6. Run For Your Wife (2012, Dir. Ray Cooney & John Luton)
What Was The Comedy?An adaptation of the 1980 stage play of the same name about a bigamous taxi driver whose web of lies is uncovered after he is injured while stopping a mugging.
Why Was It Appalling? It was phenomenally outdated by the time the film was made. The stage show may have had a successful nine year run but times have changed and the film's farcical style with characters stepping on rakes and losing their trousers doesnt carry much weight with cinemagoers in the 21st century. Not to mention that writer Ray Cooney (who also wrote the original play) was the co-director despite having not directed a film since 1984 and the film's other co-director John Luton only having one directorial credit prior to Run For Your Wife.
Who Should Have Known Better? Writer and co-director Ray Cooney.
Why Should He Have known Better? As an experienced theatre writer, Cooney should have realised that comedy has changed considerably since Run For Your Wifes West End debut in 1980 and should have updated some of the plays elements when writing the script for the film adaptation in order to create a version of the play that was more suited to the modern age. Also, as mentioned, he last directed a film in 1984 and should have handed over directorial duties to somebody with more recent experience or hired a more experienced co-director so that his knowledge of the source material and the talents of a director with more recent film experience could be combined. Instead, Cooney wrote the film solo and directed it with somebody with almost no experience. Which resulted in it being critically panned and taking less than £700 on its opening weekend.