The Last of Sheila

Our My Favorite Film Series continues with a pick selected by and presented by Angel Member and Flashback Cinema Curator, John Hersker!

In this rarely screened ‘70s murder mystery, a film producer invites six acquaintances aboard his yacht for a Mediterranean cruise. The guests are unaware they are all suspects in the hit-and-run murder of his late wife Sheila. With a script penned by composer Stephen Sondheim and Anthony Perkins (star of Psycho). This whodunit is a blast to watch on the big screen and features a star-studded cast, including James Coburn, Richard Benjamin, James Mason, Raquel Welch and Dyan Cannon.

John Hersker says 'I was a teenager working in my family-owned movie theatre in northeastern Pennsylvania The Last of Sheila when was released in 1973. I fell in love with the film the first time I saw it. As a child of the movies, I was interested in everything related to the business, and while I appreciated that The Last of Sheila was a clever and wildly entertaining whodunit, I was more drawn to the fact that it seemed to pull back the curtain on how Hollywood players interacted with each other behind the scenes. To me it was a deliciously cynical look at the hidden side of Hollywood—or what I imagined that to be—and the fact that it was written by actor Anthony Perkins and composer Stephen Sondheim added to my feeling that I was getting the “inside scoop.' Flash forward to years later when I was working at Paramount Pictures in Hollywood. On separate occasions I got the chance to meet Dyan Cannon, Richard Benjamin and James Coburn. They each had an impressive body of work, but there was only one movie I wanted to talk to them about: The Last of Sheila. I was on the inside at last!'

Director Herbert Ross

Cast James Coburn, Dyan Cannon, Richard Benjamin, Raquel Welch, James Mason

Country USA

Language English

Aspect 1.85

More info on IMDB ››