Light comedian-turned-director Richard Benjamin (Goodbye Columbus, Catch-22) created his most enjoyable film via tales of the backstage antics on Sid Caesar's top-rated 50s TV series. Here Joe Bologna is demented megalomaniac King Kaiser, whose live show is doomed to mayhem when drunken has-been swashbuckling movie star Alan Swann (Peter O'Toole) reels on the week's guest slot.
O'Toole, who was nominated for the Best Actor Ocscar in 1983 for his role here, is a riot as the uncontrollable, permanently carousing rake with innocent production assistant/minder Mark Linn-Baker trailing with helpless admiration in his wake.