History Film / AFineMess

*** DistractedByTheSexy: Tony, when Claudia takes off her nightgown in the sauna, where she is hiding Spence and Dennis, and walks out naked. However,
**** SceneryCensor: The back wall of the sauna is the exact height needed to cover Claudia's butt when she drops her nightgown and even after she walks forward out of the sauna to distract Tony.

* ChaseScene: Quite a lot of the movie.
* ClosetShuffle: Claudia tries to hide Spence and Dennis under her bed and in the sauna.

* DistractedByTheSexy: Tony, when Claudia takes off her nightgown in the sauna, where she is hiding Spence and Dennis, and walks out naked. However,
** SceneryCensor: The back wall of the sauna is the exact height needed to cover Claudia's butt when she drops her nightgown and even after she walks forward out of the sauna to distract Tony.

* MsFanservice: Claudia Pazzo. Along with the examples below, we see her in a bubble bath, the side and top of her breasts in bed on top of Spence, wearing only a towel, wearing a nightgown (which she removes in a sauna) and in a robe. It's only the last time we see her, where she and Spence are filming a movie, that she is fully dressed.
* NakedInMink: Claudia arrives at Spence's apartment wearing a white fur coat. Spence asks, "May I take your coat?" and Claudia answers, "Sure," [[ToplessnessFromTheBack shedding the coat and walking into Spence's bedroom wearing only panties]].

* PantyShot. Along with the NakedInMink scene above, when Spence and Dennis deliver the piano, Spence sneaks up to Claudia's bedroom to surprise her in bed, and holds up her panties, saying, "In your rush, you forgot these."

** ModestyBedsheet: After Binky and Turnip have shown up at his apartment (since their car crashed into Spence's brother-in-law and his sister who were driving TheAllegedCar above and he gave them Spence's address) and burst in on Claudia (wearing a towel on her way out of the bathroom, who then chased them screaming out the door), Spence wrapped the sheets around himself and tried to catch up with her, and called out her name, leading to an example of the RunningGag below.
** CaughtWithYourPantsDown: Spence, Claudia

* CaughtWithYourPantsDown: Spence, Claudia

* ModestyBedsheet: After Binky and Turnip have shown up at his apartment (since their car crashed into Spence's brother-in-law and his sister who were driving TheAllegedCar above and he gave them Spence's address) and burst in on Claudia (wearing a towel on her way out of the bathroom, who then chased them screaming out the door), Spence wrapped the sheets around himself and tried to catch up with her, and called out her name, leading to an example of the RunningGag below.

* TitleDrop: The closing narration thanks all the characters who "made a fine mess."

* CreatorBacklash: Edwards claimed to not remember much about the process of making the movie and told people not to see it. They listened. The critics didn't like it either.
** However, it does have its fans.

* ExecutiveMeddling[=/=]ScrewedByTheNetwork[=/=]WhatCouldHaveBeen: Originally intended as a heavily improvised ''homage'' to Creator/LaurelAndHardy's 1932 short ''Film/TheMusicBox'' with Creator/RichardPryor and Burt Reynolds as the leads, in the spirit of Edwards' ''The Party''. Problems with the studio are among the reasons why it eventually turned into the scripted chase comedy that was released.

The film's poor box office showing was reinforced when Sorvino and Alonso appeared on the May 18, 1998 episode of ''Vibe'' to promote separate projects. When Alonso came out for her interview, she rushed over to Sorvino, saying, "My husband, my husband," and [[LampshadeHanging then had to explain why she was saying that]].

* ShoutOut: The title is taken from Creator/LaurelAndHardy's [[{{CatchPhrase}} catchphrase]], "That's another fine mess you've gotten us into," and the piano delivery is a direct reference to ''Film/TheMusicBox''.

* StartMyOwn: We see that Dennis got his [[{{HappyEnding}} happy ending]] and he and Ellen have opened an Indian food restaurant called Gandhi's.

