Start the Revolution Without Me **** (1970, Gene Wilder, Donald Sutherland, Hugh Griffith) – Classic Movie Review 9996

Director Bud Yorkin’s 1970 film Start the Revolution Without Me stars Gene Wilder and Donald Sutherland, who are hilarious in this funny crazy comedy about mistaken identity involving a couple of pairs of identical twins mixed at birth in King Louis XIV’s France. Gene Wilder is Claude / Philippe, and Donald Sutherland plays Charles / Pierre, while Hugh Griffith plays King Louis and Billie Whitelaw plays Queen Marie.

It was put out, sorry, released as a support feature in Britain – ie dumped – but it was ahead of its time, which has been kind to it and has finally given it its due.

As well as the stars, there are lots of esteemed British character performers doing their daffy turns to highly amusing effect. It is written by Fred Freeman and Lawrence J Cohen.

The narrator is Mr Orson Welles (two days’ work for him, apparently).

Also in the cast are Hugh Griffith, Jack MacGowran, Billie Whitelaw, Victor Spinetti, Ewa Aulin, Helen Fraser, Rosalind Knight, Harry Fowler, Murray Melvin, Ken Parry, Maxwell Shaw, Jacques Maury, Graham Stark, Barry Lowe, George A Cooper, Michael Rothwell and Denise Coffey.

Norman Lear produces with his business partner Bud Yorkin through their production company NorBud. How in heaven’s name did they come up with that name? Talk about inventive! It was advertised as ‘Gene Wilder, wilder than ever’. How in heaven’s name did they come up with that? Ah well, never eschew the obvious.

The Russian invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 forced a change of planned location shooting, to France, oddly enough.

Wilder was already a swordsman from his college fencing team. He wanted Charles Grodin as his co-star but he was directing a Broadway play. Wilder picked this over Catch-22.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9996

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