Larry Abbot (Gene Wilder), star of a mystery radio program, has recently announced his engagement to fellow radio actor, Vicky Pearl (Gilda Radner). He’s also developed a phobia of storms and begun to forget his lines. His psychologist brother (Paul L. Smith) informs Larry’s employers that he can scare him back to normal in just a few days. Larry and Vicky travel to his ancestral home, where his odd relatives are gathering, and murderous events begin to occur. Are all of the foul deeds part of the shock therapy, or are some due to Aunt Kate (Dom DeLuise) changing her will in Larry’s favor? Or, might it be the werewolf?
Old-dark-house mysteries were a staple of the ’30s and have been parodied ever since. The structure is simple: a group of people gather in an old, dark house (thus the sub-genre name, “old-dark-house”) where there’s a murder and supernatural activity, but it all turns out to have a rational explanation (usually a killer after the family fortune). Some of the earliest examples, such as James Whale’s 1932 The Old Dark House, steer toward the sinister while others, like 1944’s One Body Too Many, play up the humorous side. Haunted Honeymoon is a full blown comic version. Unfortunately, it isn’t a strong sub-genre, and any jokes that could be wrung from it were used long ago.
Still, there’s a little fun just in the joy that the filmmakers take in the project. It looks like everyone involved was having a great time and had fond, childhood memories of the original old-dark-house pictures. Writer, director, and star, Gene Wilder shares the screen with his then wife Gilda Radner, making it a family affair. I get the feeling I’m not so much watching a competent film as joining a party that is celebrating the earlier works. That’s the best way to look at it as there isn’t much new, interesting, or humorous here. The tepid screenplay is designed to emulate, not to make sense, with gigantic and plentiful plot holes, and in the end it all comes to nothing.
As for the comedy, Wilder shouts and screams a lot, Dom DeLuise wears a dress, and there are a few tired, mistaken-identity gags. There is even the worn-out bit were someone yells all the time at a person they incorrectly believe is hard of hearing.
At least Radner had a likeable character to work with. She’s the best thing about the film (though several of the supporting cast members do their best with the material), and it was her last. She died three years after filming.
For any long-suffering werewolf fans (there just aren’t many worthwhile werewolf films) who are reading this review because of the list I put it on, the movie will be another disappointment. Yeah, there’s a bit of fur and a mask, but not much else.