A Fine Mess

When you think great comedy teams, the duo Danson and Mandel doesn't immediately pop into your mind. But that didn't stop director Blake Edwards who joined the two for his appropriately titled 1986 comedy A Fine Mess.

Danson plays a womanizing actor named Spencer. While on a film shoot at a horse track, Spencer overhears two, bumbling gangsters, Richard Mulligan and Stuart Margolin, drugging a race horse to help him win a race. The two catch Spencer eavesdropping and try kill him, but he gets away. He immediately goes to his best friend Dennis', Mandel, apartment and talks him into betting on the horse with him. The two are spotted at the racetrack by the gangsters and hideout in a neighboring auction house, where they accidentally bid on and purchase an antique music box.

Not having the funds for such an extravagant purchase, the two find out from the auction house that Claudio Pazo, Maria Conchita Alonso, would like to make them an offer on it. Spencer has immediate designs on her and accepts her bid. It turns out that she is married to crime lord Tony Pazo, Paul Sorvino, who also happens to be the boss of the two gangsters looking for Spencer and Dennis.

This is a remake of the Laurel and Hardy classic The Music Box, But Danson and Mandel are definately no Laurel and Hardy. Mulligan and Margolin come off more as Laurel and Hardy than the two stars. Edwards originally intended this as a vehicle for Burt Reynolds and Richard Pryor. Edwards went through a phase in the late 80's where his film stars were big tv stars at the time. Danson was on Cheers and Mandel was on St. Elsewhere. He also did this with Moonlighting's Bruce Willis for Blind Date and Sunset, Night Court's John Larroquette for Blind Date, Three's Company's John Ritter for Skin Deep, and LA Law's Jimmy Smits for Switch. Most of these were flops for him as well.

It was supposed to be a mostly improvised comedy, but the studio hated it, and after poor test screenings, they forced Edwards to rewrite the script and re edit the film into more of a slapstick, chase comedy. Edwards hated the final product and told people not to see it in interviews.

I don't think it's a total mess of a movie. There are some funny bits and the cast is pretty good. Like I said earlier, Danson and Mandel don't make a good team, but individually they are both pretty good in it.

Not to bad for a mindless farce, but not very memorable either.

It's available on dvd.