Peter Shaffer Movies

For this film adaptation of Peter Shaffer's Broadway hit, director Milos Forman returned to the city of Prague that he'd left behind during the Czech political crises of 1968, bringing along his usual cinematographer and fellow Czech expatriate, Miroslav Ondricek. Amadeus is an expansion of a Viennese "urban legend" concerning the death of 18th-century musical genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. From the vantage point of an insane asylum, aging royal composer Salieri (F. Murray Abraham) recalls the events of three decades earlier, when the young Mozart (Tom Hulce) first gained favor in the court of Austrian emperor Joseph II (Jeffrey Jones). Salieri was incensed that God would bless so vulgar and obnoxious a young snipe as Mozart with divine genius. Why was Salieri--so disciplined, so devoted to his art, and so willing to toady to his superiors--not touched by God? Unable to match Mozart's talent, Salieri uses his influence in court to sabotage the young upstart's career. Disguising himself as a mysterious benefactor, Salieri commissions the backbreaking "Requiem," which eventually costs Mozart his health, wealth, and life. Among the film's many pearls of dialogue, the best line goes to the Emperor, who rejects a Mozart composition on the grounds that it has "too many notes." Amadeus won eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Actor for F. Murray Abraham. In 2002, the film received a theatrical re-release as "Amadeus: The Director's Cut," a version that includes 20 minutes of additional footage. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This English comedy is based on a short play by Peter Shaffer (better known for Equus). Belinda is a free-spirited American woman married to a stuffy English rolled-umbrella man. When he leaves for work each day, she leaves their London apartment too. She says she's just sightseeing, but he doesn't believe her. He hires a private eye (Chaim Topol) to follow her around and find the "other man" in her life. What she said was true, however, and the private eye becomes her traveling companion. He tells his employer that she was telling the truth, but he doesn't believe him. At that point, the detective admits to being the "other man," complicating things thoroughly. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

A nebbish tries to become a ladies' man overnight, with disastrous results, in this comedy. Bob Handman (Brian Bedford) is a bright but painfully shy young man who is more than a bit nervous around the opposite sex. While attending a Mozart recital, he meets a beautiful woman named Doreen Marshall (Julie Sommars), and he displays his typical panache with the ladies by spilling his drink all over her. Bob somehow works up the courage to ask Doreen for a date, and she accepts; not sure what to do next, Bob calls on his buddy Ted (James Farentino), a self-assured playboy who tries to give Bob a crash course on how to handle women. However, the teacher outshines the student, and Doreen falls for Ted's easy charm while Bob gets drunk and bemoans the sad state of his love life. The Pad and How to Use It was based on a one-act play by Peter Shaffer, who later went on to greater success with Equus and Amadeus. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide