The Honey Pot [Blu-ray]

“The Honey Pot” is a 1967 comedy/drama with a fine cast that did not succeed in its day and is rarely available for streaming. Though it got a video release in 1993 and a DVD in 2005 it was always hard to find and so I jumped at a chance to get it on a Blu-Ray. This is a Kino release so it has only the trailer as a special feature and no closed captioning, but the picture is clear enough and the sound is good. I saw it in its first release in theaters and had enjoyed it then but had never seen it since. The film makes a great deal of it being based on Ben Jonson’s play, “Volpone”, one of the most performed plays of its period that wasn’t written by Shakespeare. The film makes sure you know this by opening with its star, Rex Harrison, watching the play performed in a Venetian theater and making reference to it a number of times. Its screenplay by director Joseph L. Mankiewicz is actually based on a play by Frederick Knott, who had written “Dial M for Murder: and “Wait Until Dark”. He had adapted the play from the novel. ‘The Evil of the Day’ by Thomas Sterling. The character of Volpone (Italian for fox) here is Cecil Sheridan Fox (Rex Harrison) and his servant Mosca (Italian for fly) is William McFly (Cliff Robertson). The play had three men as the possible heirs of Volpone’s fortune while the film makes them three women. After a comic beginning the film changes direction and completely leaves the play behind except for its setting in Venice. Mankiewicz had already had a long and glorious career in Hollywood with Paramount, MGM, 20th Century Fox and as an independent director with his own production company, Figaro. He peaked with double Oscar wins for director and screenplay for “A Letter To Three Wives” (1949) and “All About Eve” (1950). He had unfortunately accepted 20th Century Fox’s offer to direct “Cleopatra” (1963) after Rouben Mamoulian was fired but the financial disaster caused to the studio by the film’s expense ended his career. This, a major film with a big budget, was his bid for a comeback but it did not register with the public who were busy seeing more action-oriented fare like “Cool Hand Luke”, “The Dirty Dozen”, “You Only Live Twice” and “Bonnie and Clyde”. Mankiewicz did make a comeback with his final film, “Sleuth”. The general criticism of the film is that it is too long and it really is at 132 minutes (150 minutes in the U.K. cut). This is said with qualifications. It is not an action film and adding more action wouldn’t really add anything. It’s just rather novelistic in its way of setting the scene, revealing its characters then spinning out a mystery that becomes more intricate as things develop. The director takes his time doing this and I don’t know if there would be another way to do it adequately. You can’t point to scenes that should have been cut here or there. To enjoy the film you have to be ready to sit back and let it reveal itself in its way; it’s full of sharp conversation and the wheel within a wheel mystery is not only clever, but is fair in the sense that a really sharp viewer has a chance to figure it out before everything is revealed. Rex Harrison is at his most droll and magisterial and absolutely marvelous when giving long speeches. The three women, each of whom has had a significant role in his life at one time are each a type. Susan Hayward is a woman of the American West as Miss “Lone Star Crockett” Sheridan who has an ace up her sleeve. Edie Adams is a fading movie star, Merle Mcgill, who is not above some plotting herself. Capucine adds her usual elegance and fashion sense as Princess Dominique and has her own tricks up her sleeve. But the real star of the picture besides Harrison is a young Maggie Smith, who seems to be the only ethical person in the whole group. It had been so long since I had seen it that I had thought her role as Nurse Sarah Watkins would be minor but she’s often the focus of the film.This, her eighth film, was a big step for her cinematically before making “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie”. This leaves Cliff Robertson as McFly, an actor hired to play Fox’s servant. He seems miscast to me and it’s hard to pin down, but he just seems like he should be in an American crime or action film and not here. Adolfo Celi, frequently a film villain, gets a chance to be a good guy and even charming here as Inspector Rizzi. Watch this film when you are in a leisurely mood and give it the time it needs to tell its story and you will be rewarded.

Excellent movie! Great plot with some twists and turn one doesn't expect. A young Maggie Smith ( in Harry Potter), Rex Harrison from My Fair Lady.

