- Moon over Parador
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Moon Over Parador 
Theatrical release posterDirected by Paul Mazursky Produced by Paul Mazursky Screenplay by Leon Capetanos
Paul MazurskyBased on Caviar for His Excellency by
Charles G. BoothStarring Richard Dreyfuss
Raúl Juliá
Sônia BragaMusic by Maurice Jarre Cinematography Donald McAlpine Editing by Stuart H. Pappé Distributed by Universal Pictures Release date(s) September 9, 1988 Running time 103 minutes Country United States Language English Box office $11,444,204[1] Moon over Parador is a 1988 romantic comedy film, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Raúl Juliá and Sonia Braga. It is a remake of the 1939 film The Magnificent Fraud, based on the unpublished short story entitled Caviar for His Excellency by Charles G. Booth.
Contents
Plot
The film follows the exploits of film actor Jack Noah (Dreyfuss), who is filming in the small, fictional South American country of Parador when the Paradorian President for Life suddenly dies of a heart attack. Not wanting to lose his position in power, the president's right-hand man, Roberto Strausmann (Juliá) forces Jack to take the 'role of a lifetime' - that of the dead president, as the two men look so much alike. Jack accepts, eventually winning over the people and even the dead president's mistress, Madonna (Braga). However, when paradise proves to be too boring, Jack needs to find a way to get out while keeping Roberto out of the loop.
The movie attempts to generate suspense by establishing that Jack Noah is in physical jeopardy so long as he remains in Parador. However, the film is told in flashback, with an opening scene establishing that Jack has returned to New York City.
Production notes
The following concern production aspects of the film:
- During a scene where Jack has to address the crowd as the Paradorian President, he ad-libs his lines and uses the text for the song "The Impossible Dream" from Man of La Mancha.
- Sammy Davis Jr.'s rendition of Parador's national anthem is sung against the music for "Bésame Mucho".
- The previous Paradorian National Anthem ("O Parador") is sung to the tune of "O Christmas Tree".
- Ralph (Jonathan Winters) tells a long story concerning an English pirate who founded the country of Parador to explain why Alphonse Simms has an Anglo-Saxon surname. The real reason is that the film was shot in Brazil, and director Paul Mazursky needed a shot of a crowd of Brazilian extras chanting the dictator's name. When the crowd is calling out "Simms! Simms!", they are actually chanting "Sim! Sim!" "Sim" is "yes" in Portuguese, the language of Brazil.
- Director Paul Mazursky appears uncredited in drag, playing Simms' mother.
- Mazursky's wife Betsy appears at a buffet table and asks, "Por favor, is it safe to eat this lettuce here?" His daughter, Jill, plays the assistant director of the second film crew to shoot in Parador.
- In the beginning, while both the President and Jack are in the scene, the President is played by Dreyfuss' older brother Lorin.
Cast
- Richard Dreyfuss - Jack Noah/President Alphonse Simms
- Lorin Dreyfuss - Real Alphonse Simms
- Raúl Juliá - Roberto Strausmann
- Sonia Braga - Madonna Mendez
- Dana Delany - Jenny
- Jonathan Winters - Ralph
- Fernando Rey - Alejandro
- Michael Greene - Clint
- Polly Holliday - Midge
- Milton Gonçalves - Carlo
- Charo - Madame Loop
- Marianne Sägebrecht - Magda
- Sammy Davis, Jr. - Himself
- Ike Pappas - Himself
- Edward Asner - Himself
- Reinhard Kolldehoff - Gunther
Locations
- New York City, New York, USA
- Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Rio de Janeiro City, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Awards and nominations
- Nominated, "Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture" - Raúl Juliá
- Nominated, "Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture" - Sônia Braga
References
- ^ "Moon Over Parador (1988)". Box Office Mojo. 1988-10-11. http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=moonoverparador.htm. Retrieved 2011-02-14.
External links
- Moon over Parador at the Internet Movie Database
- Moon over Parador at AllRovi
Films directed by Paul Mazursky 1960s Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969)1970s Alex in Wonderland (1970) • Blume in Love (1973) • Harry and Tonto (1974) • Next Stop, Greenwich Village (1976) • An Unmarried Woman (1978)1980s Willie & Phil (1980) • Tempest (1982) • Moscow on the Hudson (1984) • Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986) • Moon over Parador (1988) • Enemies, A Love Story (1989)1990s Scenes from a Mall (1991) • The Pickle (1993) • Faithful (1996)2000s Coast to Coast (2003) • Yippee (2006)Categories:- American films
- English-language films
- 1988 films
- Films directed by Paul Mazursky
- 1980s comedy films
- American comedy films
- Films about actors
- Films set in a fictional South American country
- Films shot in Brazil
- Films shot in New York City
- Universal Pictures films
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