the 1982 comedy my favorite comedy be a lovingly make period piece that take place during a wonderful time in entertainment history . the infancy of live television in the 1950 ( or more specifically and your show of show ) . this laugh fill comic romp follow the adventure of benji ( mark linn baker ) and a gopher for comedy calvacade ( this film version of your show of show ) and who be excite when a swashbuckling actor of the period name alan swann ( peter otoole ) have be book a a guest on the show turn out to be a skirt chase alcoholic who benji be put in charge of keep under control until showtime . this movie be a lovely valentine to the 1950 with exquisite period detail and an intelligent screenplay that invoke the period so beautifully . otoole give the performance of a lifetime a swann and an alternately laugh out loud funny and heartbreakingly warm performance that earn him an oscar nomination and yet somehow linn baker somehow manage to hold his own and never allow otoole to blow him off the screen . o toole and linn baker get solid support from lainie kazan a benji mother and joseph bologna a king kaiser and the star of comedy calvacade and cameron mitchell a a not too bright gangster and and adolph green a the manic producer of the show . a good look and smartly write superbly write comedy that document a long go era in entertainment history and tell a warm and amusing story as well .