FMDB - Fatatatutti Movie DataBase [closed]

[Fatatatutti]

Fishington Manor

Synopsis: A big-screen adaptation of the back-story of the popular TV soap opera The Fishingtons. A penniless Wedgewood "Wedgie" Fishington arrives in Fatatatutti to start a modest business, facing the trials and tribulations of separating the tourists from their cash. Later on, his twin sons Wordsworth ("Wordie") and Woolworth ("Woolie") start the feud over control of the family fortune.

Trivia: The Fish With No Name plays a dual role as the evil twins, Wordie and Woolie Fishington. Alphonse (or a duck who looks like Alphonse) also plays a dual role: as Old Sniddler, the great-grandfather of the sinister gardener, and as Moe Fishbein, the great-grandfather of the family lawyer. An alternate title considered by the producers, The Hound of the Fishingtons, was dropped because there are no dogs in the movie. Some of the interior sets used in the TV show were re-used in the movie. A full-sized façade of Fishington Manor was built because the TV show only uses a model for long shots. Faithful to the TV show, the exact nature of "the family business" is never specified.

[Fatatatutti]

Sniddler's Folly

Synopsis: Another big-screen spinoff of the TV soap opera The Fishingtons. The sinister gardener, Sniddler, makes off with a big bag of money stolen from the Fishingtons' safe; he plans to start an asparagus grow-op but little does he know that family patriarch Tweed Fishington has hired a ruthless assassin to get the money back.

Trivia: Brief cameo appearance by Marie-Louise Castro-Stalina as Sniddler's daughter, Tamsin. In the exploding safe scene, only Sniddler's feet are shown because the actor who played Sniddler claimed he was allergic to safes, so a stunt duck had to be used. However, the quacking was dubbed in later by the actor. [Spoiler Alert] In the exploding greenhouse scene, the money that flies in all directions is real money. For some reason, the producers decided that real money would be cheaper than fake money.

Quotes:

"We've been sniddled!"
"Nobody sniddles Tweedsmuir J. Fishington and gets away with it."

[Fatatatutti]

Alphonse and the Steampunk Recycle Bin

Synopsis: Based on a short story written by Roald Dahl while on vacation in Fatatatutti, Alphonse invents an automated recycle bin and mayhem ensues when it tries to take over the world. Destined to become a children's classic.

Trivia: Three mahogany-and-brass recycle bins were built by the prop department; one was destroyed by an explosion during filming and one is on display at the Fat City Hard Rock Cafe; the location of the third is unknown. The producers have never revealed how the recycle bin was animated. Cameo appearance by Fish as one of the recycle bin's first victims. Warning to foreign audiences: gratuitous nudity.

Quote: "Re-cy-cle all hu-mans!"

[Fatatatutti]

St. Alphonse and St. Fish

Synopsis: After a particularly wild, explosion-filled weekend, Alphonse and Fish are on the run from the law - but when they try to hide in a church, they get more than they bargained for. Disguised as priests, they have a hard time convincing anybody that they're not as holy as they seem.

Trivia: Alphonse's sermon was mostly unscripted. Fish's clerical collar kept slipping off over his head so it had to be duct-taped on. Alphonse brought in nine Lufthansa stewardesses to play nuns but most of the footage was cut from the finished movie. The "<Fish><" bumper sticker on the getaway car is actually from Fish's 1959 Cadillac. Warning to foreign audiences: gratuitous nudity.

[Fatatatutti]

Tell Them Wooly Boy is Here

Synopsis: The story of a renegade sheep who takes the law into his own hooves. Although ducks and fish are very popular in Fatatatutian cinema, a sheep protagonist was not successful at the box office.

Trivia: At one point, a duck was cast to play Wooly Boy but he had a bad reaction to the sheep makeup so the producers decided to go with a real sheep. It is uncertain whether that had any effect on the popularity of the movie. It is generally agreed by critics that the sheep was a competent if not exceptional actor. Some have suggested that the lack of explosions may have had a detrimental effect on ticket sales. An edited-for-TV version is available on DVD. Warning to foreign audiences: gratuitous nudity.

[Fatatatutti]

Seinfeld: the Motion Picture

Synopsis: Critics gave mixed reviews to this off-beat adaptation of a popular foreign TV sitcom. Fish stars as comedian Jerry Seinfeld and Alphonse has a quadruple role as George Costanza, Cosmo Kramer, Newman the mailman and the Soup Nazi. Elaine Benes is confusingly played by nine Lufthansa stewardesses.

Trivia: The original plan was to cast Alphonse as Jerry but he couldn't remember the jokes. Alphonse was also the executive producer, which might explain the casting of the stewardesses from his entourage. Unlike the TV series, the Kramer in the movie is a dynamite truck driver. There are more explosions in the movie than in the TV show. Cameo appearance by Mickey Chang as J. Peterman.

[Fatatatutti]

Where's the Beef?

Synopsis: Alphonse dresses up as a cow for Hallowe'en and, for some reason, he goes trick-or-treating in Texas. When he is captured by rustlers, he has to save himself and the other cows from the slaughterhouse.

