Wholly Moses!

Amazon.com

Wholly Moses! is a clever, 1980 Biblical farce that has much in common with Monty Python's Life of Brian. Dudley Moore, between star-making performances in 10 and Arthur, plays Old Testament-era idol maker Herschel, whose life parallels that of the more famous Moses in many ways. Forced into the role of seer for Egypt's pharaoh, Herschel becomes convinced he has divine powers, until destiny proves otherwise and his subsequent misadventures as a slave, fake eunuch, and betrayed husband (Laraine Newman plays Herschel's unfaithful spouse) lead him to question the necessity of believing in any god at all. Wholly Moses! is directed by Gary Weis, perhaps still best known for his short works on the early Saturday Night Live, and the film plays like a succession of sketchy ideas. It does have powerful and inspired moments, however, including Herschel's dialogue with the devil (John Ritter) and the sight of James Coco sweeping small frogs. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

boring.......2006-07-26

I thought with names likes Richard Pryor, Dudley Moore, John Ritter, it would be a good satire on the bible. Turned out to be a Dudley Moore ripoff. The script is sub-standard. Does anyone want to buy my copy?

As silly as I remembered.......2006-07-11

I had not seen this movie since it came out in 1980. It was as slapstick hilarious as I remembered. What I had forgotten was the outstanding cast of actors: Richard Pryor, John Ritter, etc.
Better story line than 'Blazing Saddles'.

Plausible history.......2005-02-12

While touring the Middle East Harvey and Zoey get off the buss and finds some scrolls in a cave. They chronicle the life of Herschel; as Harvey starts reading we are carried back to the actually time and given a first hand look at what really took place with Herschel and Moses. Several times God speaks to Moses and Herschel is in earshot and thinks it is he being addressed.
My favorite scene is when they are both in baskets floating down the Nile and Moses give Herschel's basket a push off course and changing the course of history.

Dudley Moore is Harvey/Herschel and Laraine Newman is Zoey/Zerelda. There are many great actors that are choice picks for the characters. A short list:
Richard Prior - Pharaoh
John Ritter - Satan (The Devil)
Lisa Caimano - Baby Moses
John Houseman - The Archangel

The story of Herschel and Zerelda.......2005-01-13

The late Dudley Moore's film career was starting to strengthen in the late 1970's,starting with a supporting role in 1978's FOUL PLAY,then co-starring with Bo Derek in "10" the following year. However,this film was a box office disappointment despite the all-star cast. Moore is Harvey Orkin,a language professor at a New York college. Harvey is taking a trip to Jerusalem's Holy Land to recover from the break-up with his live-in girlfriend. Sitting next to Harvey on the bus is Zoey(Laraine Newman,late of TV's Saturday Night Live). Zoey introduces herself as "Zoey from Los Angeles"(Newman is a Los Angeles native). The Pilgrimage Tours bus is driven by an Israeli named Mohammed. When the bus stops and the passengers get off,Zoey's hat is blown by the wind off her head. She discovers a scroll which Harvey reads(obviously what was written on it was not in English). Moore and Newman play dual roles. Their respective others are Herschel and Zerelda. The biblical story begins with infant Herschel being set afloat upon the River Nile,taken into custody by an African-American woman. The late James Coco plays Herschel's father who works at Herschel's business,Semut & Sons. Herschel and Zerelda fall and love and get married. Their wedding gift from Zerelda's father is a tent(their own home). Zerelda and her six sisters are all talented dancers,according to the girls' father(Richard B. Shull). The all-star cast includes Dom DeLuise,the late Madeline Kahn,the late John Ritter as a devil and Richard Pryor as the Pharoah. The Pharoah,when he was a young kid,first met Herschel thus labeling him "Stargazer". Jeffrey Jacquet plays the young Pharoah. Zerelda is turned into a pillar of salt(that's how death occurs in Egypt). In a later scene the adult Pharoah sentences Herschel to the dungeon. When the story ends,Zoey and Zerelda,along with the other passengers re-board the bus and the end credits roll. Newman was still on SNL when this film was made. It was directed by her friend Gary Weis. Some of Weis's short films appeared in some SNL episodes that were filmed in L.A. featuring Newman.

Great with one reservation.......2004-11-11

This is a great movie. I enjoyed it as much now as when I saw it at the theaters. Highly recommended. John Ritter, Richard Prior and James Coco shine. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that the DVD is standard. The film (as shown by the credits) is VERY wide screen and you lose so much of the picture that it hurts some of the scenes. Please release it in widescreen!!!!!!!!!!!

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