The World's Greatest Lover (1977)

22% of critics liked it
(9 reviews)
54% of users liked it
(551 ratings)

After writing, directing, and starring in The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother, Gene Wilder added the producer's hat to his three-headed beast in The World's Greatest Lover. Wilder plays Rudy Valentine, a Milwaukee baker who enters a talent search in the Hollywood of the 1920s,… More After writing, directing, and starring in The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother, Gene Wilder added the producer's hat to his three-headed beast in The World's Greatest Lover. Wilder plays Rudy Valentine, a Milwaukee baker who enters a talent search in the Hollywood of the 1920s, initiated by movie studio mogul Zitz (Dom DeLuise), to find a new Rudolph Valentino. He travels to Hollywood with his wife Annie (Carol Kane) in hopes of taking a screen test, but Annie falls in love with the real Valentino. Jealous of the Latin Lover, Rudy disguises himself as a sheik in an attempt to look like Valentino. Rudy then invites Annie to a rendezvous at the studio, where he tries to seduce his own wife. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 29 min.
Directed By: Gene Wilder
Genres: Comedy

In Theaters: Dec 18, 1977 Wide
On DVD: Apr 4, 2006
Studio: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Austin Kennedy, Sin Magazine
In a generation that's filled with cynical, ultra-raunchy, dark comedies, this was refreshing to me. There's a certain innocence in this kind of immature humor that I miss from the movies.
Chuck O'Leary, FulvueDrive-in.com
A shrill, silly farce that starts out with some funny moments but quickly fizzles and ends up being quite lame.
Mark Bourne, DVDJournal.com
Even those of us with a longtime and well-earned affection for Gene Wilder have to respond to The World's Greatest Lover ... with a dispirited sigh.
Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan
Misfire by Gene Wilder who finds he is not Mel Brooks after all.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
This really just doesn't work.
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com
The best moments are certainly worth seeing (particularly if, like me, you simply love to see Gene Wilder work) though the film as a whole is screamingly inconsistent.

Read all 6 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

AJ V

I loved this movie, It stars two of my favourite actors, and it's also directed by Wilder. The story is hilarious as are the jokes within it. I highly recommend this movie to fans.
Anthony V

Not Gene Wilder's best.

Cast

            Gene Wilder as Rudy Valentine

            Carol Kane as Annie

            Dom DeLuise as Zitz

            Fritz Feld as Hotel Manager

            Carl Ballantine as Uncle Harry

            Michael Huddleston as Barber

            Carol Arthur as Woman in Record Store

            Pat Ast as Bakery/Wardrobe Lady

            Candice Azzara as Anne Calassandro

            Elya Baskin as Actor with Bad Breath

            Nora Boland as Woman

            Teda Bracci as Whore #3

            Stanley Brock as Yes Man #2

            Cousin Buddy as Himself

            Warren Burton as Drag Queen

            Matt Collins as Rudolph Valentino

            Rita Conde as Whore #1

            Lou Cutell as Mr. Kipper

            Danny DeVito as Assistant Director

            Hannah Dean as Maid

            Nick Dimitri as Boyfriend on Train

            Richard Dimitri as Tony Lassiter

            Josip Elic as Headwaiter

            Lydia Goya as Singer in Jail

            Zooey Hall as Finalist #1

            Alvin Hammer as Second Wardrobe Man

            David Huddleston
            
            Charles Knapp as Bakery Foreman

            George Memmoli as Truck Driver

            Jorge Moreno as Mexican Gangster

            Frank O'Brien as Yes Man #4

            Lupe Ontiveros as Whore #2

            Poncie Ponce as Pineapple

            Jack Riley as Projectionist

            Billy Sands as Guard

            Norbert Schiller as Captain

            Rolfe Sedan as Conductor

            Marya Small as Slave Girl #2

            Bunny Summers as Mother on Train

            Florence Sundstrom as Aunt Tillie

            Pavla Ustinov as Leading Lady

            Sal Viscuso as Assistant Director

            Speedy Zapata as Mexican Sidekick

            Robert Ball
            
            James Hong as Yes Man #3

            David Levy as Elevator Operator

            Sidney Miller as Man at the Table

            Richard Roth as Chico

            Patrick Regan as Assistant Director

            Peter Elbing as Robert Drake

            Frederico Roberto
            
            Harriet Gibson
            
            Gino Gottarelli as Make-up Man

            Richard Karron as Bodyguard

            Gustaf Unger
            
            RONNY GRAHAM as Director

            Mike McManus as Yes Man #5

            James Gleason as Room Clerk
See full cast