Haunted Honeymoon (1986 Director, Gene Wilder)

Larry Abbot (Gene Wilder) and Vickie Pearle (Gilder Radner) are two famous radio personalities and are due to get married. Larry suffers from severe anxiety of marriage (due to childhood trauma). A suggestion from his uncle, Dr. Paul Abbot (Paul L. Smith) is to take him back to his family home and scare the anxiety out of him. While there, they discover a family secret held by his Uncle Francis Sr (Peter Vaughan) and Aunt Kate (Dom DeLuise). Reality and fantasy a blurred; are they just out to scare him or could this family secret pose a real threat?

Gene Wilder had been well known in Hollywood by the mid-eighties, since making his silver-screen debut with a small part in Arthur Penn’s 1967 release, Bonny and Clyde Wilder had made some big films, to name a few: Mel Brooks’ The Producers (1967), Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971), another two Brooks film, Blazing Saddles (1974) and Young Frankenstein (1974). With a good mix of fantasy and comedy hits already under his belt he had another hit a few years before Haunted Honeymoon (along with on screen partner-in-crime Richard Pryor) with Stir Crazy (1980) directed by Sidney Poitier. On the lead up to Haunted Honeymoon, Wilder had worked with Radner in Hanky Panky (1982) and The Woman in Red (1984). If you didn’t already know, Wilder married Radner in 1984.

Haunted Honeymoon was conceived by Wilder in 1976 two years after Young Frankenstein so it’s understandable that Haunted Honeymoon had been criticised for its attempt to re-create Young Frankenstein. Wilder explained that Young Frankenstein was a satire but Haunted Honeymoon, he wanted to make, as if he were actually doing it in the 1930s. The main issue, critics felt, was that the comedy writing was lacking in this, and the scares also were lacking. So it was neither a comedy nor a ‘chiller’.

Wilder talked in an interview with BBC at time of filming saying, “I loved these kinds of films when I was a little boy, I was scared by them. They were called Comedy Chillers. That is, they scared you but then you also laughed, and the tricky part is the balance of the comedy and the scary stuff”. In his autobiography Kiss me Like a Stranger Wilder recalls the same thoughts, “When I was a kid I loved the comedy/mysteries – especially Bob Hope in The Cat and the Canary (1939) and Ghost Breakers (1940). The movie idea I had was to make my own comedy/horror film, by using the same techniques for visual effects that they had used in the 1930s – where every visual effect was done in the camera, not at some visual effects plant which cost a fortune and would ruin the concept”.

Wilder had invited Dom DeLuise to dinner at his home and during the meal DeLauise had impersonated Ethel Barrymore and her character from The Spiral Staircase (1946), there Wilder asked him to be his Aunt Haunted Honeymoon, not as a ‘man in drag’ but actually play a female character, he said he would.

Wilder understood that this film was risk. He said during a 1986 interview, “We have to sing with our own voice, some may like it more, some may like it less, some may say that’s the best song I’ve ever heard in my life, and some may say well it was nice, but I preferred this one better”. He felt it was the best film he’d made and just wanted to do it as it was a passion project. He continues that “the purpose of a film was not “how much money will it bring back, that’s a bi-product… but my job is to sing my song and have the hope it breaks even and makes a few bucks so I can do another one”.

Filmed in Elstree Studios and written by Terrance Marsh along with Wilder, Haunted Honeymoon was released in the US on 25th July 1986 and in the UK on April 3rd 1987. The film was not a financial nor a critical success at the time, currently 5.7 on IMDB and an 18% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. So, why does Haunted Honeymoon rank in my top 4 films?

Firstly, I saw this film when I was a young. So of course, this does hold a sentimental place for me. Aside from that it was the first film I can remember that made me laugh out loud, probably because I could understand the jokes, not all the jokes but most of them.

Secondly, my favourite actors growing up were mainly comedy actors like Gene Wilder, Jim Carrey, Jack Lemmon and Robin Williams who all rely on visual comedy, and especially Wilder and Lemmon - clever writing.

Wilder has the ability to portray a character who is quiet, meek and reserved and in a few seconds has become hysterical, screaming and shouting. Just look at his performance in The Producers. His character Larry Abbot has the same tendencies, this time not a fixation on a small blanket but his anxiety and apparent madness caused by the trickery of the family in this seemingly haunted house.

I’m going to look at the film’s opening and set up, then pick a few of my special moments to talk about. So, as you sit in your comfy chair, huddled over your mobile device, your face illuminated and hopefully smiling. Please enjoy Reel Critique’s review of Haunted Honeymoon.

