"The Honey Pot" was not successful when it was released. I assume much of this is because the film is VERY unusual. The first half is a clever comedy but midway through the film, it abruptly becomes a murder mystery. The end result is a film that seems like two different films chopped apart and glued together. For me, I wish it had stuck with the comedy throughout--it would have been a better film.
The film is about a very rich man (Rex Harrison) who has decided to enact his own real-life version of the Ben Johnson play "Valpone". It's a play in which a man pretends to be dying and does this to fool his friends. Like "Valpone" (which literally means 'the fox'), Harrison's name is Fox. However, in this case, Fox has invited his three ex-wives to his home--telling them through his secretary (Cliff Robertson) that he's dying. However, instead of this complicated plan being seen through to the end, folks start dying. What gives?! The film has a nice cast. In addition to Harrison and Robertson, there are the wives (Capucine, Edie Adams and Susan Hayward--who is quite entertaining). Also, Adolfo Celi and Maggie Smith are along for support. However, despite the story being directed by the brilliant Joseph L. Mankiewicz, it just didn't work. It wasn't just that the film was two different films but the ending was VERY talky and had to explain everything to the audience--which was very awkward. Overall, the film is also a bit overlong. For me, despite some nice performances, it just didn't work.
The film is about a very rich man (Rex Harrison) who has decided to enact his own real-life version of the Ben Johnson play "Valpone". It's a play in which a man pretends to be dying and does this to fool his friends. Like "Valpone" (which literally means 'the fox'), Harrison's name is Fox. However, in this case, Fox has invited his three ex-wives to his home--telling them through his secretary (Cliff Robertson) that he's dying. However, instead of this complicated plan being seen through to the end, folks start dying. What gives?! The film has a nice cast. In addition to Harrison and Robertson, there are the wives (Capucine, Edie Adams and Susan Hayward--who is quite entertaining). Also, Adolfo Celi and Maggie Smith are along for support. However, despite the story being directed by the brilliant Joseph L. Mankiewicz, it just didn't work. It wasn't just that the film was two different films but the ending was VERY talky and had to explain everything to the audience--which was very awkward. Overall, the film is also a bit overlong. For me, despite some nice performances, it just didn't work.