* BathtubScene: Claudia is taking a bubble bath when Spence calls her.

* {{Nepotism}}: Ellen is played by director Blake Edwards' daughter.
* NippleAndDimed: We see the top of Claudia's breasts and the side of her right breast on top of Spence but nothing more.

'''''A Fine Mess''''' is a 1986 comedy film directed by Blake Edwards and starring Ted Danson, Howie Mandel, Creator/MariaConchitaAlonso and Paul Sorvino and released by Creator/ColumbiaPictures. The plot centers around struggling actor Spence Holden (Danson) and frustrated waiter Dennis Powell (Mandel) who stumble upon a horse doping plot and the gangsters involved, turning the movie into an extended chase, leading to them accidentally buying a piano at an auction. Claudia Pazzo (Alonso) offers them $8,000 for it (though they paid $10,000), since she claimed that she had wanted to buy it herself but "this crazy racehorse" caused her to get "held up in traffic." Later that night, Spence calls her up and asks if it would be possible to deliver the piano to her house tomorrow, and that he'd really like to see her again. She says she'll be over in 20 minutes. (See below under NakedInMink.) Unfortunately, she's married to Tony Pazzo (Sorvino), the local mob boss whose idiot flunkies, Maurice 'Binky' Drundza (Stuart Margolin) and Wayne 'Turnip' Parragella (Richard Mulligan), are the ones responsible for doping the horses in the first place. Powell hates his job as a rollerskating waiter and his boss and wants to open an Indian food restaurant called Gandhi's, which would specialize in curry, although he's never actually ''tried'' it before. He also strikes up a relationship with the lady from the auction, Ellen Frankenthaler (Jennifer Edwards.)

* ModestyBedsheet: After Binky and Turnip have shown up at his apartment (since their car crashed into Spence's brother-in-law and his sister who were driving TheAllegedCar above and he gave them Spence's address) and burst in on Claudia (wearing a towel on her way out of the bathroom, who then chased them screaming out the door), Spence wrapped the sheets around himself and tried to catch up with her, and calls out her name, leading to an example of the RunningGag below.

'''''A Fine Mess''''' is a 1986 comedy film directed by Blake Edwards and starring Ted Danson, Howie Mandel, [[{{Creator/MariaConchitaAlonso}} Maria Conchita Alonso]] and Paul Sorvino and released by [[{{Creator/ColumbiaPictures}} Columbia Pictures]]. The plot centers around struggling actor Spence Holden (Danson) and frustrated waiter Dennis Powell (Mandel) who stumble upon a horse doping plot and the gangsters involved, turning the movie into an extended chase, leading to them accidentally buying a piano at an auction. Claudia Pazzo (Alonso) offers them $8,000 for it (though they paid $10,000), since she claimed that she had wanted to buy it herself but "this crazy racehorse" caused her to get "held up in traffic." Later that night, Spence calls her up and asks if it would be possible to deliver the piano to her house tomorrow, and that he'd really like to see her again. She says she'll be over in 20 minutes. (See below under NakedInMink.) Unfortunately, she's married to Tony Pazzo (Sorvino), the local mob boss whose idiot flunkies, Maurice 'Binky' Drundza (Stuart Margolin) and Wayne 'Turnip' Parragella (Richard Mulligan), are the ones responsible for doping the horses in the first place. Powell hates his job as a rollerskating waiter and his boss and wants to open an Indian food restaurant called Gandhi's, which would specialize in curry, although he's never actually ''tried'' it before. He also strikes up a relationship with the lady from the auction, Ellen Frankenthaler (Jennifer Edwards.)

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Spence Holden is not too far removed from Sam Malone, who Danson was playing at the same time on ''[[{{Series/Cheers}} Cheers]]''.

