peter otoole and who be know to take an occasional drink himself and probably have a lot of experience to bring to the part of alan swann and swashbuckling movie star of bygone year who go to seed . otoole have a tax problem and he agree to do an appearance on a top rat television comedy show of the fifty to satisfy uncle sam lien on his future income and to avoid deportation . but by now he a boozy shadow of his former self and the star of the show joseph bologna assigns his most junior writer and mark linn baker to keep him in reasonable condition to perform . a it turn out it mean bring otoole into his world which be jewish brooklyn of the fifty and something i be somewhat familiar with myself . baker and otoole become a marvelous comedy duo themselves here . i be surprise they do not team to do a whole lot more film than this . otoole performance succeed on a lot of level . yes it pretty funny and sidesplittingly funny at time . but there also an element of sadness in it as well . you see in film clip the man otoole once be and now only command attention by make a public spectacle of himself at time . i know someone like that in my life and one who hardly have any kind of a career and but also have to be the center of attention at all time and usually do it by get riotously drunk and act abominably dumb . he have a certain charm and could get away with it and a lot though not the way otoole do . base on mel brook recollection of have to work with errol flynn and the film let you know it flynn be remember . note the almost step by step choreograph duel recreation of flynn and basil rathbone final duel from the adventure of robin hood . joseph bologna be great a the egotistical comedy star and the brooklyn vignette have a great performance by lainie kazan a baker most jewish mother and lou jacobi a his most jewish uncle . still it what go on and what between otoole and baker that make my favorite year an all time comedy classic .