Marty Feldman directed and stars in this satire of adventure movies of the 1930s, yet his cheerfully lewd sense of humor can be felt in the screenplay as well (he's only given a story credit, though some of the sex jokes seem to have come straight from his warped mind). Adopted twin brothers, heirs to the fortune of the ailing Sir Hector Geste, compete with their lascivious stepmother over ownership of a priceless sapphire, leading to a showdown in North Africa. Feldman uses his googly-eyed craziness for all its worth, though he is generous with the other players, particularly a winking, naughty Ann-Margret and a bemused Henry Gibson. The humor, though no more raunchy than a "Benny Hill" sketch, is a bit embarrassing however; Feldman is from the old school of British comedians, and he hammers home tired schoolboy gags as if they were uproarious (one joke, involving the opening of dual locks on a safe, seemed to get the biggest laugh, though the sniggering staging here is merely juvenile). Feldman's pacing and comic rhythm are fine, but prudish viewers need not apply. ** from ****
Review of The Last Remake of Beau Geste