The film opens and we hear menacing laughter played over the main cast names, white text on a black background, in a sort of 20s billboard font. A creepy tune is played on what could be an old Hammond Organ which then breaks into a grandiose theme. The camera slowly pushes in on a magnificent house lit by the rooms inside and the twilight around it, and down to a window in which an elderly woman is struggling. She’s trying to open the window. Once open, she falls through and we see… A knife in her back. The music fades away. The winds outside blow a strong gust and her wig flies off in to the night. This is an old man in women’s clothes. It appears as if he’s dead. Then, his head lifts and he says to the camera, “It’s not what you think.” The music swells again and the camera tracks off to the right, but stops just as our victim is leaving the shot. The music again dies away, he lifts his head again and says, “Well, it’s partly what you think but, eh, oh it’s so complicated”. Continuing it’s tracking it focuses on a bush where the wig has landed. A hand gloved in black leather takes the wig from the bush and throws it in annoyance. This potential assailant is disturbed by an approaching car which has sounded it’s horn.

A pair feet in spats step out from a car which looks straight out of Bugsy Malone. A dog runs over to these legs but it kicked away. This isn’t a nice person. A wide-angle shot shows the person march in to the building and into shot at close range, the gloved hand appears a quick cut to the back of this person’s head shows they have long hair, they slowly turn to camera and then quickly they spin around revealing hair all over their face like some sort of wolf-person, their teeth sharp.

An edit cuts to Larry who is howling like a wolf in front of an old-fashioned microphone, this time the music, continuing with its theme, is diegetic as we see an orchestra playing in a recording studio. In the next shot we can see that this is a radio play. Vickie is standing in front of a microphone also, holding a script. She reads, “Oh God help me, please! You can’t be the man I’m about to marry. Don’t tell me that my fiancé is, that my fiancé is a…” Larry interrupts with more howling. A radio announcer standing with Larry and Vickie announces, “Haunted Honeymoon! Starring Larry Abbot will continue after this news update. Stay tuned for the chilling conclusion of this week’s tale of terror from Manhattan Mystery Theatre. The announcer continues, “Don’t touch that dial folks we’ll be right back”. The music ends and a hanging announcement board switches from ‘On the air’ to ‘Off the air’.

Reporters rush into the studio and start questioning Larry and Vickie about their upcoming wedding, how he proposed, how their relationship is and how, after many unsuccessful shows, he now has a hit on his hands. On recounting his proposal, Larry pauses and gets lost in his thoughts. Vickie interrupts to cease the awkward situation. There’s some excellent exposition which tells us everything we need to know and dangles enough questions to keep us interested. Cutting to the booth up in the gallery we hear a conversation, one executive seems to be worried about the show. Everything has gone right so far but he’s waiting for something to happen.

We are back down on the studio floor; the sound effects department are asked to run through some weather effects. This seems to trigger Larry as he spins around to each contraption that is used to replicate thunder and wind. Larry approaches the sound effects engineer and says, “Say Eddie. Is my tie straight”. Eddie says that his tie is fine and Larry asks, “but is it straight?”. Something is clearly up with Larry.

I love the feel of this scene, it feels exactly like I would imagine a old 30s-40s mystery radio broadcast to feel. The set is fantastic and every character feels like they belong there.

The radio play is back on the air and triggered by the sound effects Larry has a meltdown. He starts laughing manically we have many edits back to Vickie’s face which is in pure shock. He seems to be choking on his words, he struggles with his tie and manages to unfold it and re-tie it, exhibiting anxiety about something. We cut back up to the booth where this tentative producer exclaims, “He’s out!”. We then hear wind howl as a door opens and closes. Someone shouts, “No!” Larry’s uncle, psychologist, Dr. Paul Abbot is standing in front of a lit doorway, his frame very large. He’s asked to explain what Larry is laughing at, “This is supposed to be a mystery not a comedy” – a lovely bit of self-reflexivity there – Larry’s uncle explains, “He’s laughing because he’s afraid, the same thing that’s making him laugh now, next week, may make him cry”. He continues “Because three weeks ago he got engaged to be married… The engagement has opened a gigantic crack in his psyche, so hideous to Larry’s mind that he must lock it out. But I do know that I can cure him”. When asked how, he continues, “By scaring him… To death”.

