Product Details

• Actors: José Ferrer, Shelley Winters, Elaine May, Jack Gilford, Janet Margolin
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Sony Pictures
• VHS Release Date: May 16, 2000
• Run Time: 112 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6302862957
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #170,598 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

A modest but pleasant comedy based on Carl Reiner's semi- autobiographical novel about how he got into show business. David, a nice young Jewish boy from the Bronx (played, oddly enough, by nice young Italian boy Reni Santoni), is a delivery boy for a machinist, but aspires to be an actor. Finally summoning up his courage to answer an audition notice, he gets cast because the leading lady (Elaine May) thinks he's the cutest of the candidates, despite the dour misgivings of her actor father (the gloriously histrionic José Ferrer). David's parents don't want him to do it; his boss doesn't want him to do it; his girlfriend, though initially supportive, becomes jealous of the leading lady. But David persists, leading to many amusing mishaps on opening night. Santoni has settled into a long career as a supporting character actor, but the supporting cast of Enter Laughing is pretty star-studded; in addition to May and Ferrer, there's Shelley Winters (as David's long-suffering mom), Michael J. Pollard, Don Rickles, Jack Gilford, and even a cameo by Carl's son, Rob, who went on to success as "Meathead" on TV's All in the Family and as director of movies such as This Is Spinal Tap and When Harry Met Sally.... This was Carl's directorial debut; he went on to bigger success with Steve Martin's The Jerk and The Man with Two Brains, but Enter Laughing is not without its charms, particularly if you have a taste for comedies about theater itself. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Funniest movie ever made., October 21, 1999

By 

Wingless Wonder (Sacramento CA - USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Enter Laughing [VHS] (VHS Tape)

There, I've said it. Carl Reiner's ode to the stage and his youth is a hilarious journey for this viewer. Reni Santoni plays David, a high-school kid who takes the plunge into the world of stage acting, but whose talent, while impressive at home in front of his bedroom mirror, falls short into episodes of nervous stammering and the reading of stage directions ("Enter: laughing").

Sparkling performances from the entire cast, which includes real memorables from Jose Ferrer, as the play's director, and Shelley Winters, as David's mother. Contrast Winters' performance with the one she gave as a mother in, "A Patch of Blue".

Rob Reiner has a part as a hopeful during the audition scene. Don Rickles plays the cratchety boss of the voluptuous secretary that David is sweet on.

This is a very funny, often poignant comedy that accomplishes what it sets out to do, which is to make the audience laugh out loud.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Comedy Movie, February 9, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Enter Laughing [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I saw this movie when I was young and I couldn't stop laughing. Great coming of age movie. Ranks with the GRADUATE.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of Funniest Movie Ever!, October 6, 2007

By 

Mary Seaman (Tennessee) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Enter Laughing [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is one of the funniest movies we have ever seen. This is one of 4 or 5 movies that we view again every 3 or 4 years and it is just as funny each time. We laugh just thinking about the scenes especially Jose Ferrer with his flask.