''Cheaper to Keep Her'' is a 1981 American

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by

Ken Annakin Kenneth Cooper Annakin, OBE (10 August 1914 – 22 April 2009) was an English film director. His career spanned half a century, beginning in the early 1940s and ending in 2002, and in the 1960s he was noticed by critics with large-scale adventu ...

, which starred singer-turned-actor Mac Davis alongside

Tovah Feldshuh Terri Sue "Tovah" Feldshuh (born December 27, 1948) is an American actress, singer, and playwright. She has been a Broadway star for more than four decades, earning four Tony Award nominations. She has also received two Emmy Award nominations f ...

Plot

William "Bill" Dekker (Davis) is a newly divorced swinger who goes to work for an attorney named K. D. Locke (Feldshuh) as an investigator. His assignments have him tracking down divorced men who have reneged on their

alimony Alimony, also called aliment (Scotland), maintenance (England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Wales, Canada, New Zealand), spousal support (U.S., Canada) and spouse maintenance (Australia), is a legal obligation on a person to provide financial sup ...

and child support payments, a twist of irony considering not only his chauvinistic tendencies, but also the fact that he himself is relying on the money he receives from his assignments to cover his own alimony payments. The film takes its title from the song of the same name, which can be heard over the opening credits.

Cast

* Mac Davis as Bill Dekker *

as K.D. Locke *Bruce Flanders as Leon *Steven M. Gagnon as Peter * Gina Gallego as Sister #1 * Jack Gilford as Stanley Bracken * Patrick Gorman as Maitre d' *

Chuck Hicks Charles Dallas Hicks (December 26, 1927 – May 4, 2021) was an American actor and stuntman. During World War II, Hicks served in the U.S. Merchant Marine and later in the Navy.

as Abe *Gwen Humble as Laura *

Gloria LeRoy Gloria may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Christian liturgy and music * Gloria in excelsis Deo, the Greater Doxology, a hymn of praise * Gloria Patri, the Lesser Doxology, a short hymn of praise ** Gloria (Handel) ** Gloria (Jenkin ...

as Woman on Diving Board *

Priscilla Lopez Priscilla Lopez (born February 26, 1948) is an American singer, dancer, and actress. She is perhaps best known for creating the role of Diana Morales in ''A Chorus Line''. She has had the distinction of appearing in two Broadway landmarks: one o ...

as Theresa *

Rose Marie Rose Marie (born Rose Marie Mazzetta; August 15, 1923 – December 28, 2017) was an American actress, singer, comedian, and vaudeville performer with a career ultimately spanning nine decades, which included film, radio, records, theater, night ...

as Ida Bracken *

Ian McShane Ian David McShane (born 29 September 1942) is an English actor, producer and director. He is known for his television performances, particularly as the title role in the BBC series ''Lovejoy'' (1986–1994), Al Swearengen in '' Deadwood'' (20 ...

as Dr. Alfred Sunshine *

Art Metrano Arthur Metrano (September 22, 1936 – September 8, 2021) was an American actor. He was noted for his role as Lt./Capt./Cmdt. Mauser in '' Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment'' and '' Police Academy 3: Back in Training''. Career Metrano's ...

as Tony Turino

Critical reception

Critical reaction to the film has been overwhelmingly negative. Leonard Maltin rated it a BOMB, while the reviewing duo of Mick Martin and Marsha Porter labeled it a turkey. Gene Siskel, who registered the film for a "Dog of the Week" segment on

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

' '' Sneak Previews'',"Nighthawks/Modern Romance/Heaven's Gate/Excalibur/Napoleon", '' Sneak Previews''. Chicago Educational Television Association. April 23, 1981. called it "a pathetic comedy" with misleading advertising, adding:

References

External links

* * 1981 films 1981 comedy films American comedy films Films directed by Ken Annakin Regal Entertainment films Films with screenplays by Timothy Harris (writer) Films with screenplays by Herschel Weingrod 1980s English-language films 1980s American films {{1980s-comedy-film-stub