Film Snail

California Suite
California Suite

5.8

California Suite

PG·1978·103m

Summary

The misadventures of four groups of guests at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

Cast

Jane Fonda

Jane Fonda

Hannah Warren

Alan Alda

Alan Alda

Bill Warren

Maggie Smith

Maggie Smith

Diana Barrie

Michael Caine

Michael Caine

Sidney Cochran

Walter Matthau

Walter Matthau

Marvin Michaels

Elaine May

Elaine May

Millie Michaels

Herb Edelman

Herb Edelman

Harry Michaels

Denise Galik

Denise Galik

Bunny

Richard Pryor

Richard Pryor

Dr. Chauncey Gump

Bill Cosby

Bill Cosby

Dr. Willis Panama

Gloria Gifford

Gloria Gifford

Lola Gump

Sheila Frazier

Sheila Frazier

Bettina Panama

David Sheehan

David Sheehan

David Sheehan

Michael Boyle

Desk Clerk

Len Lawson

Len Lawson

Frank

Gino Ardito

Plumber

Jerrold Ziman

Man on Phone

Clint Young

Doorman

David Matthau

David Matthau

Bellboy

James Espinoza

James Espinoza

Busboy

Buddy Douglas

Page

Armand Cerami

Charley

Joseph Morena

Herb

Brian Cummings

Brian Cummings

Autograph Seeker

Bill Kux

Bill Kux

Autograph Seeker

Zora Margolis

Autograph Seeker

Rita Gomez

Maid

Tina Menard

Maid

Lupe Ontiveros

Lupe Ontiveros

Maid

Bert May

Waiter

Eddie Villery

Waiter

Army Archerd

Army Archerd

Paolo Frediani

Handsome Actor

Judith Hannah Brown

Oscar Winner

Gary Hendrix

Oscar Winner's Date

Christopher Pennock

Policeman

Jack Scanlan

P.R. Man

Bill Steinmetz

P.R. Man

Dana Plato

Dana Plato

Jenny

Nora Boland

Passenger

David Rini

Airline Representative

John Hawker

Sky Cap

Frank Conn

Bobby

Colleen Drape

Stewardess

Linda Ewen

Stewardess

Kelly Harmon

Stewardess

Tawny Moyer

Tawny Moyer

Stewardess

Leslie Pagett

Stewardess

Vicki Stephens

Stewardess

Nan Wylder

Stewardess

Benjie Bancroft

Commuter (uncredited)

James Coburn

James Coburn

Actor in Diana's Movie (uncredited)

Laura Gile

Restaurant Patron (uncredited)

Bob Harks

Bob Harks

Plane Passenger (uncredited)

Paul LeClair

Paul LeClair

Restaurant Patron (uncredited)

Norman Palmer

Restaurant Patron (uncredited)

Leoda Richards

Leoda Richards

Restaurant Patron (uncredited)

Stan Rodarte

Stan Rodarte

Dancer (uncredited)

Arthur Tovey

Arthur Tovey

Restaurant Patron (uncredited)

Catherine Wilkinson

Original Daughter (uncredited)

Crew

Director

Herbert Ross

Screenplay

Neil Simon

Reviews

Geronimo1967

Geronimo1967

January 17, 2024

6

Neil Simon isn't really at his best with this rather hit or miss telling of four families who happen to stay at the world famous Beverly Hills Hotel. The divorced "Warren" family - Jane Fonda & Alan Alda are squabbling over the future of their teenage daughter. She has custody but the youngster wants to spend more time with her father and that's causing no end of self doubt and frustration with her mother. "Marvin" (Walter Matthau) comes on a day ahead of his wife "Millie" (Elaine May) and manages to find himself with an hooker who has no idea when it's a good time to wake up and leave. Richard Pryor and Bill Cosby are brothers travelling with their wives who find an hotel mishap leaves one couple in luxury, the other in a glorified bedsit. Finally, the best of the script falls to Maggie Smith and Michael Caine as the married couple in town because she's been nominated for an Oscar. Last minutes nerves, wobbles, loads of gin and a constant search for validation from her loving but not the most gushing of husbands provides us with much of the best sarcasm and wit contained here, and those scenes - sparing after the half way mark give us most of what's worth watching here. The Pryor/Cosby and Matthau/May scenarios are more contrived and don't work nearly so well and the initial melodrama really only offers Fonda a chance to deliver some lengthy monologues of, occasionally pithy, dialogue. It does poke fun at some of the more facile elements of life and fame, but the episodic nature of the storytelling I found to be a little disjointed and not really that funny.

Media

Status:

Released

Original Language:

English

Budget:

$0.00

Revenue:

$42,000,000.00

Keywords

hotel
husband wife relationship
based on play or musical
beverly hills
multiple storylines
luxury hotel