* ExecutiveMeddling[=/=]ScrewedByTheNetwork[=/=]WhatCouldHaveBeen: Originally intended as a heavily improvised ''homage'' to [[{{Creator/LaurelAndHardy}} Laurel and Hardy]]'s 1932 short ''[[{{Film/TheMusicBox}} The Music Box]]'' with [[{{Creator/RichardPryor}} Richard Pryor]] and Burt Reynolds as the leads, in the spirit of Edwards' ''The Party''. Problems with the studio are among the reasons why it eventually turned into the scripted chase comedy that was released.

* ShoutOut: The title is taken from [[{{Creator/LaurelAndHardy}} Laurel and Hardy]]'s [[{{CatchPhrase}} catchphrase]], "That's another fine mess you've gotten us into," and the piano delivery is a direct reference to ''[[{{Film/TheMusicBox}} The Music Box]]''.
** Dennis tells Ellen that his dream is to open an [[{{UsefulNotes/India}} Indian food]] restaurant called ''[[{{Film/Gandhi}} Gandhi]]'s''.
** As Tony is limping around his house looking for Claudia, who is hiding in the sauna with Spence and Dennis, he says, "Someday they're going to do my life story, ''The Singing [[{{Film/TheGodfather}} Godfather]]''."

* [[{{UnfortunateNames}} Unfortunate Name]]: Dennis' boss is named Mr. Wardell Flecken, a shortened version of Fleckenshicker. Dennis asks, "Is that like Shickenflucker?"

The film's poor box office showing was reinforced when Sorvino and Alonso appeared on the May 18, 1998 episode of ''Vibe'' to promote separate projects. When Alonso came out for her interview, she rushed over to Sorvino, saying, "My husband, my husband," and [[LampshadeHanging then had to ''explain'' why she was saying that]].

The film's poor box office showing was reinforced when Sorvino and Alonso appeared on the May 18, 1998 episode of ''Vibe'' to promote separate projects. When Alonso came out for her interview, she rushed over to Sorvino, saying, "My husband, my husband," and then had to ''explain'' why she was saying that.

* DistractedByTheSexy: Tony, when Claudia takes off her nightgown in the sauna, where she is hiding Spence and Dennis, and walks out naked. (See SceneryCensor below)

* SceneryCensor: The back wall of the sauna is the exact height needed to cover Claudia's butt when she drops her nightgown and even after she walks forward out of the sauna to distract Tony.

* {{Auction}} and * AccidentalBid: Despite Spence's explanation that Dennis was only "smelling his armpit."

* AccidentalBid: Despite Spence's explanation that Dennis was only "smelling his armpit."

* {{Auction}}

* NakedInMink: Claudia arrives at Spence's apartment wearing a white fur coat. Spence asks, "May I take your coat?" and Claudia answers, "Sure," shedding the coat and walking into Spence's bedroom wearing only panties.
** ToplessnessFromTheBack

* KavorkaMan: Spence, leading to the RunningGag below.

* ExecutiveMeddling[=/=]WhatCouldHaveBeen: Originally intended as a heavily improvised ''homage'' to [[{{Creator/LaurelAndHardy}} Laurel and Hardy]]'s 1932 short ''[[{{Film/TheMusicBox}} The Music Box]]'' with [[{{Creator/RichardPryor}} Richard Pryor]] and Burt Reynolds as the leads, in the spirit of Edwards' ''The Party''. Problems with the studio are among the reasons why it eventually turned into the scripted chase comedy that was released.

* SceneryCensor: The back wall of the sauna is the exact height needed to cover Claudia's butt[[note]]See ''Blind Heat''[[/note]] when she drops her nightgown and even after she walks forward out of the sauna to distract Tony.

* TheFamilyForTheWholeFamily: As Tony Pazzo calls them, "those two numbskulls, Binky and Turnip."

* SceneryCensor: The back wall of the sauna is the exact height needed to cover Claudia's butt when she drops her nightgown and even after she walks forward out of the sauna to distract Tony.

* ToplessnessFromTheBack

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