My Favorite Year

Peter O'Toole, whose performance earned an Oscar nomination, is utterly delightful as Alan Swann, an Errol Flynn-type action hero turned slave to the bottle who arrives in New York to appear on Comedy Cavalcade, a popular mid-‘50s TV show (in the Sid Caesar Your Show of Shows mold) starring 'King' Kaiser (a hilarious Joseph Bologna). Since Swann is a mite, well, unpredictable, Kaiser assigns young writer Benjy Stone (Mark Linn-Baker) to make sure he shows up for the live broadcast. Complications ensue, of course, including a side trip to Brooklyn, where Swann charms all in sight, including Stone's mother (Lainie Kazan, also a treat). The film is loaded with stereotypes (the hard-bitten costume lady, the neurotic head writer, the starry-eyed intern, and so on), but all are handled with affection and great humor, while a subplot involving Swann and his estranged daughter manages to be tender without becoming sentimental. DVD extras include a full-length audio commentary by director Richard Benjamin. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (S. Graham) [Blu-ray Review—Oct. 8, 2019—Warner, 92 min., PG, Blu-ray: $21.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1982’s My Favorite Year features a fine transfer with DTS-HD 2.0 audio. Extras include audio commentary by director Richard Benjamin. Bottom line: this modern classic sparkles on Blu-ray.]