What did I just watch?
This is a Merchant Ivory Film which is NOT about England at the dawn of a new century, so I’m not entirely sure what to do with it. It’s loosely based on a poem which is loosely based on the Fatty Arbuckle scandal. Very loosely.
James Coco plays Jolly Grimm, a silent comic actor throwing a party in order to sell his latest picture, despite so many studios moving to sound films. His long time and long abused girlfriend Queenie (Raquel Welch) is in charge of making sure everything goes perfectly. Of course, it doesn’t. As the night melts into a chaotic mix of booze, orgies, and Jolly taking out all of his frustrations on Queenie, she is driven into the arms of a new Hollywood star.
All of this is observed by Jimmy (David Dukes), Jolly’s writing collaborator and Queenie’s friend. He predicted doom from the start as he 1) saw that Jolly was being extra hard on Queenie and 2) felt the new film could have been better thus asking that his name be taken off of it. While he watches the Hollywood royalty and L.A. elite descend into debauchery, Jimmy begins to create couplets in his head to wax philosophical of a series of wasted lives. As a writer who doesn’t want to be at a party would - either that or go find the house’s pet or hide in a corner.
SPOILER ALERT
Jolly gets drunker by the second, almost kisses an underage dancer, and grows depressed that he’s lost Queenie forever. The party ends with him firing up a staircase, killing Queenie’s lover. When Jimmy tries to stop him, he’s also shot and not in time to save Queenie who dies in Jolly’s arms. And what does Jimmy do in the hospital? Why write down his poem of course! Personally, I would have written it as an article and sold it to a tabloid. If you get shot by a trusted collaborator, you should be able to make the quickest money off of it.