A New Leaf. 1971. Written and directed by Elaine May

Film

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A New Leaf. 1971. USA. Written and directed by Elaine May. Courtesy Paramount Pictures

A New Leaf. 1971. USA. Written and directed by Elaine May. With Walter Matthau, May. DCP. 102 min.

Elaine May’s directorial debut was plagued with production problems—much like her other remarkable features—and after running over budget and settling on a three-hour version, A New Leaf was taken away from her by producer Robert Evans. The director unsuccessfully sued the studio, and the film was released with its current runtime. Although May’s full version remains unseen, A New Leaf is now considered one of the funniest films of the decade, and rightly so. In Walter Matthau—perfectly cast as an egotistical bon vivant looking for a rich wife to poison so he can inherit a fortune—May finds an excellent comic partner, and her talent as a physical comedian perhaps surpasses her exceptional writing and wit (“Excuse me, you’re not by any chance related to the Boston Hitlers?”).

This film accompanies Paramount in the 1970s.

Past events

Mon, Sep 9, 6:30 p.m.

MoMA, Floor T2/T1, Theater 1

The Roy and Niuta Titus Theater 1
Sat, Sep 7, 4:00 p.m.

MoMA, Floor T2/T1, Theater 1

The Roy and Niuta Titus Theater 1

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