Trivia: Originally intended as part of the Mr. Quackers franchise but contractual problems caused Albert Asparagus and Percy Pepperman to give up the rights to the script. Alphonse's cow make-up took two hours to apply every day, which is why a real cow stood in for him in several shots. Some of the stunts were done by a stunt cow and some were done by a stunt duck in a cow suit. Rumours that Alphonse caught Bovine Spongebob Ensnuffleuppagus during the filming have not been substantiated. Cameo appearance by nine Lufthansa srewardesses as the Texas Cowgirls cheerleaders, in a scene that has nothing whatsoever to do with the plot. [Spoiler Alert] The first time the slaughterhouse explosion was filmed there wasn't enough blood; the second time there was too much; the final print of the movie contains edits from five separate takes. A suggestion to rename the movie Slaughterhouse-Five was rejected.

Quotes: "Moo-moo moo-moo-moo."

[Fatatatutti]

Square Fish in a Round Bowl

Synopsis: In a rare musical role, Fish plays a young jazz musician who wants to play in the symphony.

Trivia: Some of the more intricate trumpet solos were dubbed. An alternate title, Young Fish With a Horn, was rejected because the producers felt it sounded too much like a monster movie. Although Fish often portrays a cigar-chomping tough guy in the movies, in real life he is a non-smoker - so the marijuana-smoking scenes were done by a stunt fish. Cameo appearance by Alphonse as the gangster who owns the night club. The dancing girls were played by nine Lufthansa stewardesses from Alphonse's entourage. Alphonse's executive producer credit is believed to be mostly honorary. Cameo appearance by the Phatatatutti Philharmonic Orchestry.

Quotes: "That fish is one cool cat."

[Fatatatutti]

Where Angels Fear

Synopsis: Some might expect a movie about fools rushing in to be an Alphonse and Fish production but in fact Where Angels Fear is an all-human fictional account of a fictional peace-keeping campaign in a fictional nation. It is also a melodrama full of unrequited love and lost opportunities. Not to be confused with Where Angels Fear to Tread, an Alphonse and Fish production.

Trivia: Criticized by the Army for unrealistic depictions of peace-keeping activities.

[Fatatatutti]

Where Angels Fear to Tread

Synopsis: A typical Alphonse and Fish romp with car chases, explosions, bank robberies, Lufthansa stewardesses, more explosions and a prison break - but no plot. Not to be confused with Where Angels Fear.

Trivia: Although some critics believe that the movie is made up of nothing but outtakes from the infamous "Road" pictures, in fact it is all new footage. Because of Alphonse's reputantion as a bad driver, a film crew followed him around wherever he went, so much of the movie is semi-documentary footage of the mayhem that seems to follow him around. Alphonse is reputed to have destroyed more than seventy cars but some think that is an exaggeration. One car was destroyed, apparently, by Alphonse simply walking past it. A stunt duck who was supposedly killed during filming turned out to be a frozen duck that was purchased from Safeway for unknown reasons.

[Fatatatutti]

Carry On Alphonse and Fish

Synopsis: Alphonse and Fish attempt to emulate the classic British comedy series but the result isn't quite as funny as the movies they take seriously. The plot, what there is of it, revolves around a haunted house, a case of mistaken identity and nine scantily-clad Lufthansa stewardesses.

Trivia: More car chases than the British version. Fish wanted to wear a monocle because he apparently thought all British people wore them; however, the prop department couldn't figure out how to stick it to his eye without blinding him - so he settled for wearing a bowler hat on his bowl instead. His bowl was dangerously cracked during filming of the cricket scene. Alphonse had three dialog coaches to teach him to quack in a British accent. Warning to foreign audiences: gratuitous explosions.

Quotes:

"'ello, ello, ello. Wot's this 'ere?"

"'oo supped me pint?"

"That'll be three quid, tuppence thruppence ha'penny, guv'nuh."

[Fatatatutti]

Where Eagles Dare

Synopsis: Paratroopers set out on an impossible mission to rescue a captured General from a mountaintop fortress, starring Fish as Otto Skorzeny and Alphonse as Mussolini. Believed to be based on a foreign movie and/or a real incident.

Trivia: The Army provided aircraft, equipment, etc. but they couldn't find a helmet to fit Fish's bowl, so the prop department had to make one out of papier-mache. During one particularly vigorous stunt, the helmet was damaged by water spilled from Fish's bowl and filming was delayed while a new one was made. It is possible to spot differences between the two helmets if you pause the DVD. The escape scene in the Stork aircraft had to be re-shot several times because Alphonse kept flying out the window. The theme song, They Choose to Fly Where Eagles Dare, is the motto of the Air Cavalry Brigade. Ironically for a war movie, there are fewer explosions than most Alphonse and Fish movies.

[Fatatatutti]

Constable Alphonstable

Synopsis: A bumbling police constable investigates what he thinks is an organized crime ring. Special appearance by Fish as Detective DiGiorgio.

