The End

United Artists. Director Burt Reynolds; Producer Lawrence Gordon; Screenplay Jerry Belson; Camera Bobby Byrne; Editor Donn Cambern; Music Paul Williams; Art Director Jan Scott

Burt Reynolds
Dom DeLuise
Sally Field
Strother Martin
David Steinberg
Joanne Woodward

The rather complete failure of Jerry Belson's script makes 'The End' of The End come none too soon. Star-director Burt Reynolds, as a medically-doomed sharpie, exercises and exorcises his fears while milking sympathy from everyone available. Production is a tasteless and overripe comedy that disintegrates very early into hysterical, undisciplined hamming.

For a few frames of the film, Reynolds' bearded face suggests that there was some effort to project a different image; to transform his familiar and likable charisma into something different, befitting the last days of a carefree, selfish person who has been informed of fatal illness.

There's little more to do than list the featured players: Dom DeLuise, absolutely dreadful; Sally Field, phoning in a kooky-pretty role; David Steinberg, an outtake that crept back into the print; Joanne Woodward, poorly utilized though adroitly cast.

(Color) Available on VHS, DVD. Extract of a review from 1978. Running time: 100 MIN.

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