FOLLOWING THE GREAT success, box office and critical acclaim of Director Peter Bogdanovich's WHAT'S UP, DOC? (Warner Brothers/Saticoy Productions, 1972), the World took notice of Miss Barbara Streisand, not only as a singer, but also as a comedienne. Her teaming with Ryan O'Neal, Madeline Kahn,Kenneth Mars, Sorrell and Austin Pendelton (among others) under the auspices of Mr. Bogdanovich proved to be a game changer.
NOT THAT THIS feature film of a couple of years later was quite on the same level, nor was it done in the same genre. Whereas WHAT'S UP, DOC? was true 'Screwball' in the 1930's sense, FOR PETE'S SAKE was more along the lines of situational, or 'Sit Com', as we would call it today.
THE STORY LINE, such as it is, concerns a rather contrived plot in which Pete Robbins(Sarrazin), Husband, drives a cab in order to support himself and Henrietta (Streisand), wife; while at the same time that he is attending college, seeking his sheepskin. The Mrs. is suddenly overcome with guilt and decides to help out by seeking fund$ to invest in the Commodities Market to purchase futures in Pork Bellies. (Do you get that, Schultz?)
AMONG THE SCAMSS that Henrietta (Henry for short) explored was that of prostitution. Great comic situations are created in scenes involving the 'Madame', Mrs. Cherry (Molly Picon).
OTHER LITTLE VIGNETTES of inspired comic interactions are fairly well distributed throughout the film. Our favourite is a parody and homage to the then recent film, THE FRENCH CONNECTION (D'Antoni/Schine-Moore/20th Century-Fox, 1971).,It involved Barbara, a very tenacious Police Dog/German Shepard and interplay with the opening and closing of subway train doors.
ONE OTHER QUALITY wort mentioning is that the movie is very New York specific; both in locale and feel. That makes for some 'attitude', eh Schultz?
NOT THAT THIS feature film of a couple of years later was quite on the same level, nor was it done in the same genre. Whereas WHAT'S UP, DOC? was true 'Screwball' in the 1930's sense, FOR PETE'S SAKE was more along the lines of situational, or 'Sit Com', as we would call it today.
THE STORY LINE, such as it is, concerns a rather contrived plot in which Pete Robbins(Sarrazin), Husband, drives a cab in order to support himself and Henrietta (Streisand), wife; while at the same time that he is attending college, seeking his sheepskin. The Mrs. is suddenly overcome with guilt and decides to help out by seeking fund$ to invest in the Commodities Market to purchase futures in Pork Bellies. (Do you get that, Schultz?)
AMONG THE SCAMSS that Henrietta (Henry for short) explored was that of prostitution. Great comic situations are created in scenes involving the 'Madame', Mrs. Cherry (Molly Picon).
OTHER LITTLE VIGNETTES of inspired comic interactions are fairly well distributed throughout the film. Our favourite is a parody and homage to the then recent film, THE FRENCH CONNECTION (D'Antoni/Schine-Moore/20th Century-Fox, 1971).,It involved Barbara, a very tenacious Police Dog/German Shepard and interplay with the opening and closing of subway train doors.
ONE OTHER QUALITY wort mentioning is that the movie is very New York specific; both in locale and feel. That makes for some 'attitude', eh Schultz?