Dudley Moore is probably best known in America as Arthur and Peter Cook is not known much at all which is a shame.
This is one of my favorite comedies. Peter Cook and Dudley Moore were always a great team and in this movie, they work very well together. It’s the old story of selling your soul to the Devil for wishes…but as always the wishes are not exactly what the wisher has in mind.
Dudley Moore plays Stanley Moon who is a shy and pathetic figure who pines for a waitress (Eleanor Bron) who works at Wimpy’s Burger and is employed as a cook. Peter Cook is the devil… He is perfect for this part. He is a hilarious devil and at times likable but does the most annoying things like tearing the last page out of mysteries, scratching LPs, and just petty things to aggravate people.
The movie is very British and very funny. The chemistry is great between Moore and Cook and by this time they had been together for a while. There was a version of this movie released in 2000 but it is not as smart and subtle as this one. This is an offbeat quirky film.
This film also features Raquel Welch appropriately as Lust. She is only in it for a few minutes but she plays Lust to the hilt. The film had no name at first and in an interview, Peter Cook said he wanted to name the movie “Raquel Welch”…when asked why he wanted to name it after the actress when it wasn’t about her he said because the Marquee would read “Peter Cook and Dudley Moore in Raquel Welch”… The producers didn’t like that.
Eleanor Bron plays Margaret the waitress and the object of Stanley’s desire…she was also in HELP! with The Beatles.
Check this film out if you can. Personally, I think it beats the remake by a mile.
If you want to hear something else by them…check out Peter and Dudley as Derek and Clive.
Below is the trailer…this is the link for the complete movie.
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I have never heard of this movie, but it looks good.
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It looks good and I like the time it is set in. Haven’t seen it.
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I saw it before the new one… Cook and Moore are funny.
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that one looks really good, I will try to see it. Too bad they didn’t stick with the ‘Raquel Welch’ title idea …
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I LOVE that idea… Cook and Moore…were fantastic…I liked the skit they did on SNL and other places of the one legged man trying out for the role of Tarzan.
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I have to see this! Thanks Max
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You will like it I think
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I reckon so!
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As a duo, the guys must have slayed them in the UK. I didn’t know much of them until Moore was a hit in the movie 10. Moore falling down the cliff, climbing back up, falling again is pure film genius.
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Yea after they separated Moore got huge in 10 and Arthur but Cook never did over here.
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They were huge around the Commonwealth, in their TV series ‘Not Only But Also.’ But then they were very British. Cook was a genius writer. I recall hearing a skit about dim Dud thinking he ‘d be suitable as the next James Bond role after Sean Connery left, with the only slightly brighter Pete making himself Duds ‘agent’. Pete then makes believe he’s on the phone to the Salzman/Broccoli Organisation; and another skit called ‘The Gospel Truth.’ Brilliant wordplay. Together they made a great comedic team, but jealousies, egos, ‘artistic differences’ got in the way…
It was such a waste to see Cook take the easy money offered in the US and star in tosh like ‘The Two Of Us’ in the early 80s.
This film had the trampolining nuns in it if I’m not mistaken?
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Oh yes that bad tv show! I forgot all about that.
I always thought Cook was a genius writer. I didn’t know much about them until I was a teenager and I heard a tape of Derek and Clive. I’ve since seen some of their skits.
Off topic a bit but I want to check out The Goons. I’ve read a lot about them but I’ve never listened to them much at all.
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I thought the Derek and Clive stuff did exactly as it was meant to. Shock. Fair enough, but it all gets a bit f****ing repetitious after a while. The Goons? My bet is you’ll love it or find it leaves you cold. Brilliantly written but very of its time. Yet without the surreality of the Goons, no Monty Python, no anarchic comedy…
If the Goons don’t work for you I’d recommend- to anyone-Spike Milligan’s ‘Puckoon.’ The Goons didn’t seem to soar outside of Old Blighty and the Empire; they ARE an odd taste to most Americans. Like Vegemite!
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My guess of the Goons is that they were copied and now when I listen to it I’ve heard it all before…but maybe I’m wrong…if it’s far out there.
Well I’ve heard terrible things about Vegemite! I’ll give Milligan a listen…most of them I read through books….they seemed to have a lot of fans.
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They are… out there. Vegemite is not something to slather on, thats for sure. It adds to the taste, it is not THE taste. Treat it like a hot hot hot mustard when using. My first read of Milligan’s ‘Puckoon’ had me guffawing out loud, forget LOL.
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See I had no clue about that with Vegemite. You can guess where I first heard it…Men At Work.
Thanks! I just ordered a copy off of Amazon.
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I’ve never seen this film, but loved Dudley Moore in the 1978 film “Foul Play”, which also starred Goldie Hawn & Chevy Chase.
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I forgot about that movie! You are right he is in it.
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A lovely cameo. I remember him as an, ahem, frustrated lady’s man in this flick. I must look at it, its been many a year since I saw it- did Burgess Meredith have a part as well?
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Yes, Burgess Meredith and Rachel Roberts.
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Your memory is better than mine! Yes he did have a part.
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Ohhhhh K. Did not realize Bedazzled, with Brendan Frazier & Elizabeth Hurley, was a remake. That movie was funny.
I have trouble with Dudley Moore. I love British humor but, he comes across as whiney to me. I watched 10 but, wasn’t impressed (Moore & Derek, both). I saw Arthur…don’t remember much. I was perusing his movies on IMDb…*yawn*
I’d even forgotten he was in Foul Play. He just doesn’t appeal to me on any level.
Sorry…
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It’s Peter Cook who wrote most of it and made them go… Moore just hit… I do like Arthur
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Haha! I’ve not seen this since I was fifteen or sixteen! I wouldn’t have thought anyone these days would be into it.
Years ago I had a book called The Dagenham Dialogues, which was basically a Pete and Dud extended script. Quite funny, maybe you can get a second-hand copy of it somewhere.
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Oh I saw this way back and I watch it every couple of years at least. Peter Cook was just awesome…I like Dudley also don’t get me wrong.
I’ll look for that Val!
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