{"id":79251,"date":"2021-12-26T11:51:39","date_gmt":"2021-12-26T18:51:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=79251"},"modified":"2021-12-26T13:31:20","modified_gmt":"2021-12-26T20:31:20","slug":"enter-laughing-1967","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=79251","title":{"rendered":"Enter Laughing (1967)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;The only way to learn to act, is to act!&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-Poster.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-Poster-193x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"193\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-79252\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-Poster-193x300.png 193w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-Poster-660x1024.png 660w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-Poster-82x128.png 82w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-Poster-174x270.png 174w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-Poster.png 695w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 193px) 100vw, 193px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nWhen an aspiring actor (Reni Santoni) in 1938 NYC meets a grandiose acting school owner (Jose Ferrer) eager to take his &#8220;tuition&#8221; money in exchange for a part in a play, Ferrer&#8217;s daughter (Elaine May) convinces her father to hire Santoni for the role. Meanwhile, Santoni&#8217;s overbearing parents (Shelley Winters and David Opatoshu) &#8212; who want him to enter pharmacy school &#8212; are against his career choice, Santoni&#8217;s employer (Jack Gilford) is upset that Santoni is always late for work, and Santoni&#8217;s girlfriend (Janet Margolin) tries to be supportive but gets suspicious about May&#8217;s interest in Santoni, as well as Morris&#8217;s friendship with a gorgeous secretary (Nancy Kovack).\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Actors and Actresses<\/li>\n<li>Aspiring Stars<\/li>\n<li>Carl Reiner Films<\/li>\n<li>Elaine May Films<\/li>\n<li>Janet Margolin Films<\/li>\n<li>Jose Ferrer Films<\/li>\n<li>Shelley Winters Films<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nCarl Reiner&#8217;s directorial debut was this adaptation of <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Enter_Laughing\">Joseph Stein&#8217;s 1963 play<\/a>, originally featuring Alan Arkin in a Tony-winning performance. Unfortunately, Santoni doesn&#8217;t seem to be up to the task of embodying the lead role, as we quickly lose interest in him and his goals: his character is a <em>terrible<\/em> actor (and he&#8217;s meant to be), but aren&#8217;t we simultaneously supposed to be rooting for his success in his chosen field? Or should we take it as a telling sign that this would-be actor doesn&#8217;t even realize that &#8220;(Enter laughing)&#8221; refers to stage directions rather than dialogue? <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-Santoni.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-Santoni-1024x568.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"355\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-79256\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-Santoni-1024x568.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-Santoni-300x166.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-Santoni-128x71.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-Santoni-768x426.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-Santoni-487x270.png 487w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-Santoni-1038x576.png 1038w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-Santoni.png 1225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, he&#8217;s surrounded by a cast of well-known (real life) supporting actors trying hard but unable to resurrect the production &#8212; including Jose Ferrer as the world-weary Great Actor gladly taking Santoni&#8217;s money, and Shelley Winters as a stereotypically overbearing Jewish mother: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-Winters.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-Winters-1024x574.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"359\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-79255\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-Winters-1024x574.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-Winters-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-Winters-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-Winters-768x430.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-Winters-482x270.png 482w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-Winters.png 1215w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Coming across the best &#8212; simply because she&#8217;s as wacky and unpredictable as always &#8212; is Elaine May as Ferrer&#8217;s romantically inclined daughter: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-May-Ferrer.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-May-Ferrer-1024x578.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"361\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-79257\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-May-Ferrer-1024x578.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-May-Ferrer-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-May-Ferrer-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-May-Ferrer-768x433.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-May-Ferrer-479x270.png 479w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-May-Ferrer.png 1211w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; who is primarily interested in rehearsing her love scene with Santoni as often as possible. Clearly, audiences at the time resonated with a story set back in the 1930s, when free theater in NYC was apparently a thing if you were willing to sit through a crappy production featuring actors paying for the privilege of appearing on stage (this was a different era of entertainment opportunities).  <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-Audience.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-Audience-1024x575.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"359\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-79258\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-Audience-1024x575.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-Audience-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-Audience-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-Audience-768x431.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-Audience-481x270.png 481w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-Audience.png 1205w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> There should be a category on this review site called &#8220;Overbearing Parents&#8221;, since that&#8217;s really the dominant theme in this movie; consider it an honorary one designated as of now. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Elaine May as Angela Marlowe<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-May.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-May-1024x591.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"369\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-79253\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-May-1024x591.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-May-300x173.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-May-128x74.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-May-768x443.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-May-468x270.png 468w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Enter-Laughing-May.png 1207w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo. Listed as a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary&#8217;s book. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0061626\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1967\/08\/01\/archives\/screen-tyro-ron-colman-upstagedreni-santoni-starred-in-carl-reiner.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.clevelandmemory.org\/mastroianni\/tm260.html\">Cleveland Memory Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;The only way to learn to act, is to act!&#8221; Synopsis: When an aspiring actor (Reni Santoni) in 1938 NYC meets a grandiose acting school owner (Jose Ferrer) eager to take his &#8220;tuition&#8221; money in exchange for a part in a play, Ferrer&#8217;s daughter (Elaine May) convinces her father to hire Santoni for the role. Meanwhile, Santoni&#8217;s overbearing parents (Shelley Winters and David Opatoshu) &#8212; who want him to enter pharmacy school &#8212; are against his career choice, Santoni&#8217;s employer&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=79251\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-79251","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79251","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=79251"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79251\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":79305,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79251\/revisions\/79305"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=79251"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=79251"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=79251"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}