A Fish Called Wanda (1988)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Charles Crichton
(more)

Writers:

John Cleese (story) and
Charles Crichton (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

15 July 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime

Tagline:

A tale of murder, lust, greed, revenge, and seafood.

Plot:

In London, four very different people team up to commit armed robbery, then try to doublecross each other for the loot.

Plot Keywords:

Barrister | Stuttering | Lawyer | Gun | Robber

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 7 wins & 15 nominations

Cast

John Cleese	...	Archie Leach
Jamie Lee Curtis	...	Wanda Gershwitz
Kevin Kline	...	Otto
Michael Palin	...	Ken Pile
Maria Aitken	...	Wendy
Tom Georgeson	...	Georges Thomason
Patricia Hayes	...	Mrs. Coady
Geoffrey Palmer	...	Judge
Cynthia Cleese	...	Portia (as Cynthia Caylor)
Mark Elwes	...	Customer in Jeweler's Shop
Neville Phillips	...	Manager of Jeweler's Shop
Peter Jonfield	...	Inspector Marvin
Ken Campbell	...	Bartlett
Al Ashton	...	Warder
Roger Hume	...	Locksmith
Roger Brierley	...	Davidson
Llewellyn Rees	...	Sir John
Michael Percival	...	Percival
Kate Lansbury	...	Magistrate
Robert Ian Mackenzie	...	Copper (as Robert Cavendish)
Andrew MacLachlan	...	Eebedee
Roland MacLeod	...	Vicar
Jeremy Child	...	Mr. Johnson
Pamela Miles	...	Mrs. Johnson
Tom Pigott Smith	...	Child Johnson (13)
Katherine John	...	Child Johnson (10)
Sophie Johnstone	...	Child Johnson (8)
Kim Barclay	...	Nanny
Sharon Twomey	...	1st Junior Barrister (Defence Counsel)
Patrick Newman	...	2nd Junior Barrister (Defence Counsel)
David Simeon	...	Clerk of Court (Old Bailey)
Imogen Bickford-Smith	...	Stenographer
Tia Lee	...	Junior Barrister (Prosecutor Counsel)
Robert Putt	...	Police Officer (Old Bailey)
Waydon Croft	...	1st Prison Officer
John Dixon	...	2nd Prison Officer
Anthony Pedley	...	Irate Driver
Robert McBain	...	Hotel Clerk
Clare McIntyre	...	Airline Employee
Charu Bala Chokshi	...	Indian Cleaner
Stephen Fry	...	Hutchison
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Bird	...	Clerk of the Magistrate's Court (uncredited)
Robert Goodman	...	Street thug (uncredited)

Directed by
Charles Crichton
John Cleese		(uncredited)

Writing credits
John Cleese		(story) and
Charles Crichton		(story)
John Cleese		(written by)

Produced by
Steve Abbott	....	executive producer
John Cleese	....	executive producer
John Comfort	....	associate producer
Michael Shamberg	....	producer

Original Music by
John Du Prez

Cinematography by
Alan Hume

Film Editing by
John Jympson

Casting by
Priscilla John

Production Design by
Roger Murray-Leach

Art Direction by
John Wood

Set Decoration by
Stephanie McMillan

Costume Design by
Hazel Pethig

Makeup Department
Lynda Armstrong	....	makeup artist (as Lynda Armstrong-Lawlor)
Paul Engelen	....	makeup supervisor
Barry Richardson	....	key hair stylist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jonathan Benson	....	assistant director
Melvin Lind	....	second assistant director
David Skynner	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Leon Apsey	....	head of construction
Bruce Bigg	....	property master
Roy Evans	....	construction manager
Kevin Phipps	....	assistant art director
Brian Read	....	production buyer
Alfie Smith	....	stand-by property supervisor
Micky Swift	....	stand-by propman (as Mickey Swift)
Bill Stallion	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Jonathan Bates	....	sound editor
Gerry Humphreys	....	sound re-recording mixer
Chris Munro	....	sound recordist
Andrew Sissons	....	sound maintenance engineer
Colin Wood	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
George Gibbs	....	special effects supervisor
David Watson	....	special effects technician (as Dave Watson)
Terence J. Cox	....	special effects technician (uncredited)
Alan Poole	....	special effects technician (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Alan Church	....	optical camera (uncredited)

Stunts
Romo Gorrara	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Neil Binney	....	camera operator
Bob Bremner	....	gaffer (as Bobby Bremner)
Graham Hall	....	clapper loader
Simon Hume	....	focus puller
David James	....	still photographer
Bill Thornhill	....	best boy
Jimmy Waters	....	grip
Jimmy Worley	....	electrician (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Stephen Cornish	....	wardrobe assistant (as Steve Cornish)
Jenny Hawkins	....	wardrobe assistant
Ray Usher-Cooper	....	wardrobe master (as Ray Usher)

