APRIL FOOLS, THE

(director: Stuart Rosenberg; screenwriter: Hal Dresner; cinematographer: Michel Hugo; editor: Bob Wyman; music: Marvin Hamlisch; cast: Jack Lemmon (Howard Brubaker), Sally Kellerman (Phylis Brubaker),  Gunther, Jack Weston (Potter Schrader), Peter Lawford (Ted Gunther), Catherine Deneuve (Catherine), Myrna Loy (Grace Greenlaw), Charles Boyer (Andre Greenlaw); Runtime: 95; MPAA Rating: PG; producer: Gordon Carroll; ; 1969)

“The story never felt right.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
 
Stuart Rosenberg (“The Amityville Horror”/”Cool Hand Luke”) directs this so-so screwball comedy that’s written by Hal Dresner.

The Wall St. broker Howard Brubaker (Jack Lemmon) has a loveless marriage with the bitchy Phyllis (Sally Kellerman). Howard’s boss Ted Guthrie (Peter Lawford) cheats on his attractive French wife Catherine (Catherine Deneuve) because he’s a cad.

Ted promotes Howard and invites him over to his apartment to celebrate. It turns out when Howard arrives there’s a large party going on. Howard ends up talking with an attractive woman and they leave the party to spend the night at a disco. It turns out she’s the wife of Ted, and they decide to run away together. Ted learns it’s Howard when he goes to meet Catherine at the airport.

Though it has a great name cast, the story never felt right.

REVIEWED ON 7/26/2026  GRADE: B-
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