Entertaining story with interesting characters. Many plot twists and somewhat unlikely happenings but still enjoyable. It's rather old now (made in 1960's) and many actors are no longer with us.

The more I see this film, the more I find it offers ideas to think about, or I find something that I've missed. Always a good sign when seeing a film in multiple viewings. It kind of fascinates me, and the acting is great, the cast, you can't beat, and Maggie Smith trumps all- what could be better than that, so 5 stars is for the film.... I orginally owned a non US region DVD version of this film which I thought looked pretty great. But I did spring for this new Blu-Ray US release and thought a lot of it did not look a whole lot better than my originial DVD copy. Some scenes do indeed look quite good, but in general, I thought this release was inconsistant looking, and not up to any really high Blu-Ray quality standards. The price point on these releases from Kino is no bargin either. There certainly is no 2 or 4K restoration going on here, which usually is worth the money when that kind of Blu-Ray on an older film comes out.

The Honey Pot is a great movie; plot, screenplay, acting, directing, and production. Anyone familiar with Rex Harrison, Cliff Robertson and the others would expect a well acted movie, if you're not familiar with them you're in for a great treat. The plot and screenplay would appeal to anyone who appreciates subtle, yet amusing, twists and a dash of irony. I especially love the ending where, once again, everything gets turned upside down.

Not a great fan of Rex Harrison. Story was a bit weak.

The sensational script by Director Joseph L. Mankiewicz in 1967 based on a play by the author of Alfred Hichkock's Dial M for Murder Frederick Knott. A rich man, expertly played by Rex Harrison invites three old girlfriends to hear his will. The three, a European Princess, elegantly played by Capucine, a Hollywood actress, played by Edie Adams with cool vivacity and another played by Susan Hayward he was involved with years ago in the Southwest and she is definitely ready to eliminate the competition. She is waited on by nurse, perfectly played by a lofty Maggie Smith. The host is assisted by an actor he hires wonderfully played by Cliff Robertson. Adolfo Celi rounds at the sensational cast and fortunately there is no overacting to ruin this perfect material. I first saw this more than forty years ago was to young then to appreciate its extreme sophistication. I will never tire of it!

***** 1967. Written for the screen and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. The film is inspired by Ben Jonson Volpone (New Mermaids) , Frederick Knott's MR. FOX OF VENICE and Thomas Sterling's The Evil of the Day . THE HONEY POT is a firework of wit and unforgettable lines and a lesson of mise-en-scene. Strange that the actual only DVD release of this masterpiece comes from Spain. But, believe me, this DVD is worth the extra money you'll spend for it. The copy is gorgeous and comes with, apart from the dubbed Spanish versions (2.0 and 5.1), the original English version with optional English subtitles. A gallery of photos, a synopsis and a few trailers as bonus features. You can also find here VHS versions if you want : The Honey Pot and Honey Pot .

Pues me ha gustado todo, puesta en escena, actores, todo. Te engancha, Saludos.

The Honey pot! Costava troppo così ho preso la versione spagnola. La storia è veramente intrigante. Avevo già visto questo film tanti anni fa. Ora ne cercherò un altro con Rex Harrison.

