Cheaper to Keep Her (film)
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| Cheaper to Keep Her | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Ken Annakin |
| Written by | Timothy Harris Herschel Weingrod |
| Produced by | Lenny Isenberg |
| Starring | Mac Davis Tovah Feldshuh Priscilla Lopez Jack Gilford Rose Marie Art Metrano |
| Cinematography | Roland 'Ozzie' Smith |
| Edited by | Edward Warschilka |
| Music by | Dick Halligan |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | American Cinema Releasing |
Release date |
|
Running time | 92 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $2.4 million[1] |
Cheaper to Keep Her is a 1981 American comedy film directed by Ken Annakin, which starred singer-turned-actor Mac Davis alongside Tovah Feldshuh.
Plot
[edit]William "Bill" Dekker (Davis) is a newly divorced swinger who goes to work for an attorney named K. D. Locke (Feldshuh) as an investigator. His assignments have him tracking down divorced men who have reneged on their alimony and child support payments, a twist of irony considering not only his chauvinistic tendencies, but also the fact that he himself is relying on the money he receives from his assignments to cover his own alimony payments. The film takes its title from the song of the same name, which can be heard over the opening credits.
Cast
[edit]- Mac Davis as Bill Dekker
- Tovah Feldshuh as K.D. Locke
- Bruce Flanders as Leon
- Steven M. Gagnon as Peter
- Gina Gallego as Sister #1
- Jack Gilford as Stanley Bracken
- Patrick Gorman as Maitre d'
- Chuck Hicks as Abe
- Gwen Humble as Laura
- Gloria LeRoy as Woman on Diving Board
- Priscilla Lopez as Theresa
- Rose Marie as Ida Bracken
- Ian McShane as Dr. Alfred Sunshine
- Art Metrano as Tony Turino
Critical reception
[edit]Critical reaction to the film has been overwhelmingly negative. Leonard Maltin rated it a BOMB, while the reviewing duo of Mick Martin and Marsha Porter labeled it a turkey. Gene Siskel, who registered the film for a "Dog of the Week" segment on PBS' Sneak Previews,[2] called it "a pathetic comedy" with misleading advertising, adding:
The comedy is lame, the sex is childish, and the only reason the film has an "R" rating is because of a single swear word. "Cheaper to Keep Her" is a cheaply made, sloppily photographed comedy that isn't even on a par with the few made-for-TV movies I've seen. It should disappear from town in a week.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ Donahue, Suzanne Mary (1987). American film distribution : the changing marketplace. UMI Research Press. p. 302. Please note figures are for rentals in US and Canada
- ^ "Nighthawks/Modern Romance/Heaven's Gate/Excalibur/Napoleon", Sneak Previews. Chicago Educational Television Association. April 23, 1981.
- ^ Siskel, Gene (March 31, 1981). "Seeing 'Cheaper to Keep Her', might be a costly mistake". Chicago Tribune. Section 3, p. 5.
External links
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- 1981 films
- 1981 comedy films
- American comedy films
- Films directed by Ken Annakin
- Regal Entertainment films
- Films with screenplays by Timothy Harris (writer)
- Films with screenplays by Herschel Weingrod
- 1980s English-language films
- 1980s American films
- English-language comedy films
- 1980s comedy film stubs
- 1980s American film stubs