Rhinoceros ** (1974, Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder, Karen Black) – Classic Movie Review 8097

Director Tom O’Horgan’s bizarre 1974 satirical fantasy comedy drama Rhinoceros, set in a town where people are turning into rhinoceroses, may not be a huge success but at least it has the enormous benefit of starring Gene Wilder, Zero Mostel and Karen Black, and it is valuable if only for that. These three players had the gift to put you in a good mood.

Mostel plays John, who turns into a big green pachyderm, and Wilder is rebel clerk Stanley, who won’t.

The two exceptionally funny stars work hard to breathe some kind of movie life into this struggling American Film Theatre presentation of Eugène Ionesco’s much admired Theatre of the Absurd classic play.

With the stars of The Producers reunited, at the time of their great popularity, plus Karen Black in her prime as Daisy, the performances are admirable, though otherwise this is a rather hard-going, largely unsuccessful movie version of the brilliant play. Julian Barry is the writer whose tricky task it is to carve out the screenplay, adapting the play by Eugène Ionesco.

Also in the cast are Robert Weil, Joe Silver, Marilyn Chris, Percy Rodrigues, Don Calfa, Lou Cutell, Lorna Thayer and Anne Ramsey as lady with cat.

The rhinoceros was achieved through shadows, camerawork and props.

Gene Wilder (1933–2016).

Karen Black (1939–2013).

Zero Mostel (1915–1977).

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8097

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