilder) and Vickie Pearle (Gilda Radner) are on top of the world as the stars of the hit radio program Manhattan Mystery Theater.
As the nuptials loom, Larry takes Vicki back to his Aunt Kate's (Dom DeLuise) castle that he grew up in.
The chemistry between Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner was as apparent as it was genuine as the real-life married couple played a doting couple that was to be wed.
There were some great gags in the film, my favorite being Wilder acting out the upper body while his butler acted the lower body in the basement scene being questioned by the police.
Dom DeLuise was brilliant in this film as Aunt Kate and remains beautifully in character, playing a woman, through the entire film.
I wish there had been a bit more substance to the part of Gilda Radner, as I would have enjoyed more from her, but the film in all of its parts was wonderful.
It was also pretty magical to see Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner acting together as husband and wife to be.
Haunted Honeymoon would be the last film Wilder would direct, so, as the saying goes, he saved the best for last..
This is a fantastic film, with the extremely funny Gene Wilder behind it.
It is set in the Early 20th Century, and Gene and his future wife are two radio actors, and before they get married they go to his family house, where strange goings on happen.
If you do not like silly comedy's then this may not be your cup of tea, Gene Wilder is a comedy King and he shows it in this film.
My mother and father were big Gene Wilder/Gilda Radner fans and they were particularly fond of this movie.
I only found out recently that Gilda Radner died shortly after filming this movie.
It's hilarious...from dom delouise's dance with gilda radner, to gene wilders hilarious performance in the cellar, i was cracking up.
Plus, with Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner, who could not love it?
The movie is about a radio talent named Larry (played by Gene Wilder) who has a deeply rooted fear of anything scary, especially lightning.
His fiance Vicki (played by Gilda Radner, a very talented soul) and himself decide to spend a weekend in a haunted mansion.
If you're in the mood for a stupidly silly movie to watch on a boring evening, then I would recommend "Haunted Honeymoon".
I give this movie 3 stars, mostly because of the funny things Larry (Gene) does when he thinks he's in trouble..
Featuring Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner as husband-and-wife-to-be Larry Abbot and Vickie Pearle staying in a Gothic mansion where there may or may not be a werewolf, the movie's completely silly but pretty funny.
Dom DeLuise looks really zany playing a woman, and the movie also stars Jonathan Pryce and Paul Smith (the prison guard from "Midnight Express").If you want to know more about this movie, read Gilda Radner's autobiography "It's Always Something".
If your a huge fan of either Gene Wilder or Dom Deluise I recommend Haunted Honeymoon because its a funny movie..
The movie seriously lacked some good laughs at times and I feel that the movie in its core had far more potential.It's obvious that Gene Wilder wanted to make a Mel Brooks kind of movie.
Halve of the time I didn't even bother to wanted to know what the story was all about, it was that absurd really!The movie of course also features Gene Wilder but unfortunately he hasn't given himself better material and dialog to work with.
And portrays Gene Wilder's character as a very popular, yet troubled actor who is about to marry his on air co-star played by Gilda Radner.
The film's one big laugh is a direct steal from Wilder's classic "Young Frankenstein" bit involving the arm of a corpse coming out at a most inopportune time.
This one has it all, the old mystery radio show, a haunted house, and a killer cast, especially Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner together.
Now throw in a family worthy of James Thurber's, and great story line and you have entertainment.Dom Deloise as the eccentric aunt in drag is priceless, and mysterious happenings at a family gathering, a bizarre butler, his wife, and a fantastic story with wit, style, and loads of humor.
I enjoy Gene Wilder, and certainly I'll be the first to say that he has done some wonderful work both on screen and behind the scenes in many films.
He was writer, director, and star, and the result is way too much froth and not nearly enough substance.The premise of the film is clever, a parody of the spooky-comedies of the 1940s and 1950s that were popularized by the likes of Red Skelton, Abbot and Costello, and Crosby and Hope.
Sadly, Radner never found her place on the big screen before her untimely death, and HAUNTED HONEYMOON is no exception; Wilder doesn't seem to know how best to display her talents.
And when Gilda and Dom join forces to perform the old Vaudeville song "Ballin' the Jack" the result is pure movie magic.Unfortunately, though, it isn't enough.
Incidentally, this film is not to be confused with a Robert Young-Constance Cummings effort of the 1930s, also entitled HAUNTED HONEYMOON and based on the play and novel by mystery author Dorothy Sayers--a very good film, by the way, which sad to say has never been released to the home market.Gary F.
And it can't seem to find a consistent tone; for example, that brutal fistfight near the end is an unforgivable mistake.The film does have a few scattered laughs (Wilder's version of the song "Get Happy"), and Gilda Radner has a wonderful presence, but nothing can really redeem this confusing and convoluted mess..
The plot sees two radio stars (Gene Wilder, Gilda Radner) engaged to be married who stay at the family mansion with his eccentric relatives.
This movie has the sad distinction of being Gilda Radner's final film..
Stupid comedy that stars Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner as two 1920s radio stars who decide to get married at Wilder's childhood home.
I mean, with the likes of Gene Wilder and Dom DeLuise at the helm, you know that you will be in for a good time and a fun movie.
It was as if they had filmed various things independently of each other and just cut it together for making a single movie.Now, it is true about the cast, as they function as great bait to lure in the audience.
And true to what we have previous seen from Gene Wilder and Dom DeLuise, then they perform exactly as to be expected, and they do so with their normal flair and showmanship.
But they alone did not carry the movie just between the two, as the rest of the cast also really did great jobs in bringing their characters and role to life on the screen.While this is a comedy, there was surprisingly little throughout the entire movie that will actually make you laugh out loud.
Smirks and small chuckles is what is mustered most of the time.This is not the best of Gene Wilder movies as both actor and director, not by a long shot.
