This
1972 film is Peter Bogdanovich's affectionate homage to the
Screwball Comedy.
Manic Pixie Dream Girl Judy, played by
Barbra Streisand, relentlessly pursues Howard (Ryan O'Neal), a repressed academic, throughout
San Francisco, despite the "havoc and chaos" (in Howard's apt phrase) that follow Judy everywhere she goes. Meanwhile, the
Satchel Switcheroo has happened to four identical red-plaid suitcases: Judy's personal items, Howard's valuable (to him) musical minerals, an eccentric rich lady's jewel collection, and some unspecified "Top Secret Government Documents."
Hilarity Ensues.
An unofficial remake of Howard Hawks' 1938 movie
Bringing Up Baby.
This film provides examples of:
- Actor Allusion: Judy makes a reference to Love Story, which Ryan O'Neal also starred in
Judy: "Love means never having to say you're sorry." [Bats eyes.]
- Chase Scene
- The Chew Toy: Poor, poor Eunice...
- Distracted by the Sexy: Judy pulls off a few of these during the opening sequence, causing a pizza chef to miss his toss and several drivers to crash. This is just a start to establishing her MPDG status.
- Gambit Pileup
- Grande Dame: Mrs. Van Hoskins
- Hooked Up Afterwards: Eunice and Mr. Larrabee.
- Informed Ugliness / Hollywood Homely: There are a few implications that Eunice is unappealing and homely ("That's...unbelievable"). Eunice is played by Madeline Kahn. Yeah, right.
Judy: You don't wanna marry someone who's gonna get all wrinkled, lined and flabby!
Howard: Everyone gets wrinkled, lined and flabby!
Judy: By next week?
- Just Eat Gilligan: They could presumably just open the bags to see what's actually inside, but then it wouldn't be nearly as hilarious.
- Arguably justified in regards to the seekers of the documents and the jewels. They could've arguably gotten caught at any moment as they stole.
- Judy and Howard did try to just grab all four handbags and look through them to figure out which ones were their own. Unfortunately, they only figured out to do this during the climax, when they had to partake in one of the best chase scenes ever, and got arrested immediately after.
- Lover's Ledge: A rare female example that is actually completely innocent. Barbra Streisand's character Judy has to go out on the window ledge to hide from Eunice, and ends up dangling in nothing but a towel. (Goodness knows how it managed to stay on...)
- Manic Pixie Dream Girl: Judy, although her actions border on sociopathic in ways that most MPDGs don't.
- My Name Is Not Durwood: Judy keeps calling Howard "Steve."
- This is likely a Shout Out to To Have And Have Not, where Lauren Bacall kept calling Humphrey Bogart's character "Steve", even though his name was Harry.
- Paper-Thin Disguise: Fritz's upside-down mustache.
- Pie in the Face: Hugh gets one (by accident, of course) during the climactic fight scene.
- Recycled Soundtrack
- San Francisco
- Satchel Switcheroo
- Screwball Comedy
- Shell Game
- Stupidest Thing I've Ever Heard: See Actor Allusion, above.
- Take That: The repulsive Hugh Simon is said to have been based on Caustic Critic John Simon
note who had memorably said of Barbra Streisand's nose that it "cleaves the giant screen from east to west, bisects it from north to south. It zigzags across our horizon like a bolt of fleshy lightning". - Title Drop: Several, including ending the film with a clip from Robert Mc Kimson's 1950 Looney Tunes short of the same name.
- We Gotta Stop Meeting Like This: Those very words are used.
Judy: What's up, doc?
Howard: I beg your pardon?
Judy: You know, we've got to stop meeting like this.
- Who's on First?:
Howard: "There was this trouble between me and Hugh."
The Judge: "You and me?"
Howard: "Not you, Hugh."
Hugh (helpfully): "I am Hugh."
The Judge: "You are me?"
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