Nerdy henpecked astronomer Englebert Ames (robustly played to pointdexter perfection by Anthony Heald) is excited about the prospect of seeing Haley's Comet. Things take a strange and unexpected turn when Ames receives surprise visits from Sir Edmond Haley (a delightfully dotty and dynamic portrayal by Fritz Weaver) and vibrant young lass Laura Burns (a lively and charming performance by the fetching Sarah Rush), both of whom have been trapped inside the comet for seventy-five years. Director Warner Shook, working from an offbeat and original script by Harvey Jacobs and Jule Selbo, relates the enjoyable oddball story at a swift pace and milks plenty of amusing quirky humor from the idiosyncratic premise. The spirited acting from the enthusiastic cast keeps everything buzzing: Heald and Rush display an appealing chemistry, Weaver has a field day as a pompous blow hard version of Haley, and Kate McGregor-Stewart really sinks her teeth into her juicy part as Ames' shrewish and overbearing wife Charlene. Sweet upbeat ending, too. A cute show.
Review of Comet Watch