Gene Wilder made this film as a tribute to the 'old dark house' style movies popular during the 1930s.
It's very similar to MURDER BY DEATH, although not as funny or well-written as that film.Still, Wilder is on strong form here, as is Gilda Radner as his bride to be.
Except that Gene Wilder directed and he was more interested in being another Mel Brooks (maybe he was more interested in making a film that looked like a film made in the 70's that was spoofing films of the 40's).
Except that those old little comedies were in black-and-white (maybe Gene Wilder would think it would look like he was ripping off "Young Frankenstein."  You think???) Except that those old little comedies were perfected by comedians who practiced their routines for years in vaudeville (Hope, Skelton, Abbott and Costello, etc...) so they KNEW they were funny before the camera rolled.
What a great "blast-from-the-past" when we were treated to Wilder and Ratner as radio personalities complete with a little musical number (just like in the old Bob Hope movies).
Gene Wilder's Haunted Honeymoon is an honourable failure.
Whilst I understood what Wilder was going for I felt the film missed the mark both in its comedy and plot.
The film was incredibly dull, after watching the film I can barely remember any genuinely hilarious scenes.Gene Wilder plays Larry Abbot a neurotic horror radio presenter, who returns to his family castle where he grew up after getting engaged.
There's also a badly underutilised murder mystery plot that's going on in the background, as someone wants to murder Larry.Gene Wilder is as always his charming self, he carries this movie, and I would hate to of seen this without him, because it would of been a total disaster.
Dom DeLuise seemed like he wasn't interested in the film and that came off in his performance.
Gilda Radner had a decent amount of chemistry with Wilder but nothing noteworthy.In the end this film, has many scripting issues, it's a film that want's to be its own film, whilst having the same comedic tone as a Mel Brooks film.
The only reason I would recommend this film is for Gene Wilder who shows again why he was an incredible on-screen talent..
Haunted Honeymoon (1986) ** 1/2 (out of 4) Radio vocalists Larry Abbot (Gene Wilder) and Vickie (Gilda Radner) wants to get married so he takes her back to a castle where he grew up as a child.
Also in the castle are a strange collection of relatives and Aunt Kate (Dom DeLuise) says that she thinks one person there is a werewolf.When you see that Wilder is working on a horror-comedy you can't help but think back to YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN.
It should go without saying that YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN was a classic comedy and this here is no where in the same league but at the same time there are enough funny moments to make it worth sitting through.The biggest problem with the film is the screenplay, which just doesn't have enough jokes that work.
When you've got talent such as Wilder and Radner you expect a lot more laughs but sadly it just doesn't happen.
This same type of thing was seen in YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN and it's still funny here.Wilder and Radner are both good in their roles and there's no question that they had a nice chemistry together.
DeLuise gets a few nice laughs in drag and we get supporting performances by the likes of Jonathan Pryce, Bryan Pringle and Paul L.
His uncle decides that he needs to be cured from a neurotic speech defect and exaggerated bursts of fear: he gives him a shock therapy with palace ghosts.You really can't dislike any film with Gene Wilder, Gilda Radner and Dom DeLuise.
There's a lot going for this under-rated good, but not great, "spoof" of recent and old "B-grade murder-haunted house" films.
A notorious flop during its initial release, it was the third and last pairing of Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner, and sadly her last film.
De Luise is actually two characters, one where "she" turns to the camera in the opening and says, "It's not what you think!"While de Luise won awards for "Worst Actress", he's actually very funny, performing amusing version of "Balling the Jack" with Gilda who never got that one film role to rise above standard comedy.
However, it becomes apparent that a plot is being set to kill Larry Abbott after an attempt on Aunt Kate's life fails.The cast are fantastic and old fashioned which is just what makes a film what it is - Dom DeLuise is wonderful as are Gilda and Gene!
Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner were brilliant, as they always are.
Dom Deluise was extremely funny as Aunt Kate.
Gene Wilder's constant covering up of the dead bodies in the house to the police in which he kept having to knock out the butler was hysterical along with Dom Deluise's speech about the werewolf and Gilda Radner's declaration that "this thing is pinching my butt!" I also fell in love with the song "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?" always playing, from Gilda whistling it to the organ playing it later on.
Haunted Honeymoon is set in the 1930's & starts in a radio studio where 'Manhattan Mystery Theatre' is going out live, actor Larry Abbot (Gene Wilder) & his co-star Vickie Pearle (Gila Radner, Wilder's then wife & her last film before she died) are soon to be married.
The script by Wilder & Terence Marsh is supposed to pay homage to the old dark haunted house mysteries from the 30's like The Cat and the Canary (1939) among others.
J. Bell) is embarrassing to watch, or a scene in which Wilder is sitting on top of a stuffed moose head hiding from a snake is just dumb & Dom Deluise in drag as Aunt Kate is a truly hideous & laugh free image.
The acting is pretty bad by all involved including Wilder whom I usually like, perhaps he was more concerned about behind-the-camera activities as director rather than acting in front of it, Dom Deluise is highly annoying & irritating as Aunt Kate.
As far as I'm concerned Haunted Honeymoon is a complete failure as either a horror mystery or a comedy & I just can't see what sort of film goer this would appeal too & enjoy it.
Gene Wilder directs & stars in this 1986 horror comedy co-starring Gilda Radner, Dom DeLuise, Jonathan Pryce and Paul L.
Wilder & Radner were great together, the rest of the cast is good as well as John Morris' score.
However I didn't find the whole storyline funny in fact wasn't that great to be honest with ya.I can't tell you how many times I got annoyed when Gene Wilder's kept asking too much to anyone if his tie was 'straight '.
The wardrobe department should really have gotten a better dress then Gilda would look like an actual bride for her character.The reason I came upon this film only because of Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner really.