We cut to a close up shot of the top of Dr. Abbot’s bald head. An image starts appearing on it, it’s the house we saw in the last scene. He explains, “This weekend, starting tonight, the entire Abbot family is gathering for the wedding at the estate of Larry’s great-aunt. We have him in an ideal situation, a lonely estate, miles from anywhere”. He explains he’s not told Vickie about this plan. Abbot continues, “I, Paul Abbot, promise that I can cure Larry within 36 hours. By scaring him to death.”

We are now following Larry and Vickie in their car travelling to the house. A storm is raging outside the car. Vickie is explaining how to keep calm to Larry but he’s not interested. Instead, again, he enquires about the straightness of his tie.

Inside the house Larry’s great aunt Kate is meeting with Francis Sr, they are discussing what happens to her wealth when she dies. She explains it will all go to Larry. During this discussion Francis drops his pen and we can see he’s the man with the spats. We have been warned, he’s a nasty guy. He tells Kate that there’s one thing she hasn’t considered. What happens if Larry dies? Kate explains then the money will be split equally among the other family members. Now, they’re the only two that know that she’s changed her will. She asks Francis not to tell anyone about this. She warns, “If you ever tell anyone, may your soul rot in hell!”. But there’s someone listening at the window. It’s our leather gloved wolf-man.

Larry and Vickie approach the great manor. Vickie whistles at her astonishment at the size and grandeur of the building and says sarcastically, “What a cosy place for a wedding, who lived here before, Count Dracula?”, she’s Acting very much as the audience who would have already asked, why hold a wedding here? This is straight out of a horror movie.

As Vickie knocks on the door to the house we are met by Pfister (Bryan Pringle) who has a close resemblance to Lurch from Addams Family. He’s tall, very tall, with crazy eyebrows and jet black hair. He’s dressed in an outfit not unlike an undertaker’s. The jokes have already been aplenty but it’s the interactions between Larry and Pfister that really make me laugh. As Larry joins Vickie at the door, Pfister introduces himself, “I am Pfister the family butler”, Larry interjects, “Yes and I am that little boy you used to bathe and tuck into bed and bring warm milk and cookies to, just before you kissed me good night” Pfister asks, “May I have your name”, Vickie, surprised, asks, “Is he kidding?”. Pfister then announces, “Come in Mr. Kidding, I’ll take the bags”. I’m already on the floor laughing, this already feels like a Seller’s Pink Panther moment and already you can see the snappy writing and ‘lame’ jokes that you’d have had in Young Frankenstein.

While walking through the foyer and up the grand staircase in the foreboding house, Vickie enquires about a huge Vase atop the staircase, “What kind is it” Pfister replies now looking at his watch “twenty-five past seven”. I know it’s making fun of his inability to hear and quite a ‘cheap’ joke, but it is so, so funny.

More of the family arrive at the house and this gives us one on one introductions to them all as they are greeted by the housemaid, Rachel (Ann Way), Pfister’s wife. We meet Montego (Jim Carter) a magician with a gambling problem, husband of Susan Abbot (Jo Ross), Charles Abbot (Jonathan Pryce) who’s a bit of a playboy and his girlfriend Sylvia (Eve Ferret), again Dr. Paul Abbot and his wife Nora (Julann Griffin).

Another notable interaction with Pfister and Larry is when he is unpacking. They are discussing Francis Sr. Larry explains that he used to scare him as a child. Pfister asks if he’s still married. Larry replies, “Widower”, Pfister asks, “Widower than what?” Larry, confused, asks, “What do you mean?” Pfister repeats, “You said he was widower”. Larry confirms, “He is”. Pfister stops going about his business and stands with Larry and asks again, “Widower than what?”. Larry stops busying himself also and joins Pfister and says, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, he isn’t widower than anything”. Pfister raises his hand to about chest hight and asks, “You mean he’s just a widdle man?”. Larry confirms again, “That’s right”. Pfister snaps, “That’s all I was asking”. Larry stops and looks into the middle distance, extremely confused at the conversation he’s just had. This look last about 10 seconds, in silence, then says, “I see”. This is one of my favourite pieces of the film, I know he’s laying into Pfister’s mental state, but this is fantastic wordplay, and the acting is incredible. I wonder how many bloopers there were of this scene.

The film plays out with Larry constantly scared, first of a snake in his sock drawer, a zombie walking sideways down a wall above his bed, Montego’s eyes flaring, a dead body in his bed. What they have set up is that Dr. Abbot may be trying to scare him, but who knows about the change in the will? Who is actually trying to kill him for the inheritance?

Kate assembles everyone in the foyer, she is a grandiose, large woman dressed in Flapper-style finery.

