Movie Movie (1978) review

A "double feature" inspired by 30's Hollywood with both films featuring George C. Scott: in the first, Dynamite Hands, deli clerk (and future law student) Joey Popchik (Harry Hamlin) is mentored by trainer "Gloves" Malloy (Scott) to box in order to raise money to get his sister Angie (Kathleen Beller) expensive eye surgery and then hastily partners up with seedy promoter Vince Marlow (Eli Wallach); for the second, Baxter's Beauties of 1933, Broadway producer "Spats" Baxter (Scott once more) is informed he doesn't have long to live but wants to put on one last great show, and gets assistance from orphan Kitty (Rebecca York) and accountant-turned-songwriter Dick Cummings (Barry Bostwick).  Screenwriters Larry Gelbart and Sheldon Keller compile a list of every imaginable cliché and then proceed to go through them methodically - it's supposed to be a "spoof" but can't commit to going truly over-the-top (like the comedies made by Jim Abrahams and the Zucker brothers), instead settling on being tongue-in-cheek and self-aware.  Some viewers seem to prefer the boxing picture, but I think the musical second section is where Donen feels most comfortable, which makes sense considering he spent a large chunk of his career working in the genre.