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My Favourite Year film image; man talking and holding a hot dog

My Favourite Year

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The year is 1954, in case you are wondering. Allan Swann (Peter O’Toole in his most entertaining role — which is saying something) is a washed up Hollywood star, clearely modeled on Errol Flynn. Once upon a time he was a swashbuckling heartthrob. Now he’s a swashbuckling alcoholic. He’s booked for an appearance on to a TV comedy show in New York, and one of the junior writers (Mark Linn-Baker in a role loosely based on Mel Brooks) is given the job of keeping him off the booze in the run up to the show. Easier said than done!

In real life, Flynn would expire in Vancouver in 1959, dead from a heart attack at age 50.

O’Toole is simply astounding.

Pauline Kael, The New Yorker

My Favorite Year is a film that rises — and sometimes soars — on the beauty of its central idea and on the loving, intelligent way it’s been fleshed out.

Michael Sragow, Rolling Stone

Director

Richard Benjamin

Cast

Peter O’Toole, Mark Linn-Baker, Jessica Harper, Joseph Bologna

Credits
Country of Origin

USA

Year

1982

Language

English

19+
92 min

Book Tickets

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Credits

Screenwriter

Norman Steinberg, Dennis Palumbo

Cinematography

Gerald Hirschfeld

Editor

Richard Chew

Production Design

Charles Rosen

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