Dom Deluise brings this character to us when she arrives at the top of the staircase and bellows, “This house is cursed!” followed by a flash of lightening and a rumble of thunder. She slides down the banister of the staircase and we can hear it creak under her weight. All very slapstick, all very puerile but again, it’s tickly funny, you can’t help but laugh.

At dinner, from the head of the table she rings a small bell and proclaims, “I know, that one of you is a werewolf. I saw you in the garden this afternoon”. Nora leans in to Vickie and reassures her, saying, “Don’t be frightened dear. She’s a little bit eccentric”. Kate explains that she is only talking to the Abbot family as her “…brother John was bitten on the back of his neck by something half animal, half human. From that moment on he was hairy all over. I had hoped all these years that his disease would not be passed on, but now I see that it was. One of you is preying upon the fears of an old woman. Whoever you are, may God strike you dead.” She buries her head in a napkin and sobs slightly. Then, tossing the napkin aside gleefully she says, smiling, “Now let’s have coffee and dessert in the music room”.

We are treated, and a mean treated, to a dancing, singing rendition of ‘Ballin’ the Jack’ originally written by Jim Burris with music from Chris Smith from 1913 made famous by Gene Kelly and Judy Garland in For me and my Gal (1942). The music in this rendition, however, feels more like Fat’s Domino’s 1964 version. It’s a treat to see the tall and wide frame of DeLuise towering over Radner’s tiny thin frame both doing the same dance, dainty and light. A real Laurel and Hardy feel to it. Think the Commencement to Dancing routine from Way out West (1937). Radner in an interview said she loved doing this scene, her and DeLuise thoroughly enjoyed doing it, she said, “The first couple of times, you laugh, but then, we got into it, that we were dancers”, she continues saying the only times the takes got out of hand was when, “Dom’s hair would fall off, we had to watch out for that, or his foot would get tangled in my train on my dress or we’d have to get a fan out because both of us were sweating so much…”. They can both sing and can both dance, but it’s hilarious.

The weather, like an extra character continues through the film with, thunder, lightning and incessant rain. It causes a power-cut, so now the mansion is in darkness, and it only lit by candles. Wilder really gives us an old Hammer Horror feel. We do learn, however, that the weather is entirely localised in the manor. Another illusion created to literally scare the life out of Larry. During one of these scares Larry runs outside and ends up sliding down a coal chute into a cellar. He discovers the body of his cousin Francis Jr (Roger Ashton-Griffiths). He screams and alerts Pfister who is down in the cellar drinking. He sees Larry over Francis and thinks Larry has killed him. He attacks Larry and Larry has to knock him out with a chunk of wood. Now during these goings-on two police officers have been alarmed by the lightning coming from within the house and have decided to investigate.

They hear Pfister shouting at Larry calling him a murderer. They investigate the cellar and see Larry standing over Pfister, but, due to the positioning of Pfister’s legs and Larry’s dressing gown it looks as if he’s sitting down. As one of the officers warns, gun drawn, “Hold it right there. Just keep sitting right where you are”. We are now just waiting for Pfister to wake up and spoil the illusion and when it happens, we are treated to legs flailing around making it look like Larry is doing some kind of dance. He ties his shoe laces, scratches his leg and in one moment his leg extends fully upward. He catches it and shouts at it, “Murderer!”. I am always in tears during this scene. It’s some very clever and yet straight-forward humour and we’re in on the joke just waiting for the officers to catch him out. Wilder said on this scene that he told Pringle, “Whenever you want to move your legs, just move your legs, don’t tell me if it’s going to be fast or slow… I had certain lines to say but I could make up other ones depending on what he was going to do”. The idea for this scene, he said, was inspired by Murder, he says (1945).

Throughout the remainder of the film, we are never really sure what’s real. Is there a wolf-man? Is there a ghoul who can walk up walls? Who is actually trying to kill Larry? Who killed Francis Jr? Some things are revealed, and some things are not, keeping us interested and allow us to keep guessing.

This film, for me, shows Wilder’s best traits rolled in to one character; neurotic, maniacal, paced, funny and clever. Radner, Pringle and DeLuise’s performances work with this perfectly. I feel the horror aspect and the comedy aspects are both well balanced, this is not intended as your run-of-the-mill jump scare films. The atmosphere and feel of the film is what you are supposed to engage with. I feel the comedy writing is on point, every joke lands, and every nuance in Wilder, Radner and Pringle’s lines and their faces is felt. It all worked. I have seen this film a countless number of times and will continue to watch any time I need to laugh. If you haven’t already, please find this film and watch, then let me know what you think!