impeccable

THE HONEY POT [1967 / 2015] [Blu-ray] You Are Cordially Invited To Enjoy A Perfectly Elegant Case of Murder . . . And That Can Be Dangerous! Millionaire Cecil Fox [Rex Harrison] feigns terminal illness in an attempt to trick three of his former mistresses and find out which of them really cares for him rather his money. The women soon come to his bedside, but what was intended as a wily scheme soon becomes serious as one of his former lovers attempts to give nature a helping hand... Directed by acclaimed film-maker Joseph L. Mankiewicz [‘All About Eve’], this comedy re-working of “VOLPONE” [1606 comedy play] and stars the great Rex Harrison [‘My Fair Lady’], Susan Hayward [‘Valley of the Dolls’] and Cliff Robertson [‘Obsession’]. FILM FACT: The film was shot on location in Venice and in the Cinecittà studios in Rome. Anne Bancroft was originally offered the role of Merle McGill, but she chose instead to star in Michael Cacoyannis' Broadway staging of John Whiting's “The Devils.” The film was based on the play “Mr. Fox of Venice” by Frederick Knott, the novel “The Evil of the Day” by Thomas Sterling, and loosely on the 1606 play “VOLPONE” by Ben Jonson. Cast: Rex Harrison, Susan Hayward, Cliff Robertson, Capucine, Edie Adams, Dame Maggie Smith, Adolfo Celi, Hugh Manning, David Dodimead, Raymond Burr (uncredited), Mimmo Poli (uncredited) and Luigi Scavran (uncredited) Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz Producer: Charles K. Feldman Screenplay: Joseph L. Mankiewicz and Thomas Sterling (novel) Composer: John Addison Cinematography: Gianni di Venanzo Video Resolution: 1080p [Color by DeLuxe] Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Audio: English: 1.0 LPCM Mono Audio and English: 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo Subtitles: English SDH Running Time: 131 minutes Region: Region B/2 Number of discs: 1 Studio: United Artists / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: Joseph L. Mankiewicz as always loves playing an elegant and intricate joke on the audience as well as on the characters that he has assembled to attend the pseudo-death-bed performance of the hero of his film, ‘THE HONEY POT.’ Joseph L. Mankiewicz as always is genteelly prefacing this fable of a morbidly humorous scamp who invites three former mistresses to his palazzo in Venice to watch him die, with a cute little prologue suggesting that his drama is based on or inspired by Ben Jonson's 1606 comedy play, "Volpone," which is a classic Elizabethan stage presentation. However, Joseph L. Mankiewicz has made it with consummate style. His Venetian setting is excellent for the wicked business at hand, beautiful and ominous in colour, and the performances are superb, even though it is difficult to fathom who and what these people are, Rex Harrison has one genuinely charming and touching scene with Dame Maggie Smith towards the end of the film, and the concluding twist is a cutie. After catching a performance of the play “Volpone,” Cecil Fox [Rex Harrison] has the idea of playing a prank on some of his former lovers. He decides to send letters to three of his former lovers, like actress Merle McGill [Edie Adams], Princess Dominique [Capucine], and his common law wife Lone Star Crockett Sheridan [Susan Hayward] in telling them he is on his deathbed and his heir has yet to be decided. Cecil Fox is perfectly healthy; he just wants to see how they react. Cecil Fox hires out of work actor William McFly [Cliff Robertson] to pose as his assistant and help carry out this scheme. Since Cecil Fox is a very wealthy man, naturally the three women rush to be by his side. When William McFly the “Lone Star” arrives with her personal nurse Sarah Watkins [Dame Maggie Smith] in tow, she is confident that she will inherit his estate since she is his common law wife. That night, Sarah Watkins goes out with William McFly and when she returns, she finds “Lone Star” dead, looking as though she had overdosed on sleeping pills. But Sarah Watkins knows it couldn’t have been an accidental overdose or suicide. Even though “Lone Star” took sleeping pills regularly, Sarah Watkins made a point of giving her placebos to take at night so she couldn’t possibly take too many. Someone else had to have given “Lone Star” the pills that killed her. After a police officer pays a visit to question Cecil Fox and his guests, Sarah finds out that Cecil Fox isn’t really dying; it’s all a ridiculous prank. Since Sarah had told William that Lone Star took sleeping pills, she immediately suspects him of killing her and believes he may be planning to kill Cecil Fox next. William is innocent, so when Cecil Fox turns up dead, the story only becomes more twisted. I really enjoyed ‘THE HONEY POT,’ and of course the entire cast is absolutely wonderful; I positively adored Rex Harrison, Maggie Smith, and Susan Hayward in this film, especially being professional British thespians. Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s screenplay and direction is totally masterful as always in this film, like in all of his other films. The tone of the film changes sharply from dark comedy to murder mystery, but Joseph L. Mankiewicz was able to make it work. The comedic parts are extremely witty and the murder mystery aspect is loaded with twists to keep you on your toes. ‘THE HONEY POT’ is up there as one of those films I’m going to have to watch again to make sure that I caught all the twist and turn details. I’m definitely glad I decided to give this film a chance and an honour to have it included my Blu-ray Collection and especially adding to my ever increasing Joseph L. Mankiewicz films also. But most importantly, John Addison has contributed a dandy musical score. Blu-ray Video Quality – Signal One Entertainment presents us ‘THE HONEY POT’ in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The film is presented in a very impressive 1080p encoded image. The level of detail on display within the photography is impressive, and is especially noticeable in close-ups of the actors; the colour reproduction is equally impressive. For the most part, the picture has the structure and texture of a 35mm film, though some sequences seem to show evidence of digital sharpening and/or edge enhancement. In