Alright, pop that tape in the VCR, maybe give the tracking a little nudge, and settle in. Remember stumbling across certain titles at the video store? The ones with a stacked cast list on the cover promising... well, something interesting? Neil Simon's California Suite from 1978 is exactly that kind of discovery – a curious, sometimes uneven, but ultimately fascinating snapshot of late-70s Hollywood anxieties and comedic stylings, all set under the pink stucco glow of the Beverly Hills Hotel. Finding this on a shelf felt like unearthing a slightly sun-faded postcard from another era.
Directed by Herbert Ross, who knew his way around both drama (The Turning Point) and crowd-pleasing entertainment (Footloose, Steel Magnolias), California Suite isn't one story, but four, unfolding in different bungalows and suites of that iconic hotel. It’s based, of course, on the Broadway play by the master of witty urban angst, Neil Simon, who adapted his own stage work here. Simon's signature is all over this – the rapid-fire dialogue, the blend of sharp observational humor with moments that sting with unexpected truth. It feels very much like eavesdropping on conversations you maybe shouldn't be hearing, but can't possibly turn away from.
### A Hotel Full of Stars
The sheer wattage of the cast here is something else, a real testament to the pull of Simon's name and the allure of this kind of ensemble piece back in the day. We get four distinct narrative threads, each exploring different relationship dynamics. There's the divorced couple, Hannah and Bill (Jane Fonda and Alan Alda), sparring over their daughter's future. Fonda, fresh off her powerful turn in Coming Home (also 1978), and Alda, then riding high on MASH*'s phenomenal success, bring a palpable New York tension to the sunny LA setting. Their segment carries the most dramatic weight, a sharp dissection of coasts colliding and parental anxieties.
Then you have Marvin and Millie (Walter Matthau and Elaine May), the Philadelphia couple arriving for a Bar Mitzvah. Matthau, a frequent Simon collaborator, is in peak form as a man waking up next to a passed-out sex worker (a gift from his brother) just hours before his wife arrives. The ensuing panic and attempts at concealment are pure Simon farce, elevated by Matthau’s hangdog expressions and May’s brilliant, understated reactions. Their banter feels lived-in, decades of marriage packed into every sigh and sarcastic retort.
### Unexpected Guests and Oscar Buzz
Things take a decidedly broader turn with Dr. Chauncey Gump and Dr. Willis Panama (Bill Cosby and Richard Pryor), two doctors from Chicago whose vacation descends into pure slapstick chaos. Interestingly, this segment wasn't part of the original Broadway play; it was reportedly added specifically for the film to capitalize on the comedic genius of Pryor and Cosby. While undeniably funny in moments – watching these two legends play off each other is always a treat – its tone feels jarringly different from the bittersweet comedy-drama surrounding it. It’s like a Looney Tunes short suddenly dropped into the middle of a Woody Allen film. Still, you can't deny the raw energy they bring, a reminder of their incredible on-screen chemistry.
But the absolute standout, the segment everyone remembers and talks about, belongs to Maggie Smith and Michael Caine as Diana Barrie and Sidney Cochran, a British actress and her antiques-dealing husband in town for the Academy Awards. Smith is Diana, a nervous wreck nominated for Best Actress, delivering a performance layered with insecurity, booze-fueled wit, and vulnerability. Caine provides the perfect, subtly pained counterpoint as her closeted husband. Their dynamic is complex, funny, and ultimately quite moving. And here’s a fantastic retro fun fact: Maggie Smith actually won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for this very role! Talk about life imitating art. It adds a wonderful layer of meta-commentary to her character’s on-screen anxieties about the awards ceremony.
### Simon's Suite Spot?
Pulling these disparate stories together under one roof (well, one hotel complex) was the challenge for Herbert Ross. While the film doesn't quite achieve perfect tonal harmony – that shift from the Pryor/Cosby physical comedy to the Fonda/Alda marital drama can give you whiplash – there’s a certain charm to its episodic nature. It feels like channel surfing through different lives, all happening concurrently in this luxurious, slightly unreal environment. Much of the filming actually took place at the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel, giving it an authentic sense of place you just couldn't replicate on a soundstage.
Despite the mixed critical reception upon release – some found it choppy, others adored the performances – California Suite performed well at the box office, proving audiences were eager for this kind of star-studded, adult-oriented comedy-drama. Watching it now, perhaps on a slightly fuzzy VHS copy dug out from the back of the cupboard, that late-70s aesthetic is undeniable – the fashion, the dialogue, the specific neuroses being explored. It’s a time capsule, but one where the performances, particularly Smith's Oscar-winning turn and Matthau's comedic mastery, still absolutely shine.
Rating: 7/10
Justification: While the tonal shifts between the four stories can be jarring and not all segments land with equal impact (looking at you, Chicago doctors), the powerhouse performances across the board, particularly Maggie Smith's brilliant, Oscar-winning turn, elevate the material significantly. Neil Simon's dialogue crackles, and the film serves as a fascinating, star-studded time capsule of late-70s anxieties and humor, anchored by that iconic Beverly Hills Hotel setting.
Final Take: A sometimes bumpy, always interesting stay at a hotel populated by legends, California Suite is the kind of witty, adult ensemble piece they truly don’t make anymore – flawed, maybe, but packed with performances worth the price of admission (or the rental fee back in the day).