Radioland Murders (1994)

19% of critics liked it
(16 reviews)
51% of users liked it
(2,725 ratings)

A blend of screwball farce and whodunit murder mystery, this madcap period piece was the brainchild of executive producer George Lucas. In 1939, Penny Henderson (Mary Stuart Masterson) is the harried general secretary and de facto manager of a new fourth radio network, WBN. On the night that the… More A blend of screwball farce and whodunit murder mystery, this madcap period piece was the brainchild of executive producer George Lucas. In 1939, Penny Henderson (Mary Stuart Masterson) is the harried general secretary and de facto manager of a new fourth radio network, WBN. On the night that the Chicago station goes live on the air, a mysterious voice interrupts, and a series of murders soon follows, each one described by the same sonorous phantom. While Penny and her staff desperately try to keep WBN's roster of shows afloat during the unfolding crisis, her estranged husband Roger (Brian Benben), a staff writer, becomes the chief suspect. Roger is forced to dodge a detective, Lieutenant Cross (Michael Lerner), find the real killer, win Penny back, and perform last-minute script rewrites for an unhappy sponsor. As the backstage hysteria reaches a fever pitch, the show goes on with real-life radio-era pros such as George Burns and Rosemary Clooney. Although never explicitly pointed out in the film, Radioland Murders (1994) was a pseudo-prequel to an earlier Lucas feature -- Roger and Penny are the future parents of Curt Henderson (Richard Dreyfuss) from American Graffiti (1973). ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 48 min.
Directed By: Mel Smith
Genres: Mystery & Suspense, Comedy

In Theaters: Oct 21, 1994 Wide
On DVD: Oct 10, 2000
Studio: Universal Studios Home Video

Critic Reviews

Rory L. Aronsky, Film Threat
What an inglorious pity.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
What were they thinking?
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
The cast must get an A for effort.
Fred Topel, About.com
Not the slightest bit funny. Annoying and obnoxious attempt at retro '30s humor.
Chris Hicks, Deseret News, Salt Lake City
The bottom line: If you can get past that sagging first third, there are some laughs to be had.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

Phil H

It does come across that everything Mr Lucas has put his chubby finger to since Star Wars doesn't quite turn out so well (apart from 'Indy'), the recent 'Red Tails' for example. This goofy slapstick comedy on paper had promise and I was quite excited to watch… More
It does come across that everything Mr Lucas has put his chubby finger to since Star Wars doesn't quite turn out so well (apart from 'Indy'), the recent 'Red Tails' for example. This goofy slapstick comedy on paper had promise and I was quite excited to watch it as the period setting plus the 'who dunnit' murder aspect I like. The whole thing sounded like a kind of 'Clue' or 'Haunted Honeymoon' type venture, that nice dated 30's to 50's setting with smart suits with well spoken chaps n dames all set within a spooky atmosphere. Unfortunately this film is really quite boring and insanely stupid, there is way too much slapstick in your face screwball comedy...and its not even very good, just forced. Everyone is falling arse over tit every five minutes and the editing is so damn choppy, you zip from one pratfall to the next as if they were individual sketches pasted together. Awesome cast line up, every well known character actor in Hollywood has been stuck in this but that can't save the film. Brian Benben was for me a bad choice of lead for the story, he's one of those guys that just fits TV roles better and he's also annoyingly unstable here with the most lame physical comedy display. Good ideas with a great era and concept to homage but this falls flat on its face, it should of been a classic but somehow its been fudged well and truly, damn it Lucas!
Lafe F

Gosh, almost as pedantic as a Woody Allen movie. The characters are cardboard cutouts against the CGI backgrounds, which were a test-phase for Star Wars prequels. It's claustrophobic and annoying. I didn't want to be there.

Cast

            Brian Benben as Roger Henderson

            Mary Stuart Masterson as Penny Henderson

            Ned Beatty as Walt Whalen

            George Burns as Milt Lackey

            Scott Michael Campbell as Billy

            Brion James as Bernie King

            Michael Lerner as Lieutenant Cross

            Michael McKean as Rick Rochester

            Jeffrey Tambor as Walt Whalen Jr.

            Stephen Tobolowsky as Max Applewhite

            Christopher Lloyd as Zoltan

            Larry Miller as Katzenback

            Anita Morris as Claudette

            Corbin Bernsen as Dexter Morris

            Dylan Baker as Jasper

            Billy Barty as Himself

            Barry Bell as Cop #1

            Mary Boucher as Soap Box Girl

            Candy Clark as Billy's Mom

            Rosemary Clooney as Anna

            Lou Criscuolo as Cop #4

            Anne De Salvo as Female Writer

            Ellen Albertini Dow as Organist

            Jennifer Dundas as Deirdre

            J. Don Ferguson as Johnny Ace

            Wilbur Fitzgerald as "Tortured" Actor

            Dave Hager as Laughing Man

            Mark Joy as Jack Granite

            Robert Klein as Father Writer

            Harvey Korman as Jules Cogley

            Gary Kroeger as Gork Son of Fire

            Tammy Lauren as "In the Mood" Bandleader

            Joey Lawrence as Frankie Marshall

            Peter MacNicol as Son Writer

            Mark Jeffrey Miller as Cop #7

            Michael P. Moran as Cop #10

            Richard K. Olsen as "Lt. Cross" Actor/Pa

            D. Anthony Pender as Revolving Stage Operator

            Jeffrey Pillars as Nerdy Stagehand

            Robert D. Raiford as Ben Butter

            Jack Sheldon as Ruffles Reedy

            Pam Stone as Dottie

            Robert Walden as Tommy

            Bobcat Goldthwait as Wild Writer

            Harold Bergman as Affiliate

            Randell Haynes as Difficult Actor/Interrogator

            Rebecca Koon as Mildred's Mom/Ma

            Mark Fincannon
            
            Linda Phillips-Palo
            
            Rosalie Joseph
            
            Bo Hopkins as Billy's Father

            Ed Lillard as Loud Affiliate

            Amy Parrish as "The Miller Sisters" Member

            Robert C. Treveiler as Cop #14

            Charles Marsh as Upside Down Yodeller
See full cast