fact, there’s a very slight inconsistency to some aspects of the image, with some shots here and there evidencing much more damage than others, and other shots displaying a difference in texture. There are clearly a few shots that have been cropped in postproduction, but a few others seem have been spliced in from a lesser source. On the whole, it’s a deeply pleasing presentation of the film. Playback Region B/2: This will not play on most Blu-ray players sold in North America, Central America, South America, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Learn more about Blu-ray region specifications. Blu-ray Audio Quality – Signal One Entertainment presents us ‘THE HONEY POT’ with a very nice 1.0 LPCM Mono Audio track that has a rich and dynamic performance. It is also one which is very clean for a film released in 1967, especially with the recording techniques that were not so sophisticated in 1967, that you would expect from audio sounds presentation that you get with films released to a modern audience today. Still, this is a great and fine job of now releasing ‘THE HONEY POT’ on the Blu-ray format. But overall Signal One Entertainment have made a great effort on their part of getting the best audio presentation on what was available from the master copy. Again this Signal One Entertainment Blu-ray release offers a totally rich and rewarding 1.0 LPCM Mono Audio track, as I am very happy and very pleased with this UK Release’s audio presentation. So anyone purchasing this particular Blu-ray UK Release will be very well rewarded. Blu-ray Special Features and Extras: High Definition 1080p Transfer Special Feature: Rex Harrison Guardian Interview [Audio only] [1:26:25] Here we find Rex Harrison in conversation at the National Film Theatre that was recorded in front of a live audience on the 4th April, 1971 and it was courtesy of the BFI National Archive. The recording exhibits a range of problems which are to be expected given its age and the nature of its production. In addition to those problems affecting the recording of the main speaker, also questions from the audience are often difficult to hear. They hope that these issues will not detract from your enjoyment of this historical document. At first I thought I would hate to endure this interview session with Rex Harrison, but I found it was totally the opposite, despite the bad recording, because Rex Harrison was totally fascinating to hear all his anecdotes on his life time in acting on stage, screen and in films and it was also very informative and it had some extremely funny moments that made laugh out loud and all in all it was the most fascinating and enjoyable 1:26:25 time listening to this and I can definitely recommended this, as you too will find it one of the best Guardian Interviews ever. Special Feature: Joseph L. Mankiewicz Guardian Interview [Audio only] [1:38:10] Here we find Joseph L. Mankiewicz in conversation with David Shipman at the National Film Theatre that was recorded in front of a live audience on the 25th August, 1982 and it was courtesy of the BFI National Archive. The recording exhibits a range of problems which are to be expected given its age and the nature of its production. In addition to those problems affecting the recording of the main speaker, also questions from the audience are often difficult to hear. They hope that these issues will not detract from your enjoyment of this historical document. Once again I thought this was going to be a painful experience, but luckily in places it was very rewarding, but one thing that didn’t help, is that Joseph L. Mankiewicz was nothing like Rex Harrison, as he tended to slur his words and was at time is very hard to hear what he had to say, and the bad recording didn’t help. But what we do hear is very interesting and talks a lot about the making of the film ‘ALL ABOUT EVE’ and why he moved heaven and earth to get Bette Davis for the leading role and also talks a lot of behind-the-scenes information on the process of getting this film off the ground. Joseph L. Mankiewicz also talks fondly about Marilyn Monroe and the reason for the sad demise of this beautiful starlet. Joseph L. Mankiewicz also talks about the sad demise of the Hollywood star system and is not very keen on the so called actors of today, who feels they are full of themselves. Joseph L. Mankiewicz also talks at length about the actors he has admired and who he enjoyed working with. Again, despite the bad audio recording, please stick it out, as you will get well rewarded and there are some hilarious comedy moments to amuse you. Special Feature: Press Book and Stills Gallery [1080p] You get to view a total of 12 Black-and-White images of the Studio Press promotional items and Studio Promotional photographs. You have to press the play button to move onto the next image. Theatrical Trailer [1967] [1080i] [1.78:1] [2:38] This is the Original Theatrical Trailer for the film ‘THE HONEY POT.’ Unfortunately the trailer is of poor quality, the presentation was first class. Finally, sadly this was a commercial flop at the time of its original release; ‘THE HONEY POT’ is a compromised picture, with the changes made to it during both the pre- and post-production leaving it with a weak imprint and resulting in a film that often feels rather unfocused. Despite its ostensibly ‘dark’ subject matter, ‘THE HONEY POT’ is a fairly lightweight, entertaining film, though it outstays its welcome slightly. It’s a fun picture, however, with some good performances from its stars, especially as it was directed by a genius Joseph L. Mankiewicz. This Blu-ray release from Signal One Entertainment is very good. The presentation of the main feature is impressive, though as noted above, there seems to be some material patched in from a lesser source, and it’s worth noting that the Blu-ray is of the shorter, and most widely-seen, 132 minute cut of the film). One thing I am so pleased of is I am so pleased I waited for this Region B/2 Blu-ray Release, as the KINO LORBER Region A/1 Release is a total disgrace, as you only get the Theatrical Trailer as an Extra, shame on you KINO LORBER, as usual. Highly Recommended! Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Fan Le Cinema Paradiso WARE, United Kingdom