Trivia: Filmed on location in the Latin Quarter of Fat City. The destruction of the old warehouse district actually happened, to make way for a residential/commercial development. Filming was scheduled to coincide with the event. The constable's nightstick was made so large for comedic effect that it wouldn't fit in his beak so it had to be digitally enhanced. Rumours that guest star Fish was accidentally eaten and secretly replaced have not been substantiated. The constable's Four Hundred and Forty-four Magnum, "the most powerful handgun in the world," was just a prop. The squeaking of its wheels is believed to have been unintentional.

Tag Line: "He always gets his man. He always gets the girl. He always gets your goat."

Quote: "He was only three minutes from retirement."

[Fatatatutti]

Santalphonse Is Coming To Town

Synopsis: He's making a list... he's checking it twice... he's forgotten where he put it. Mayhem ensues at the North Pole when Santalphonse prepares for his Christmas Eve run. Fish appears in an unusually villainous role as Adolf the Brownshirt Reinfish, who has plans of his own.

Trivia: The argument between Santalphonse and Mrs. Santalphonse about the advisability of giving dynamite to children was mostly improvised. Mrs. Santalphonse was played by nine Lufthansa stewardesses from Alphonse's entourage but only two or three appear on screen at any one time. The cameo appearance by General Marie-Louise Castro-Stalina as Cindy-Lou Who is believed to have been lifted from the TV classic How Alphonse Stole Christmas. Fish's moustache wouldn't stay on under water so it had to be added digitally in some scenes. Rumours that Fish died of an allergic reaction to the plastic Christmas tree in his dressing-bowl and was secretly replaced have not been substantiated.

Songs:

"Adolf with your shirt so brown,
Won't you guide my sleigh to town?"

"Everybody knows a missile and some turkey-toes
Can help to make the season bright...."

[Fatatatutti]

Mr. Alphonson

Synopsis: Mr. Alphonson is a minor government official who suggests borrowing money from one department's budget to cover a shortfall in another department's budget. When the money goes missing, Mr.Alphonson gets the blame - but Mr. Alphonson has gone missing too. Mayhem ensues as Inspector Poisson and his hapless assistant Piffle investigate.

Trivia: Rumours that both Inspector Poisson and his hapless assistant Piffle were played by the Fish With No Name have not been substantiated. Both characters are regulars on the popular TV soap opera The Fishingtons, which is produced by the same company. Originally intended to be part of the Mr.Quackers franchise but the author of the book insisted that the name Mr. Alphonson be used. The actor who played Mr. Alphonson did most of his own stunts in the final chase scene. Cameo appearance by Edwood Woodwood.

[Fatatatutti]

Stay Hungry Hungry

Synopsis: An unauthorized and probably completely fictional account of Alphonse's early life. Growing up on the mean streets of Hoisin Province, he ekes out a living by hustling games of Hungry Hungry Hippos. Eventually, he arranges a game with Fatatatutti Fats, the best Hungry Hungry Hippos player in the world, and learns the true meaning of Hungry Hungry Hippos.

Trivia: Cameo appearance by Fish as The Gambler. The producers couldn't find a fat duck (fatter than Alphonse) who could play Hungry Hungry Hippos well enough, so Alphonse played the difficult shots for both sides himself. According to rumour, Alphonse prefers the yellow hippo because of his penchant for blonde stewardesses.

Song: "You got to know when to bite 'em."

Quotes: "Of all the Hungry Hungry Hippos joints, in all the towns, in all the world, he waddles into mine."

[Fatatatutti]

The Long Riders

Synopsis: Alphonse and Fish ride again in what is sure to become a Spaghetti Fish Western classic. Fish plays a dual role as Frank and Jesse James while Alphonse takes on the triple role of Cole, Jim and Bob Younger.

Trivia: The argument between the James brothers and the Younger brothers after the Northfield, Minnesota raid bears a strong resemblance to Alphonse and Fish's classic "Bloop-Wek" comedy routine. Most of the weapons used in the movie were from Fish's personal collection. Fish used his signature 1860 Dance Brothers revolver, rumoured to have belonged to Geronimo. Most of the dynamite was from Alphonse's personal collection. Alphonse's sinister cousin Dexter, believed by many to actually be Alphonse, appears in a double cameo role as Bob and Charlie Ford. The scene where Alphonse runs along the top of the train required more than twenty takes because Alphonse kept getting lost. When Mrs. James' house was blown up by the Pinkertons, the mushroom cloud was added from stock footage.

[Fatatatutti]

Tweedlefonse and Tweedlefish

Synopsis: In a rare try at comedy (their other movies may come across as comedies to foreign audiences but it is unintended), Alphonse and Fish string together a series of more-or-less unconnected sketches.

Trivia: Filmed in black and white, for unknown reasons. The scene in which the car plays chicken with a train was done at low speed and the film was sped up to make it seem more dangerous. Some other scenes are also played at high speed for unknown reasons. The scene where Alphonse knocks over Fish's bowl with a ladder took seventeen takes because Alphonse couldn't hit the bowl. In some scenes, you can see that Alphonse and Fish have switched derby hats, with Fish almost invisible under Alphonse's larger hat.

Catch Phrase: "Another fine mess you've gotten us into."