"My Favorite Year" is a very funny and charming piece of nostalgia that wears just a little bit too much of its sincerity on its sleeve. The opening shots of the classic New York skyline bring back fond memories of films set in New York like "On the Town" and "Bells Are Ringing", both of which opened with very similar views (and both of which had lyrics by Adolph Green, who appears in the film as Leo). There are many parallels to classic comedy in a broader sense as well, like the relationship between has-been swashbuckling icon Alan Swann (Peter O'Toole) and his chauffeur/manservant which mirrors the classic Jeeves and Wooster dichotomy loosely.<br /><br />The story is very straightforward – Swann must make an appearance on a TV variety show hosted by King Kaiser (Joe Bologna) to appease the IRS. When he shows up "plastered" ("so are some of the best erections in Europe"! he exclaims) for the first rehearsal he risks losing the job but is saved by nerdy writer Benjy Stone (Mark Linn-Baker), who must act as his chaperone for the rest of the week in NYC. In the course of that week Stone somewhat accidentally teaches Swann that what he's missing the most is a solid family relationship, and Swann teaches Stone how to be more confident and go after the things that he wants at all costs. There's also an interesting theme here concerning what we choose to show to other people. Stone confesses that his name is "Steinbaum" or something like that, a very Jewish name, and Swann confesses about his child whom he has not seen in years. The idea I think is that no one would guess that these two very hyper-kinetic and funny individuals were harboring such pain and guilt, but they are able to tell each other because of the mutual respect that exists between friends.<br /><br />I thought the movie was very funny although in the end the plot about Swann's family becomes a bit too obvious and sentimental. But there are just too many hilarious moments to complain too much. The only other comedy I've seen with O'Toole was "What's New Pussycat?", which I thought was kind of lame. He was very, very funny in this one. An even bigger surprise is Joe Bologna in the role of a Sid Caesar-esquire comedian full of swagger and arrogance, a man who would probably blame the pope if he slipped on a banana peal in the Vatican. The scene where he squares up with a tough gangster (played by the appropriately surly Cameron Mitchell, taking quite a big step up from his recent films like "Tool Box Murders") is one for the ages. And unlike a lot of show- business comedies that end in "the big show" (even "The Producers) the conclusion of this film was far from a let-down.<br /><br />I really felt like I was watching a film from the classic era – not just because of the high quality of the script and the actors, but because this film knows how to present an innocent kind of charm in a sophisticated way; it's a far cry from the juvenile (though occasionally hilarious) films being pumped out of the teenage movie factory that Hollywood became in the 1980s. In other words, it's a film with class and integrity. And speaking of "The Producers", I think a musical version of this film might be a very good idea.