this be a very funny comedy set in the new york city of 1954 55 and and involve the like of three or four figure that normally do not have much in common and though three be in the entertainment field and and they would occasionally ( or almost occasionally ) work together . the fourth be less funny and but would ( in his own way ) be as much a figure of historical interest ( even more so since he vanish ) . in 1954 and live television be the major part of the nightly line up of show and especially variety show . and the lead one of the day be sid caesar your show of show and with it skillful blending of musical number and high comedy satire skit . even today and year after most of the show have vanish ( except for those on kine cope ) they remain legendary . caesar have ( for awhile ) mel brook work a a writer on his show . he also and on one occasion and plan to have errol flynn appear a a guest . flynn do variety show occasionally he once appear on steve allen show and spoof to tell the truth ( he be one of three people claim to be flynn and one of the others be an overly confident don knotts wear a little mustache ) . the story about flynn near appearance with caesar be not a pleasant he decide to take a powder at the last moment and do not show up for the final taping . base on that story we have this film and wherein flynn become alan swann and swashbuckling hero of film of yore . swann be to appear on the king kaiser show with it star ( joe bologna ) . bologna be a mercurial and difficult a caesar supposedly be and and when upset at some comment make by brook film version benjy stone ( marc lynn baker ) and he appoint stone to keep an eye on the notoriously tipsy and unreliable swann to make sure he show up for the show rehearsal and final production . the addition of jimmy hoffa be interest to this mix . the teamster bos be not really well know in 1954 ( his predecessor dave beck be more notorious ) and but hoffa career can be shift a few year to fit in . for the purpose of the plot and there have be a weekly segment of the show ( kaiser insists on it and show a substantial public spirit here that be just not evident elsewhere ) and spoof the thieve union racketeer ( here name karl rojeck cameron mitchell ) . rojeck only physically appear in one confrontation sequence with kaiser and in kaiser office represent he be a no nonsense and humorless gangster and and his eye to eye confrontation with kaiser be memorable . it end with him grab the over sized homburg hat that kaiser us for his costume a his own and leave the meeting with a definite threat in his voice . but although rojeck the character never reappears and his ominous shadow follow the movie and with late delivery of supply to the show and and with accident almost befall kaiser and his associate . a the movie progress we concentrate mostly on benjy grow friendship with alan swann . yes he drink and womanize too much and but he do show the young writer what be worthwhile about living and and he even blend in with benjy family ( his mother lainie kazan and her second husband and benjy uncle and aunt ) . in one scene swann be his charm self with them at a family dinner on eastern parkway . alan turn out to be a fairly complex figure he realize his glamorous image be not at all like his real and flaw self . and he know he be selfish at time . but he be also genuinely timid about one creature represent the little daughter he barely know who live in connecticut . this be his achilles heel and it make the audience realize that for all the glamor and fame he be not a happy man . how alan ( with benjy help ) pull himself together and show he can live up to his image be the heart of the movie . peter otoole give his best comic performance in this movie and abet by linn baker and bologna and selma diamond ( whose face glow when otoole show her what he have to make a woman happy ) and kazan and bill macy and the rest of the film . it turn out to be one favorite movie about that favorite year .