The Wild Party (1975)

Director:

James Ivory

Writers:

Walter Marks (screenplay)
Joseph Moncure March (narrative poem)

Release Date:

March 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Comedy

Tagline:

Hollywood in the '20s...Gin, Sin and a Night they're still whispering about!

Plot:

Loosely based on the Fatty Arbuckle scandal, an aging silent movie comic star tries for a comeback by...

Plot Keywords:

Wild Party | Party | Beautiful Woman | Film In Film | Lesbian Kiss

Cast

James Coco	...	Jolly Grimm
Raquel Welch	...	Queenie
Perry King	...	Dale Sword
Tiffany Bolling	...	Kate
Royal Dano	...	Tex
David Dukes	...	James Morrison
Christina Ferra-Gilmore	...	Nadine (as Annette Ferra)
Eddie Lawrence	...	Kreutzer (as Eddie Laurence)
Bobo Lewis	...	Wilma
Don De Natale	...	Jackie
Dena Dietrich	...	Mrs. Murchison
Regis Cordic	...	Mr. Murchison (as Regis J. Cordic)
Jennifer Lee	...	Madeline True
Mews Small	...	Bertha (as Marya Small)
Baruch Lumet	...	Tailor

Runtime:

95 min | France:100 min (director's cut) | Germany:88 min (video version) | USA:108 min (DVD) (director's cut) | USA:108 min (DVD)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Mission Inn - 3649 Mission Inn Avenue, Riverside, California, USA

Company:

American International Pictures (AIP)

Trivia:

During the shooting of the film, James Ivory called one of the takes of a scene with Raquel Welch "a bit dull" and asked for a retake. Because of this, Welch walked off the set and refused to return until Ivory apologized to her in front of the entire cast and crew. Ivory capitulated and they continued with the scene.

Quotes:

Kate: Well, happy Sunday morning to you.
Jolly Grimm: [referring to Queenie] Why is she doing this to me? I don't understand.
Kate: Had to happen. She's young. You ain't. That's just how it goes.
Jolly Grimm: I don't understand.
Kate: There were lots of guys before you. There'll be lots of guys after you. Come on. Dale probably ain't the first.
Jolly Grimm: Don't say that. I don't want- I don't want you to say that!
Kate: Come on, be a realist! You guys think you got some kind of patent on foolin' around? A woman's got needs too, you know.
Jolly Grimm: Shut up!

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Wandering Company (1984) (TV)

Hollywood Babylon

**SPOILERS** Surviving from what happened in the wild party of the night before at comedy legend Jolly Grimm ,James Coco, mansion writer Jimmy Morrison, David Dukes, is laid up in his hospital bed recovering from a bullet wound in his neck. Jimmy is doing what he does best writing a screenplay about the terrible events that put him in the hospital and ended up taking the lives of two people, one a major screen heart-throb, at the party.

It all started when comedian Jolly Grimm who hadn't made a movie in years invited all the Hollywood big shot producers and a number of actors actresses, and hangers on, to his place to view his new film "Brother Jasper" that he hoped will re-start his fledgling career. Having had an amazing 27 hits in a row Grimm is now considered a has-been by the studios and hasn't been giving any staring parts in any of their major motion pictures. Grimm decided to go over their heads and make a movie that he stares in and and directed himself. Grimm still needs the Hollywood honchos to distribute his movie for it to reach the public and it's at the party that Grimm is throwing that he hopes to impress them in just doing that.

Tense and nervous the day before the big party Grimm takes it out on his live-in girlfriend Queenie, Requal Welch, who put up with his manic-depressive actions for years but now it seems that even she reached her breaking point with Grimm unable, or not wanting, to control his violent outbursts anymore that she's at the receiving end.

Showing Jimmy the movie "Brother Jasper" to get his professional opinion Grimm's told that the movie needs a number of changes or cuts, like a comedic cannibal scene,in what's supposed to be a heart-wrenching and serious film, that has poor Jimmy almost thrown out of the Grimm Mansion. With all the Hollywood illuminates showing up to see what Grimm hoped to be his masterpiece and the movie that would catapult him back on top of the weekly theater ticket receipts, and on the silver screen, things don't go as well as Grimm hoped in fact the party turns out to be a total and deadly disaster for him.

Loosely based on an incident about actor Fatty Arbuckle back in the 1920's when he was arrested and put on trial for the rape and murder of a young starlet that he invited to a drunken party, and orgy, of his. Arbuckle was found innocent but his career was finished and he died a poor and broken man some ten years later.

James Coco is at his best as the tragic Jolly Grimm who ends up not only losing any chance of getting back in the Hollywood limelight but also looses Queenie first to movie matinée idol Dale Sword, Perry King, and then ends up losing her life due to his jealous and uncountable rage. Grimm is not at all that much of a villain in the film "The Wild Party" he's more a victim of his own spectacular success.

Sweet and loving at first when he took Queenie off the street and gave her a place to stay, in his, mansion and put her in a number of his movies as well, as taking care off all her needs Grimm also treated Queenie as an equal not as someone who's totally dependent on him. It was only when his career started to fall apart that Grimm became an abusive swine towards her as well as everyone else.

With the party degenerating into an orgy free for all and Queenie leaving Grimm, by going off with Dale Sword, all by himself that the drinks and suspicions that were overwhelming his already fragile mind took control and Grimm lost it as well as lost what life and freedom that he still had left.