Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness?

"Heironymus Merkin, the most talented movie star who ever sang, danced and loved girls, girls, girls."

Mar 28 1970 X 1h 47m
Comedy, Musical

Heironymus Merkin is an internationally successful singer approaching middle age who retells his life story in a series of production numbers on a seashore in front of his two toddlers and aged mother. Merkin's promiscuous relationships with women are explored, particularly Polyester Poontang and the adolescent Mercy Humppe. Merkin is constantly surrounded by a Satan-like procurer, Goodtime Eddie Filth, and an angelic 'Presence' who interrupts Merkin's biography with cryptic Borscht Belt-level jokes to denote births and deaths in Merkin's life. Newley periodically steps out of character to complain about his 'Merkin' role with an unseen director, two screenwriters, the film's producers and a trio of blasé movie critics who are turned off by the story's eroticism and lack of plot.

Plot

Hieronymus Merkin (Anthony Newley) has recently turned forty, and is in the midst of preparing a movie that details his life's history and development. Portraying himself as a marionette being controlled by an unseen puppet master, young Merkin is led away from the innocence of youth and into the waiting arms of one woman after another by Goodtime Eddie Filth (Milton Berle). With Filth's guidance, Merkin steadily transforms into a self-centered womanizer, save only for the longing he feels for his one lost love, Mercy Humppe (Connie Kreski). As the producers of his life story scream for him to come up with an ending, Merkin must look back and decide what, if anything, he's learned from his experiences.

Written by

Herman Raucher, Anthony Newley

Directed by

Anthony Newley, Richard Williams

Cast

Anthony Newley, Joan Collins, Alexander Newley

Crew

View crew

Production Countries

United Kingdom

Production Companies

Universal Pictures

Languages

English

Awards

1 win

Trailers
Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness? (1969) Trailer
Scores
# of Votes
425
Average Rating
4.9 out of 10
Metascore
NA
Popularity
NA