Fedora (1978)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Billy Wilder

Writers:

Tom Tryon (story)
Billy Wilder (writer) ...

Release Date:

29 June 1978 (West Germany)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Hollywood producer Barry 'Dutch' Detweiler attempts to lure Fedora, a famous but reclusive film actress out of retirement.

Plot Keywords:

One Word Title | Film Making | Character Name In Title

Awards:

1 win

Cast

William Holden	...	Barry 'Dutch' Detweiler
Marthe Keller	...	Fedora / Antonia Sobryanski
Hildegard Knef	...	Countess Fedora Sobryanski
José Ferrer	...	Doctor Vando
Frances Sternhagen	...	Miss Balfour
Mario Adorf	...	Corfu Hotel Manager
Stephen Collins	...	Young Barry
Henry Fonda	...	President of the Academy
Michael York	...	Himself
Hans Jaray	...	Count Sobryanski
Gottfried John	...	Kritos
Arlene Francis	...	Newscaster
Jacques Maury	...	Head Usher
Christine Mueller	...	Young Antonia
Ellen Schwiers	...	Nurse

Also Known As:

Fedora (West Germany)
Fedora (Austria) (Liechtenstein) [de]
Den gådefulde Fedora (Denmark) [da]
Faidora (Greece) [el]
Fedora (Spain) [es]
Fedora - arvoituksellinen nainen (Finland) [fi]
O Segredo de Fedora (Portugal) [pt]

Runtime:

Spain:116 min | Sweden:114 min | USA:114 min

Country:

France | West Germany

Language:

English | Greek | French

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Hungary:14 | West Germany:12 (f) | Finland:K-16 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Corfu, Greece

Company:

Bavaria Atelier

Trivia:

Faye Dunaway was originally offered the role of Fedora, and Marlene Dietrich was asked to play Countess Sobryanski.

Quotes:

Doctor Vando: [disbelieving] Jean Sibelius tacky?!?

Movie Connections:

References Mister Roberts (1955)

Wilder's worst

It is embarrassing to watch a former master of the medium (Billy Wilder) create a shallow, bitter little piece like this. His lead character, a filmmaker desperate to work again, chases an aging movie star for his movie. He rails against the new kids taking over the movie industry with their hand-held cameras, dismissing in a stroke a whole new generation of filmmakers. The story is based on the thinnest of ideas, Holden looks like he has a hangover in every scene, and there is the stench of desperation hanging over the whole enterprise. We have all seen played out far too many times the sad tale of the former great this- or-that attempting a comeback and flopping because the juice is gone. That sums this movie up in spades. All in all it's a sad piece of work, and a reminder to bow out gracefully.