The April Fools

{{Infobox film

| name = The April Fools

| image = The April Fools - Film Poster.jpg

| caption = Theatrical release poster (One sheet){{cite web |title=THE APRIL FOOLS US ONE SHEET POSTER JACK LEMMON CATHERINE DENEUVE 1969 |url=https://www.rendezvouscinema.com/en-us/products/the-april-fools-us-one-sheet-poster-jack-lemmon-catherine-deneuve-1969 |website=Rendezvous Cinema |access-date=13 March 2023 |language=en}}

| director = Stuart Rosenberg

| writer = Hal Dresner

| producer = Gordon Carroll

| starring = {{Plainlist|

}}

| cinematography = Michel Hugo

| editing = Bob Wyman

| music = Marvin Hamlisch

| released = {{Film date|1969|5|28|New York}}

| production_companies= {{plainlist|

Cinema Center Films
Jalem Productions{{AFI film}}

}}

| distributor = National General Pictures

| country = United States

| language = English

| runtime = 95 minutes

| gross = $4.5 million (US/Canada rentals){{cite magazine |title=Big Rental Films of 1969 |magazine=Variety |date=January 7, 1970 |page=15}}

}}

The April Fools is a 1969 American romantic comedy film directed by Stuart Rosenberg and starring Jack Lemmon and Catherine Deneuve. The film was produced through Lemmon's independent film production company, Jalem Productions.{{Cite web |date=1965-08-11 |title=Los Angeles Evening Citizen News from Hollywood, California |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/684660000/ |access-date=2025-02-15 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en-US}}

Plot

Wall Street broker Howard Brubaker is married to Phyllis, who does not love him. Catherine is the stunning French wife of an equally uncaring husband, Howard's philandering boss, Ted Gunther.

The evening of the day Ted promotes Howard, Howard attends Ted's house party where Ted urges him to pick up an available woman there and proceeds to show him how. Howard reluctantly tries it on Catherine, who instantly accepts. The two leave the party and go out for a little adventure on the town. Ted is oblivious, as he is concentrating on other women at the party.

The two find their marriages are loveless as they discover more about each other that night and decide to run away together the next evening. However, Ted does not realize the other man is Howard until Howard and Catherine are about to board the plane to Paris.

Cast

File:Catherine Deneuve-Jack Lemmon The April Fools.JPG and Jack Lemmon]]

{{Cast listing|

Jack Lemmon as Howard Brubaker{{cite web |title=Jack Lemmon Fools |url=https://www.gettyimages.com/photos/Jack-lemmon-fools |website=Getty Images |access-date=13 March 2023}}
Catherine Deneuve as Catherine Gunther{{cite web |title=1969 Press Photo Jack Lemmon and Catherine Deneuve in "The April Fools" |url=https://www.ebay.com/itm/354524808707 |website=eBay |access-date=13 March 2023}}
Peter Lawford as Ted Gunther
Myrna Loy as Grace Greenlaw{{cite web |title=1968 Press Photo Actors Myrna Loy & Jack Lemmon on set of "The April Fools" |url=https://www.ebay.com/itm/404131195160 |website=eBay |access-date=13 March 2023}}
Charles Boyer as Andre Greenlaw
Jack Weston as Potter Shrader
Janice Carroll as Mimsy Shrader
Sally Kellerman as Phyllis Brubaker
Gary Dubin as Stanley Brubaker
Melinda Dillon as Leslie Hopkins
Kenneth Mars as Les Hopkins
David Doyle as Orlow P. Walters
Susan Barrett as house party singer{{cite web |title=Susan Barrett Fools |url=https://www.gettyimages.com/photos/susan-barrett-fools |website=Getty Images |access-date=13 March 2023}}{{cite news |last1=Sullivan |first1=Dan |title=Susan Barrett at Persian Room; Young Singer Has Familiar Face Repertory Receives Sock Applause |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1967/08/25/archives/susan-barrett-at-persian-room-young-singer-has-familiar-face.html |access-date=13 March 2023 |work=The New York Times |date=25 August 1967}}{{cite web |title=Songs from The April Fools |url=https://sweetsoundtrack.com/Movies/the-april-fools-1969 |website=sweet soundtrack .com |access-date=13 March 2023}}
Dee Gardner as Naomi Jackson
Harvey Korman as Matt Benson
Lisa Todd as Safari Club waitress

}}

Production

Jack Lemmon bought the property through his independent film production company, Jalem Production, in August 1965. The film was to be produced by Gordon Carroll, who was vice-president of Jalem Productions, and the producers signed Stuart Rosenberg to direct the picture, who was under a five-year, three-film non-exclusive contract with the company.{{Cite web |date=1965-07-30 |title=The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/382273789/ |access-date=2025-02-15 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en-US}} It was supposed to be the first film made by Rosenberg for Jalem Productions, but Cool Hand Luke was filmed and released first.

The female lead was originally going to be played by Shirley MacLaine, but she was not available due to commitments on Sweet Charity and campaigning for Robert F. Kennedy. Catherine Deneuve was cast instead.{{cite news|title=Lemmon Chooses Co-Star for 'Fools'|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=June 25, 1968|page=f6}} On 22 July 1968, filming began in New York City. On 23 October 1968, Variety announced filming completion.

Release

The film opened on May 28, 1969 at the New Embassy Theatre and the Pacific East theatre in New York City.{{cite magazine|magazine=Variety|title=B'way Catching Breath for Holiday; 'Winning,' $200,000; 'Columbus,' 60G 'Curious,' 41G, 12th; 'Slime' $35,000|date=May 28, 1969|page=8}} It grossed $42,000 in its opening week.{{cite magazine|magazine=Variety|title=50 Top-Grossing Films|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_variety_1969-06-11_255_4/page/9|date=June 11, 1969|page=9}} After three weeks exclusively in New York, it also opened in Chicago and Philadelphia before expanding to 18 more cities a week later.{{cite magazine|magazine=Variety|title=Isn't this something? (advertisement)|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_variety_1969-07-02_255_7/page/20/mode/2up?view=theater|date=July 2, 1969|pages=20–21}} It reached number one at the US box office in July after eight weeks of release.{{cite magazine|magazine=Variety|title=50 Top-Grossing Films|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_variety_1969-07-30_255_11/page/15|date=July 30, 1969|page=15}}

Reception

A reviewer for The New York Times wrote that the film "manipulates its stereotypes with elegance and style. ... The best things in the movie, however, are the extraordinarily good supporting performances by Peter Lawford (as Miss Deneuve's husband), Jack Weston, Harvey Korman, Sally Kellerman, and by two stars who invented movie elegance almost 30 years ago, Charles Boyer and Myrna Loy."{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1969/05/29/archives/april-fools-arrives.html|title=April Fools' Arrives|newspaper=The New York Times|date=May 29, 1969|page=0|access-date=January 3, 2023}}

Paperback novelization

Published slightly in advance of the film's release (as was the usual custom of the era), a paperback screenplay novelization by the tie-in scribe William Johnston was issued by Popular Library.

Home media

The April Fools was released on DVD by CBS Home Entertainment through Paramount Home Media Distribution on January 28, 2014, as a Region 1 Widescreen DVD.