The Honey Pot is a witty and stylish film about a supposedly rich man who intends to play a practical joke on three women from his past. He engages the services of an extremely intelligent and well educated drifter to assist him by being, in effect, the stage manager of the charade. All goes according to plan until, quite unexpectedly, someone is murdered. Suddenly, it seems, there might be more to the joke than was originally obvious. The acting in The Honey Pot is of a very high standard. The cast contains three of the finest players ever to appear in movies, Rex Harrison, Maggie Smith and Edie Adams but the rest of the cast are all excellent too. Adolfo Celi surprised me, a subtle, clever performance, so different from his turn in Thunderball. The cinematography and sets are superb. This film presents Venice in a sombre light, literally. The Honey Pot is a film that divides audiences. Those who appreciate witty and literate entertainments enjoy the film enormously; those who don't, don't. The Blu-ray disc from Signal One is splendid. The picture quality and sound are above rational criticism. The images display great detail and show the various shadings of the colours perfectly. The "extras" are absolute gems, rare and essential: two long lost, long forgotten on-stage interviews with Rex Harrison and Joseph Mankiewicz at London's National Film Theatre. Sadly, their sound quality is not good. I was there for the Joseph Mankiewicz interview and, unless my memory is playing tricks on me, - quite possible of course, it was a long, long time ago - the interview has been very slightly edited. No great matter. This interview is essential listening for anyone really interested in the Old Hollywood. Want to hear about Louis B. Mayer? Listen to Mankiewicz. Want to know the strengths and weaknesses of Darryl F. Zanuck? Listen to Mankiewicz. Want a reality check on that silly rumour about who wrote Citizen Kane? Listen to Mankiewicz. Want to learn about that famous meeting of Hollywood directors where John Ford stood up and said "My name is John Ford. I make Westerns" and then proceeded to destroy Cecil B. de Mille's credibility? Listen to Mankiewicz. I'm delighted with this new Blu-ray disc from Signal One Entertainment. I hope they continue as they have begun.