comedy take place in 1954 and be base on the tv show your show of show with sid cesar . here it call comedy cavacalde and run by king kaiser ( joseph bologna ) . star alan swann ( peter otoole ) be set to guest star on the show but he have a serious drinking problem . writer benjy stone ( mark linn baker ) be set to watch him and keep him out of trouble . naturally everything go wrong . a huge hit in 1982. i remember love it back then but and for some reason and i do not find it that funny this time around . it badly direct by richard benjamin and jessica harper be totally waste in a small role and bill macy be terrible ( he seem to equate screaming a act ) and i do not find alcoholism particularly funny . still this have enough good material in it to recommend it . the 1950s be capture perfectly down to the costume and setting . linn baker be pretty good a stone and lainie kazan be great in her few scene and bologna be good ( if a little overly obnoxious ) a kaiser . some of the joke be very funny and it also great to see gloria stuart . but this be otoole movie all the way . he have a great role and play it for all it have . he just perfect you can not take your eye off him . i believe this role be write with him in mind . and it show . a gentle and amusing comedy . no great shake but worth seeing . i give it an 8. best line represent i be not an actor and i be a movie star .