Editorial Department
Kevin Phelan	....	unit projectionist: Mercury Theatres, London
William Webb	....	assistant film editor
David Barrett	....	assistant editor (uncredited)
Jonathan Lucas	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Peter Holt	....	music editor
André Jacquemin	....	music producer
Dick Lewzey	....	orchestral recording
John Williams	....	musician: solo guitar

Transportation Department
Roy Clarke	....	driver: Jamie Lee Curtis (uncredited)

Other crew
Andy Birmingham	....	production accountant
Peter Byck	....	assistant: Mr. Shamberg, USA
Sophie Clarke-Jervoise	....	assistant: Dr. Cleese
Pauline Clift	....	animal supplier
Robert Conway	....	legal advisor
Nick Daubeny	....	location manager: Oxford
Diana Dill	....	continuity
Bill Edwards	....	unit publicist
Yvonne Heeks	....	assistant accountant
Ralph Kamp	....	production assistant
Christopher Knowles	....	assistant location manager: London
William Lang	....	location manager
Liz Lehmans	....	production assistant
Janine Lodge	....	production coordinator
Ian Miles	....	financial controller
Alexandra Stone	....	assistant to producer
Mark Birmingham	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Yvonne Eastmond	....	assistant production accountant (uncredited)
Richard Morrison	....	title designer (uncredited)
Kimberley Vashiell	....	choreographer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
• Prominent Features
• Star Partners Limited Partnership

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1988) (worldwide) (all media)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1991) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (Brazil) (DVD)
• CBS/Fox Home Video (1989) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print)
• Columbus Film (1989) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• MGM Home Entertainment (Europe) (2000) (UK) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (Europe) (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2002) (France) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2003) (Italy) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Distribution Company (1988) (USA) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1989) (Germany) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1989) (France) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1988) (UK) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (1989) (West Germany) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vidéo (1997) (France) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vidéo (1999) (France) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• British Airways  special thanks
• Damson Studios  title sequence
• Lee Electrics  lighting
• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment
• Plume  titles
• Redwood Recording Studios  music produced at
• Studios CTS  music recorded at
• Twickenham Film Studios  re-recording facilities
• Wet Pets  fishes provided by

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English | Italian | Russian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | South Korea:18 | New Zealand:PG | Spain:T | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:18A | Chile:14 | Finland:K-14 | Ireland:15 | Norway:15 | Singapore:M18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Clerkenwell Green, Clerkenwell, London, England, UK

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

John Cleese has said in interviews that Patricia Hayes was the only cast member not to have any material deleted during editing.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: While Ken is on the phone with George making final arrangements, a camera shadow falls across him.

Quotes:

Otto: Nice fish, Ken. You know what Nietzsche said about animals? "They were God's second blunder."
Ken: Well, you t-t-t-tell him from me that I kuh-kuh, I kuh-kuh...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Laserblast (#8.6)" (1996)

The Funniest Movie Ever Made

This is the only film I ever paid to see two days in a row. I missed too much of it the first time because of my own hysterical snorting laughter.

This is a work of comic genius. And, like any good film, the screenplay is at the heart of the belly laughs. Every character is given a detailed personality quirk or two, and then it is shamefully exploited for laugh after laugh. Note for example, John Cleese's speech to Jamie Lee Curtis about how awful it is to be British - the eternal fear of embarrassment. Moments later, he is caught buck naked in a marital tryst in some else's flat by the people to used to live in his own home. Also, the funny-offensive envelope is pushed to the limit when K-K-K-Ken (Michael Palin), the passionate animal lover inadvertently kills three innocent dogs in his attempt to murder an old woman who would otherwise be a prosecution witness. Now that's funny!

Cleese's character, Archie Leach (Carey Grant's real name) is a likable buffoon of a lawyer, happy in his banal existence until he meets the sexy American, Wanda (Jamie Lee). I cannot even being to describe the plot beyond that point without doing it a grave disservice. It twists and dangles about in a world of double-cross and goldfish-eating for no other reason than to set up a joke.

You cannot speak of this film without mention of Kevin Kline as Otto, a role that won him a richly-deserved Oscar. Otto is the ex-CIA "weapons man" who makes it his business to read philosophy but would be more at home with Curious George. An obsessive, self-indulgent, painfully stupid, violent, deceitful, gullible egomaniac, the character of Otto is amongst the best comedic performances ever delivered.

The film's funniest scene takes place at Leach's (Cleese) house. In a scene that rivals anything that has ever hit the screen for laughs, the film and its scripts looks deep enough into itself to even give Cleese's dry-as-toast wife a laugh or two. Then, later on, this scene proves to be the set up for even more jokes. A Fish Called Wanda is pure comedy and every scene either provides a laugh or sets one up - it graciously does not waste our time trying to be moral or turning into a formula car-chase flick.

My comments are choppy but so is this movie. If you see it and don't laugh, check your pulse. We have only been given a handful of good comedies in the last decade. A Fish Called Wanda is a treasure. **** out of ****.

NOTE: TBS and some other TV networks show this film with the "offensive language" edited out. It kills the movie - if you can't hack the language, pass this one over.